Quick thoughts from LSU’s 23-17 win over Texas A&M. 

What it means: Les Miles knows what kind of team he has. The Tigers did a few new things, but they stuck to their strength: running the ball. On defense, the Tigers were physical and beat up the Aggies for much of the game, with the young defense showing just how scary they can be when they get clicking. There’s a lot of room for growth with this team, but they showed that they’ll be a team to be reckoned with next season.

What I liked: The ball control. LSU found a variety of ways to run the ball, from jet sweeps to read-option keepers to simple overloaded power runs. The Tigers ended up with 384 rushing yards at 6.7 yards per carry and held the ball for a whopping 41:13, more than double Texas A&M’s time of possession.

What I didn’t like: LSU’s inability to put the game away. Despite more than doubling Texas A&M’s time of possession, LSU could not get the score they needed to fully take control of the game. The Tigers had two straight possessions that made it into the red zone, both of them resulting in field goals, and they missed two field goals that would have given them a lot more cushion going into the home stretch.

Key play: Leonard Fournette bulldozing Howard Matthews. Before Fournette’s touchdown run, LSU had had the ball for more than 16 minutes before their first touchdown drive, yet had no points to show for it. When Fournette ran over A&M safety Matthews, the flood gates seemed to open up for the Tigers. A lot of field goal attempts followed, but this play encompassed

Who’s the man: Fournette carried the load all night for the Tigers. They handed the ball to him 19 times, which he cashed in for 146 yards and a touchdown. He was a huge part of LSU’s ability to control the clock, and he flashed just about all the skills you want in a running back, running over, around and right past defenders all night.

What’s next: LSU awaits its bowl bid, with the TaxSlayer, Texas and Music City Bowls as possibilities. There’s still a lot to figure out with the passing game, but chances are LSU is going to stick to what it does best for the bowl and leave those decisions for the offseason.