Tigers bounce back from Oxford loss, pick up first SEC win of the Kiffin era

One week after leaving Oxford with a bitter loss, No. 10 LSU came home and got the job done. The Tigers beat No. 23 Texas A&M 35-6 Saturday night in Tiger Stadium, ending a two game losing streak to the Aggies and earning Lane Kiffin his first SEC win in the purple and gold.

Sam Leavitt, despite hurting his left leg in the second quarter, had his best game through the air this season. He went 17/23 for 312 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jackson Harris caught both of them for 163 yards, while Winston Watkins Jr. had himself a night as well with 107 receiving yards. LSU had control of the game from the start and the Tigers defense never let up, holding the Aggies to just two field goals in the game.

Harris, a Hawaii transfer, caught his first touchdown falling in the end zone for a 16-yard score that put LSU up 14-3 before the half.

Defense sets the tone

Blake Baker’s defense came into the night leading the nation in rush defense and sacks, and it played like it. LSU held the Aggies to 91 total rushing yards and 106 total passing yards. The Tigers got to the quarterback 4 times tonight, with Princewill Umanmielen, Deuce Geralds, Tamarcus Cooley and Stephiylan Green each adding to the sack sheet. They also finished the game with two interceptions, one from Tamarcus Cooley and the other coming from Michael Turner Jr.

Marcel Reed, who beat LSU in each of the last two meetings, never found a rhythm. He finished 10/26 for 106 yards and an interception. He was eventually pulled from the game for backup quarterback Brady Hart in the fourth quarter.

Injury watch

Two names to monitor this week: Sam Leavitt with a hamstring injury and linebacker Whit Weeks, who left for the locker room on crutches after what looked like an ankle injury. Expect updates from Kiffin early in the week.

What Kiffin said

“I joked with him. Maybe it was the best thing that happened to him so that he can’t run around all the time and he could set one of his feet and throw,” Kiffin said after the game about Sam Leavitt playing through a leg injury.

LSU moves to 3-1 (1-1 in SEC play) and puts the Ole Miss loss behind them. With the win, LSU extends its lead in the all-time series with Texas A&M to 33-25-3. The Tigers stay home next Saturday to host McNeese on October 3rd before heading to Kentucky.

— Eric Palmer, TigerSources