‘It’s a battle of emotions’: LSU football draws Texas A&M 2-2 in fiery game

In a tight game from start to finish, LSU football tied Texas A&M 2-2 on Friday at Ellis Field.

Although not winless, the Tigers still add one point to their SEC standings with the tie, which means everything as time winds down in the regular season, and The SEC championship is just around the corner.

From the moment the fans entered the stadium the energy was electric. There was not an empty seat in sight and the fans were loud. The Aggie faithful let LSU know that this game would bring out emotions, from cheers to screams of agony at the lack of calls.

“It’s a tough place to play, so I’m really happy with the determination and dedication from the team,” head coach Sian Hudson said of his team’s performance.

After the game, LSU sits at No. 13, and needs to jump to No. 12 or more in the last two games or it won’t go to Pensacola, Florida.

Coming into the game, the Aggies were ranked No. 9 with a conference record of 3-4-0. The Tigers have yet to win an SEC game, and after tying this one, they have only one chance—on Sunday, when they play Missouri.

When the game started the energy was high in the stadium. Aggie players and fans were loud and proud. The Tigers took the ball first and went down the field after a tough battle with the Aggies to keep it in the box.

Playing at Ellis Stadium is no easy task, and ball control will be everything in this game. Less than five minutes into the game both teams had already had one shot attempt, looking for a defensive zone that was not there.

LSU left the first half with two field goal attempts, while A&M had nine. The two teams were scoreless after halftime. The Tigers knew they would have to kick it going into the second quarter.

LSU’s defense needed to make sure there were no openings for the Aggies offense to get the ball down the field; their offense was strong and controlled in the first half.

A&M started the second half strong, making two field goal attempts in just three minutes. This is an area where LSU was lacking all night. The Tigers didn’t get enough offensive opportunities to create many shot attempts.

Shortly after the Aggies took control of the ball and drove it down, LSU left the box open and Aggie Makhiya McDonald dunked the ball into the goal, giving the Aggies the lead.

But LSU responded moments later.

Less than two minutes after the goal, LSU was awarded a penalty kick. Sydney Cheesman managed to shoot the ball into the net and tie the game 1-1.

Less than 30 minutes into the game, the Tigers changed four players to bring on key players: Ida Hermannsdóttir, Ava Galligan and Jocelyn Ollivierre. Hoping to take the lead as time expired, LSU needed to put its foot forward.

A&M fans came out of their seats when the handball went off. The Aggie head coach yelled at the referee, which resulted in the team being issued a yellow card.

After an offensive line for A&M, the Tigers took advantage and drove the ball down. Galligan buried the ball in the goal and gave LSU the lead it needed.

After this big play, the A&M head coach let his anger get the better of him, yelling what could be considered a very profanity. The referee raised his red card and sent off the head coach in the 63rd minute.

Walking slowly and unhurriedly, A&M’s head coach left and refused to return.

“I think he could have got a red card five minutes earlier, but it’s a battle of emotions,” Hudson said.

In this game, the Aggies came to show their pride for the Maroon and White, filling the stadium with parents, alumni and students. There was no doubting the mood in the stadium. From top to bottom, there were constant shouts and all kinds of noise.

There was never a letdown throughout the game, and A&M fans kept the stadium full of excitement.

Ending in a tie, the Aggies and Tigers each came away with a point for the SEC standings.

While it’s not the desired result for the Tigers, they have another chance this Thursday, when they face Vanderbilt at home. It’s LSU’s last home game and the game starts at 6 p.m