Texas A&M heads to LSU needing a response after its Kentucky loss, with Marcel Reed, the Aggies’ pass rush and Mike Elko facing major tests.
Texas A&M doesn’t have much time to dwell on what went wrong against Kentucky.
After a 31-21 home loss dropped the Aggies to 2-1, Mike Elko’s team now heads directly into one of the SEC’s toughest environments for a Saturday night meeting with No. 10 LSU at Tiger Stadium.
The matchup puts Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed under the microscope while also creating a major challenge for an Aggies defense that hasn’t consistently generated pressure.
“We’ve got to get better,” Elko said after the Kentucky loss. That becomes especially urgent in Baton Rouge.
Reed, a senior and one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the SEC, has already accumulated more than 5,400 career passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards. But Kentucky exposed some of the inconsistency that has followed him throughout his career.
The Aggies will have to find more explosive plays against an LSU defense that has been one of the league’s stingiest units through three games.
Ole Miss did prove the Tigers can be attacked through the air, however, throwing for 363 yards and two touchdowns in a 32-24 win over LSU last week.
That gives Reed and Texas A&M a blueprint, but execution will matter.
The other major pressure point comes when LSU has the football.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt has given Lane Kiffin a dynamic dual-threat weapon after transferring from Arizona State.
Leavitt opened the year against Clemson with 230 passing yards, 113 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. He’s also shown a tendency to put the ball in danger, including three interceptions against Louisiana Tech.
Texas A&M needs to capitalize on that.
The Aggies have struggled to consistently collapse the pocket, making Saturday an important test for Elko’s defensive front. If Leavitt is comfortable, Kiffin’s offense has enough speed and creativity to turn the game into a long night.
And then there’s the coaching matchup.
Elko wants structure, disguise and physical defense. Kiffin wants tempo, space and explosive plays.
Texas A&M beat LSU 49-25 in Baton Rouge last season, but Saturday presents a very different challenge. Both programs are coming off SEC losses, both are trying to avoid early damage to their playoff hopes, and neither has much margin for another bad night.
Death Valley should reveal quickly which team is ready to respond.
