What He Said: LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier Discusses Tough Loss to Texas A&M

It was a tale of two halves for the redshirt-junior signal-caller, turnovers plague LSU in College Station.

Oct 26, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) looks to pass the ball during the first quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Saturday night in College Station quickly became one for LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier to put in the rearview mirror and forget about after a challenging second half performance.

The redshirt-junior signal-caller was lights out in the first half after tallying over 250 yards through the air with two touchdowns, but it all changed rather quickly come the third quarter.

After a pair of interceptions in which Texas A&M capitalized quickly after scoring touchdowns, it all crumbled quickly for the Bayou Bengals.

For Nussmeier, the weight fell on his shoulders for most of the night with LSU's inability to find success in the rushing attack.

"We can go all night here and gang up on Garrett Nussmeier if we want, right?" LSU coach Brian Kelly said. "But the reality of it is, we've got to put him in a better situation."

The nonexistent run-game forced LSU into a number of obvious passing situations against Texas A&M, specifically on third down.

The average third down distance in College Station for the Tigers was 7.2 yards, and the more Nussmeier tossed it, the more trouble he had.

"We spent a lot of time on our run game. We feel like we should be better there, and we thought we had made the progress necessary against a good front in Arkansas," Kelly said. "And then we just did not see that come to fruition tonight."

"We need to build some balance so Garrett is not out there trying to make a play every flipping down," Kelly said.

What He Said: Garrett Nussmeier in Week 9

Nussmeier Takes Accountability:

"I've got to execute better. I've got to play better," Nussmeier said. "Guys are making plays, and I need to do a better job of just giving them opportunities in space. It's a tough one. There's not much else to say. It hurts. I think that it's big for us to bounce back from this. Everything that we want is right in front of us."

Texas A&M's Defensive Changes:

"I definitely think they made some adjustments at halftime. But like I said, I think I just need to execute better, take care of the ball."

Disappointment Following the Loss:

"I made a couple mistakes and gave them short fields," Nussmeier said. "And obviously I'll beat myself up for that for a while."

Up Next: No. 8 LSU will have an open date next week before returning to Death Valley on Nov. 9 for an SEC showdown against the Alabama Crimson Tide.

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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