First Glance: LSU Tigers at Texas A&M on Thanksgiving Day

What You Need to Know:

• LSU fell to #25 in the AP Poll after getting stopped on 4th and goal from the 1 yard line by the Florida Gators on Saturday. What was that pitch dive play they ran?
• Texas A&M climbed to #22 in the AP Poll after manhandling winning against a pesky UTSA team.
• LSU is 6-4 on the year and 4-3 in conference; currently tied with A&M at 3rd in the SEC West.
• LSU will only play 11 regular season games for the second straight season after the game against South Alabama was replaced by the Florida game which was cancelled earlier in the season due to a hurricane, and not the ones in Miami. In 2015, the McNeese State game was cancelled due to lightning.
• The winner of this game likely takes 2nd place in the SEC West with a shot at the Sugar Bowl; if a few pieces fall into place. LSU’s chances are more of an outside shot for the Sugar Bowl, but is the favorite in this game.
• Is Orgeron playing for his job, or is LSU not even considering the interim coach to be the Head Coach in 2017?

Betting Lines:

• LSU is a -5 point favorite but is hovering between -4.5 to -5.5.
• A&M is 0-7 ATS (Against the Spread) in its last 7 games. Yuck.
• The total has gone Under in 9 of LSU’s last 10 SEC Games.
• Texas A&M has not covered the spread against a Les Miles coached LSU team (0-5). Does Orgeron continue the streak?

Historical Notes:

• LSU leads the all-time series 31-20-3.
• Texas A&M won the first meeting in 1899, 52-0.
• Since A&M joined the SEC, the Aggies are 0-4 against the Tigers, and have lost the last 5 going back to the 2010-2011 Cotton Bowl.
• A&M last beat LSU in 1995.
• From 1923 to 1986, the Tigers and the Aggies played 29 times. All but 2 of those games were played in Baton Rouge. The other 2 were in Dallas and Miami. LSU went 20-8-1 against the Aggies during that stretch.
• LSU had one of the best live mascots in College Football in Mike the Tiger. Unfortunately, we lost the latest Mike, Mike VI, to cancer this year. LSU is planning on getting a new tiger.

Tigers to Watch:

LSU Running Backs

LSU is a ground and pound type team, and if you’ve seen A&M’s run defense of late, this should make you nervous. The infamous Leonard Fournette is a game time decision for an ankle injury suffered in Saturday’s game. Should he not be able to go, LSU’s leading rusher, Derrius Guice, would be the starter. Guice has rushed for 964 yards and 10 TDs this season. Guice is also averaging 8.0 yards per carry. LSU’s rushing attack will be fine with or without Fournette.

Arden Key

Key is a 6’6" 238 pound sophomore defensive end from Atlanta, Georgia. He is currently second in the SEC with 10 sacks. The 2015 Freshman All-American picked up where he left off last year and is playing very well this season. LSU is 11th in total defense according to the NCAA. Key and I share a birthday (May 3rd).

Media Blitz:

• Channel: ESPN
• Game Time: 6:30 pm CT
• Venue: Kyle Field, College Station, Texas

Newsreel:

• "Seven starters graduate after this season. Daeshon Hall, Justin Evans and Shaan Washington are the seniors on defense. Rounding out the group on offense are Trevor Knight, Jermaine Eluemunor, Avery Gennesy and Josh Reynolds." DMN
• Yeah! Science!
• LSU appears to be all in on Jimbo
• And just because we should be playing our real rival and still should lol at them.

Weather:

• Looks to sunny skies and a high of 74 degrees with a low of 53 degrees.