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Why did LSU beat A&M but Bama did not?

Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:13 pm
Posted by UKWildcatsFAN
Bowling Green
Member since Sep 2011
5690 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:13 pm
It seems to perplex the mind that Texas A&M could lose to both LSU and Florida at home but go into Tuscaloosa and upset the number 1 team in the nation. Upon reviewing the A&M vs LSU game film it raises the question what did LSU do to A&m that Bama could not? I did a stat comparison for the two games and noticed that the most obvious answer as to why LSU won and Alabama did not would be turnovers.

Texas A&M turned the ball over to LSU 5 times during the game while LSU did not. In the Alabama game it was the opposite, Alabama turned the ball over 3 times while A&M didn't at all.

It would also seem like Alabama would have been the more physical team and pushed A&M's line around like Bama did to Georgia in the SEC Championship game. Looking at the numbers though, LSU was able to gain 219 rushing yards to Bama's 122. Alabama had previously rushed for

232 vs Michigan
103 vs WKU
225 vs Arkansas
256 vs F. Atlantic
125 vs Ole Miss
362 vs Missouri
233 vs Tennessee
179 vs State
166 vs LSU

122 vs A&M

My assumption would be the greatest reason that Alabama lost to A&M would be because of the 20 points that A&M put up in the first quarter. I think it made Alabama hit the panic button and get away from their game plan.

McCarron 21/34 309yrds 1 TD 2 INT

It made them put the ball in the air more and led to the interceptions. I also think this is why Bama felt they needed to pass at the end of the game instead of running the football in for the score.


Team Stat Comparison
LSU TA&M
1st Downs 18 26
Total Yards 316 410
Passing 97 276
Rushing 219 134
Penalties 13-102 6-65
3rd Down Conversions 2-16 6-16
4th Down Conversions 2-2 0-0
Turnovers 0 5
Possession 29:50 30:10

Team Stat Comparison
TA&M ALA
1st Downs 23 17
Total Yards 418 431
Passing 253 309
Rushing 165 122
Penalties 4-26 6-56
3rd Down Conversions 11-18 7-15
4th Down Conversions 0-1 1-2
Turnovers 0 3
Possession 32:27 27:33

Team Stat Comparison
FLA TA&M
1st Downs 21 21
Total Yards 307 334
Passing 165 200
Rushing 142 134
Penalties 3-21 9-78
3rd Down Conversions 3-12 4-14
4th Down Conversions 1-1 1-1
Turnovers 0 0
This post was edited on 12/11/12 at 1:15 pm
Posted by 228Tiger
Harrison County
Member since Feb 2012
12112 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:14 pm to
'Tis one of the great mysteries of our time, indeed..
Posted by lightbulbz
Austin, TX
Member since Jun 2012
908 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:15 pm to
Because our freshman receiver had a perfectly thrown touchdown pass pop off his shoulder pads and into the hands of an LSU defender. That really is it.
Posted by MrBiriwa
Biriwa,OH
Member since Nov 2010
7116 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:15 pm to
quote:

Texas A&M turned the ball over to LSU 5 times during the game while LSU did not. In the Alabama game it was the opposite, Alabama turned the ball over 3 times while A&M didn't at all.



You answered your own question.

Really...did we need another thread on this subject
This post was edited on 12/11/12 at 1:17 pm
Posted by USMC Gators
Member since Oct 2011
14633 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:15 pm to
LSU (and UF) had the necessary speed on the outside.
Posted by Adam4LSU
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2008
13760 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:15 pm to
stats suck.
Posted by Bamad
Calera, AL
Member since May 2010
5211 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:15 pm to
LSU scored more points than A&M did when the played and Bama did not?
Posted by TheCheshireHog
Cashew Chicken Country
Member since Oct 2010
40907 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:16 pm to
Because Nussmeier got cute on the goaline and refused to run it despite having 4 downs to go just 6 little yards.

/thread
Posted by Roger Klarvin
DFW
Member since Nov 2012
46543 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:16 pm to
1: Manziel was a much better passer by the time we played 'Bama.

2: Our receivers made the catches instead of stopping on routes and tipping passes to defenders.
Posted by KaiserSoze99
Member since Aug 2011
31669 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:16 pm to
LSU's D > Bama D

Actually LSU's defense is faster. It takes a fast defense and a good/deep set of DBs who can cover in man. LSU has it more than Bama.
Posted by 9Fiddy
19th Hole
Member since Jan 2007
64135 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:17 pm to
Defensive scheme.

Chavis saw early his gameplan wasn't going to work, so he switched to a 3-3-5 before he could get too far behind.

Bama was down 20 in what seemed like an instant. They changed, but it was too little, too late.
Posted by TigerBait2008
Boulder,CO
Member since Jun 2008
32481 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:17 pm to
LSU beat bama too just not on the scoreboard.

But there was NO doubt who the better team was that night.
Posted by Funky Tide 8
Tittleman's Crest
Member since Feb 2009
52798 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:18 pm to
I see what you are saying, but it is far from "perplexing". A&M has a really good team, and we were coming off of a crazy game against LSU in BR. We played our worst game of the year, and they played one of their best of the year. JFF is a great player, and made the plays when his team needed him to. Its pretty simple.
Posted by Choctaw
Pumpin' Sunshine
Member since Jul 2007
77774 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:18 pm to
because Bama is not this badass NFL team that everyone tries to make them out to be.
Posted by PepaSpray
Adamantium Membership
Member since Aug 2012
11080 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:19 pm to
I tought the OP's post was spot on.

But I also thought his post was common sense, which means, if you didn't already come to this conclusion, you're not very smart in terms of football.

And the LSU emotional hangover could have attributed some to the steamrolling Bama took in the 1st quarter
Posted by Cooter Davenport
Austin, TX
Member since Apr 2012
9006 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:19 pm to
You're WAY overthinking it.

I'm guessing you didn't watch every A&M game in full as the season progessed. I'd say that's a fair assumption, I sure didn't watch every Kentucky game.

If you had, you would have noticed that Johnny and the team in general (the O-line getting used to the new blocking scheme particularly) progressed a great deal as the season wore on. We started out against UF with a QB who flushed the pocket at the first sign of trouble, who didn't attempt passes beyond 10 yards, who stood behind a line that got demolished, and a team that didn't fully trust its coaching yet. When played LSU, we were better than we were against UF, but not quite there yet. By the time we played Bama, JF was standing in the pocket all day if he wanted to and was lobbing bombs downfield. Day and night.
This post was edited on 12/11/12 at 1:24 pm
Posted by Bench McElroy
Member since Nov 2009
33963 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:24 pm to
Because LSU has a much faster defense and they were able to limit Manziel on the ground. In A&M's two losses this year, Manziel averaged 3.5 and 1.6 yards per carry. In every A&M win this year, Manziel rushed for at least 5.0 yards per carry. Contain Manziel on the ground and you have a good chance of winning the game. If you do not, you're probably going to lose.
This post was edited on 12/11/12 at 1:26 pm
Posted by Hugo Stiglitz
Member since Oct 2010
72937 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:25 pm to
Bama beat themselves is the only correct answer
Posted by BhamBengal
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2012
2476 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:27 pm to
A&M will do anything they can to discredit our win..
Posted by stapuffmarshy
lower 9
Member since Apr 2010
17507 posts
Posted on 12/11/12 at 1:30 pm to
LSU prepared Bama for defeat in reality


Bama doesn't have the miracle they beat A&M the next week IMO

doesn't take away from what the Ags did but look at it clearly and it's not that hard to figure out
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