Here's How Texas A&M Defensive Position Groups Graded Out in Win over LSU

History was written for the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday when they emptied Tiger Stadium on Saturday night in 49-25 fashion, effectively ending the head coach Brian Kelly era of LSU football with a blowout victory over the Tigers.

The stars came out for the Maroon and White in the second half, as the defense righted its wrongs but allowing just one garbage time touchdown in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter while the backups had their fun in what is known as one of the toughest road environments in the country.

It was an outstanding victory, one that has shown the country once again that the Aggies are a team to be reckoned with, and that they are worth of consideration as the nation's top program. With that said, let's see what the defensive position groups got on their weekly report cards:

Defensive Line/Edges: A+

Oct 25, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive tackle DJ Hicks (5) celebrates after a play during the second half against the Louisiana State Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

When defensive end Cashius Howell had picked up his first sack of the game, the veteran pass rusher made his presence known quite quickly. He wasted no time in adding fuel the defensive fire, yelling relentlessly at LSU's true freshman tackle Carius Curne to the point the Tigers had to call a timeout.

That pretty much summed up the night for the Aggies' defensive line, as not only did it pick up six sacks from a standard pass rush, but also held the Tigers to a collective 60 yards rushing. Howell now sits at 10 sacks on the season and leads the Southeastern Conference as the line gets the job done once again.

Linebackers: A

Oct 4, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Jordan Lockhart (54) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

In a game that saw five different linebackers in action, it was safe to say each of them make their own unique impact on the game. The effort was spearheaded by the leaders on defense, linebackers Scooby Williams and Taurean York, a pair who combined for seven tackles and two tackles for loss while keeping the Tigers one-dimensional for the majority of the contest.

Reserve players like linebackers Noah Mikhail and Jordan Lockhart came in and shined with the limit time on the field, with the former grabbing a perfect open-field tackle to stop the Tigers in the red zone while the latter picked up his first sack of the season.

Defensive Backs: B+

Aug 30, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies safety Marcus Ratcliffe (3) celebrates during the second half against the UTSA Roadrunners at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Sean Thomas-Imagn Images | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

There's not much that can be done when going up against a six-foot-seven, multi-sport athlete in the end zone, so a little slack can be surrended on that account. However, boneheaded, drive-extending penalties are inexcusable in such a tough road environment.

After tight end Trey'Dez Green caught a touchdown to tie the game up in the first quarter, chunk plays and misfortune continued to gash the Aggies' chances of taking command early in the game, as it was quite possible for A&M to have put 60 points on the board.

However, after halftime, the defensive backs got back to their fundamentals while holding quarterback Garrett Nussmeier to just 4.8 yards per pass and holding off the LSU passing attack until a squad of most backups surrended a touchdown received by a nearly empty Tiger Stadium.