The Texas A&M Aggies march into Tiger Stadium Saturday night to face LSU in an SEC West showdown (7:30 p.m., SEC Network), and both teams have plenty to prove.

The Aggies (8-3, 4-3 in the SEC) and Tigers (7-3, 4-3 in the SEC) have similar records but are headed in very opposite directions. Texas A&M is coming off a 25-0 shutout of Vanderbilt on the road, the first under former LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis. The Aggies have won two straight and three of their past four games, looking to close the regular season with another big victory over a tumbling Tigers squad.

LSU has lost three in a row by lopsided margins after opening the season with seven straight victories, bringing to an end, it seems, of the tenure of head coach Les Miles.

The Tigers have won the last four meetings between the two teams, and the Aggies look to defeat LSU for the first time in 20 years. Furthermore, it’s been even longer since Texas A&M has come away with a win at Tiger Stadium. The last time it happened was in 1994, an 18-13 triumph.

Here are five Texas A&M players to watch in Saturday’s game:

  1. QB Kyle Allen: The sophomore returned with a vengeance last week. Spending the past three games primarily on the sidelines after a couple of rough outings, Allen was back in his starting role, throwing for 336 yards and a touchdown. It was his third game surpassing the 300-yard mark. In doing so, Allen became just the eighth quarterback in school history to throw for 2,000-plus yards and 15 or more touchdowns in a season. Look for Allen to continue to pile up the numbers against an LSU defense that has allowed 30 points or more for three consecutive games.
  2. DE Myles Garrett: The sophomore leads the SEC with 10.5 sacks and five forced fumbles. He needs a sixth to match the school record. The Lombardi Award finalist has a total of 50 tackles this season, including 17 for losses. Against an injury-riddled LSU offensive line, Garrett could have a field day, especially if the Tigers continue to struggle in the run game. He has been named the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week twice this season.
  3. DE Daeshon Hall: The junior has teamed up with Garrett to combine for 17.5 sacks this season, more than any other tandem in the SEC. By himself, Hall has already recorded 12.5 tackles for loss. He is as disruptive a defensive lineman as there is in the game. As the other bookend, Hall will be on the opposite edge of the nightmare LSU must face on Saturday. If the Tigers struggle running the ball like they have the past three games, it will be a long day for LSU QB Brandon Harris.
  4. FS Armani Watts: The sophomore is having a record-setting season. He piled up 20 tackles in the Ole Miss game, second-most by a defensive back in school history, and has five games this season with 10 or more tackles. Watts ranks second in the SEC with 105 total tackles, and leads the conference with 69 solo tackles. His 9.5 tackles per-game-average ranks 18th nationally. But Watts isn’t doing all the damage downfield. He has 5 tackles for losses in addition to an interception and a forced fumble. How much action he’ll see on Saturday against a run-heavy LSU offense remains to be seen.
  5. WR Josh Reynolds: The junior leads the SEC (at least 30 receptions) with a yards-per-catch average of 18.8. For the season he’s rolled up 659 yards on 35 catches. Reynolds scored last week on a 95-yard touchdown catch-and-run, the second-longest pass play in school history. Last season he set the school single-season record with 13 touchdown receptions. He ranks fifth on the school’s all-time list in career touchdown catches (18). With Allen back under center, Reynolds should get plenty of explosive-play opportunities on Saturday.