COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The biggest questions for LSU were about the effectiveness of the offense after it was held scoreless by Alabama and struggled in a win over Arkansas. The eighth-ranked Tigers finally opened things up last weekend, just in time to take on their final SEC challenge against host Texas A&M on Saturday.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network. LINE: Texas A&M -3
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LSU stepped out of conference last week to host Rice and quarterback Joe Burrow threw for a career-high 307 yards in the 42-10 victory, but the Tigers know they have to run the ball effectively against the Aggies. "We have to find a way to run the football," LSU coach Ed Orgeron told reporters. "We just can't drop back and throw it. That's not what we do. Obviously, the play-action pass, the protection, is going to have to be excellent - (A&M) has some great rushers. We have to have an overall great gameplan, which is to be balanced. We can't do one or the other." The Aggies moved back into the top 25 in the College Football Playoff rankings at No. 22 after knocking off UAB 41-20 last week. "We're going to have play a great game in all three phases," Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher told reporters while looking ahead to LSU. "We're going to have to be physical, not give up the big plays and create them on offense with the things we do and be able to run the football."
ABOUT TEXAS A&M (7-4, 4-3 SEC)
The Aggies needed only 54 offensive plays to score 41 points against UAB and were led by running back Trayveon Williams, who churned out 167 yards on 20 carries while scoring a pair of touchdowns. "Practice has been a grind," Williams told reporters. "Throughout the week I feel like that's definitely been our hardest part, and then on the weekend we just come out here and just have fun and just play together as brothers." Williams leads the SEC in rushing at 1,326 yards and is tied for the lead with 13 rushing TDs.
ABOUT LSU (9-2, 5-2)
Burrow is planning for a tough game against the Aggies and encouraged his teammates to focus on practice this week. "If you're not ready for it, it shows," Burrow told reporters, "and it showed a couple times this year when we weren't ready. So, we'll have to get our guys ready this week in practice." Burrow went four straight games without throwing a touchdown pass, culminating with a 29-0 loss at home to No. 1 Alabama on Nov. 3, but picked it up in the passing game with three TDs and no interceptions over the last two contests.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Texas A&M P Braden Mann was named a finalist for the Ray Guy Award as the nation's top punter.
2. LSU K Cole Tracy was named a finalist for the Lou Groza Award as the nation's top kicker.
3. The Tigers are enjoying a seven-game winning streak in the series.
PREDICTION: LSU 24, Texas A&M 17