The final game of the 2015 regular season wasn’t a pretty victory for the LSU football team. But after a troubling month for coach Les Miles and his team, which included a three-game losing streak after a 7-0 start, the Tigers will take it. 
And, as of the final whistle, Miles will continue to be LSU’s coach for the foreseeable future. 
“It’s nice for them to come say to me, ‘hey, the job you’ve been doing, you can still do it,’ Miles said. “I like that.”
Coupled with a smothering defense, the LSU rushing tandem of sophomore Leonard Fournette and freshman Derrius Guice powered the Tigers (8-3, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) to a 19-7 win against Texas A&M on Senior Night. 
In what was the final night in Tiger Stadium for a handful veterans on the team and legendary LSU radio broadcaster Jim Hawthorne, numerous reports indicated this would be the last game for Miles in purple and gold.
After the win, LSU players carried Miles toward the student section before the alma mater was played. But, in a postgame news conference, LSU athletics director Joe Alleva squashed the rumors of a coaching change.
“Obviously, there has been quite a bit of speculation these past few days about the future of our football coach and our football program,” Alleva said. “I made it very clear that my policy is to wait until the end of the season. Obviously, it is the end of the regular season right now. The season is complete, and I want to make it very clear and positive that Les Miles is our football coach and he will continue to be our football coach.
“I am looking forward to working with Coach Miles as he leads this team to a bowl game and another great recruiting class. Les and I have talked. We have talked about this program, and we are committed together to work and complete at the highest level. I frankly don’t have much more to say than that. I am very please with tonight’s outcome, and I’m very pleased Coach Miles is our coach. We will go forward together and win championships here at LSU.” 
Alleva later said that tonight’s game had no impact on his decision. 
After struggling to prevent big plays throughout the three-game skid, Miles got exactly what he needed out his defense. Tiger defenders held the Aggie offense to 250 total yards and forced two two turnovers. Most of Texas A&M sophomore quarterback Kyle Allen’s 161 passing yards came in the first half, limited to 45 yards in the second half. 
Allen was also sacked four times. 
“We were on the quarterback at all times,” Neal said. “We kepts affecting him and making big plays. All of those turnovers are big, and we need those to be a dominant defense. We just kept making plays. Everybody was hustling and giving it their all.
“That’s what it’s going to take.”
Meanwhile, the LSU sophomore quarterback Brandon Harris was unable to find rhythm for most of the game, completing just 7-of-21 passes for 83 yards. But the Tigers got huge nights from Fournette and Guice as both combined for 232 rushing yards and a pair of scores. 
Guice’s 50-yard rushing touchdown on a reverse in the third quarter allowed the Tigers to regain the lead, and Fournette’s four-yard burst into the end zone to cap a 13-play drive essentially iced the game. 
Fournette, who had 159 rushing yards on the night and has 1,745 for the season, set the LSU single-season rushing record, passing Charles Alexander. 
“I just want to thank God, and all my O-line,” Fournette said. “Each and every day at practice, they’re giving it 100 percent – with me and for me. I appreciate them.”
The Tigers offense, though, continued its November woes into the first half. Harris completed just 4-of-17 passes for 52 yards while junior kicker Trent Domingue was 2-of-4 on field goal attempts through the first 30 minutes. 
The LSU defense held the Aggies (8-4, 4-4 SEC) to a three-and-out on the first possession of the game, but a nine-play drive from on the next series ended in just field goal from Domingue. 
On the ensuing kickoff, LSU freshman defensive back Donte Jackson recovered a fumble by Aggie freshman kick returner Christian Kirk. Again, the Tigers were held to just a field goal after starting in the Texas A&M red zone. 
Texas A&M, though, would respond three possessions later as found junior receiver Josh Reynolds on an eight-yard strike in the end zone, giving the Aggies a 7-6 lead following the extra point. 
LSU’s next possession reached the Texas A&M five-yard line, but sophomore running back Leonard Fournette was dropped for a four-yard loss on third down. Then, Domingue’s third field goal try clanked off the left upright. 
Allen and the Aggies looked to extend their lead two possessions later, reaching the LSU seven-yard line, but Allen was sacked and fumbled on the play. The Tigers couldn’t respond with points on the ensuing drive as Domingue’s 50-yard attempt went wide left. 
But LSU had enough in the second half to seal victory, including a a spectacular interception from Jackson with a little more than a minute to go.
Relief to end the losing streak, especially after a rollercoaster week for their coach, was certainly a strong feeling amongst players.
“It left a bad taste in our mouth,” said junior defensive tackle Christian LaCouture. “[Miles] deserved it. We love him to death. We thought as a team that he deserved the win.”