Texas A&M Week 13 Opponent Preview: LSU

The Aggies end the 2023 season in Baton Rouge for a date of destiny with the Tigers.

It might not be the "Lone Star Showdown," but Week 13 has brought an abundance of highlights between trips to College Station and Baton Rouge.

When the Texas A&M Aggies joined the Southeastern Conference in 2012, a rivalry needed to be constructed. LSU was the closest in geographical location, but the two football-fueled programs would provide fans with an exciting matchup on paper to close out the regular season.

While the Southwest Classic remains a staple for A&M fans due to its long-running history with Arkansas, LSU has become the team circled on the calendar. From a seven-overtime showdown at Kyle Field in 2018 to a final throw from a now-A&M quarterback in 2021, the Aggies and Tigers have made magic over the past decade.

Winning the rivalry matchup often can blanket the pain of a lost season among fans and boosters. Last season, the Aggies finished below .500 for the first time since Mike Sherman was running up and down the sidelines of Kyle Field in 2008.

Quarterback play was a concern. So was defending the run. Wins were scarce for Aggies following a showdown in Arlington against the Hogs and patience was running thin among those on Jimbo Fisher's status as "the right man" to lead the program to a national title.

Still, for a brief instant as fans flooded the turf following a 38-23 win over the then-No. 5 Tigers, all was right in Aggieland. A&M looked as if it had the right quarterback in Conner Weigman. De'Von Achane said goodbye to the program in style with a record-setting day on the ground.

The victory also silenced any chatter on LSU's chances of sneaking into the College Football Playoff Year 1 under former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly. Most of all, fans knew that even in a year of turmoil, the Aggies had the talent to go toe-to-toe with the SEC giants.

A&M travels to Tiger Stadium this November, hoping this showdown ends better than the last one. The Aggies were on pace to finish with nine regular season wins for the first time in the Fisher era, but Max Johnson's 28-yard pass to Jaray Jenkins with 20 seconds on the clock ended that goal and sent Ed Orgeron off with one last win in the city he called home.

Johnson is now in a heated battle with Weigman for the starting quarterback job, while the Tigers look to be one of college football's front-runners to claim a spot in the final year of the four-team playoff format. If all goes according to plan, A&M could enter Baton Rouge with a chance to claim its first division title since joining the conference.

Will the Tigers get snarled in the trap once kickoff is underway?

Follow along with AllAggies.com as we preview every aspect of A&M's matchup with the Tigers throughout the week. Before diving in, here's a quick overview of the essential things to know before kickoff at Tiger Stadium on Nov. 25.

LSU Tigers

2022 Record: 10-4, 6-2 SEC

Head coach: Brian Kelly

Kelly is 10-4 entering his second season with the Tigers.

Returning Offensive Leaders:

QB Jayden Daniels

Passing: 17 TDs, 3 INTs, 2,913 yards

Rushing: 11 TDs, 186 attempts, 885 yards

Daniels came alive as the Tigers' signal-caller in 2022, leading LSU in both passing and rushing yardage categories. While Garrett Nussmeier still resides on campus, Kelly has already named the former Arizona State transfer the Week 1 starter against Florida State.

RB Josh Williams

Rushing: 6 TDs, 97 attempts, 532 yards

Williams is the Tigers' leading returning running back in terms of yardage, but Noah Cain also accounted for 10 scores on the ground a season ago.

WR Malik Nabers

Receiving: 72 receptions, 1,017 yards, 3 TDs

A preseason All-SEC first-team receiver, Nabers returns to serve as Daniels' top target. Last season, he totaled three 100-plus receiving-yard games, including a career-high 163-yard outing against Purdue in the Citrus Bowl.

Defensive Leaders

LB Harold Perkins Jr.

Defense: 72 tackles, 13 TFL, 7.5 sacks, 1 INT

Formerly an A&M commit, Perkins is a weapon rather than a linebacker. He can blitz, play in coverage, defend the run and ruin a quarterback's day when asked to play the spy role. The sophomore was named a preseason first-team All-American by the AP Poll Monday and should be the favorite to take home SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors in December with another standout campaign.

S Greg Brooks Jr.

Defense: 63 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 3.0 pass breakups, 2 INT,

Brooks is the leader in returning interception production this season, hauling in two picks last fall. A transfer from Arkansas, Brooks also totaled eight tackles against the Aggies at Kyle Field last season.

DL Maason Smith

Defense: N/A

Smith suffered a torn ACL in the season-opening loss to the Seminoles last season in New Orleans. Make no mistake of his status, though, as this 6-6, 300-pound wrecking ball can eliminate the run game and bulldoze over less-polished offensive linemen to terrorize quarterbacks for sacks and a loss of downs.