3 Reasons Texas A&M Football Pulls Off the Upset Against LSU

Texas A&M Football Prevents the Big Play

This is the biggest area of concern for Texas A&M football coming into this game. LSU hits tons of huge passing plays down the field, and the combo of Daniels and the receivers that the Tigers boast is nigh unmatched throughout the country. I wrote about this in the full preview, but the Aggies have had three games so far this year where they have given up 9.5 YPA or more to a team. LSU averages 11.0 YPA. If the Aggies are able to hold them beneath that mark, that will be another good sign that they will pull out the win on the road.

Whether they can do that, though, is another story. The Tigers certainly fit the profile of a team that exceeds the Aggie pass defense’s “freeze point,” given that Alabama and Ole Miss have already done that this year (Miami did as well, but that was due to a poor defensive scheme rather than an inability to match up defensively). It should be noted, though, that Ole Miss had the benefit of facing an Aggie pass defense that was lacking its top three corners.

If you look at things that way, the Aggie starters have yet to allow a huge passing performance in the second half of the season. Tennessee tried to test them down the field, as did South Carolina, but the Aggie defensive backs have been rising to the challenge recently. Now, those two teams are nowhere near the same kind of challenge that LSU is, but it’s still an encouraging sign. For too long this season, it felt like if the QB threw it to a spot downfield where the WR could catch it, there was no chance the A&M defensive back would be in the way. Since the halfway point, though, the Aggie corners have had good position more often than not. LSU will win their share of battles, but it won’t be easy for them.