Tag: Brian Kelly

Brian Kelly explains kicking issues that plagued LSU in loss to Texas A&M

The Tigers had three failed field goals on Saturday night with two of them being due to operational issues.

LSU had all sorts of issues in the second half of the loss to Texas A&M on Saturday night, from its inability to stop the quarterback run game to its three costly turnovers.

But miscues in the kicking game didn’t help the cause, either. The Tigers missed three kicks on Saturday night, with the latter two being caused by bad or mistimed snaps.

After the game, coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] assured fans that it would never happen again. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, he elaborated on what went wrong and how it can be fixed.

“The battery is the snapper, the holder, and the kicker. We’ve got to get them together as one,” Kelly said. “It’s not one without the other, all three of those guys have to work in unison and they were out of sync. As well as they were working the week before, I don’t know what happened, but they were out of sync.

“We had the untimely snap, we didn’t have a great hold, but as you know, it’s the kicker who’s going to get the blame. Because he’s the one ultimately that is out there getting the credit or the blame. But it’s the battery that was highly ineffective for us against Texas A&M. And that battery, we got some work today on it. Which you very rarely put that group out there in an off week, but we had to get them out there today and spent a lot of time with them.”

Kelly explained that the team doesn’t have the luxury of making personnel changes like they do in the NFL. The focus will be on getting this group back in sync.

“In the NFL what they do is, and I’m not making light of this because you’re losing a job, but there’s a bank of long-snapping professionals and they can just dip into that bank and pay them,” he said. “We don’t have that, like you can’t just go pick somebody out of the dorms and say ‘come on in.’ We just don’t have those guys.

“So what you really have to do is work harder with those guys and trust that they’re going to make progress and work as a unit. They’re all capable, it was a bad night, and you can’t have a night like that. For me, to have a night like that when they were so good all year is really troubling. But at the same time, we’re going to get it fixed.”

As Kelly said, the kicking game has been reliable so far this season, but it proved costly in the loss to the Aggies. LSU will hope it can fix these issues ahead of an Alabama game that has become a must-win.

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Predicting the winner of LSU’s 4 remaining games

LSU has four games left on the schedule. We took a shot at projecting how they might play out.

LSU is 6-2 with four games to go. After losing to Texas A&M, LSU is entering its annual bye before the showdown with Alabama.

That meeting with the Crimson Tide, as it often does, will determine the direction of LSU’s season. A win and the Tigers are right back in the playoff race. A loss means elimination.

LSU will get the benefit of Tiger Stadium — something the Tigers missed when dealing with 12th man in College Station. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] will hope that leads to a reduction in the procedural issues that hurt LSU against Arkansas and Texas A&M.

After the Bama game, LSU will travel to Florida before home meetings with Vanderbilt and Oklahoma to close the year.

According to ESPN FPI, LSU’s remaining strength of schedule ranks 19th. That’s a bit easier than what LSU’s faced so far.

LSU will look to capitalize on three home games to bolt back into the playoff race. Today, we’ll take a shot at projecting the scores of LSU’s last four games.

Alabama at LSU

This is the big one — it always is. The winner of this meeting often finds itself in Atlanta for the SEC title. We don’t have divisisions anymore, but Bama-LSU winner represented the SEC West in 11 of the last 13 SEC title.

Most of that representation was Alabama, with LSU winning just two of those meetings.

I expect the spread on this game to be close to a toss-up. It’s possible LSU is a slight favorite with the game being in Baton Rouge.

Watching LSU’s attempt to defend A&M QB Marcel Reed doesn’t lead to much faith in LSU’s ability to stop Jalen Milroe.

Milroe carried it 20 times for 155 yards against LSU last year. He’ll look to take advantage of that again this year.

My opinion could change next week, but right now, I don’t think LSU has the talent on defense to win this one.

Prediction: Alabama 33, LSU 27

LSU at Florida

If LSU drops the Alabama game, getting the Tigers up for this one could be a challenge. LSU will know its playoff hopes are dashed and have to find something else to play for.

That wasn’t an issue for Kelly and the coaching staff last year, though. Alabama handed LSU its third loss in 2023 and LSU won out.

Florida’s outlook was dark early in the year, but the emergence of freshman QB DJ Lagway inspired some hope. LSU will be facing a coaching staff at Florida trying to prove it deserves another year. A win vs. LSU would buy Billy Napier and crew some goodwill.

But I think LSU has the talent to go on the road and win here. LSU’s aggressive defense will speed up Lagway and the Gators’ defense will struggle to contain Nussmeier.

Prediction: LSU 31, Florida 17

Vanderbilt at LSU

Vanderbilt took college football by storm when star QB Diego Pavia led the Commodores to a win over Alabama.

According to Sports Reference’s SRS ratings, this is the strongest Vandy team since James Franklin’s group in 2012.

Pavia and Vandy pose the same challenges Reed and A&M did. The Dores run a spread option attack that’s tough to prepare for. LSU will have to play disciplined football on defense or Pavia will string drives together.

On offense, LSU should be able to have its way. Vanderbilt’s defense is one of the worst in the SEC and Nussmeier should feel comfortable with more experience and playing in front of the home crowd.

Prediction: LSU 38, Vanderbilt 24

Oklahoma at LSU

In the projections here, we had LSU losing to Bama. But there’s a world where LSU wins three straight leading into the regular season finale. In that case, LSU is likely fighting for a playoff spot here.

Oklahoma’s offense is near dysfunctional and I think LSU has the matchup advantage on defense. The Tiger front should be able to take advantage of a weak Sooner offensive line.

But when LSU has the ball, the OU defense is salty enough to create issues. Brent Venables leads an aggressive defense that creates havoc and the Sooners have the athletes to play with LSU. It will be tough, but LSU creates a couple of big plays to win a low-scoring game.

Prediction: LSU 23, Oklahoma 16

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Where Garrett Nussmeier ranks among SEC QBs in key stats after Week 9

Here’s where Garrett Nussmeier ranks among his SEC QB peers after Week 9.

Week 9 was a rough one for [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] and LSU. After an impressive first half, LSU let the game get away as Nussmeier threw three second-half interceptions.

All three picks came at key moments and set up A&M scores. The Aggies notched 17 points off the turnovers, proving to be the difference in a 15-point game.

Nussmeier’s body of work remains strong, but some things need to be cleaned up. LSU needs more consistency and fewer turnovers from that position.

When Nussmeier is on, he looks like the best QB in the country. If LSU gets that version of No. 13, the Tigers still have a chance to compete for a playoff spot. But if LSU gets more of the Nussmeier we saw in the second half, playoff hopes will vanish vs. Alabama.

We’re eight games into the year, that’s a decent sample size. Let’s see where Nussmeier ranks among SEC QBs in key stats.

2,627 passing yards – 2nd

Even when he’s not at his best, Nussmeier still puts up yards. His 2,627 passing yards rank second in the SEC, only behind Jaxson Dart. That averages out to 328.3 yards per game.

Nussmeier’s crossed the 300-yard mark in six of eight games this year.

20 passing touchdowns – 1st

With 20 touchdowns, Nussmeier sits atop the SEC. He’s thrown for at least two scores in all but one game. His best mark of the year came against Nicholls State, where he threw for six scores.

7.9 yards per attempt – 12th

While Nussmeier racks up the volume stats, he doesn’t rank as high in yards per attempt. His 7.9 yards per attempt place him 12th in the SEC.

82.1 PFF offensive grade – 5th

Jayden Daniels was the nation’s top-graded quarterback last year. Nussmeier isn’t posting the same grades, but his 82.1 offensive grade ranks fifth in the SEC.

Nussmeier’s passing grade of 79.1 sits seventh in the conference.

62.5 completion % – 9th

Nussmeier’s completion percentage ranks ninth among 12 qualified QBs in the SEC. Nussmeier’s play style varies from game to game and that shows here.

He completed just 43.1% of his passes vs. Ole Miss and 50% vs. Texas A&M. Early in the year, his completion rate was often over 70%.

9 interceptions – 1st

Nussmeier has struggled with turnovers in recent games. He played clean football vs. Arkansas but threw a combined five picks against Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

If LSU wants a shot at the playoff, Nussmeier has to protect the ball in big games.

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Is LSU OC Joe Sloan a candidate for the East Carolina job?

A top LSU assistant could be in the mix for a G5 head coaching job.

The 2024 coaching carousel has begun. A few jobs are already open, including East Carolina. The Pirates moved on from head coach Mike Houston after a 3-4 start.

It’s early in the process, but a few names are already being thrown out there, including LSU offensive coordinator [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag].

Sloan played at ECU from 2005-08. He got his coaching start as an assistant at South Florida before a lengthy stint at Louisiana Tech, where he rose to OC.

When [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] arrived at LSU, he tabbed Sloan to coach the quarterbacks. The results were immediate, with Sloan developing [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] into a Heisman winning QB. He’s made progress with [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] this year and is one of the sports’ top recruiters, locking in a commitment from No. 1 overall prospect [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag].

Sloan was promoted to LSU’s OC in December after [autotag]Mike Denbrock[/autotag] left for Notre Dame. Sloan is just 37 and his recent work with LSU’s QBs in the building and on the recruiting trail has made him a hot name.

LSU’s offense isn’t the same machine it was last year, but the Tigers are still putting up good numbers.

If Sloan was offered the job, there’s some doubt about whether he’d take it. An SEC coordinating spot isn’t that different than a G5 head coaching salary. And Sloan’s current check comes without the headache of navigating the portal and NIL, something that’s tough to do at a program of ECU’s caliber.

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4 things LSU needs to fix if it wants to be a playoff team

LSU enters the bye week on a sour note, but that gives the Tigers time to fix four key issues.

LSU is headed into the bye week on a sour note. After winning six in a row, the Tigers dropped one by a score of 38-23 at Texas A&M. LSU was in control in the first half, but a failure to put Texas A&M away allowed the Aggies to get back in it.

Once A&M was back in it, it took control. Marcel Reed and the A&M backfield ran all over LSU in the second half and the Aggies finished the game on a 31-6 run.

After the game, linebacker [autotag]Greg Penn III[/autotag] said LSU wasn’t prepared for Reed entering the game. Texas A&M completed eight passes all night, but it didn’t matter. A&M ran it 46 times for 245 yards and five touchdowns.

On the offensive side of the ball, LSU struggled to get its own run game moving. LSU ran it 22 times for 25 yards — one of the worst rushing performances in program history.

That sits atop the list of needed fixes as LSU enters the bye week. Let’s jump right in and take a look.

LSU needs a run game

We’ve talked about it all year, but LSU needs a run game. It was an issue in the opening loss to USC, outside of a few bursts from [autotag]John Emery Jr.[/autotag] More red flags were raised when LSU failed to get a consistent push vs. FCS Nicholls.

Then true freshman [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] began to inject life into LSU’s ground game. Durham ran it 11 times for 98 yards in the win over South Carolina. A few weeks later vs. South Alabama, he toted it seven times for 128 yards. He crossed the 100 mark again at Arkansas.

But on Saturday, Durham was quiet. He caught four passes for 56 yards, but he was a nonfactor on the ground. [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag] didn’t add much either, running it seven times for 23 yards.

Both Durham and Williams had a decent run on LSU’s second drive, but apart from that, LSU had nothing.

LSU is a team with two first-round picks at tackle and two veterans at guard. The Tigers have a deep tight end room and a group of talented running backs. With Nussmeier’s arm, defenses can’t load the box either. All of that should lead to LSU being able to run the football, but for whatever reason, LSU can’t find any consistency.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said LSU has spent a lot of time on the run game. Earlier in the year, right tackle [autotag]Emery Jones Jr.[/autotag] joked [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag] wasn’t leaving his office. LSU is aware of the problem and knows it needs to be fixed. We’ll see if the bye week comes with any new ideas before LSU faces a strong Alabama front.

Allow Garrett Nussmeier to settle in

When [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] is on, he’s among the best quarterbacks in the country. But when he’s off, he’s a turnover waiting to happen. In each of LSU’s last two games, we’ve seen two drastic sides of Nussmeier.

Nussmeier struggled to settle in vs. Ole Miss, throwing picks and missing throws deep. He eventually figured it out and led LSU to victory, but it was a rocky road to get there.

On Saturday, we saw the good version of Nussmeier early. He played one of the best halves of his career in the first two quarters, but what came next was a complete unraveling.

LSU OC Joe Sloan has to keep Nussmeier comfortable throughout the game. Part of it could have to do with LSU’s inability to run the ball. Nussmeier feels like he has to do it all himself and puts the ball in dangerous spots.

But LSU needs to get ahead of the problem. When it starts to look shaky, find some quick throws to get the QB in rhythm. Nussmeier now leads the SEC with nine picks on the year — that’s not a sustainable way for this team win football games.

Become more athletic at defensive tackle

It might be unfair to expect LSU to fix this midseason, but the Tigers have some of the necessary tools.

LSU’s defensive tackle group is well coached and overperforming expectations, especially with the loss of Jacobian Guillory. Gio Paez and Paris Shand get the bulk of the work and play sound football, but LSU misses quick twitch athleticism up the middle.

There are guys on the roster that have it, such as Jay’Viar Suggs. We’ve seen Suggs playing time increase in recent weeks. He got 21 snaps in the loss to A&M, totaling three pressures and a sack. Suggs has 10 pressures and seven stops on just 108 snaps this year. That’s the playmaking ability LSU needs at that spot.

There were times when LSU defensive tackles were in the right spot but just didn’t make a play.

Suggs, along with true freshman Dominick McKinley, could help solve that issue.

Be more explosive on offense

LSU’s explosive passing rate is fine. The Tigers rank top 25 nationally in 15-yard passing rate and top 50 in 20-yard passing rate. But if LSU is going to struggle to run the ball, LSU needs to be elite at finding chunk yardage plays.

LSU doesn’t have the ability to march down the field getting five or six yards at a time right now. The only way LSU can score consistently is Nussmeier finding receivers down the field.

When A&M took the explosive passing element away, LSU had nothing.

LSU must figure out how to maintain the big plays throughout the game.

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5 stats that defined LSU’s loss at Texas A&M in Week 9

These five stats defined LSU’s loss at Texas A&M.

LSU’s second half did not go to plan in College Station on Saturday night. Texas A&M turned to dual-threat QB Marcel Reed and the LSU defense had no response.

On the other side of the ball, LSU’s failure to run the ball put too much on the passing game and QB [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] made a series of mistakes that let the game get away from LSU.

LSU was a slight underdog and playing on the road in the SEC is never easy, but A&M flat-out beat LSU in the second half. ESPN play-by-play man Chris Fowler called it a Texas A&M avalanche. It’s hard to find a better way to describe it.

Texas A&M looked like a playoff team over the final two quarters while LSU looked like a team unprepared for the moment. Mistakes in all phases of the game cost LSU on Saturday night. Anything that could go wrong, did go wrong.

Here are five stats that defined LSU’s loss.

LSU’s 1.9 yards per carry

At first, that reads like a typo. LSU averaged 1.9 yards per carry — not what’s expected from an SEC team with future NFL linemen and blue-chip running backs.

[autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] ran it 11 times for 15 yards while Josh Williams got seven carries for 23 yards. Together, they combined for a -8.33 EPA on the ground.

LSU’s offensive line couldn’t get any push or create space. Durham and Williams were constantly met by Texas A&M defenders at the line of scrimmage.

Just 19% of LSU’s runs went for 4+ yards. A&M’s mark was at 60%.

“We spent a lot of time on our run game. We should be better there,” [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said.

Garrett Nussmeier: Three interceptions

After Week 9, [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] leads the SEC with nine picks on the year. We knew Nussmeier was a “gunslinger” who would put the ball in jeopardy at times, but three picks on Saturday allowed the game to unravel for LSU.

Throwing three picks in a half isn’t a recipe for success. The turnovers came on LSU’s end of the field and set A&M up for a touchdown drive of eight yards and 26 yards. The third pick led to a field goal. Combined, A&M scored 17 points off the Nussmeier turnovers.

You could feel the momentum swing after the first interception. That’s where the game was lost for LSU. The Tigers weren’t able to settle down after that and the floodgates opened.

LSU special teams: -5.02 EPA

LSU’s field goal unit struggled on Saturday. A poor hold led to [autotag]Damian Ramos[/autotag] missing a field goal late in the first quarter. In the second, LSU missed another one.

Long snapper [autotag]Slade Roy[/autotag] and holder [autotag]Peyton Todd[/autotag] weren’t on the same page and it led to a bungled snap in the third quarter. That’s nine points left on the board.

With the way A&M controlled the game in the second half, it’s hard to say the nine points were the difference, but the second half looks different if LSU is playing with a bigger lead.

When you send the field goal unit out there three times, you don’t want to come away empty on all three attempts.

LSU’s EPA without explosive plays: -36.29

LSU’s offense had a few explosive plays on Saturday night, including a 76-yard catch and run from [autotag]Aaron Anderson[/autotag] and some third-down conversions to [autotag]Kyren Lacy[/autotag].

Outside of that, LSU struggled to get anything going on offense. Without the explosive plays, LSU’s EPA was -36.29. LSU’s worst mark of the year.

With the run game not providing anything, it was hard to establish down-to-down consistency. That allowed A&M to tee up blitzes on Nussmeier and showcase some disguised coverages.

Nussmeier was feeling the pressure and knew the only way LSU could score was a big play through the air. Kelly said LSU is putting too much on its quarterback and that was evident on Saturday.

Mason Taylor and Kyren Lacy: 8 catches on 16 targets

This stat may feel a little nitpicky, but LSU only completed half of its targets to its most reliable receivers.

LSU turns to Taylor and Lacy when it needs a conversion — they’re Nussmeier’s go-to guys.

This is related to LSU’s lack of down-to-down efficiency. Part of LSU becoming a better situational football team means consistently completing passes to the dependable pass catchers.

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Where do LSU’s playoff hopes stand after the loss at Texas A&M?

Are LSU’s playoff hopes dead after the loss to Texas A&M?

LSU’s College Football Playoff hopes took a hit with the Week 9 loss to Texas A&M. A win would have put the Tigers’ in the SEC title driver seat and in control of their playoff destiny.

Now, the picture is muddy.

Let’s start with the obvious: LSU needs to win out. The SEC and Big Ten are getting crowded at the top and the path for a 9-3 team to slip in is shrinking.

Four games remain on the schedule following the bye week. LSU will host Alabama before taking a trip to Florida. LSU ends the year with back-to-back home games against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma.

Alabama presents the toughest challenge and the way LSU defended A&M QB Marcel Reed doesn’t inspire much confidence in LSU to stop the threat of Jalen Milroe.

Milroe’s legs won’t catch LSU by surprise, and the Tigers have two weeks to figure something out.

If LSU can pull out a win over the Tide, the remaining schedule is manageable.

That’s where LSU needs help. In this scenario, Alabama is 9-3 with a loss to LSU. That knocks the Tide out of the picture.

Ole Miss is another two-loss SEC team hanging around, but a loss to Georgia essentially knocks the Rebels out of the picture.

LSU will have a hard time climbing back in front of Texas A&M, so at this point, LSU should root for A&M to win out. That would leave Texas at 10-2 and out of the SEC title. A 10-2 LSU would have a comparable resume to a 10-2 Texas.

In an ideal world, Georgia and A&M square off in the SEC title. One gets the automatic bid and the other gets the at-large bid. Tennessee picks up another loss in this scenario, and LSU is the SEC’s third or fourth-ranked team when the regular season concludes.

Now we turn our attention to the Big Ten. Between Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State and Indiana, the Big Ten will get three to four teams in the field. LSU needs it to be three, which means Indiana drops a couple of games.

The Hoosiers are at Michigan State this week, followed by contests against Michigan and Ohio State. Their year concludes with a meeting vs. Purdue. With the way Indiana is playing, its hard to see two losses there, but its possible.

FPI still gives LSU a 21% chance to make the playoff, so the Tigers aren’t dead yet.

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5 takeaways from LSU football’s loss at Texas A&M

Here are five takeaways from LSU’s loss in College Station on Thursday night.

Sometimes things fall apart.

That’s what happened to LSU in College Station on Saturday night. Mistakes haunted LSU as the Tigers watched the game unravel in the third quarter. Texas A&M seized the momentum and won 38-23.

Sole possession of first place in the SEC was on the line. A&M now sits atop the conference while LSU falls to 3-1 in conference play and 6-2 on the year. The loss halted a six-game win streak for LSU and put the Tigers’ playoff hopes on life support.

The night was full of frustrations for LSU. The Tigers moved the ball, but too many drives stalled out on A&M’s side of the field. LSU had to settle for field goal attempts, but the night was marred by special teams mistakes.

Every component of the field goal unit struggled. Ramos missed kicks, the holds were bad, and LSU long snapper Slade Roy fired one off too early.

LSU left something on the table. There’s no other way to put it. Here are five takeaways from the loss.

Nussmeier leads the unraveling with three picks

The first half was some of Garrett Nussmeier’s best football. The second half was the polar opposite.

Nussmeier’s accuracy began to falter and the situation was made worse by poor decisions with the football.

LSU went three and out on its opening drive of the second half. On the second drive, Nussmeier was trying to make a play and threw the ball up. It was picked off in LSU territory and A&M cut into the lead shortly after.

Later, another Nussmeier pick set A&M up to take the lead. Then in the fourth, an Aggie interception all but sealed it.

Nussmeier has nine picks on the year now. That puts his average at one per game. LSU will struggle to win games if it’s putting the ball in jeopardy like this.

LSU failed to put Aggies away when it had the chance

Things were looking bright in the first half. A long catch and run from Aaron Anderson put LSU up 17-7.

LSU was moving the ball and the LSU defense wasn’t giving up much. The Tigers looked like the better team — like a team taking yet another step forward after last week’s 34-10 win. But that wasn’t the case.

The stalled drives and missed field goals in the first half kept A&M in the game and allowed the Aggies to find life in the second half.

It was pointed out on the broadcast, but it was reminiscent of LSU’s week one loss. LSU was in a position to take a kill shot but missed.

LSU couldn’t run the ball

After a few weeks of progress, LSU couldn’t run the ball on Saturday night. [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] and [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag] both got chances, but neither could gain steam.

A&M’s front presented a challenge to LSU. The Aggies have several future pros on the defensive line and LSU couldn’t get any push. Senior guard [autotag]Garrett Dellinger[/autotag] exiting the game with an injury didn’t help.

We can debate whether the blame lies with coaching, personnel or execution. The fact of the matter is we’re eight games into the season and LSU can’t run the ball.

It’s hard to go on the road and win in the SEC if you can’t run it. LSU doesn’t need the same production it got last year, but it needs more than it’s getting now.

A&M turns to Reed in the second half

LSU pressured Connor Weigman throughout the first half. A&M was getting some yards in the run game, but the passing attack was a nonfactor.

A&M’s answer: QB Marcel Reed.

Aggies’ OC Colin Klein went all in on the option attack and Reed’s rushing ability. Holes started to open up and A&M did what it wanted on the ground.

[autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] and the LSU defense had nothing. Even if there was an answer, LSU was failing to execute. The Tigers were missing tackles and getting driven off the ball.

LSU wasn’t prepared for Texas A&M’s physicality in the second half.

Where does LSU go from here?

At 6-2, LSU is still in the playoff race,  even if help is needed. A 10-2 SEC team has a chance to find its way in but the margin for error is nonexistent.

LSU will have to win out. That includes beating Alabama, going on the road to Florida, and potentially tricky games with Vanderbilt and Oklahoma.

As far as the SEC race goes, going through all the potential tiebreak solutions is pointless at the moment. That’ll sort itself out in the coming weeks.

This loss is a disappointment, especially with the optimism surrounding LSU in recent weeks. LSU isn’t a title contender right now.

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LSU-Texas A&M Thursday Injury Report: Brian Kelly updates status on pair of LSU receivers

The Tigers are dealing with a few injuries heading into Saturday’s high-stakes matchup against Texas A&M.

LSU updated its injury report on Thursday heading into a critical Week 9 showdown against Texas A&M, and the Tigers continue to deal with some questions at the receiver position.

Once again, [autotag]Chris Hilton Jr.[/autotag] has been listed as questionable as he’s yet to make his season debut after suffering a bone bruise in fall camp. Coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] did provide some reason for optimism on Thursday, however, telling the media that he was a full participant in practice.

The question with Hilton is now a matter of conditioning, Kelly said.

“I think we’re probably going to list him questionable,” Kelly said. “But he’s made progress. This has been a slow process for us and him. I think more than anything else, you don’t bring a wide receiver back after this long out unless he’s properly conditioned because then you go pull a hamstring, right?

“It’s not the leg anymore, and we’re not concerned, and he’s not concerned about the leg. This is much more about a conditioning element relative to soft tissue more than anything else. So, we’re in a pretty good position here now. This is just getting him game-ready.”

His return would be welcome, especially considering questions about the health of fellow wideout [autotag]CJ Daniels[/autotag], who was downgraded to questionable on Thursday. Daniels missed the win over Ole Miss but returned against Arkansas last week, catching seven passes for 86 yards.

In addition to potentially both starting receivers, LSU will be without a couple of impactful players. Safety [autotag]Jordan Allen[/autotag] is set to miss another week as he battles turf toe, Kelly confirmed Thursday.

“We’re talking about something that just is time, especially at the safety position, the inability to play at the level he needs to play at,” Kelly said.

Further, backup offensive lineman [autotag]Tyree Adams[/autotag], who is capable of playing all over the line, will be out. Kelly said [autotag]Bo Bordelon[/autotag] and [autotag]Paul Mubenga[/autotag] are players who could potentially step up to fill a gap if needed.

“Bo Bordelon would be the next guy depending on if it’s a tackle or guard. If it’s a guard, Paul Mubenga would come in,” Kelly said.

The Tigers are clearly not at 100%, but there’s some optimism it could be at full strength in the passing game for the first time this season as the run game is finally starting to emerge with running back [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] listed as probable coming into this game.

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LSU vs. Texas A&M: Preview and prediction ahead of Tigers’ pivotal Week 9 matchup

Here’s what to watch for when LSU and Texas A&M hit the field on Saturday night.

LSU and Texas A&M will battle for sole first place in the SEC on Saturday night. The two programs are the last remaining undefeated units in conference play and the winner enters the driver’s seat for a trip to Atlanta and the College Football Playoff.

Dating back to 2017, the Tigers and Aggies have traded wins. Texas A&M wins in College Station and LSU wins in Baton Rouge — that’s the script of the last six years.

LSU’s last win at Kyle Field was in November of 2016. It was the final game of Ed Orgeron’s interim stint before being named head coach, so it’s been a minute.

A&M is led by first-year head coach Mike Elko, a former assistant of Brian Kelly’s at Notre Dame. Elko had success at Duke and already has A&M on an upward swing.

Both teams are expecting to compete for the playoff late into November and a win on Saturday all but secures that.

Here’s a breakdown of what to expect when LSU and Texas A&M hit the field.

LSU vs. Texas A&M Betting lines

  • Spread: Texas A&M -1
  • Total: 54.5
  • Moneyline: Texas A&M -115

All College Football Odds via BetMGM.

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The line moved in LSU’s favor throughout the week. LSU was a field goal underdog at one point, but A&M is only getting a point now, per BetMGM.

Vegas is expecting a close one with an implied score of 28-27.

Despite a 6-1 record, Texas A&M is 2-5 against the spread. The two covers came against Florida and Missouri, but A&M failed to cover against Mississippi State last week.

LSU began the year 0-4 ATS, but has covered three straight spreads. LSU is rounding into form, but Kelly and Tiger fans will hope for another step on Saturday.

As for the total, it reflects the balance both teams are playing with. LSU and A&M are playing good football on both sides of the ball right now.

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When LSU has the ball

LSU’s offensive line vs. Texas A&M’s defensive front is the matchup to watch.

A&M’s front seven is loaded with talent and the duo of Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton off the edge is dangerous. But LSU’s line isn’t new to this challenge,

The Tigers faced one of the SEC’s top pass rushes when it faced South Carolina and another good one against Ole Miss. LSU QB [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] has taken one sack all year and I expect LSU’s protection to hold up again on Saturday.

The real test is in the run game. LSU’s offensive line doesn’t get a consistent push against top defensive lines. According to GameOnPaper.com, LSU ranks 99th in rushing success rate — a mark that won’t get LSU where it wants to go.

A&M will be able to keep LSU off schedule and stuff a few runs, but LSU’s offense knows how to operate in passing downs.

That’s what this matchup comes down to. Can A&M cover LSU or get to Nussmeier when the Tigers get in 2nd and 3rd and long?

When Texas A&M has the ball

Mike Elko tabbed Colin Klein to run the Aggies’ offense. Game 1 was rough as A&M struggled to score against Notre Dame. But since Week 1, there’s been a steady improvement.

A&M showcases a balanced attack that ranks above average in EPA/run and EPA/pass. Connor Weigman is averaging over 10 yards per attempt since returning from injury and RB Le’Veon Moss has proven to be a bellcow in the backfield.

The key for LSU’s defense: ensuring efficient plays don’t turn into explosive plays.

Nearly 65% of Weigman’s passing attempts travel nine air yards or less. A&M will get the ball out quickly and hope its skill guys make a play. It’s on LSU’s secondary to prevent those plays from getting mad.

A&M can take the completions that are there, but LSU must limit the catch-and-run opportunities.

The same can be said for Moss running the ball. Four to five yards per carry is fine as long as he’s not ripping off 15-yard runs. If LSU tackles well, A&M has to earn its points drive after drive. I’m not sure the Aggie offense is ready to do that yet.

LSU vs. Texas A&M Prediction

If this comes down to what offense makes just enough plays to win, I trust LSU. Nussmeier gives LSU a reliable QB to come through on third down and Durham has the elusiveness to rip off big runs.

I think LB [autotag]Whit Weeks[/autotag] continues to lead a defensive renaissance and LSU keeps the Aggie offense in check.

I like to cover and win, 27-23.

Spread Pick: LSU +1

Total pick: Under

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