LSU vs. Texas A&M: The Matchups That Will Decide the Game

The LSU Tigers welcome Mike Elko and the Texas A&M Aggies back to Baton Rouge during Week 4 of the 2026 college football season, and in a perfect world, both teams will possess undefeated 3-0 records, setting up for the perfect showdown between the two SEC schools.

LSU will be returning to Death Valley just one week after their first road trip, which will see them head to Oxford, Mississippi to take on head coach Lane Kiffin's former team, the Ole Miss Rebels.

As the Tigers play host, they will look to avoid a repeat of their matchup from 2025, which saw LSU embarrassed in front of their home crowd as Marcel Reed and the Aggies took a 49-25 win to stay undefeated at that point in time.

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LSU Tigers football — JuJuan Johnson 8, LSU Tigers take on the Texas A&M Aggies. October 25, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA | SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As Kiffin and Elko deal out their blows against each other, here are some of the matchups within the matchup in Baton Rouge to look for during the contest.

LSU's Secondary vs. Texas A&M's Receiving Corps

Texas A&M may have lost wideout KC Concepcion to the NFL draft this past April, but their addition of Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Isaiah Horton filled that hole to to the brim, and the return of receivers such as Mario Craver, Ashton Bethel-Roman, and Terry Bussey will have A&M's offense firing on all cylinders under Marcel Reed's leadership at quarterback.

Mansoor Delane is no longer in Baton Rouge, also having been selected in the first round of this year's NFL draft, but similar to A&M's case with Concepcion, there are plenty of next men up to fill the hole of his vacancy.

DJ Pickett will look to follow up his stellar freshman season that saw him receive Freshman All-American and Freshman All-SEC honors, and junior PJ Woodland will look to continue to establish himself as one of the best defensive backs in the country.

LSU's Defensive Line vs. Marcel Reed

There is one key reason that Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed enjoyed the night that he did last year in Baton Rouge: he wasn't sacked one time.

In fact, the first score of the game was a 41-yard scamper from Reed through the Tigers' defense, part of his 108 yards he recorded on the ground during the night, and his 202 yards with his arm did A&M quite a few favors as well.

Reed's status as an asset for the Aggies isn't changing anytime soon in 2026, and if Kiffin can't sharpen up the defensive line to pressure Reed and bring him down, then another Baton Rouge Blowout could be in store on September 26.

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