Five things to know about Texas A&M ahead of regular-season finale
LSU will face Texas A&M on Saturday to put a bow on its division and conference slate.
The two programs enter the contest trending in opposite directions, with LSU fresh off an SEC West title and the Aggies just ending their longest losing streak in 50 years. LSU hasn’t won in College Station since 2016, dropping its last two trips, including the seven overtime loss in 2018.
The programs most recently met in Baton Rouge last year. It was Ed Orgeron’s last game at LSU and featured a game-winning touchdown catch by Jaray Jenkins.
A win for LSU would move the Tigers to 10-2 and keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive — setting up a showdown with the Georgia Bulldogs in Atlanta.
Here are five things to know about the Texas A&M Aggies.
How did they get here?
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The 2022 Texas A&M Aggies have been well documented, and if you’re an Aggie fan, its been for all the wrong reasons.
It started in May, when Jimbo Fisher had a public feud with Nick Saban. Between that, and the top ranked recruiting class, Texas A&M had the nation’s attention. Ranked sixth in the inaugural AP Poll, expectations were high in Aggieland.
A&M began the year with a 31-0 win over Sam Houston State, but in Week 2, things took a dive when Appalachian State rolled into Kyle Field and won. App State is a good G5 program, but turned out closer to average than good in 2022, just becoming bowl-eligible last week.
It was an embarrassing loss. The Aggies responded by winning two in a row over Miami and Arkansas — both ranked at the time. Entering October, there was a semblance of hope, but a loss to Mississippi State on Oct. 1 began A&M’s longest losing streak since 1972.
Fisher’s squad fought hard in some games, losing by a combined seven points to Ole Miss and Alabama, but it’s a group that also lost by 17 at home against Florida and dropped one to a struggling Auburn team.
It took a home contest against UMass to snap the losing streak, but even then, A&M struggled. The Aggies fumbled four times and scored just 20 points. A&M is 4-7 and the Arkansas contest remains the Aggies’ lone conference win.
The problems start with the offense
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Texas A&M ranks 98th in offensive success rate and 86th in explosive play rate. The rushing attack is respectable at times, but even there, A&M ranks just 77th in EPA/rush.
There’s been a revolving door at quarterback which has now landed on highly-touted freshmen Connor Weigman. Despite Weigman’s talent, the production hasn’t been much better than what the Aggies were getting from Max Johnson or Haynes King.
Weigman’s is the worst of the three when it comes to completion percentage and yards per attempt, though the youngster is yet to throw an interception. The Aggies don’t protect their QBs either, ranking 75th in sack rate and deadlast in the SEC in PFF pass blocking grades.
You get the point.
Jimbo Fisher’s offense isn’t just bad, it’s bad, bad. Struggling offenses have become a trend at A&M, but this is the worst.
The defense has taken a step back
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While the offense has been the main woe, the defense has lost a step too. A&M has had pretty consistent defenses since joining the SEC, sending a steady flow of defenders to the NFL.
Mike Elko, now the head coach at Duke, had the unit in good shape. Now, it’s closer to average, especially against the run. The group ranks 54th in rushing success rate and 110th in yards/rush allowed.
That doesn’t bode well against an LSU offense that’s 15th in rushing success rate and 39th in yards/rush. The Aggies remain solid against the pass, led by Antonio Johnson in the secondary.
A&M’s allowing just 6.0 yards per pass, which is good for 10th in FBS. Advanced stats back it up with the Aggies ranking 11th in defensive success rate.
It’s hard to gauge this unit. The offensive struggles have forced the defense to play from behind, which has given opposing offenses more freedom with the playcalling and the ability to wear A&M down on the ground. If its close and LSU is forced to pass, the Aggie defense is a formidable group, especially with the home crowd behind them.
It’ll be pivotal for LSU to come out and stay on schedule – something LSU typically does well. I think this is a good matchup for the Tigers.
Players to know
I’ve been writing this preview section all year and this is one of the toughest times I’ve had picking players. Not because A&M has an abundance of stars, but because there is a shocking lack of them.
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There are SEC team that struggle, but still have multiple guys that scare you. That’s not the case with A&M.
DB Antonio Johnson
After earning All-SEC honors in 2021, Johnson has been one of A&M’s top defenders for two years. He’s led the Aggies solid pass defense and leads SEC safeties with 25 stops.
RB Devon Achane
Achane didn’t play last week, but Jimbo Fisher expects him back for LSU.
He’s been about the only thing that’s stood out for A&M on offense, averaging close to 100 yards per game and picking up 49 first downs.
LB Edgerrin Cooper
Cooper is a blue-chip recruit from Louisiana. He stands out against the pass, where he’s totaled 11 pressures and been good dropping back in coverage.
Frustration is reaching its peak
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When Fisher first took the job in College Station, there was hope. Hired by current LSU AD [autotag]Scott Woodward[/autotag], Fisher was given a major contract and was supposed to take A&M from good to great.
Fisher is in his fifth season and the Aggies are yet to win a division title. A bowl is out of reach and it’s at the point where a win on Saturday may not even move the needle. Fisher’s buyout is massive — even for a school sitting on a pile of cash like A&M.
But fans aren’t happy and a turnaround. Fisher knows it, as do the players.
This is the last chance this team gets in 2022. If Fisher doesn’t turn it around next year, it’s fair to question if he ever will. A win on Saturday would be a good starting point.
A&M has its issues, but the Aggies could come out and play hard. It’s a rivalry game and I wouldn’t expect LSU to take A&M lightly, despite that 3-7 record, but don’t expect a win to come easy.
