COLLEGE STATION — As well as Texas A&M football is playing right now, Week 9 offers the Aggies another challenge they must overcome for the first time in over three decades.
Following its victory over Arkansas and achieving its first 7-0 start since 1994, A&M heads to Baton Rouge, La., to face the LSU Tigers (5-2, 2-2 SEC), a team they haven’t beaten in Death Valley since that season. The two teams didn’t play again after 1995 until the 2011 Cotton Bowl. Ever since the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012, they and the Tigers have met every year.
The Tigers lost to A&M last season and are coming off a 31-24 loss to Vanderbilt in Week 8 that knocked them out of the top 10 in the national polls.
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Saturday’s kicks off at 6:30 p.m. at Tiger Stadium and will be televised on ESPN.
Here are five things to know about the LSU Tigers ahead of Week 9.
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – OCTOBER 26: Dalton Brooks #25 of the Texas A&M Aggies breaks up a pass in the end zone intended for Chris Hilton Jr. #3 of the LSU Tigers in the first half at Kyle Field on October 26, 2024 in College Station. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Tim Warner/Getty Images
MORE: Report card: How Texas A&M graded in Arkansas win
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LSU football: 5 things to know about the Tigers
1. LSU’s offense has struggled this season
There was a lot of hype and anticipation entering the season for the Tigers’ offense. However, through eight weeks, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier hasn’t taken the leap many expected of a potential first-round pick. As a result, the Tigers’ offense ranks near the bottom in most SEC offensive categories.
Coming into Week 9, LSU is 12th in the SEC in scoring offense (25.5 points per game) and total offense (366.5 yards per game). It’s 15th in the conference in rushing offense, tallying 112.8 yards per game, while the passing attack has seen the most success, ranked sixth, averaging 253.7 yards per game.
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The most points the Tigers have scored in conference play is 24 in the Week 8 loss to Vanderbilt.
2. Tigers’ defense holding their own
While the offense has struggled to find consistency, the LSU defense has found ways to keep it in games this year. The Tigers enter Week 9 third in the SEC in scoring defense, surrendering just 14.5 points per game. They’ve allowed a sixth-best 311.5 yards per game and are led by senior safety A.J. Haulcy, who has tallied 52 tackles and one interception.
3. All-time record vs A&M
The teams first met in 1899, with LSU holding an advantage over the Aggies. In the past decade, the series has been competitive, with A&M going 4-6. During the early years of the Aggies joining the SEC, LSU won seven straight games.
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A&M’s record on the road at LSU is 10-27-1.
4. Brian Kelly teams have bounced back from losses
Since Brian Kelly took over as the LSU Tigers’ head coach in 2022, the team has responded well to losses. Kelly has 12 losses as the leader and a 9-3 record in the games following an LSU defeat. This year, LSU lost to Ole Miss 24-19 in Week 5, then won 20-10 over South Carolina in Week 6.
In 2024, the Tigers lost their season opener to USC 27-20 and bounced back to beat Nicholls State 44-21 in Week 2. Although A&M’s victory over LSU in Week 8 last season started a three-game losing streak for the Tigers.
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5. History behind the Tigers’ nickname
The LSU mascot’s history dates back to 1896, when the football team — led by coach A.W. Jeardeau — posted a 6-0 record. According to the “Guide to Louisiana Confederate Military Units, 1861-1865” (LSU Press, 1989), the name Louisiana Tigers came from a volunteer company nicknamed the Tiger Rifles. The group was the only company in its battalion to wear the distinctive Zouave uniform.
Over time, the entire battalion became known as the “Tigers.” Drawing on its state’s history, the LSU football team, in its fourth year of competition, named itself the Tigers.
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Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@statesman.com. Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer.