LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt stayed in the pocket more Saturday night, partially because he suffered a hamstring injury and had to. (Tiger Rag photo by Jonathan Mailhes).
After suffering painful losses to Texas A&M the past two seasons, LSU delivered a decisive response Saturday night.
The 10th-ranked Tigers dominated the 23rd-ranked Aggies 35-6 in front of a raucous crowd at Tiger Stadium, bouncing back from last week’s loss to Ole Miss and closing September with a 3-1 record.
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns despite playing much of the game with what appeared to be a right leg injury. With his mobility limited, Leavitt operated primarily from the pocket and completed 74% of his passes.
The offensive line also gave him time. Leavitt was not sacked once. We saw first personnel change as William Satterwhite started over Bo Bordelon at left guard. Bordelon also saw snaps, but it was mostly Satterwhite.
It wasn’t a great game for Satterwhite as two penalties were called against him. A holding penalty and he was illegally down field on a touchdown pass.
The LSU defense also turned in a dominating performance, holding Texas A&M to 197 total yards.
Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed, who had torched LSU with his legs in previous meetings, was held to just 106 passing yards and was intercepted once. Reed rushed for more than 100 yards against the Tigers last season but finished Saturday night with minus-13 yards rushing.
The play that ended it
LSU led 14-3 at halftime, but the Tigers delivered the knockout blow on their first possession of the second half.
Facing fourth-and-one from its own 43-yard line, LSU kept the offense on the field. Running back Dillin Jones and Leavitt shifted to the left, appearing to set up a run.
Instead, Leavitt pulled the ball and found a wide-open Jackson Harris behind the Texas A&M secondary.
Harris raced 57 yards for a touchdown, giving LSU a 21-3 lead and sending Tiger Stadium into a frenzy.
Harris, Watkins fill the void
With tight end Trey’Dez Green sidelined after suffering a knee injury against Ole Miss, LSU needed other receivers to step up.
Harris answered the call in a big way.
The Hawaii transfer caught six passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. He entered the game with five receptions for 117 yards on the season.
Wynne Watkins also continued his strong start to the season. LSU’s leading receiver caught five passes for 107 yards.
It was Watkins’ second 100-yard receiving game this season and the third of his career.
LSU solves the Marcel Reed problem
Reed had been a major problem for LSU in the previous two meetings.
He rushed for three touchdowns in Texas A&M’s comeback victory over LSU in 2024 and accounted for four touchdowns in the Aggies’ blowout win over the Tigers last season.
After Reed broke loose for a 12-yard run on Texas A&M’s opening possession Saturday, LSU’s defense largely shut him down.
The Tigers finished with seven tackles for loss and four sacks, consistently getting pressure on Reed and preventing him from making plays with his legs.
Safety Ty Benefield moved to the star position player to replace the injured Dashawn Spears and tied with TJ Dotttery with the team lead in tackles with seven.
Another LSU No. 7 injured
For the second consecutive week, an LSU player wearing No. 7 suffered an injury.
Last week, tight end Trey’Dez Green injured his knee against Ole Miss.
Saturday night, linebacker Whit Weeks suffered an apparent right ankle/foot injury.
The injury involved the same foot he injured during the Texas Bowl, an issue that limited him during the 2025 season.
During a brief interview between the third and fourth quarters, LSU coach Lane Kiffin told ESPN’s Kris Budden that the injury looks bad.
LSU gets the response it needed
The Tigers entered Saturday night coming off a disappointing 32-24 loss at Ole Miss.
They responded with an impressive victory. .
LSU finished September 3-1 and has now put together dominant defensive performances against Clemson, Louisiana Tech and Texas A&M.
The Tigers will get a lighter opponent next weekend when McNeese visits Tiger Stadium.
The Cowboys are 2-3 after holding on for a 27-24 victory over East Texas A&M on Saturday.
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