Instant Analysis: LSU Falls to Texas A&M 38-23 in Season Altering Loss

Aggies' rushing attack too much to handle, Tigers unable to keep up in the second half.

Texas A&M came into Saturday night’s matchup with the chance to spoil LSU’s College Football Playoff chances and that is precisely what transpired when the Tigers fell to the Aggies 38-23 in College Station.

It was a tale of two halves in this one. With both teams exchanging punches through two quarters, the Tigers came out in the second half with zero fight.

Here’s our instant takeaways from Saturday night:

The Turning Point

Late in the third quarter, Jayden Daniels took a snap out of the shotgun with a chance to convert on third down. Receiving the snap and rolling to his left on a quarterback keeper, he was met by three Texas A&M players before ultimately fumbling the football. A quick scoop and score by the Aggies changed the trajectory in this one.

It was as though the world stopped. Texas A&M cornerback Demani Richardson picked the ball up and put the Aggies up by two touchdowns, shifting the momentum their way and never looking back.

And just like that the momentum swings. Jayden Daniels fumble is returned for a touchdown by Texas A&M#LSU trails 23-17

— Glen West (@glenwest21) November 27, 2022

A moment that sparked a 21-0 run by Head Coach Jimbo Fisher’s squad, the game got out of reach for the Tigers in the blink of an eye. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Aggies scored on the first play of the quarter, taking the life out of the Tigers and crushing their College Football Playoff chances.

Devon Achane Leads Tremendous Rushing Attack

Devon Achane continued to tear this LSU defense apart drive after drive. Through three quarters he was already up to 135 yards on 22 carries with a touchdown and never looked back. Coming into this one, the main message was slowing down the run game and the Tigers seemingly had no answer from the first drive to the last.

Achane finished the night with 215 yards on 38 carries. It was the deciding factor Saturday night in all aspects of the game. LSU came into Saturday night’s matchup with a few issues in stopping the rushing attack, but allowing such a monstrous performance was a major takeaway.

In what could be his final game in Maroon & White...

Devon Achane: 38 carries, 215 yards, 2 touchdowns #GigEm 👍

— TexAgs (@TexAgs) November 27, 2022

John Emery’s Performance

If there was one positive from the Tigers’ showing Saturday night in College Station, it was the all-around performance of senior John Emery. In what became a major bounce back game, Emery shook back from his two fumbles last week and racked up three touchdowns against Texas A&M.

Emery finished the night with 55 yards on 9 carries and three total touchdowns. With starting running back Josh Williams out for the game, the Tigers turned to Emery to carry the load and he answered the call.

Along with Emery, Penn State transfer Noah Cain showed up in a big way. The two-back system showed up when needed, but was ultimately not enough to carry the offensive load Saturday night.

It was a challenging night on both sides of the ball for LSU, and one they’ll certainly wish they could get back, but the fight this team showed until the final seconds was something this coaching staff has to be pleased with.