Five lessons from Texas A&M’s huge home win over LSU

And then there was one more.

The No. 14 Texas A&M Aggies were able to come back from a 10-point halftime deficit and beat the No. 8 LSU Tigers 38-23 to take sole ownership of first place in the SEC standings.

The Aggies have now won seven straight games and are now the only team in the SEC that is undefeated against their conference opponents.

In a game that was certainly a rollercoaster for the 12th Man, this should be a positive development as the Aggies focus on defending their undefeated conference record.

Until then, here are five takeaways from Texas A&M’s win against LSU:

Is there still a quarterback debate in College Station?

As has been the case with the past two games, Conner Weigman got the start for the Aggies tonight.

The only thing was, it didn’t go the way Mike Elko probably expected.

Weigman struggled to hit his receivers in the first half as the Tiger defense held him to six completions on 18 attempts for 64 yards passing. Fortunately, no interceptions, but the production was not there from the redshirt quarterback.

Marcel Reed enters… again.

Reed got the nod for the second half, as Mike Elko claimed the passing game “wasn’t working” and needed Reed’s mobility in the backfield.

And boy, did he get it?

Reed immediately found his way into the end zone for the Aggie score, one of three rushing scores he had tonight. He finished with nine rushes for 62 yards and three touchdowns.

On the pass front, Reed threw just two passes and completed them both for 70 yards, including a 54-yard rainbow that landed right in the arms of Noah Thomas. Needless to say, it was a crucial part of the Aggies win tonight, and it will be interesting to see who Elko puts under center to start the game against South Carolina.

Run TAMC Strikes again

After taking some rest last week against Mississippi State, the Aggies’ in-your-face run game was back this week against the Tigers, in the form of both yards and points, combining for 242 yards and five touchdowns. Amari Daniels led the way with 91 yards on a dozen carries, Le’Veon Moss took 14 carries for 83 yards and two touchdowns, and as previously mentioned, Marcel Reed contributed 62 yards and three touchdowns in his half of the job. As is the case in any SEC game, trust your run game and reap the rewards.

If you come for the 12th man, it’s best not to miss

Garrett Nussmeier isn’t the only quarterback playing for an SEC team called the Tigers that has tested the 12th Man’s volume levels this season.

When asked about the atmosphere in an interview earlier this week, Nussmeier responded that “Kyle Field was loud, but it’s not Death Valley,” referring to LSU’s home base, Tiger Stadium.

And history seems to have repeated itself.

LSU was given a false start after a false start. “Mo Bamba” blared at a deafening volume over the Kyle Field speakers throughout the game. A decibel reader read 114 decibels. The Tigers struggled to get anything done in the second half, as Nussmeier threw a trio of interceptions that sent the six-figure crowd into an absolute frenzy.

It will be interesting to see if someone from New Mexico or Texas tries to intimidate the 12th Man. As Missouri and LSU found out the hard way, you’ll be in for a long game if you do.

The defensive adjustments during halftime were again major

This was also the story in the state of Mississippi last week. The team will give up big passing plays in the first half and become an absolute shutdown defense in the second half. Tonight was another good example of that. Garrett Nussmeier finished the game with 405 passing yards and threw his two passing touchdowns in the first half.

Then came the second half and the tables were turned.

Nussmeier threw a trio of picks in the second half, including two to B.J. Mayes and one to Taurean York late in the fourth, essentially sealing the deal for an Aggie win.

Of course, Mike Elko and Jay Bateman will want these guys to put two solid backcourts together in the future, but with the way the defense performed in the second half alone, they may be able to let the first half slide a bit.

The head of the table at the SEC

The Aggies are now the only undefeated team in conference play in the SEC. Now this is great news, but there is now a major target behind the Maroon and White. A target that South Carolina, Auburn and Texas will certainly be shooting for.

If the Aggies stick to their guns and do what they’ve been doing on both sides of the ball, they should have no problem winning, even against the Longhorns, and even lock themselves into the SEC Championship game if the smoke has been raised.

But alas, this is the SEC, and that’s a lot easier said than done.

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