COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Ranked No. 7 in the College Football Playoff rankings entering its final regular season game of the year, LSU (9-2, 5-2 SEC) looks to reach the 10-win mark for the first time in five seasons on the road at Texas A&M (7-4, 4-3 SEC) on Saturday.
Kickoff between the Aggies and the Tigers, who have taken seven straight wins in the rivalry, is set for 6:30 p.m. on the SEC Network. Fans can listen on the LSU Sports Radio Network, or watch and listen online at WatchESPN.com and www.LSUsports.net/live.
The Tigers enter with a host of winning streaks on the line: seven straight over the Aggies, nine straight in the state of Texas, and seven straight in regular season finales. Another win Saturday would give LSU 10 wins for the first time since 2013 and set the stage for a New Year’s Six bowl berth.
“I think it’s a huge step in building a championship program, where LSU needs to be. A 10-win season going to a New Year’s Day bowl and having a chance to win 10 games,” LSU head coach Ed Orgeron said. “I think you have to take steps.”
On the ground, LSU is undefeated under Orgeron – 15-0 – when a single rusher reaches 100 yards, but that will be no easy task on Saturday against an A&M defense that leads the SEC in rushing defense (82.82 yards per game). Nick Brossette (861 yards, 13 touchdowns) and Clyde Edwards-Helaire (623 yards, 7 touchdowns) have been an effective one-two punch in LSU’s backfield but face their toughest task yet.
On the flip side, the Aggie rushing attack features the SEC’s leading rusher, Trayveon Williams, who averages 120.55 yards per game on the ground. LSU’s defense, meanwhile, features Butkus Award finalist Devin White, Thorpe Award Finalist Greedy Williams, and Nagurski Award finalist Grant Delpit, and the unit gives up just over 130 yards per game on the ground.
“You hold opponents to 80 yards rushing in this conference and you’re first (in rushing offense), you’re doing a lot of good things,” Orgeron said. “And I’m telling you their scheme is fantastic. The way they use their guys, their front is big and they’re physical, they’re coaching them different, they’re playing different, their offensive line is blocking fantastic, they have gap schemes, they take angles, so it’s a completely different team.”
LSU also features Groza Award finalist Cole Tracy, who is 22-of-25 on field goal attempts this year, and the Tigers’ much improved special teams unit has been key in their nine wins so far. Kick off specialist Avery Atkins has 59 touchbacks in 65 kickoff attempts this season, while punters Zach Von Rosenberg and Josh Growden have combined to rank LSU 10th nationally in punt efficiency.
In the passing game, quarterback Joe Burrow is coming off a career night vs. Rice, when he completed 20-of-28 passes for 307 yards and a pair of scores. Tight end Foster Moreau enjoyed a career day vs. the Owls, grabbing five passes for 74 yards and a score, moving into fifth place all-time in school history with five receiving scores as a tight end.
“We did the things that we were supposed to do, but we weren’t challenged,” Orgeron said of the Rice win. “We’re going to get challenged this week, we have to block up front, their front’s very good. Again we’re going to have to run the football against a stout defense.”
The focus for LSU is simple: win at A&M, and a New Year’s Six bowl is theirs for the taking. Ten wins are within reach, but 11 – something LSU hasn’t done since 2011 – is still up for grabs, too, starting Saturday in College Station.
“This is a critical football game for us,” Orgeron said. “We’re going on the road and won and we have gone on the road and not played very well. I think it’s going to be the attitude that we take this week of guys are looking forward to finishing the season strong, not looking forward to finishing the season. I think there’s a difference there. I want our guys to be motivated to know that they can go 10-2, go to a big bowl, 11-2 and I want the guys, the seniors and the juniors that are leaving that their leadership provided this for the football team and it’s a building block for things to come.”