The Texas A&M Football team lost to the LSU Tigers 24-19 at Kyle Field. The Aggies came away empty-handed on Saturday because they made too many mistakes against a top-notch football team.
These two teams clashed in the 2011 Cotton Bowl and A&M was outclassed in the trenches. LSU’s offensive line pushed Texas A&M’s front seven all over the field in the Tigers’ 41-24 victory.
That was not the case at Kyle Field, as the Aggie defense did a solid job against LSU’s ground game. Texas A&M lost the game because they committed four turnovers, and had issues in their kicking game.
Photo Via facebook.com/geauxlsu
You cannot lose the turnover battle against LSU, miss field goals and expect to come away with a win. The Tigers are a Top 10 team, though they are not a national title contender or belong in the Top 5, in my eyes. LSU will lose at least one more game during the regular season, but this was a good measuring stick for Texas A&M right now.
On the 29-yard touchdown pass to Kadron Boone right before half, Aggie defensive coordinator Mark Snyder had the correct coverage called. Aggie safety Howard Matthews just does not possess the range to get over and make a play on the ball. Matthews is great against the run, but does not possess the speed to be a starting safety in the SEC.
The team obviously has a lot of youth on offense. For redshirt freshman QB Johnny Manziel, this game was part of the learning process. He needs to learn that when there is nothing there, it is okay to throw the ball out of bounds.
Manziel scrambled around and threw an interception to Tharold Simon in the fourth quarter when there was nowhere to go with the ball. He should have thrown it out of bounds. You cannot take chances like that against defenses as good as the Tigers’ defense. This loss is part of the maturing process for Manziel.
For freshman receivers Sabian Holmes, Thomas Johnson and Mike Evans, this contest offered a peek into what it is like to face a big-time secondary. You have to catch the balls that hit you in the hands and take advantage of your opportunities.
LSU played a typical game for a Les Miles squad. They played field position football and went to the ground game often while they waited for A&M to make a mistake. The Aggies made multiple mistakes and LSU took advantage. The Tigers scored 21 points off of the Aggies’ four turnovers. That was the difference in the game.
Manziel is a dynamic player who can create something out of nothing. This game was simply another step on the process of him learning his limitations on the football field.
The Aggie coaches need to recruit more safeties like Deshazor Everett. They need more speed at the skill positions especially in their defensive backfield. Aggie fans should be encouraged with the way their offensive line and defensive line held up against LSU.
Kevin Sumlin’s staff is recruiting very well and there is help on the way. Aggie fans just need to remain patient and allow Sumlin to continue to build the program. Texas A&M has the talent to compete with top 10 teams, but the team is realistically a year away from being in a position where it can beat them.
