FRIDAY
No. 11 LSU (10-2) vs. No. 18 Texas A&M (9-3), 8:30 p.m. (Fox)
Line: LSU by 1 1/2.
Series Record: LSU leads 26-20-3.
Last Meeting: Texas A&M 33-17, 1995.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
LSU is going for its sixth 11-win season, and fourth under sixth-year coach Les Miles, whose name is again being mentioned for the coaching vacancy at Michigan, his alma mater. Texas A&M, playing in January for the first time since the 2005 Cotton Bowl, has a six-game winning streak since losing three in a row, a stretch that included a loss to Arkansas in Cowboys Stadium.
KEY MATCHUP
Texas A&M WRs Ryan Swope and Jeff Fuller vs. LSU All-American CB Patrick Peterson. Swope set an Aggies record with 67 catches this season while Fuller has 65 catches and 12 TDs. Peterson, a junior likely playing his last game before going to the NFL, is the only player in LSU history with touchdowns on an interception return, a blocked field goal and a punt return.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LSU: RB Stevan Ridley wasn’t sure he’d be able to play in the Cotton Bowl until this week, when the NCAA cleared his eligibility after an unspecificed “one-time” academic violation. He leads the Tigers with 1,042 yards rushing and 14 TDs, including eight in the last four games.
TEXAS A&M: All-America LB Von Miller led the Big 12 with 9 1/2 sacks during the regular season. Miller has sacks in five consecutive games, a stretch during which he also forced three fumbles and averaged seven tackles a game.
FACTS & FIGURES
Ryan Tannehill is 5-0 since taking over as Texas A&M’s starting quarterback. The last Aggies quarterback to win his first five games was Bucky Richardson, whose streak included the 1988 Cotton Bowl. … The 50th meeting of border rivals will be their first since 1995. Before they quit playing regularly, it was often the season opener. Their only bowl matchup was LSU’s 19-14 win in the 1944 Orange Bowl. … LSU’s next game will also be at Cowboys Stadium. The Tigers open the 2011 season against Oregon. … The Cotton Bowl marks its 75th anniversary with its latest game ever – in date and the prime-time kickoff.
Add A Comment