Five Things That Will Decide LSU vs. Texas A&M

No. 10 LSU returns to Tiger Stadium on Saturday night with little room for another mistake.

The Tigers are coming off a 32-24 loss to Ole Miss, while No. 23 Texas A&M enters Baton Rouge following a 31-21 loss to Kentucky. Both teams are now 0-1 in SEC play, adding even more importance to an already heated matchup.

Texas A&M has controlled this matchup recently, including a 49-25 win in Tiger Stadium last season. Now, Lane Kiffin gets his first shot at the Aggies as LSU's head coach.

Here are five things that could decide Saturday night's game.

LSU Has to Contain Marcel Reed

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) walks on the field prior to the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kyle Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This one starts with Reed's legs.

LSU knows that better than almost anybody. In 2024, Reed came off the bench against the Tigers and rushed for three touchdowns. A year later in Baton Rouge, he finished with 108 rushing yards and two touchdowns while also throwing for 202 yards and two scores.

LSU just struggled with another mobile quarterback in Trinidad Chambliss. The Ole Miss quarterback threw for 363 yards and also hurt the Tigers with his legs, including a 14-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

LSU cannot allow Reed to turn broken plays or designed quarterback runs into explosive gains. Whit Weeks and the Tigers' defensive front have to keep him contained and force Texas A&M to consistently move the ball through the air.

Sam Leavitt Has to Settle Down

LSU Tigers quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) runs off the filed after a touchdown during the third quarter against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Leavitt's first few games at LSU have shown plenty of upside, but also some inconsistency.

That was especially evident in Oxford.

Ole Miss generated pressure early, and Leavitt never completely settled into the passing game. He finished with 158 passing yards, one touchdown and the game-ending interception. His legs kept LSU alive, though, as he added 63 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Texas A&M's defense could provide an opportunity for LSU to get its passing game back on track.

Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey completed 14 of 18 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns against the Aggies last week. LSU needs Leavitt to take advantage of similar opportunities.

The offensive line has to give him more help, but Leavitt also has to trust the pocket, work through his progressions and take the throws Kiffin's offense gives him rather than relying on his legs whenever things break down.

Can LSU Establish Dilin Jones?

LSU Tigers running back Dilin Jones (13) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the biggest positives to come out of Oxford was Dilin Jones.

Jones rushed for more than 100 yards against Ole Miss and consistently created yards after contact, giving LSU a legitimate presence in the backfield.

LSU needs more of it Saturday.

A productive Jones takes pressure off Leavitt and makes Kiffin's offense much harder to defend. If LSU can consistently stay ahead of the chains on the ground, Kiffin can open up the rest of his offense instead of repeatedly putting Leavitt in obvious passing situations.

LSU has searched for consistency in the running game for a while. Jones may finally be giving the Tigers an answer.

LSU's Secondary Has to Respond

Trinidad Chambliss exposed some problems in LSU's secondary.

He completed 33 of 48 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns, while Traylon Ray finished with 115 receiving yards and a score. LSU made adjustments after falling behind 24-7, but Ole Miss was still able to put together the decisive touchdown drive after LSU tied the game in the fourth quarter.

Now LSU gets Reed.

Texas A&M will be without Terry Bussey, who suffered a season-ending injury against Kentucky, taking one dangerous weapon away from the Aggies. But LSU still has to prove that last week's problems were correctable.

Blake Baker's defense was one of LSU's biggest strengths early in the season. Getting back to that starts with generating pressure without sacrificing coverage and preventing Reed from finding easy completions when he extends plays.

Who Handles the Pressure Better?

This is only Week 4, but Saturday already carries significantly more weight than a normal September game.

Both LSU and Texas A&M enter 0-1 in SEC play after losses they expected to avoid. LSU fell to Ole Miss in Oxford, while Texas A&M is trying to respond after allowing 31 points and more than 400 yards to Kentucky.

That makes the response important.

LSU showed some fight against Ole Miss. The Tigers fell behind 17-0 and eventually erased the deficit before losing in the final minutes. Now they have to prove that comeback effort can translate into a complete performance.

With both teams trying to avoid an 0-2 start in conference play, mistakes will be magnified. Turnovers, penalties, missed tackles and failed red-zone opportunities could ultimately separate two teams entering Saturday with plenty to prove.

LSU and Texas A&M kick off Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT from Tiger Stadium.

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