Stephen Lew
By Hunt Palmer
THE STORY
Like a season ago in College Station, the No. 3 Aggies just wore LSU out in the second half on Saturday night.
It started with an easy nine-play scoring drive, continued with a punt return touchdown and kept on rolling until the maroon outnumbered the purple and gold in the Tiger Stadium seats.
Texas A&M left Baton Rouge 49-25 winners.
LSU’s offense, which ran the ball effectively in the first half, abandoned the ground game early in the second half. Harlem Berry averaged seven yards per carry before intermission. He touched the ball once in the third quarter when the game was still in the balance. That was his only second half touch.
Marcel Reed rebounded from a pair of first half interceptions to carve the LSU defense both through the air and on the ground in the second half. He threw for 202 and two touchdowns in the game and ran for a career-high 108 and two scores.
For the second consecutive year, LSU had no answer for Reed’s legs.
Texas A&M scored touchdowns on six of its 10 drives. The lone punt came after a mistimed snap that rolled by an unsuspecting Reed and put the Aggies way behind the sticks. LSU’s two interceptions and a garbage time white flag were the other stops.
LSU has been beaten plenty of times in Brian Kelly’s tenure. This was a humiliation and one the fan base won’t soon forget.
Texas A&M is on the fast track to the College Football Playoff. So is LSU next opponent, Alabama, another rival program with a second-year coach. The Tigers appear destined for a 7-5 season with a mass exodus of personnel coming.
What looked like an inspired team in a roaring stadium through 30 minutes turned out to be a mirage.
As was the preseason ranking.
THE STATS
Texas A&M outgained LSU 426-278. That number was 168-89 in the second half. Seventy-five of those LSU yards came on Michael Van Buren’s mop up drive.
The Aggies sacked LSU quarterbacks seven times. LSU did not have a sack.
Berry: nine carries for 59 yards and a touchdown. He touched the ball once in the second half.
LSU was 2-for-12 on third downs. Texas A&M was 7-for-10.
A&M outrushed LSU 224-to-60.
Texas A&M scored 21 points in the third quarter. LSU gained 14 yards.
AJ Haulcy had 12 tackles and an interception.
Trey’Dez Green had six catches for 54 yards and a touchdown.
Texas A&M had nine rushes of over 10 yards.
THE PLAYS
Marcel Reed got the scoring going with a 41-yard run that showcased some speed and some wiggle at the end. 7-0 Aggies.
LSU answered right back with a eight-play, 74-yard touchdown drive capped by a fade to Trey’Dez Green. 7-7 with 5:38 to play in the first quarter.
The Aggies kept the offensive rhythm going and drove right down the field for a 75-yard touchdown drive. Reed Found KC Concepcion on a third and seven from the 15 for a score. 14-7 A&M at the end of the first quarter.
LSU’s special teams produced a spark. Jhase Thomas blocked an A&M punt that bounded out of the back of the endzone for a safety. 14-9 A&M.
The Aggies were primed to take a two score lead with a third and goal from inside the LSU five. AJ Haulcy picked Reed off and ran it back to the Aggie 26 to keep the score 14-9.
It looked like LSU had gone three and out on the next possession, but a personal foul for unnecessary roughness on Dezz Ricks extended the drive.
One play later, Garrett Nussmeier found Barion Brown for 41 yards down to the Aggie 17.
Berry found openings on two red zone carries including the last from seven yards out to put the Tigers on top. The extra point hit the upright. 15-14 LSU, 3:09 before halftime.
LSU got another takeaway on A&M’s next drive. Reed’s pass was tipped by Mansoor Delane and picked off by Harold Perkins who returned it to the A&M 49 with 1:14 to play before the half.
LSU got into the red zone thanks to a 28-yard run by Caden Durham. They stalled there. Ramos was good from 30, and LSU moved ahead 18-14 with 20 seconds left in the half.
Terry Bussey ran the second half kickoff back to the A&M 43.
A&M used that good field position and carved the LSU defense for a 57-yard touchdown drive that looked easy. Eight of the nine plays were runs. Reed kept it on third and four from the five for the score. 21-18 Aggies with 10:41 left in the third.
LSU went three and out, and KC Concepcion returned the punt 79 yards for a touchdown. Aggies by 10 with 8:47 left in the third.
LSU had to punt, and the Aggies went 50 yards on four plays. LSU offered no resistance. 35-18 Texas A&M with 4:02 left in the third.
The Aggies would add to the lead two plays into the fourth quarter. Reed handed to Nate Boerkircher for a one-yard score. 42-18 Aggies.
A&M tacked one more touchdown with 5:12 left. Jamarion Morrow scored. 49-18 Texas A&M.
Michael Van Buren led a touchdown drive that was capped by an acrobatic touchdown catch by Kyle Parker with just under a minute to play. 49-25 Aggies.
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