LSU coach Brian Kelly knows how challenging it can be to play at Kyle Field as his eighth-ranked Tigers get ready for their game against No. 14 Texas A&M. This matchup features the last two teams still unbeaten in Southeastern Conference play.
He only needs to remember two years ago when the Tigers were ranked No. 6 and faced the unranked Aggies, who unexpectedly beat them 38-23 in College Station, ruining their chances for the College Football Playoff.
“Yeah, we learned a lot about the different venues in this league,” Kelly said. “I think when you go to A&M, a lot like coming to Tiger Stadium, they kind of separate themselves and you have to prepare for that kind of environment and block out those distractions because if you don’t, they will affect the outcome of certain games.”
Both teams have won six games in a row after losing their first games. They are now the only unbeaten teams in the SEC following Georgia’s victory over Texas last Saturday. LSU is 3-0 in SEC play, while Texas A&M is 4-0.
The Aggies, under new coach Mike Elko after Jimbo Fisher’s departure, are aiming for a significant win as they strive for their first SEC championship game appearance.
“It’s going to be an opportunity for us to go out there and show we belong on this stage and take this program where we all thought we wanted it to go,” Elko said. “They’re a great team. We’re a talented team. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Texas A&M expects a crowd of over 100,000 as they seek their second consecutive home win against a top 10 team, following a 41-10 victory over then-No. 9 Missouri on October 5.
This will be LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier’s second visit to Kyle Field; he was there as a backup during the 2022 game. He’s trying to concentrate on his team and how the Tigers can improve this week.
“Obviously we acknowledge it’s going to be a tough environment — a tough place to play,” he said. “It’s going to be loud. It’s going to be exciting … it’s real easy to get caught up in the extracurriculars of what this game means and all the different things that play into it. We can think about those all week and then lose the football game, and it won’t matter.”
