With the win over LSU, Texas A&M proves it has the SEC's biggest built-in advantage

COLLEGE STATION — First Missouri's Brady Cook questioned Kyle Field's acoustics and regretted it, then LSU's Garrett Nussmeier did the same. Is there no WiFi in Baton Rouge? If the visiting quarterbacks want to make fun of Kyle Field's technique, be my guest. Please. The press box shakes like a cork when fans even stand up to let someone out of their row. I practically needed Dramamine just to type that.

But never question Aggies about how loud they can get, because they take it personally.

Turns out their soccer team makes a little noise too.

Backup quarterback Marcel Reed gave 14th-ranked Texas A&M a second-half boost in a 38-23 win over eighth-ranked LSU, sending a clear message to the rest of the SEC and to the old rivals in Austin. who narrowly escaped Nashville with a win over Vanderbilt on Saturday.

The top team in the SEC is the one with the largest built-in advantage in the league, as proven once again by 108,852 spectators, the third-largest attendance in the stadium's history.

“There are a lot of things we need to improve,” said Mike Elko, who began his postgame press conference with a greeting to the crowd, “but our home atmosphere isn't one of them.”

“That was really special.”

The Aggies and Tigers had some things in common early in the game. Both had rebounded from an opening loss with six straight wins, and both were the last undefeated teams in SEC play.

The biggest difference between the two?

One has an NFL-caliber quarterback.

The other is simply a winner.

Nussmeier — who succeeded Jayden Daniels, the NFL ratings rookie of the year and perhaps even an MVP challenger — waited a long time for his shot. Three years. By today's standards, an eternity. Some of his colleagues from Flower Mound Marcus are now singing their third fight song.

Back at Marcus, Nussmeier passed for 8,160 yards and 83 touchdowns while his father, Doug, a former quarterback himself, was an offensive assistant for the Cowboys. Dad, now the Eagles quarterbacks coach, raised his son right. Nice arm, good vision, a bit playful.

First example of the latter: Nussmeier spun out of a rush in the third quarter, rolled to his left and floated the pass near the sideline to the middle of the field. Not good. BJ Mayes intercepted the ball and returned it to the LSU 8, where Reed, subbing for an ineffective Conner Weigman, led a 31-6 comeback in the second half.

Second example: Just two possessions later, after the Aggies took their first lead of the game with a 60-yard drive capped by Reed's 8-yard run, Mayes hit Nussmeier again, this time on a dangerous secondary route, to give A&M the ball back deep in LSU territory.

Even a targeting penalty that negated Le'Veon Moss' touchdown run didn't stop the Aggies from leaving the end zone. He simply ran the ball twice, with Reed taking the final 4 yards to take a 28-17 lead.

Considering the events of the first half, when Weigman completed five of 14 passes for 49 yards while Nussmeier rushed for 259 yards and two touchdowns, the second half was a blast. Reed's performance – just two attempts, both completed, for 70 yards and nine carries for 62 yards and three touchdowns – gave the Aggies the “spark” Elko said he was looking for and supported his idea of ​​winning football.

LSU coach Brian Kelly also gave his approval to the whole thing.

“Right now,” he said, “I would play quarterback against us.”

Elko has a 7-1 record on defense and a productive running game. A&M ran for a whopping 242 yards and held LSU to 24. Nussmeier passed for 405 yards, but the Aggies also sacked him six times and forced the three picks.

But the difference was Reed, who started the Aggies' victories over Florida, Bowling Green and Arkansas and added another in relief on Saturday.

And this is what he said to Weigman after it was over: “I got you.”

“We’re brothers,” Reed said. “We are teammates.”

But who is the starter? If it's Reed – who gets the fan vote after the chants of his name – can he offer enough as a passer once the defense enters the box?

Before the Aggies can think about a run at the conference championship game and at Texas, one would think they will need more complete play at quarterback. Say what you will about Quinn Ewers, who threw two interceptions against Vandy. He still managed 288 yards and three touchdowns. No game is beyond his reach.

On the other hand, Nussmeier has all the tools to play at the next level, and the Aggies' defense ruined everything he tried to do in the second half. It's not clear if he regrets saying that Kyle Field isn't as loud as Death Valley. Maybe he's even right. But it was another quarterback — a closer at that — who had the final say Saturday.

Find more Texas A&M coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.