5 takeaways from LSU-Texas A&M: Marcel Reed shines, resurrects Aggies’ QB controversy

No. 14 Texas A&M stands alone atop the SEC standings after a 38-23 win over No. 8 LSU on Saturday night at a raucous Kyle Field. Redshirt freshman quarterback Marcel Reed engineered a comeback after coming into the game for redshirt sophomore QB Conner Weigman as the Aggies outscored the Tigers, 31-6, in the second half.

Here are five takeaways from a win that puts A&M in the thick of the College Football Playoff race.

Reed flips the switch with A&M offense

The Aggies’ offense looked stale at best in the first half against the Tigers as Weigman showed shades of his Notre Dame performance to open the season. He completed just six of 18 passes for 64 yards on Saturday and looked out of sync with his receivers as A&M trailed 17-7 at the half.

Enter Reed. The Nashville, Tenn., product got his opportunity seven minutes into the third quarter after UAB transfer cornerback BJ Mayes picked off a pass from redshirt junior QB Garrett Nussmeier and returned it 27 yards to the LSU 8-yard line. Coach Mike Elko turned to Reed in the red zone, and the decision instantly paid off.

Reed turned his first play into an 8-yard keeper to the end zone that brought the Aggies within three points at 17-14. He never slowed down, leading A&M to scores on its next four possessions. Reed finished his night with 62 yards and three touchdowns on nine rushes while connecting on both pass attempts for 70 yards.

BJ Mayes shifts the momentum

Before Reed could pump life into the A&M offense, Mayes got the stop on defense that the Aggies desperately needed. Nussmeier was carving the secondary up with his talented receiving corps of fifth-year senior Kyren Lacy and redshirt sophomore Aaron Anderson, but Mayes’ pick stopped the bleeding.

As Nussmeier scrambled out of the pocket with 8:33 to go in the third quarter, Mayes stayed in front of Anderson to intercept the cross-body throw. He kept his footing and returned it 27 yards to the Tigers’ 8-yard line, where Reed made his memorable introduction one play later.

Mayes wasn’t finished, as he ended the quarter in a similar fashion. Nussmeier made an ill-advised throw to Anderson at the right sideline, where Mayes leapt to pick off the pass and return it a couple yards to the LSU 26.

Elko makes right decision in benching Weigman

Elko’s insertion of Reed into the fold may have been the difference between an A&M win and another sluggish loss like what the Aggies suffered to the Fighting Irish. Elko saw what happened the last time he left a struggling Weigman in the game against a top-10 opponent, and he made sure he didn’t make the same mistake this time around.

Weigman earned a half and some change to prove himself, but he couldn’t get it going against a poised LSU defense. A&M saw some success running the ball in the first half with 98 yards, but picked up just 49 yards through the air. Elko recognized the Aggies’ need to capitalize on the opportunity on the ground and pulled the trigger.

Elko went with his gut and was rewarded with the program’s first 5-0 start to conference play since 1998. A&M now faces a potential top-10 ranking and a track to the College Football Playoff.

A&M gets gift from LSU’s special teams disaster

The Aggies did a lot of things right in the second half to outscore the Tigers, 31-6. Other times, though, A&M let LSU beat itself. There’s no better place to see that than on the Tigers’ special teams struggles throughout the night.

It was a night junior kicker Damian Ramos will hope to soon forget. He connected on a 23-yard chip shot to get the scoring started, but things spiraled downhill after that. Ramos’ 48-yard attempt sailed wide left with 10:53 to go in the second quarter before a 49-yard try was short and to the right with 2:46 to go before halftime.

Things boiled over when the Tigers couldn’t get off a kick on their next field goal attempt with 4:53 remaining in the third quarter and a 17-14 lead. The ball was snapped before LSU’s holder was ready, and Ramos was forced to simply jump and cover the football. A&M capitalized on the opportunity as Reed launched a seven-play, 60-yard touchdown drive.

QB controversy resurrected

Reed’s shining performance against a top-10 opponent places a major decision in the hands of Elko and the coaching staff moving forward. For the second week in a row, Weigman looked shaky in leading the Aggies’ offense, while Reed looked cool, calm and collected after being thrown into the fire.

Reed displayed consistency with an undefeated record across three starts earlier this season when Weigman was injured with an AC joint sprain in his throwing shoulder. Weigman has shown glimpses of success this year, but has more often than looked uncomfortable and struggled against top-tier programs.

With four games left in the regular season and A&M in the midst of a Playoff push, it’s on Elko to determine which quarterback gives the Aggies the bets chance for success moving forward.

Twitter: @lukewhite03

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