Three Observations from LSU Football's Week 9 Loss to the Texas A&M Aggies

Garrett Nussmeier and the Tigers crumble in College Station, Aggies come out on top to cement No. 1 status in the SEC.

Oct 26, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) gets ready to take the field in the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

In a tale of two halves on Saturday night in College Station, No. 8 LSU dropped a Week 9 SEC showdown to Texas A&M 38-23 in a battle for the top of the Southeastern Conference.

Missed opportunities on offense and special teams, along with the change to dual-threat quarterback Marcel Reed, were the difference in No. 14 Texas A&M handing No. 8 LSU its second loss of the season on Saturday night in College Station, 38-23.

Redshirt sophomore receiver Aaron Anderson led the team in receiving with 126 yards and a touchdown on three catches. Junior receiver Kyren Lacy posted an impressive showing with 106 yards on five catches.

LSU will have a bye week next Saturday before returning to Tiger Stadium on Nov. 9 to host No. 15 Alabama. Kickoff, which has not been announced yet by the league office, is expected to be between 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. CT.

A look into three observations from Saturday night in College Station.

Three Observations: Week 9 Edition

Tale of Two Halves: Turnovers Tumble the Tigers

LSU entered the Week 9 showdown shot out of a cannon after playing complementary football in Kyle Field led by signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier.

The redshirt-junior quarterback carved the Aggies' defense through the first two quarters after logging over 250 yards and a pair of touchdowns, propelling LSU to a 17-7 lead at halftime, but a flip switched in the third quarter.

Texas A&M made the halftime adjustments needed to contain Nussmeier and Co. on Saturday night with the signal-caller tossing a pair of interceptions in the third quarter.

The implosion began after the first pick thrown and LSU couldn't stop the bleeding from there in College Station.

Nussmeier then threw a second interception in the third frame before his third in the final quarter of the game.

Three turnovers ultimately turned into 17 points for the Aggies, and Nussmeier took blame for the interceptions, but the inability to adjust defensively plagued LSU late.

Mike Elko's Critical Call: Insert QB Marcel Reed

Texas A&M signal-caller Conner Weigman earned the start on Saturday night in College Station with the youngster struggling out the gate against LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s unit.

After an abysmal first half where Weigman went 6-for-18 through the air with just 64 yards, Texas A&M head coach went to true freshman quarterback Marcel Reed to shake things up.

For Elko and Co., the decision paid dividends with Reed changing the game in the blink of an eye for the Aggies.

LSU’s defense simply had no answer for the dual-threat quarterback. Reed torched the Tigers with his legs in the third quarter, and just when LSU believed they had him figured out, he launched a 54-yard pass to Noah Thomas to change the trajectory in the fourth quarter.

Reed’s ability to tuck it and run on the zone read had the Bayou Bengals scrambling for the final 30 minutes of Saturday night’s Week 9 battle.

After game-planning for Weigman all week, the instant change of placing Reed in the game was the decision that ultimately put the Aggies over the top.

Reed ended the day with 70 passing yards on just two attempts while tallying 62 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Garrett Nussmeier's Game to Forget

In a game where all eyes would be on LSU signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier to continue elevating his 2025 NFL Draft stock and catapult the Tigers to the No. 1 spot in the SEC, it quickly became a night to forget. 

After a first half where Nussmeier completed 14 of his 26 passing attempts for 259 yards and two touchdowns, it was a tale of two halves. 

The final 30 minutes were abysmal for the redshirt-junior quarterback after tossing two interceptions in the third quarter where the Aggies quickly capitalized for a pair of touchdowns. 

LSU went into the half with a “comfortable” 17-7 lead with all momentum swinging their way, but once the turnovers began piling up, Texas A&M took it and ran.

Fast forward to the fourth quarter and Nussmeier tossed his third interception of the game to put the nail in the coffin. The implosion started with an interception in the third quarter and it ended with another in the fourth.

Saturday night quickly became one for LSU’s QB1 to put in the rearview mirror and forget about after three picks sealed the deal in College Station.

Nussmeier ended the day going 25-for-50 with 405 passing yards, a pair of passing touchdowns and three interceptions. 

The one-two punch of Kyren Lacy and Aaron Anderson quickly emerged as critical pieces for this offense with Lacy hauling in five receptions for 106 yards. Anderson tallied three receptions for 126 yards and a score.

More LSU News:

Instant Takeaways: No. 8 LSU Falls to No. 14 Texas A&M in College Station

LSU Dishes Out Offer to No. 1 Quarterback in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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