LSU Tigers Know What They Must Do to Beat Texas A&M

The LSU Tigers don’t have fond memories of the last two times they’ve faced the Texas A&M Aggies. It’s not fair to call them a “boogeyman” for the Tigers, although if there were one player in particular who strikes fear into LSU, it could be Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed.

The dual-threat quarterback, who is in the midst of his second full season as the starter in College Station, has already given LSU all it can handle in their two previous meetings.

In 2024, he came off the bench in place of a struggling Conner Weigman. Reed, then just a freshman, took the field in the third quarter trailing 17-7. He overturned the Tigers' lead with a three-touchdown performance, which started with his first snap as he ran for a touchdown from eight yards out, sparking a 38-23 win.

Then last year, fully entrenched as the starter, he led the Aggies to their first win in six games at Tiger Stadium in dominant fashion with a 49-25 victory. Reed and Co. emptied out Death Valley as they poured it on, leaving nothing but virtually all Aggie fans in the stadium when the clock struck triple zeros.

Not Forgotten

Sep 19, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) looks to pass the ball during the fourth quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite still being Ole Miss’s head coach at the time, Lane Kiffin knows what Reed has done to LSU in the previous two seasons. And he’s not exactly shying away from the challenge of trying to help LSU beat him for the first time.

“Well, this is a big test. Like you said, we’ve struggled here with him before,” Kiffin said. “I think we lead the country in rush defense, but that hasn’t been against a ton of quarterback-schemed runs. … So, that’s a different set of challenges.”

Kiffin is right; the Tigers enter Saturday’s matchup ranked as the best rush defense, allowing only 33 yards per game. That’s even after facing the returning Doak Walker Award winner Kewan Lacy and mobile quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.

The Tigers held Ole Miss to just 63 yards rushing in the 32-24 loss. But the Rebels, as Kiffin points out, didn’t run Chambliss the way Texas A&M will do with Reed.

Stopping the designed quarterback run game doesn’t come down to the front seven alone. Yes, they will play a big role in preventing gaps from opening up and in avoiding reckless upfield rushes. They will also have to stack and shed blocks when Texas A&M calls a designed run.

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

However, the secondary will also play a major role, one in which starting safety Ty Benefield already knows what to expect.

“Yeah, I just got a plaster drill, when he gets out of the pocket, keep him in the pocket as much as we can,” Benefield said of slowing down Reed. “Stay disciplined in coverage, don’t be too greedy, but he’s gonna test your rules. He’s good at what he does.”

In two meetings versus LSU, Reed has rushed for 170 yards and five touchdowns. His 100 rushing yards last season came in a game where he also passed for two touchdowns and over 200 yards, but had two interceptions.

So far this season, it is the passing game that Reed is struggling with, as shown in their 31-21 defeat to Kentucky on Saturday. Reed completed just 26 of his 39 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions.

Keeping him in the pocket will be essential for the Tigers on Saturday, and if they can limit the damage to his legs, they stand a good chance of getting the better of Reed.

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