| 2018 LSU vs. Texas A&M football game | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | November 24, 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Kyle Field | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | College Station, Texas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Texas A&M by 3[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | Fightin' Texas Aggie Band | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Matt Austin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | Fightin' Texas Aggie Band | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 101,501[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | SEC Network | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Taylor Zarzour (play-by-play) Matt Stinchcomb (analyst) Kris Budden (sideline) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The2018 LSU vs. Texas A&M football game was a regular-seasoncollege football game played between theLSU Tigers and theTexas A&M Aggies. The game was played on November 24, 2018, atKyle Field inCollege Station, Texas, and was the final regular-season game for both teams. The game set multipleNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) records, including the most combined points scored (146) in aDivision I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football game.[3] The record was previously held by a game played betweenWestern Michigan andBuffalo on October 7, 2017, which had 139 combined points over seven overtimes.[4] The 2018 LSU–Texas A&M game went likewise to seven overtimes and lasted nearly five hours, tying the NCAA record for longest football game with four others.[5][6] The 146 combined points are currently the second most in college football history since the NCAA started keeping records in 1937, behind the 161 points scored in a 2008NCAA Division II game betweenAbilene Christian andWest Texas A&M of theLone Star Conference. The game also holds the record for most points scored in aSoutheastern Conference game.[7][8]
After the game-winning touchdown and successfultwo-point conversion, Texas A&M fans ran onto the field in violation of the SEC's competition area policy. As a result, Texas A&M was fined a total of $50,000 and warned by the SEC that subsequent actions by fans in future games will result in penalties over $100,000.[9] The game led to NCAA rule changes to overtime that were adopted the following season intended to reduce the number of plays occurring in extended overtime play.
This game was the 57th meeting betweenLSU andTexas A&M. Prior to their 2018 meeting, the rivalry series stood at 33–20–3 in favor of LSU. Previously, the highest scoring meeting between the two teams was two years prior;LSU defeatedTexas A&M 54–39, combining for 93 points. Texas A&M had lost seven straight against LSU, starting with the2011 Cotton Bowl. The win would be Texas A&M's first win against LSU as a member of the SEC - their last win against the Tigers came on September 2, 1995, the last year for theSouthwest Conference before Texas A&M and three other SWC members joined with theBig 8 to form the newBig 12.
Under the command of 3rd-year head coachEd Orgeron, the LSU Tigers entered their final regular season game 9–2, 5–2 in SEC play. The Tigers were ranked No. 25 in the AP preseason poll, but were up to No. 5 for their fifth game after wins over No. 8Miami and No. 7Auburn. They fell to No. 22Florida on the road to open October, but rebounded with a 20-point home win against No. 2Georgia and a 16-point home win against No. 22Mississippi State. This set up the most anticipated SEC game of the year - then No. 4 Tigers hosted No. 1Alabama, falling 0–29. They picked up two more wins (atArkansas and vsRice), putting them at 9–2 going into their final game.[10] LSU was ranked No. 8 by both theAP Poll andCoaches Poll, and No. 7 by theCollege Football Playoff selection committee.
With first-year head coachJimbo Fisher, the Aggies came into their last regular season game with a record of 7–4, 4–3 in SEC play. Two of their first four games were against ranked teams - they lost against No. 2Clemson and No. 1 Alabama. They gained their first conference win the next week againstArkansas, and their second the week after with an upset over No. 13Kentucky. They peaked in the rankings at No. 16, but lost two straight games to Mississippi State and Auburn and dropped out. They rebounded with wins overOle Miss, making them bowl eligible, andUAB; this put them at 7–4 going into their last game of the season.[11] Texas A&M received votes in the AP Poll and Coaches Poll, but was ranked No. 22 by the College Football Playoff committee.
| Game Time | Weather |
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Kickoff: 6:39 p.m.CST | Temperature: 65 °F (18 °C) |
| Game officials | |
Matt Austin (referee), Rodney Lawary (umpire), Chad Green (linesman) | |
| Source:[2][12] | |
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Team statistics[edit]
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After the game, LSU analystSteve Kragthorpe reported to media that an unknown student with sideline credentials had punched him in thepacemaker.[13] The student was later identified to be Texas A&M staffer Cole Fisher, the nephew of Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher. According to Kragthorpe, he was punched in response to telling Texas A&M's receiving coach,Dameyune Craig, to "move on" after Craig yelled profanities at LSU's coaching staff. In defense of Kragthorpe, the LSU director of player development,Kevin Faulk, attacked Fisher and a fist-fight began.[14] According to a release by Texas A&M University Police, Kragthorpe retracted his statements regarding being struck and that he required medical attention, although LSU disputed that a retraction was made.[15] Video evidence later disputed Kragthorpe's story and showed that he was not punched by Fisher. Instead, Kragthorpe was seen yelling and confronting the Texas A&M receiving corps and was shoved away by Fisher. No reported injuries were sustained by Kragthorpe, Faulk, or Fisher and no charges were issued.[16]
Due at least in part to this game, the NCAA adopted rule changes prior to the 2019 season that required teams to go for two if they get a touchdown in the second overtime (previously this wasn't required until the third overtime), and required teams to rotate two-point conversion tries starting in the fifth overtime.[17] Prior to the 2021 season, the rules were further changed, so now teams rotate two-point conversion tries starting in the third overtime.[18]
Although the2021 Illinois vs. Penn State football game and the 2024 Georgia Tech vs. Georgia football game involved nine and eight overtimes, respectively, both games involved significantly fewer plays than the 2018 LSU-Texas A&M game, because now the third overtime and later involves just one play from each team.
