First meeting December 2, 1899 All-time series LSU leads, 32–20–3 | Meetings total 55 Largest victory Texas A&M, 63–9 (1914) | |
Latest meeting November 24, 2016
LSU 54, Texas A&M 39 Next meeting November 25, 2017
at Baton Rouge, Louisiana | ||
The LSU–Texas A&M football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the LSU Tigers from Louisiana State University and the Texas A&M Aggies from Texas A&M University.
Contents
History
The majority of the pre-2012 games were non-conference; there was a five-game stretch from 1906 to 1914 when they were opponents in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA).
They have built good home-field advantages, and the series record reflects it: LSU is 24–10–1 in Baton Rouge; A&M is 7–4–1 in College Station. LSU is 4–3–1 at neutral sites, including wins in the two bowl games where they were opponents: the 1944 Orange Bowl in Miami and 2011 Cotton Bowl Classic in Arlington. From 1945–73, LSU went 17–3–1 against A&M. LSU has won the last six. It currently has been 23 years since Texas A&M has defeated LSU in a football game.
Pre-SIAA/SIAA
The teams first played at College Station in 1899. A&M won 52–0. It was the only game before they joined the SIAA.
They did not meet again until 1906 in Baton Rouge, the first of five games between 1906 and 1914 in which they were opponents in the SIAA. They played two more times in 1913 and 1914. A&M went 3–1–1. After 1914, A&M left to join the newly formed Southwest Conference (LSU participated in initial meetings to form it, but chose not to join.)
SEC vs. SWC
They played two neutral-site games in 1916 and 1917 before four straight games from 1920–23. Between 1916 and 1923, A&M went 3–2–1. The series resumed from 1942 to 1949 in the regular season. In addition to the regular season game in 1943, they met in the first bowl game of the rivalry. LSU won the January 1, 1944 Orange Bowl 19–14. LSU went 7–2, winning the last five.
They met again in 1955 and 1956, with A&M taking both games. They were led by John David Crow, their first Heisman Trophy winner. They played annually from 1960–75, always in Baton Rouge, since A&M could receive a larger gate by playing at Tiger Stadium, which at the time had a much larger seating capacity than Kyle Field. This was the longest consecutive games played between the two teams in the series history. LSU went 12–3–1. After 1961, LSU took the lead in the series; LSU still leads the series today. A&M's 1970 win had a 79-yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds left to upset LSU (who would win the SEC title). A&M did not win another game that year.
The series resumed from 1986–95, with the teams alternating between Baton Rouge and College Station. A&M went 6–4, winning the last five. Four were over LSU head coach Curley Hallman, a former Aggie. R. C. Slocum, a native Louisianian, was A&M's head coach for the last seven.
SEC vs. Big 12
They did not meet again until January 7, 2011, in the Cotton Bowl Classic. It was the only meeting during the Aggies' tenure in the Big 12 Conference, and the second time in a bowl game. In 2011, the Cotton Bowl celebrated its 75th Anniversary and this was the first Cotton Bowl Classic to be played in prime time in the highly anticipated matchup. LSU beat Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl 41–24 at Arlington, Texas.
SEC
The series resumed in 2012, and for the first time since the SIAA days they would be conference opponents, when A&M joined the SEC and was placed in the West Division with LSU. Since joining the conference, LSU is the only team A&M has never defeated in the SEC West.
In 2012, A&M's Johnny Manziel won the Heisman. LSU's defense caused him to have his worst performance of the year, which included 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. #6 LSU won 24–19 at College Station in the first SEC game. In 2013, #22 LSU won 34–10, A&M's first SEC road loss.
In 2014 they played on Thanksgiving night for the first time in the series history. The last time LSU played on Thanksgiving was 1973. LSU won 23–17 in College Station. The two teams played again on Thanksgiving, two years later (in College Station); LSU won 54–39.