LSU head coach Lane Kiffin met with the media following the Tigers’ loss at Ole Miss and ahead of LSU’s SEC matchup against Texas A&M in Tiger Stadium.

Lane Kiffin Opening Statement

Lane Kiffin: I can sum it up by saying this: This place is different, and that’s why we’re here. The Fighting Tigers return home for another ranked matchup against the Aggies of Texas A&M on a Saturday night in Death Valley.

On Bouncing Back From the Ole Miss Loss

Question: When you look back at Saturday, what stands out about the loss, and how do you get the team ready to move forward against Texas A&M?

Kiffin: That’s the task at hand. If you want to play in the College Football Playoff, if you want to control your destiny, you’ve got to go 10-2.

No more stubbing of the toe. This is a big-time game for these two teams.

Both of these teams, again, injuries are part of the game. Texas A&M is without one of their top receivers and kick returners who went out against Kentucky. So, again, nothing new to these teams, but there’s some weaponry that will not be available Saturday.

Nine SEC games—it’s going to be visible. Texas A&M lost their receiver Terry Bussey. KJ Edwards is a backup running back who was knocked out of that football game. They had already lost their running back earlier this season.

So now Texas A&M is a little thin in their skilled positions.

We saw some of that with Spears going out at LSU, rotating players in and trying to find out who is going to play the STAR, what they’re going to do there.

On Deshawn Spears and LSU’s STAR Position

Kiffin: I don’t know how long we’ll find out—or how long, if we know how long he’s out. Obviously with his injury, you have to wait until Sunday until you come out and find out whether or not there’s something there.

Trey’Dez is a different player. He’s really long, can play in man, can blitz—a really special player. So that’s going to be a really tough loss for us.

What Kiffin Wants to See From LSU After a Loss

Question: What are you looking for from your players after a loss? What do you want to see from them early in the week?

Kiffin: You’re in the same boat. Texas A&M returned 15 starters, a starting quarterback from a team that went to the College Football Playoff a year ago, and now your back is up against the wall and you’ve got to go to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

We’ve got much more coming up. We’ll talk more about their offense, what they’ve done up to this point, and look at some of the matchups that will be featured Saturday when LSU and Texas A&M get together.

But more importantly, they’ve dropped two in a row if you go back to 2024. There’s a slight difference.

When you look at those last two games, the name that jumps out is Marcel Reed, quarterback for Texas A&M, who really came into his own and took over the reins of the offense in that 2024 game.

He did not start that matchup, but here are some numbers for you. In the last two meetings against LSU, Marcel Reed combined 22 carries for 272 yards, five rushing touchdowns, averaging just under eight yards per carry—14 of 23 passing for 272 yards, two passing scores and averaging 19 yards per completion.

His numbers aren’t there so far this season. It’s a revamped and rebuilt, retooled offensive line.

On Texas A&M’s Physicality

Question: You’ve been asked before the season who the most physical team in the conference is. Texas A&M would rank up there. What do you see?

Kiffin: Elko—and of course Tommy Moffitt went in there—and we saw that physicality a year ago.

There are a lot of parallels in Chambliss and Reed. I think there are a lot of parallels in Chambliss and Reed.

The football—what we saw a year ago. When I look at Reed, and we first remember him when he came on the scene two years ago, he beat LSU with his feet.

And yes, he could throw the football, and he grew. Highly rated quarterback.

So far on the season for Reed: six passing touchdowns, three interceptions.

That was the question you and I talked about last week on the show: How do you want to defend Trinidad Chambliss? It looked like pretty early on Ole Miss said, “We’re going to get him moving, and we’re going to get on him and throw on the run,” which is where he turned and made some big plays with his feet.

He had 80 yards rushing. He had a 40-yard touchdown as they were trying to play a little bit of catch-up in that game.

A lot of times he’s from the pocket.

On Containing Marcel Reed

Question: I’ll ask you the same thing about Marcel Reed. He’s a guy that once he’s out, he may look to throw, but when he decides to tuck it and go, he’s very dangerous. Do you want to keep him in the pocket and force him to be a passer on Saturday night?

Kiffin: Yeah. The buzzword in the industry is a cage rush or fence rush. You want to contain him.

What’s different about these guys is Reed is a little bit more explosive of a runner. He’s probably got a little bit more straightaway speed than Chambliss. So, very similar.

You have to account for the quarterback and the run and the potential to run. But again, I think you want him to—he’s struggled some.

On Texas A&M’s Offense

Kiffin: When you turn on the film and you look at their offense—not saying they’re not physical, because I’m sure they are—what do you see that’s different about a team that typically is very stingy offensively?

What I was different was Kentucky’s ability to run the football. A lot of inside zones, a lot of power, and I mean, when you’re watching film, you start thinking, “Texas A&M returned eight starters from a year ago on defense.”

Most of the people they got in the transfer portal were on the back end, and they got some folks in the secondary. So this was definitely a surprise.

Kentucky’s ability to run the football—we all know a staple of the Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis offense. They want to run the ball.

We know that offensively. We know Sam Leavitt will get his.

He’s going to help make a difference in this football game.

On LSU’s Offensive Film From Ole Miss

Kiffin: There were plays to be made that just didn’t go the Tigers’ way.

After looking at the film—the review of LSU, LSU’s offensive passing game—whether the quarterback, there were times there were open receivers, he wasn’t able to get it out there, and there were times that he probably ran out of the pocket prematurely.

There were also times in the offensive play where there were balls at wide receiver that could have been caught.

There was enough to push around it.

I think what it came down to is that Ole Miss got out to that big lead, and they were more consistent and executed better on the offensive side of the football.

They win the football game.

On LSU’s Response to the Loss

Question: If you’re LSU, you come out of that game and everything the hype around it, you certainly played well for the media. Those of us in the media were trying to draw eyeballs and clicks. That matchup certainly does it, but it’s not the be-all, end-all of the 2026 season. How do you respond? How do you get the team to pick back up after an emotional, difficult loss on the road at Ole Miss?

Kiffin: You’ve got to get everybody treatment and get everybody reviewed and get back on track.

And then for Texas A&M, you’re in the same boat.

You’re going to have a starting quarterback from a team that went to the College Football Playoff a year ago, and now your back is up against the wall.

On LSU’s Players Responding Emotionally

Kiffin: Look, Chris, I think there are definitely stories that are being told, right? And there are stories being told, and some of that holds true.

I think the biggest motivator for LSU and his football team is your back is up against the wall.

We still know what’s left on the schedule.

Every LSU fan, every fan in Tiger Stadium, every fan who was watching, had a really, really angry feeling—not only because they lost the game and in which they lost the game.

It was quite the celebration for Texas A&M.

I bring that up simply because we’ve talked ad nauseam about the number of new players who obviously weren’t on this LSU team a year ago.

As far as internally getting ready for this game, getting motivated, I don’t think Coach Kiffin and company are going to talk about last year’s game. But how big a motivator from external sources—or just hearing it wherever they go?

I mean, how big a factor will that be when you have so many new people as part of this team?

There are stories being told, and some of that holds true.

On LSU’s Quarterback Staying in the Pocket

Question: As the game went on, it seemed like he hung in the pocket more. How do you continue that progression? Do you feel like he did that?

Kiffin: You don’t want him to stop running. I’m not saying that. But just staying in the pocket more and letting passes develop.

I think that’s a really accurate observation by you, and I broke that down to the team so they understand.

We had open players.

I’m not hitting the open receivers in the game. I’m pretty hard on quarterbacks, but then I break it down to them and show them.

When you get impacted early in the game by rush, they did a really good job. Same thing obviously everybody tries to do against a quarterback—you can’t step up and throw in rhythm.

Confidence is fragile, but especially at quarterback.

On LSU’s Running Game and Quarterback Runs

Kiffin: I think we lead the country in rush defense, but that hasn’t been worth much against a ton of quarterback-schemed runs.

Last week was just him making stuff on his own and the long run when he pulled the ball.

That’s a challenge. It really takes a lot of discipline.

On Missed Opportunities in the Red Zone

Question: What kind of pressure do you put on them when they get into a game where the score is close? Can they execute?

Kiffin: We try to put guys in the best position for what it’s going to be most likely if they go into the game in a normal situation.

That’s why we’re always talking about the score.

We had missed assignments. We have a running back that’s going to walk into the end zone, and the tight end doesn’t block the defensive end.

We still made five yards, but he’s going to walk into the end zone. There’s nobody else left.

Those are the ones you study, because a lot of times they’re four-point plays.

On LSU’s Quarterback Rotation

Kiffin: In the mock game, Landon was the other quarterback in it as our third and played really well and kind of earned his spot back in that.

We’re very pleased with both those guys. They’ve done a really good job when they’ve gone in games. They do a great job in practice.

On a Player’s Development

Kiffin: On that play he looked bad, but it wasn’t even his play.

He played really well. He’s done really well in camp.

Like I said, his numbers weren’t up just because he wasn’t having the ball break at all to him in the first two games for the most part.

But yeah, he’s very versatile and does a lot.

Looking Ahead to Texas A&M

Kiffin: I’ve said this for years: when you play at home at night, you have a really good advantage.

That’s offensive. I mean, the stats show it.

Texas A&M among SEC schools is seventh in the SEC giving up 281 yards per game. Sixth in the SEC giving up 17 points a game.

Now they played Missouri State, then Arizona State—a little slow start offensively, but they wore them out 48-20—and then obviously the 31-21 loss.

When you turn on the film and look at their defense, there are things that stand out.

They have talented players, and we’re going to have our hands full.

This place is different, and that’s why we’re here.

The Fighting Tigers return home for another ranked matchup against the Aggies of Texas A&M on a Saturday night in Death Valley.