Texas A&M heads out on the road for the second consecutive week, and the Aggies are hoping the results are the same.

The Aggies defense was fabulous last Saturday in a 25-0 shutout at Vanderbilt. The challenge is much tougher this week, venturing into Death Valley to face a reeling LSU team embroiled in controversy.

Texas A&M (8-3, 4-3 in the SEC ) will see an LSU team (7-3, 4-3 in the SEC) that by all indications is playing with a lame duck head coach. Les Miles appears to be in trouble and Texas A&M defensive coordinator John Chavis is hoping his defense continues to roll against his former team. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. (ET)

The two teams are part of a four-team logjam in the SEC West that are tied for third behind Alabama and Ole Miss. Mississippi State and Arkansas join that group as they all head into the final week of the regular season.

The LSU and Texas A&M rivalry dates all the way back to 1899. The Aggies won that game 52-0 in College Station, but LSU holds a 30-20-3 edge in the series overall. The Tigers have been especially tough on Texas A&M in Tiger Stadium, with a 23-10-1 advantage. LSU has won the last four meetings, three as SEC West foes. Texas A&M has not defeated LSU since 1995, a 33-17 win in College Station where the Aggies have a 7-3-1 record against the Tigers.

The teams began playing as SEC opponents in 2012, but it’s not the first team they’ve met as conference foes. Way back in 1906, they met as members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. That changed in 1914, however when the Aggies left to join the newly-formed Southwest Conference. LSU participated in meetings to form the SWC, but chose not to join.

Fast-forward 100 years and the Tigers are a team in turmoil. Three lopsided losses following a 7-0 start and a No. 2 ranking nationally has turned what appeared to be a special season into a catastrophe that likely will end the Les Miles era in Baton Rouge.

The Tigers have become one-dimensional on offense behind fading Heisman hopeful Leonard Fournette, while injuries to the offensive line have reduced a once powerful running game into a lesson in futility. It’s a downward spiral the Aggies hope to take advantage of on Saturday.

LSU TIGERS, A CLOSER LOOK

Best offensive player, RB Leonard Fournette — Despite sub-par performances in the past three games, the sophomore still leads both the SEC and the nation in rushing yards (1,582) and rushing yards per game (158.2). Fournette leads a ground attack which is first in the SEC in rushing touchdowns (27). The fading Heisman hopeful became the first player in SEC history to rush for 200-plus yards in three consecutive games. In all, Fournette has rushed for 100-plus yards in eight games this season. He is the quickest in SEC history to reach 1,000 yards for a season, reaching the plateau in just five games. It is imperative that Fournette adds to those gaudy stats Saturday for LSU to have a chance to win.

Best defensive player, LB Deion Jones — The senior is one of five finalist for the prestigious Butkus Award presented annually to the nation’s top college linebacker. Jones leads LSU in tackles this season with 81. He also leads the team in tackles for loss with 10. In addition, Jones has recorded 3.5 sacks this season and picked off two passes, returning one for a touchdown in a victory over Eastern Michigan. Jones will be a key figure in Saturday’s game, both defending the pass as well as the run.

Best special teams player, P Jamie Keehn — The senior has been one of the most productive in LSU history. The veteran in his third season as LSU’s punter ranks fourth in program history with a career average of 42.8 yards per punt. A second-team All-SEC pick in 2014, Keehn set the LSU record last season with a total 3,189 punting yards, and ranked third all-time for one season with a 44.92-yard average. Keehn could play a vital role for the Tigers on Saturday in keeping the Aggies in poor field position, especially if the offense continues to sputter.