Baton Rouge, LA – Holding quarterback Marcel Reed to 106 passing yards and -13 yards rushing, LSU's defense smothered No. 23 Texas A&M all night long, cruising to a 35-6 victory on Saturday night in Death Valley.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt posted a solid day, going 17-for-23 with 312 yards passing, two touchdowns and an interception. Wide receiver Jackson Harris had a breakout performance, tallying six catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Winston Watkins Jr. also recorded five catches for 107 yards.
With the win, the Tigers improve to 3-1 on the season and 1-1 in SEC play. LSU returns to action next Saturday against McNeese for a 6:45 p.m. CT kick on the SEC Network.
Game Recap
LSU went three-and-out on its opening possession.
A&M opened their first offensive possession with a designed QB keeper from Marcel Reed for 12 yards, moving the chains on the first play from scrimmage for the Aggies. However, on 3rd-and-7 from the 45, Umanmielen got pressure off the edge, forcing an incomplete pass and a punt. LSU took over at their own 18.
The Tigers were able to get some explosive plays on their second possession, starting with a 15-yard pass to Jackson Harris over the middle of the field and a 36-yard run by Dilin Jones. The threat was cashed in with a 1-yard touchdown score by Jones, giving LSU an early 7-0 advantage with 9:37 to play in the first quarter. The drive went 82 yards on eight plays.
The first quarter ended with LSU still up 7-0 and A&M driving close to midfield. Tiger quarterback Sam Leavitt had only attempted six passes for 36 yards. Reed – the Aggie QB – had only attempted seven passes for 17 yards. Both defenses were carrying their respective squads through 15 minutes.
A&M put together a 62-yard drive on 15 plays, taking up eight minutes and eight seconds off the clock. The Aggies, who advanced the ball down to the LSU 6, came away with just three points as David Olano booted a 26-yard field goal, cutting the Tigers’ lead to 7-3 with 8:46 to play in the first half.
LSU was able to help out its defense with a scoring drive. On 2nd-and-7 from the Aggie 16, Leavitt dropped back and found Jackson Harris for a 16-yard touchdown, extending the LSU lead to 14-3 with 1:59 to play in the half. The drive also featured a 35-yard pass and a 36-yard pass to Winnie Watkins. The drive went six plays for 83 yards.
LSU’s defense opened up the second half with a quick three-and-out. On 3rd-and-3 from the Aggie 32, safety Tamarcus Cooley sacked Marcel Reed for a loss of 11, bringing the punting unit out at the A&M 21.
On 4th-and-1 from the LSU 43, Leavitt dropped back to pass and found a wide open Jackson Harris for a 57-yard touchdown, extending the Tigers’ lead to 21-3 with 10:57 to play in the third quarter. It marked Harris’ second touchdown reception of the night, putting him over the 100-yard marker (118) on just four catches.
After linebacker Davhon Keys made a big a fourth-down stand, forcing a turnover on downs at the A&M 34, the scoring would continue for the Tigers, thanks to a five-play drive spanning 34 yards. On 2nd-and-4 from the A&M 4, Landon Clark ran it in himself for a touchdown, extending the LSU lead to 28-3 with 6:22 to play in the third quarter.
With LSU in control and with the ball again, Leavitt’s pass intended for Harris was tipped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by Marcus Ratcliffe and returned for zero yards at the LSU 40. The Tiger defense, however, held strong yet again and forced A&M to attempt a 53-yard field goal by Olano, which was good. LSU led A&M 28-6 with 3:22 left in the third quarter.
The Tigers’ offense continued to create breathing room with a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive, capped off by Clark’s 2-yard rushing touchdown with 36 seconds in the third quarter, extending the LSU lead to 35-6.
On 3rd-and-15 from the TAMU 6, Reed’s pass was intercepted by Cooley at the 19-yard line, giving the Tigers to ball in prime scoring position.