Five storylines to watch ahead of Texas A&M vs. No 14 LSU
We’ve sadly reached the end of the 2023 college football regular season.
Texas A&M, despite the recent turmoil stemming from former head coach Jimbo Fisher’s firing, is 7-4 and 4-3 in the SEC before heading to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to take on the 14th-ranked LSU Tigers for an early Saturday kickoff.
In interim head coach Elijah Robinson’s first game at the helm, the longtime assistant earned his first win. The Aggies defeated Abilene Christian, 38-10, behind a solid second-half performance, which included seldom utilized wide receiver Moose Muhammad II’s 104 receiving yards, galvanizing A&M’s offense.
While the coaching search, which will likely include Robinson, continues to ramp up this week, this team is dead set focused on the task at hand. Heisman favorite Jayden Daniels has been lights out in SEC play, already producing 4,591 total yards and 46 total touchdowns in 11 games this season for LSU.
How will the Aggies’ defense, especially the secondary, respond? Here are five storylines ahead of Texas A&M’s season finale against No. 14 LSU.
Will A&M's pass rush contain Tigers' QB Jayden Daniels?
If you haven’t been paying attention, LSU senior quarterback Jayden Daniels is the best player in college football, and it’s not really that close. While the Aggies have faced multiple dual-threat signal-callers this season, Daniels is on another level, and he plays with a consistent toughness despite his thin frame.
With a better team around him than last season, including senior wide receiver Malk Nabers (80 receptions, 1,424, 12 TD), it will take an elite performance from A&M’s pass rush to bottle Daniels up more often than not. Will defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin unleash linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and safety Bryce Anderson in various blitz packages? That needs to be the plan to keep the scoring low and give the Aggies a fighting chance.
Can quarterback Jaylen Henderson expose LSU's porous secondary?
Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson is doubtful to return against the Tigers, meaning sophomore Jaylen Henderson is set to make his third career start, his toughest matchup yet.
In his first two games, Henderson has thrown for 410 yards and four touchdowns, coupled with 94 rushing yards and two scores on the ground, and has built more and more confidence since entering the starting lineup. Even though LSU is by far the best offense in the county, the Tigers’ pass defense has consistently been among the worst, ranking 94th in the country while allowing nearly 250 passing yards per contest.
While the Aggies starting wide receiver rotation has not been solidified for most of the season, I expect a considerable uptick in snaps for Moose Muhammad II, who will join Ainias Smith and Noah Thomas, as sophomore wide receiver Evan Stewart’s status is unknown.
Will the Aggies' offensive line finally, well, block?
Why is Texas A&M 7-5, you ask? Some may solely blame Jimbo Fisher, and others may say the injury to starting quarterback Conner Weigman destroyed the Aggies’ chance to compete. Let’s be honest: The failures on the offensive line take the cake.
LSU’s pass rush has been average at best in the SEC, producing 22 sacks. It is led by standout linebacker and former Texas A&M commit Harold Perkins Jr., who has five on the season.
So, how can the O-line miraculously improve in the regular-season finale? Implementing a snap count is a start, especially in a raucous road environment, but in terms of stopping the Tigers’ pass rush from getting home, not allowing Perkins or any other defender to expose the A or B gaps is a start, but this is all about effort, and leaving it all on the field against a rival program.
Wide receiver Moose Muhammad II could be the Aggies X-factor against the Tigers
Yes, Moose Muhammad II’s incredible one-handed catch was one of the best hauls you’ll see all year, but man, it was truly frustrating that his lack of play this season still can’t be answered, especially since Jimbo Fisher is out of the program.
With interim head coach Elijah Robinson in control of the roster, Muhammad has been unleashed, recording a game-high 104 receiving yards and a touchdown in the Aggies’ 38-10 win over ACU. Let’s remember how lethal the pass catcher has been in his career vs. LSU.
In his last two games against the Tigers, Muhammad has netted 146 yards and three touchdowns, including 94 yards and two scores last season, and facing LSU’s bad secondary provides a massive opportunity to shine on the big stage for a third consecutive matchup.
Texas A&M's secondary will have it's hands full, and that's an understatement
Texas A&M’s pass defense may be ranked 16th in the country, but matching up against LSU’s high-octane passing offense this Saturday, especially against wide receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas, creates a nightmare scenario on paper.
The return of Tyreek Chappell and Deuce Harmon has provided consistency in the defensive backfield. At the same time, senior safety Demani Richardson, who is third on the team with 53 tackles, has helped quarterback the defense throughout the year, meaning all three players must play their best games in their Aggie careers.
However, as I mentioned earlier, Texas A&M’s pass rush must keep quarterback Jayden Daniels contained or at least provide enough pressure to force errant passes and prevent Daniels from getting in a rhythm. With cornerback Josh DeBerry’s status up in the air, Chappell, Harmon and freshmen corners Jayvon Thomas and Bravion Rodgers will be asked to at least limit explosive plays through the air.
The bottom line is Texas A&M’s offense will likely need to score more than 30 points to have a shot, meaning the defense will need to have its best game of the 2023 season.
