POST GAME THOUGHTS-LSU BEATS TEXAS A&M 45-21

This week we got word that Kevin Sumlin was going to be fired no matter the outcome of the LSU game. But there was still a slight possibility that perhaps an inspired performance by our team would lead to a win and make our decision makers second guess their decision in the same way Les Miles saved his job with a win over A&M in 2015.

Well we don’t have to worry about that because for the 6th straight year Kevin Sumlin’s team lost to LSU by a wide wide margin. For a 6th straight year we got manhandled by LSU. They whipped our ass again and man it’s so damn old to write this post game with the same tone as I did last year.

It looks like A&M will definitely be on the market for a new coach, perhaps as early as tomorrow.

A few quick thoughts.

Gameplan

The Aggies ran the same offense they’ve been running all year. There were definitely a few more downfield throws, and a wild under center snap appeared in the redzone, but Noel Mazzone dug in and ran his offense. And despite 3 turnovers, we were in this game in the third quarter...but then things stalled on our end, but not on LSU’s end.

Starkel ended the night going 16/30 for 227 with 3 INTs. Yet again we struggled to run the ball with 27 rushes for 55 yards. Can’t win if you cant run the ball and we couldn't run the ball.

Defense

A&M’s defense finished the game by giving up 250 yards on the ground and 350 yards in the air to noted Heisman contender (at least this week) Danny Etling. 600 yards to LSU. Felt like the defense played well early, but got gassed because the offense was stagnant...then when the offense was stagnant the defense got suckered into all of LSU OC’s Matt Canada’s misdirection. Ugly night for John Chavis.

Sumlin

I like Kevin Sumlin. I really wanted him to be the guy that led us to the proverbial promised land. It sucked watching the camera cut to Sumlin and to know that this was his last game wearing an A&M logo.

That being said this game was a microcosm of the Sumlin experience in a lot of ways. We were soft. We were outmatched, and outphysicalled...yet we were talented enough to come back and maybe make it a game...but we couldn't get out of our own way, couldn't take advantage of momentum and ended up letting everything snowball on the way to an ugly loss.

I was so hoping that the team would play out of their minds and send Kevin Sumlin off with his first win against LSU, but I suppose that was wildly unrealistic. Under Sumlin this team is only as good as they are talented—from 2013 on it seems like there’s no synergy between talent and coaching where both make each other better. Tonight LSU was the more talented, tougher, and more physical team and the score reflected as much. A disappointing but fitting end to the Sumlin tenure.

Firing him is the right move. We can talk ad nauseam about his awful record against the SEC west and his awful record at home, but bottom line is that he wasn’t good enough. It’s over and it’s time to move on.

So now we move forward. We’ll see a public statement indicating that Sumlin has been fired, we’ll see a few names like Jimbo Fisher tossed out there. We’ll have an interim coach for the bowl (I’d love to see what Jeff Banks could do)...we’ll make a hire and we’ll move forward in to a new era. I love the coaching carousel, and A&M being on iis gonna make for a lot of intrigue. Been rough year but it should be a fun ride moving forward.

BTHO whomever we play in the bowl.