Texas A&M's Sanford, Craver speak ahead of Week 4 trip to LSU

Linebacker Daymion Sanford and receiver Mario Craver addressed reporters Tuesday as the Aggies prepare to face LSU in Baton Rouge on Saturday night.

Both Texas A&M and LSU carry Week 3 SEC defeats into their Saturday night meeting at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. Speaking at Tuesday's media session, Aggies linebacker Daymion Sanford said the matchup demands a higher level of play, noting it is a road game at night against an opponent that also lost last week.

Sanford, who returned to action Saturday and described himself as progressing toward full health on a day-to-day basis, said he hadn't recorded a tackle since spring before making a few against Kentucky. He called quarterback Marcel Reed commanding in practice and expressed confidence in him, and said the defense's fixes center on preparation, film study and sharper practice habits after what he viewed as a loose week.

Wide receiver Mario Craver pointed to stalled possessions as the offense's chief problem, saying numerous drives reached the red zone without producing points. He reiterated that Reed improved across the offseason and believes the quarterback simply got into his own head in the Kentucky loss rather than suffering from play-calling issues.

With Terry Bussey and Ashton Bethel-Roman sidelined, Craver acknowledged teammates must carry a heavier load and said his approach is simply to keep doing his job. He added that the group has been slow out of the gate but believes it is capable of matching last season's production with better execution.