LSU is an elite team. Is it the best team in America? Well, if it isn’t, then I’d hate to have to play a better one. This season, the Aggies played then-No. 1 Clemson, No. 1 Alabama, No. 4 Georgia and No. 8 Auburn, and none of them imposed their will on Texas A&M like LSU did on Saturday in a 50-7 final at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers led 31-0 at halftime.

The Aggies finish the 2019 regular season with a record of 7-5 and await their bowl destination and opponent.

When a team is completely dominated, it is very difficult to come away with positives. There were a few, but mostly it was a disappointing effort from a team that has played some of the top teams in the SEC and should have been more prepared.

Here are three things I liked about the game on Saturday, and five more things that I didn’t like about it.

Things I liked

1. Justin Madubuike’s motor

The junior defensive lineman from McKinney, Texas, has worked his way into a leadership role. Yes, he was guilty of the horse collar penalty that kept LSU’s initial drive alive, which helped dig the Aggies into a 7-0 hole. But he was one of the few bright spots defensively for an Aggies team that allowed 324 yards in the first half alone.

Justin Madubuike, left, was one of the few bright spots on defense for Texas A&M. Photo by: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

2. Third-quarter TD drive

It looked like the Texas A&M offense we’ve come to enjoy this season, with solid running and just enough offense through the air to keep drives alive. It was a three-minute drive and took 6 plays to travel 75 yards for the score. It had it all, including time of possession and third-down conversions. It showed a will to compete, even after falling behind 34-0.

3. Braden Mann’s consistency … and then some

The Aggies’ punter not only got a workout in his standard employment, but the 5-11, 195-pound senior showed some wheels as well. Mann took off with the clock winding down in the third quarter on a fake punt and picked up a first down with a 15-yard run. It came at a time when Mann was averaging better than 50 yards on 7 punts.

Things I didn’t like

1. Pass defense

The Aggies had improved against the pass entering the regular-season finale, so much so that they were fourth in the SEC against the pass, yielding 192 yards per game. They had not ranked better than 11th in the past three seasons. But on Saturday, they took a big step backward. LSU QB Joe Burreaux (at least, that’s what his uniform read) threw for 231 yards in two quarters.

2. Offensive line play

The Aggies’ offensive line could not hold back an LSU defense that allowed more than 1,450 total yards over the past three games. That’s nearly 500 yards per game. But on Saturday, it looked like world beaters. Texas A&M had no run game, and QB Kellen Mond was chased regularly. The Aggies managed just 40 yards of total offense after two quarters, going three-and-out in three of their six first-half possessions.

3. Tackling

The Tigers did a good job of getting the ball to their playmakers in the open field. Texas A&M’s inability to tackle in open space allowed LSU to pile up the yardage after contact, keeping drives alive and adding to chunk yardage plays.

4. Mond’s lack of accuracy

Sure, he was pressured all night, and his receivers didn’t exactly do him any favors, either. But Mond wasn’t all that accurate even on the short passes and screens, going 10-for-30 with 3 interceptions. He was wildly inaccurate on the longer pass plays. No, an accurate Mond would not have made a difference on the scoreboard, but the Aggies’ leader did not help his cause.

5. Dumb penalties

From a false start on a key third down, to a completely unnecessary roughing the passer penalty that extended a Tigers drive, to a horse collar, the Aggies were guilty of some pretty self-destructive plays. There simply is no way to beat the No. 2 team in the country when you engage in self-inflicted wounds. LSU certainly doesn’t need the help.