LSU coach Brian Kelly was well aware of how challenging it is to play at Kyle Field as his eighth-ranked Tigers got ready for their game against No. 14 Texas A&M on Saturday night. This matchup featured the last two unbeaten teams in Southeastern Conference play.
He only needed to recall his first season with the Tigers two years ago when they were ranked No. 6 and were upset by the unranked Aggies, losing 38-23 in College Station, which hurt 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 and are now the only undefeated teams in the SEC after Georgia’s victory over Texas last Saturday. LSU is 3-0 in SEC play, while Texas A&M is 4-0.
The Aggies, in their first season under coach Mike Elko after Jimbo Fisher was fired, are looking for a big win as they aim for their first appearance in the SEC championship game.
“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.”
The Aggies expect a crowd of over 100,000 fans as they seek their second straight home win against a top 10 team after defeating then-No. 9 Missouri 41-10 on October 5.
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier will make his second trip to Kyle Field, having been a backup during the 2022 game. He is trying to stay focused on how his team 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.”
