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Revisiting Texas A&M football's epic 7-overtime win over LSU in 2018, five years later

austin curtright, usa today network
·4 min read

Nearly five years ago, Texas A&M football’s game against LSU seemed like it would never end.

But after an FBS-record 146 combined points, along with 1,071 combined yards, seven overtimes and nearly five hours of game play, the Aggies finally came out victorious with a 74-72 win over the Tigers at Kyle Field in 2018.

REQUIRED READING: LSU, Texas A&M play seven-overtime game for the ages as Aggies hold on for 74-72 victory

While it’s likely the two programs don’t come close to their offensive output from 2018, Texas A&M (7-4, 4-3) hopes it can earn another regular season finale win against No. 15 LSU at 11 a.m. on Saturday in College Station.

The Aggies outscored the Tigers 43-41 in their seven overtimes, with quarterback Kellen Mond connecting with Kendrick Rodgers for the game-winning two-point conversion. In college football, teams are required to attempt two-point tries starting in the third overtime, which makes the 2018 matchup all-the-more intriguing, as both schools somehow matched each other in points for four consecutive periods.

That season also marked the first season for former Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, who was fired on Nov. 12 after leading the Aggies to a 43-24 record in six years.

"I lost track of overtimes ... it is the craziest game ever," Fisher told reporters after the game.

Here’s a look back at the Aggies’ historic win over LSU:

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Texas A&M-LSU football 2018

Texas A&M and LSU’s clash was an all-timer just in regulation, as the Aggies tied the game at 31 as time expired on a Mond touchdown pass to Quartney Davis. But it was the overtimes that put the game in the record books.

The Aggies and Tigers entered double overtime after a pair of field goals by Cole Tracy and Seth Small, respectively.

If the game couldn’t get any more weird, the second and third overtimes saw both teams score from the same distance. Texas A&M scored a touchdown on a 3-yard rush by Mond in the second overtime, then LSU responded with a 3-yard score from Nick Brossette. LSU took over for the third overtime and scored again on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow to Dee Anderson, before the Aggies scored on a 25-yard throw from Mond to Rogers.

After matching with field goals in the fourth overtime, both teams scored touchdowns in the fifth overtime, but the Aggies and Tigers failed to convert two-point attempts to send the matchup to the sixth overtime.

Mond threw a touchdown pass to Jace Sternberger to take a 66-58 lead, but LSU answered with a 4-yard rushing score by Burrow and its own two-point conversion.

Burrow used his legs again to start the seventh overtime, but missed the two-point conversion, leaving the door open for the Aggies, who capitalized with eight points to seal the win.

Texas A&M-LSU football 2018 records

  • Most combined points in FBS game: 146 (second most in NCAA history behind Abilene Christian-West Texas in a 2008 Division II game)

  • Tied NCAA record for longest game: 4 hours and 56 minutes

  • Most points scored in SEC game

  • Most points scored in losing effort: LSU

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Texas A&M-LSU football 2018 regulation controversy

Mond and the Aggies tied the game at 31 as time expired on a 19-yard touchdown pass, but LSU coach Ed Orgeron felt the score shouldn’t have happened as he thought time expired.

Mond spiked the ball with one second to stop the clock before the game-tying touchdown, but Orgeron didn’t buy it.

"I just feel bad for those young men," Orgeron said after the game. "That second shouldn't have been put on the clock, and I'm sticking to that."

Texas A&M-LSU football 2018 leads to NCAA rule change

Not only was there a controversial ending to regulation, but the overtime finish sparked an NCAA rule change to overtime rules.

The NCAA changed overtime rules to force teams to alternate two-point conversions starting in the fifth overtime period instead of starting from the 25-yard line each possession, like the Aggies and Tigers did.

In 2021, the NCAA made another round of revisions to the overtime rules, forcing teams to attempt two-point tries after touchdowns starting in the second overtime instead of the third period. It also changed the two-point attempts showdown to start in the third overtime instead of the fifth.

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Kellen Mond stats vs. LSU 2018

  • Passing: 23 of 49 for 287 yards and six touchdowns

  • Rushing: 20 attempts for 42 yards and a touchdown

Joe Burrow stats vs. Texas A&M 2018

  • Passing: 25 of 38 for 270 yards and three touchdowns

  • Rushing: 29 carries for 100 yards and three touchdowns

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Revisiting Texas A&M football's epic 7-overtime win over LSU in 2018