The Texas A&M Aggies finish strong against the LSU Tigers. Winning 38-23 at Kyle Field. The Aggies finish off the season 5-7 and have pushed the Tigers out of playoff contention. Jimbo Fisher and his staff did a tremendous job of getting A&M’s squad ready for this game. While the Aggies will not play in a bowl game, this victory definitely gives some momentum heading into next season. Here’s a quick recap of how Texas A&M came out with a win against LSU.
Texas A&M Aggies Finish Strong Against LSU
Devon Achane Doesn’t Quit
Say what you want about this team, but there’s no doubt that players like Achane have heart. He was coming off an injury two weeks ago and still chose to play against LSU. He finished with nearly 40 carries for 215 rushing yards and two touchdowns. LSU’s defense really had no answer for him throughout the game.
The offensive line was also helpful in the running game, which was surprising given the talent on LSU’s defensive front. Players like Ali Gaye and Harold Perkins were lethal for the Tigers throughout the season, but the Aggies won the line-of-scrimmage battle. Even Amari Daniels looked electric when touching the ball; he might have pushed himself into a starting role next season.
Without Achane, there’s a chance that A&M could have gone 0-8 in SEC play. After Ainias Smith went down, Achane was the only remaining offensive player with both experience and immense talent. He carried the Aggies on offense, and he will likely now pursue a career in the NFL.
Conner Weigman is the Real Deal
Weigman had a decent game similar to his Ole Miss performance, finishing with over 150 passing yards, two touchdowns, and over a 50% completion rate. As always, his top two targets were Moose Muhammad III and Evan Stewart, who impressed throughout the game.
Muhammad had some great one-on-one catches against Sage Ryan in coverage; one of those catches being for a touchdown. Stewart’s game feels eerily similar to that of DeVonta Smith and will be a dangerous weapon for the Aggies for the next two seasons.
Fisher chose to slow the game down by feeding Achane the ball and trusting the play-action game. He also mixed in the run-pass option, which should definitely be used more next year. Weigman will only continue to get better, and he will have more time with other returning receivers such as Noah Thomas, Donovan Green, and Jalen Preston. Hopefully, the Aggies will also have Chris Marshall back next season.
Defense Neutralizes LSU
Texas A&M’s defense did an impeccable job of containing the Tigers’ offense, especially when LSU got near the red zone. Jayden Daniels had almost 200 passing yards and 90 rushing yards, but he held the ball too long in many cases. Daniels is undoubtedly an incredible athlete, but there are a lot of areas where he needs to improve at the quarterback position.
There was an initial concern that John Emery Jr. and Noah Cain would run all over the Aggies’ defense, but DJ Durkin found a way to mix up looks inside the box. Emery Jr. did have three touchdowns on the ground, but there were not many big runs like A&M gave up in previous games.
Concluding Thoughts
The Texas A&M Aggies finish the 2022 season strong. Surprisingly enough, Texas A&M is the only team in the SEC West to have beaten LSU. That is a testament to the Aggies’ potential, and it should make Fisher understand the need to build off of this victory. It will be a long offseason for A&M, so the coaching staff will likely make a concentrated effort in both the transfer portal and recruiting. Soon, the Aggies can find out who’s returning to the team on offense and defense in 2023. The coming weeks should be interesting for the Texas A&M program.
