LSU vs. Texas A&M: Game Grades, Analysis for the Tigers and Aggies

The LSU Tigers came away with a 23-17 win over Texas A&M at Kyle Field on Thanksgiving.

The Tigers dominated the Aggies, but they only won by six. Part of the reason is the red-zone offense wasn’t as strong. They also missed two field goals and made too many mental mistakes. But the Tigers defense was able to shut down the Aggies, who were fortunate they only lost by six.

So the Tigers finish the regular season at 8-4 while the Aggies finish at 7-5. This was not a crucial SEC game, but this was a game to see where both programs are headed in 2015. The Tigers are on the upward trend, while the Aggies have some questions that need to be answered.

Here are the game grades and analysis for the Tigers and Aggies.

Positional Unit	First Half Grade	Final Grade
Passing Offense	C-	B-
Running Offense	A	A+
Passing Defense	A	A-
Running Defense	A	A
Special Teams	B	B
Coaching	B	B

Passing Offense

Once again, Anthony Jennings was not great through the air, but he was good enough to manage the game. He only threw for 107 yards, but he did throw a touchdown pass late in the first half. Jennings is a guy who can make the right decisions. But he’s not going to be the guy who gives the Tigers 250-300 passing yards and three touchdowns per game consistently.

Running Offense

However, the reason for the lack of the aerial attack was the run game, which was the best it’s been all season. Jennings rushed for 119 yards, Leonard Fournette rushed for 146 yards, and Terrence McGee added 74 yards. The Tigers just ran at the young Aggies front seven, and they never backed down. Once the run game for the Tigers gets going, they are a hard team to beat.

Passing Defense

The Aggies got a taste of why the Tigers have one of the best pass defenses in the country. Kyle Allen only threw for 144 yards because guys like Tre’Davious White and Jalen Collins were all over the receivers. Allen was able to hit on 17 of his 27 passes, but as soon as the receivers caught the ball, the secondary was all over them. It was one of the best efforts by the linebackers and secondary for LSU.

Running Defense

The Tigers were just as strong stopping the run, as they only allowed 84 yards on 21 carries. LSU did have a hard time trying to stop Trey Williams, but he only got the ball four times. Kendell Beckwith and Kwon Alexander both had seven tackles, and they were key in containing guys like Tra Carson and Brandon Williams. But the Aggies aren’t known for running the ball effectively anyway.

Special Teams

Both kickers for LSU missed key field goals, which would have given them six more points and a double-digit win over the Aggies. That is something that needs to be corrected moving forward because with the games in the SEC mostly closely contested, Colby Delahoussaye and Trent Domingue can’t miss key field goals. Jamie Keehn was solid with his punts, and Fournette was able to average 17 yards per kick return.

Coaching

Les Miles had a good game plan going into this matchup. He knew that he could run the ball against the Aggies, and it worked to perfection. The one thing he needs to work on is making sure his team can get more touchdown drives instead of field goals. They were able to score on four consecutive drives, but this team is too talented to settle for more field goals than touchdowns.

Positional Unit	First Half Grade	Final Grade
Passing Offense	D	C-
Running Offense	D	D
Passing Defense	A	A
Running Defense	D-	F
Special Teams	C-	C-
Coaching	C-	C

Passing Offense

It was not a great day in the office for Allen. He was accurate with his throws, but the secondary for LSU got after the receivers as soon as they would catch the ball. However, that was when Allen was throwing it short. When he made some deep throws, it seemed to work a little better. But LSU is good with man-to-man and zone coverage; Allen was lucky to have 144 passing yards.

Running Offense

The one thing the Aggies should have done is give the ball to Trey Williams more. He scored on a 41-yard run and got a 20-yard run later in the game. Brandon Williams and Tra Carson don’t have the speed like Trey Williams, which is why they only rushed for a combined 35 yards. But the Aggies like to throw the ball a lot more than running it.

Passing Defense

The defense has been suspect for the Aggies all season long. But they did a great job limiting Jennings to only 107 yards in the air. The defensive backs were all over Travin Dural and Malachi Dupre, who are both legit deep threats. The one player that stood out was De’Vante Harris, who had six tackles and one interception. That performance was big for the group because they have been torched all season long.

Running Defense

The run defense for the Aggies has seen better days, even though there have not been many good days for them. They gave up over 380 yards on the ground because the running backs and offensive line for LSU punched the Aggies in the mouth and they never responded.  Defensive lineman Myles Garrett needs to be more aggressive at the point of attack. He’s a great edge-rusher, but his run defense needs to be better next season.

Special Teams

Josh Lambo was able to make his only field goal, Drew Kaser averaged 45 yards per punt, and the return game had an average night. However, Speedy Noil did fumble a kick return late in the second quarter, which led to points. The special teams was OK, but the Noil turnover was costly. They also had an opportunity to block an LSU field goal in the second half, but the defender missed it.

Coaching

Kevin Sumlin should have matched speed on speed with the Aggies. Trey Williams should have gotten more snaps, receiver Josh Reynolds was nonexistent, and Noil almost was a non-factor had it not been for his touchdown grab late in the game. But then again, the Aggies had the ball for only 18 minutes, and the defense was out on the field way too much. The team is still young, so Sumlin is doing a good job getting his players to compete, but they have to execute much better if they want to win the SEC West next season.