Let’s turn our attention now to the defensive performance. It’s tough to quantify exactly the impact of a guy like McKinnley Jackson (5 tackles, 3 solo, 1 QB hit) on the LSU game outside of something like a PFF grade, as he was an absolute wrecking ball up front and affected a lot of plays but didn’t record a lot of stats. Regardless, he deserves his flowers.
Ripping the band-aid off first here, let’s take a look at the rushing numbers that LSU put up:
- 32 carries for 187 yards
- 5.84 YPC
- 3 TDs
- Long of 24
Not amazing numbers for your defense! But better than some we’ve seen this year! LSU gained 121.16% of A&M’s average YPC allowed and 117.98% of their own average, thanks mostly to QB Jayden Daniels’s efforts. The ASU transfer contributed 12 carries for 84 yards, an average of 7 YPC. Despite this, the Aggies continued to make stops in huge moments that ended up helping them win the game.
Let’s see how the A&M pass defense held up:
- 197 yards on 22 completions
- 5.5 YPA: 3rd lowest allowed against P5 competition (Auburn—4.6; Miami—5.3)
- 61.1% completion
- 107.7 Rating
- 0 TDs, 0 INTs
This has been the best part of this Texas A&M football team’s defense most of the year, and they showed out against LSU. The Tigers’s 5.5 YPA was good for only 74% of LSU’s average, and only 96% of what the Aggies average allowing. The Aggies shut LSU down through the air, with the longest completion allowed being a 22-yard toss to Kayshon Boutte.
How about advanced stats? The Aggies held the Tigers to 0.307 adjusted points per play, not the best mark of the year for the Aggies (the 5th-highest number of the season), but the complementary style this Texas A&M football team was finally able to pull off in this game paid off, keeping the ball out of the Tigers’ hands for long stretches. LSU also put up a 54% success rate, so the Aggies had a tough time knocking them off-schedule. Those plays, such as Walter Nolen’s sack, came in some of the most key moments of the game, however. That mark is good for just a bit over LSU’s average success rate, at 106% of their average.
In all, it was a good defensive performance, with the Aggies playing their best at the most key moments of the game. They did enough to win the game, and that’s what matters.
So what do you think? What stood out to you? Any numbers that surprised you? Let me know with a comment down below!