BATON ROUGE -- After hitting the road last week in the SEC opener, No. 10 LSU returns home to face No. 23 Texas A&M for another nationally televised, primetime showdown on Saturday night in Death Valley.
Kickoff is set for 6:44 p.m. CT on ABC and the LSU Sports Radio Network. Joe Tessitore, Jesse Palmer and Kris Budden will be on the broadcast call, while Chris Blair, Jacob Hester and and Gordy Rush will anchor the radio airwaves.
The Tigers suffered their first setback of the season last week at Ole Miss. After scoring 17 unanswered points to storm back and tie the game, the comeback fell just short in a 32-24 defeat. Running back Dilin Jones rushed for 106 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown. Receiver Winnie Watkins tallied three catches for 54 yards and a score. Defensively, Whit Weeks led the unit with eight tackles, a pass breakup and a QB hurry.
"I think they really struggled with this one after seeing it and breaking down the film," head coach Lane Kiffin said Monday. "We really feel, after seeing it, we lost the game in so many situations and areas."
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Statistically, Blake Baker’s unit leads the nation in rush defense (33.0) and sacks (14). LSU ranks No. 13 nationally in total defense allowing 236.7 yards per game (33.0 rushing, 203.7 passing). Edge Princewill Umanmielen leads the nation in sacks (6.0) and ranks No. 2 in tackles for loss (7.5).
The Aggies are led by senior quarterback Marcel Reed, who has accounted for 632 yards passing a six touchdowns with three interceptions through three games. Reuben Owens II will lead the rushing attack, already with 186 yards on 45 carries with a TD score. With the absence of Terry Bussey, Mario Craver and Isaiah Horton will lead the Aggie receiving corps.
"This is a big test,” Kiffin said. “We've struggled with (Reed) here before. We lead the nation in rush defense, but that hasn't been against a ton of QBs in schemed runs. That takes a lot of discipline."
Tigers vs. Aggies
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Defensively, A&M is led in tackles by linebackers Noah Mikhail and Ray Coney, who both enter Saturday with 18 each. Safety Marcus Racliffe has 15 tackles, while defensive end T.J. Searcy has 14 tackles with a sack. Edge rusher Anto Saka has recorded eight tackles with 0.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.
"The locker room is ready to go," said safety Ty Benefield Tuesday. "We put (last week) in the past. We're ready to go for A&M."
Since A&M joined the SEC in 2012, LSU is 9-5 against the Aggies, which includes a 6-1 mark in Tiger Stadium. Kiffin is 3-0 all-time against Texas A&M with all three victories coming while at Ole Miss. Saturday marks the first official head-to-head matchup between Kiffin and A&M head coach Mike Elko.
Fans are encouraged to wear GOLD on Saturday night. Fans can also get an all-access look into Lane Kiffin's first season in Baton Rouge by watching The Difference, LSU Football's weekly docuseries on LSU+, following the Tigers all year long with exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes content you won’t see anywhere else. Start watching today.