HOOVER, Ala. – For the past three years, LSU has had Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin’s number.
The offensive guru could not crack John Chavis’ defense. In three meetings, the Aggies’ powerhouse offense averaged just 18.3 points and 312.3 yards against the Tigers despite averaging 41.3 points and 517.5 yards per game during that span.
In December 2014, Sumlin flipped the table on the Tigers by hiring Chavis as the Aggies’ new defensive coordinator right after LSU’s 31-28 loss to Notre Dame in the Music City Bowl.
“We’ve studied the defense,” Sumlin said. “We get it. We struggled. It’s a great fit for us and a great fit for him. He was ready for a new challenge. We were in the market, obviously, and here’s a guy who’s got a tremendous track record in the SEC and recently in the SEC West.”
When Sumlin stepped up to the podium at Southeastern Conference Media Days, Chavis and his effect on the struggling Aggies’ defense on the field came into question after an offseason highlighted by LSU’s lawsuit against Chavis.
So far, senior defensive lineman Julien Obioha said the biggest difference with the Chief at the head of the defense has been the aggressiveness to the ball.
The immediate difference is probably in ‘attacking personality,’” Obioha said. “You know, first day, he walked in, and he said, ‘You do all these workouts and you do all this 7- on-7 in the summer to win a championship. No school in the SEC West should be afraid to say they are doing all this work to win a championship.”
The Aggies hope Chavis can turn the secondary into a force after a season where Texas A&M finished 13th in the conference in passing defense and dead last in total defense.
Looking forward to next season, Obioha said the talent level in the defense is the highest its been since the 2011-12 season when the Aggies went 11-2.