POSTGAME: LSU Loses Overtime Thriller 74-72 to Texas A&M

In one of the most important clashes of the season, LSU lost to Texas A&M in a hard-fought battle, 74-72. The teams combined for an NCAA scoring record. LSU seemed to have won the game in regulation, and jubilant players gave Ed Orgeron a victorious Gatorade bath. However, the celebration was premature, and the game need several overtimes to decide a winner.

The Aggies won the toss and chose to defer, allowing Joe Burrow and the offense the first go at the end zone. The Tigers failed to make anything of the possession going, three-and-out on their first drive of the evening.

Texas A&M was just as productive on its first showing on offense, failing to collect a first down on a drive that ended with quarterback Kellen Mond being sacked by Devin White.

While both teams struggled on offense initially, the Aggies were the first to move the chains, recording the first third-down conversion of the night with a seven-yard rush by running back Trayveon Williams. The team moved the chains steadily from that point, capping off the drive with a 10-yard touchdown by Williams with 6:31 remaining in the first quarter.

LSU responded with its first third-down conversion of the night as well, followed by a 10-yard rush by Burrow. In classic fashion, Burrow refused to slide, and was lit up by an Aggie defender on the play. The Tigers finished the drive off with a 22-yard rushing touchdown by Burrow to tie the game at the bottom of the first quarter.

The Aggies pieced together a touchdown drive on their first possession of the second quarter, complete with a 10-yard pass from Mond to tight end Jace Sternberger to give them the 14-7 lead with 10:31 remaining in the half.

LSU’s passing attack got clicking on its next possession, as Burrow had distributed the ball to eight different targets on offense by the middle of the second quarter. The last plays of the drive did not go in the Tigers’ favor, though, as a bad pass by Burrow that was initially ruled an interception came back to set up a rare missed field goal attempt by Cole Tracy on a 49-yarder.

The Tigers struggled to stop Sternberger, as the Aggies quickly threatened to score again after the tight end came up with a huge 36-yard reception. Devin White and the defense were able to hold them to a field goal before LSU notched one of their own, leaving the Tigers down 17-10 at halftime.

In second half action, Texas A&M opened on offense, but saw just over a minute of time on the field as the LSU defense forced a quick three-and-out. The Tigers took advantage of the stop, making their way to the end zone with seven-yard touchdown grab by Justin Jefferson to tie things up at 17-17 halfway through the third quarter.

While the defense continued to give the Aggies’ offense headaches, Jonathan Giles muffed the punt to give the A&M offense another go at it with favorable field position, deep in LSU territory. The Aggies got to the 1-yard line, allowing Williams to punch in a short touchdown run and give A&M the 24-17 lead near the end of the third quarter.

LSU’s offensive line did Burrow no favors all game long as they’ve done for the majority of the season, not allowing the Tigers to the scoreboard again until Michael Divinity came up with a crucial play, taking a punt back for 58 yards to tie the game at 24-24 with just over ten minutes left of game time.

When Burrow and the offense got back to the field, they were able to put the Tigers on top with a 14-yard touchdown reception by senior tight end Foster Moreau that brought the score to 31-24 with 6:41 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The defense held on from that point, with Devin White making a huge stop on fourth down to force an A&M turnover. LSU could not run out the clock, as Texas A&M bottled up the run game and used its remaining timeouts to save the clock. LSU punted the ball back with about a minute and half left in the game. The Aggies’ desperation drive got near midfield until Grant Delpit sealed the win with an interception caused by Kellen Mond getting hit as he threw... by Devin White, of course.

However, after review, the officials ruled that Kellen Mond’s knee was down before the pass, negating the interception. The Aggies got yet another chance to put a drive together, and managed to convert on fourth down with ten seconds left. Mond completed a pass inside the 20 for the first down, but after the Mond spike, the clock read 0:00. Review again saved the Aggies, and put one second back on the clock for one final play.

That final play was a touchdown pass from Kellen Mond to Quartney Davis, forcing overtime.

Cole Tracy would kick a 50-yard field goal on LSU’s opening possession of overtime. On the first play of the Aggies’ possession, Greedy Williams recovered a fumble, securing victory yet again. And yet again, the officials ruled against LSU, calling the pass incomplete. With another new life, Texas A&M drove down to a first and goal at the one yard line, but the LSU defense held, forcing a field goal and second overtime.

Kellen Mond ran the ball in for a score from three yards out in the second overtime. LSU struggled to respond, but on fourth down and two from the three, Nick Brossette barreled through the line and reached for the goal line to even the score.

Joe Burrow opened the third overtime by finding Dee Anderson for 25 yards on the very first play for a touchdown. Burrow would then find Justin Jefferson in the end zone for the two point conversion and an eight-point lead. Kendrick Rogers would make an acrobatic catch on a prayer of a pass to score for the Aggies on their offensive possession. Rogers would make another catch in the back of the end zone for the conversion.

The Aggies got the ball inside the five yard line with goal to go in the fourth overtime, assisted by a targeting call on Jacob Phillips. The LSU defense held and A&M settled for a short field goal. Foster Moreau created a first and goal for LSU with a 17-yard catch on the first play of LSU’s possession. Orgeron got suddenly timid, dialing up three straight middle runs and a Cole Tracy field goal to send it to a fifth overtime.

LSU would show some of the creativity missing in the early overtimes, calling a halfback pass, as Clyde Edwards-Helaire hit Tory Carter for a touchdown. Burrow missed Jefferson for the conversion. Again, A&M immediately got the ball inside the five, setting up a goal to go situation. On fourth and goal from the six, Kellen Mond found Kendrick Rogers for the touchdown, but also failed on the conversion.

The Aggies immediately scored on their first play of the sixth overtime, and made the conversion to stake themselves to an eight-point lead. Joe Burrow responded with a touchdown of his own, a four yard run, and found Dee Anderson for the conversion to force the seventh overtime.

Joe Burrow ran the ball in from 10 yards out for his sixth touchdown of the game, his third rushing. A batted ball prevented the conversion. Quartney Davis caught the tying touchdown on 3rd and 14 from the 17. LSU stopped the conversion, but Greedy Williams got nailed for two penalties, a pass interference and an unsportsmanlike, giving A&M another chance from inside the one. And then a linemen moved, causing a false start. But it wouldn’t matter, as Rogers brought down the game-winning conversion from six yards out bring the game, mercifully, to its end.