Series History: LSU and Texas A&M

By Hunt Palmer

The LSU-Texas A&M rivalry needed a few years to jump off.

The Tigers handled the Aggies in the first six conference meetings from 2012 to 2017. Kevin Sumlin and Johnny Manziel never solved John Chavis’s defense, and then Chavis bolted Baton Rouge for College Station. That didn’t work. His defenses lost three straight to LSU and allowed 99 total points in the final two games against the Tigers.

The drama finally showed up, though.

Les Miles was carried off the field in what most thought was the final time in 2015. That day on campus felt like a retirement party, but Joe Alleva stepped to the microphone after the LSU win and declared Miles would be back in 2016.

In 2018, the teams dueled through seven overtimes at Kyle Field before the Aggies prevailed. A postgame melee ensued involving Jimbo Fisher’s nephew and some LSU personnel including Kevin Faulk.

A year later, the 2019 Tigers settled that score by annihilating Texas A&M 50-7 on Joe Burreaux’s Senior Day.

Since the 2018 game, the home team is unbeaten in the series which has been moved from the end of the season now that Texas and A&M share a conference again.

Max Johnson led a wild LSU comeback win in 2021 and then transferred to Texas A&M a month later. The 2022 Aggies suffered through a dismal 5-7 season that included six straight losses. Still, they upset Jayden Daniels and the SEC Western Division Champions at Kyle Field to finish the season thanks to 215 rushing yards from Devone Achane.

Last year, LSU totally controlled the first half of the game, leading 17-7 at halftime and forcing a pair of Texas A&M punts to open the second half. With nine minutes to play in the third quarter, LSU lead by 10 with the ball. From that point forward, Marcel Reed and Texas A&M outscored the Tigers 31-6 while completing two passes.

LSU will never take Texas’s place in the minds of Aggies. That hatred and obsession runs deep in Aggieland, but this has budded into a significant rivalry.

The Tigers and Aggies often battle for recruits, both from Louisiana and the Lone Star State. The SEC has paired them as annual opponents in the new scheduling.

The playing history between the two schools dates back to 1899. There was an annual game from 1960 to 1975. LSU won 12 of those to A&M’s two. There was a tie.

It came back from 1986 to 1995. A&M won the last five of those during the lowest point of LSU’s recent past.

They’ve played in season openers. They’ve played in season finales.

This time around the Tigers carried the preseason hype. It’s fallen flat with a pair of losses. The Aggies were under the radar in August after last season’s late swoon. Now they’re among the College Football Playoff favorites.

The home team has not lost a game in this series since Derrius Guice ran for an LSU record 285 yards at Kyle Field in 2016. Danny Etling added 324 passing yards on Chavis’s defense that night.

Ed Orgeron was hired as the full-time head coach two days later as Alleva sprinted to the podium to beat the announcement that Tom Herman had accepted the job at Texas.

The last three in this series have been decided by double digits. The stakes Saturday night are high. LSU is trying to avoid the death knell that is a third regular season loss. Texas A&M is trying to remain as one of college football’s unbeatens and reach the SEC Championship Game for the first time. The College Football Playoff would surely follow.

SERIES RECORD: 32-24-3 LSU (LSU has four wins vacated from 2012-2015)