Baton Rouge, La. — The wait was longer than expected, but once Lane Kiffin finally made his LSU debut, the Tigers wasted little time putting on a show.
No. 11 LSU overwhelmed Clemson from the opening quarter after a nearly two-hour weather delay, rolling to a 51-10 victory Saturday night at Tiger Stadium in a performance that announced the arrival of the Kiffin era in emphatic fashion.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt accounted for 343 total yards, throwing for 230 yards and a touchdown while adding 113 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. Edge rusher Jordan Ross added a defensive touchdown with a 30-yard interception return as LSU’s offense and defense combined to produce one of the program’s most impressive season-opening performances in years.
The Tigers piled up 644 yards of total offense, while Clemson struggled to generate anything consistently against LSU’s defense.
By halftime, the outcome was essentially decided. LSU had built a 31-3 advantage while holding a staggering 336-54 edge in total yardage and a 21-1 advantage in first downs.
Kiffin, who spent much of the preseason at the center of controversy surrounding LSU’s roster, joked during a halftime television interview, “Imagine if we had pro players.”
The comment referenced two former Ole Miss players, tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris, who committed to LSU after spending part of the offseason with NFL teams. A recent Louisiana court ruling opened the door for LSU to add the players to its roster, but Kiffin ultimately decided not to use them against Clemson amid opposition from the NCAA and SEC.
Kiffin acknowledged the criticism surrounding his decision but said he remained convinced that he was acting in the best interests of the players.
“If we would have won close or ugly, the whole story would have been I screwed the whole team up” by trying to sign recent pros, Kiffin said. “I have been criticized heavily the last two weeks, and I get it. But my job is to not please you and what you are going to write. My job is what I believe is right — and I believe we were fighting for what is right for those kids.”
Weather Couldn’t Slow LSU
The night began with uncertainty as heavy rain and lightning forced officials to delay kickoff for nearly two hours.
The disruption did little to dampen the atmosphere inside Tiger Stadium, however. Once play finally began, LSU’s high-tempo offense immediately began moving at the pace that has become synonymous with Kiffin.
The Tigers ran 23 plays for 140 yards in the opening quarter alone, setting the tone for what became a long night for Clemson.
LSU’s rushing attack was particularly effective.
Dilin Jones, a transfer from Wisconsin, carried the ball for 113 yards and two touchdowns. His 1-yard touchdown run gave LSU a lead it would never surrender after Clemson briefly went ahead.
“Everyone saw what this offense is capable of — I mean, the quarterback we have, the offensive coordinator (Charlie Weis Jr.), the offensive line,” Jones said. “We really felt like we could just go out there and execute.”
Ross then changed the momentum again, intercepting Clemson quarterback Christopher Vizzina and racing 30 yards for a touchdown to extend LSU’s advantage to 17-3.
Leavitt followed with touchdown runs of 8 and 13 yards, sending the Tigers into halftime with a commanding four-touchdown lead.
“Anything I can do to help my team get into the endzone I will do,” Leavitt said. “I’m going to take the plays when they come to me.”
Clemson Searching for Answers
Clemson never found an answer for LSU’s combination of speed, physicality and tempo.
The Tigers’ offensive struggles became so pronounced that coach Dabo Swinney replaced Vizzina late in the second quarter with freshman Tait Reynolds.
Clemson managed only one first down in the opening half and was held below 100 total yards for most of the contest.
Swinney did not hide his frustration afterward.
“The best thing about that game is it’s over,” Swinney said. “Just really poor performance, not what we worked for or expected.”
He also pointed directly at Clemson’s inability to contain LSU’s rushing attack.
“You’re not going to win if you can’t stop the run,” Swinney said. “We just did a really poor job of setting the edge, especially versus the quarterback run, which really killed us.”
Clemson’s defense briefly gave its offense an opportunity when cornerback Ashton Hampton intercepted Leavitt’s second pass of the night. The turnover helped Clemson take an early 3-0 lead, but the Tigers were unable to capitalize on the momentum.
“The start of the game was great for us, but we couldn’t truly capitalize on it,” Vizzina said. “We’re not helping our defense at all.”
LSU Keeps Pouring It On
There was no letup after halftime.
Leavitt connected with former Ole Miss receiver Winston Watkins Jr. on a 32-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline in the third quarter, extending LSU’s lead.
Jones then added another touchdown, this time from 12 yards out, as the Tigers pushed the score to 44-3.
With the outcome no longer in doubt, LSU removed Leavitt from the game.
The Tigers still found the end zone one more time when reserve quarterback Landen Clark delivered a 30-yard touchdown pass to Phillip Wright III.
Clemson finally scored a touchdown with fewer than seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but by then LSU had long since turned the game into a celebration.
The Takeaway
Clemson: The Tigers have plenty to address after suffering their most lopsided defeat in roughly three decades. Clemson’s defense showed flashes early, but the offense’s inability to sustain drives repeatedly put the defense in difficult situations. The Tigers will need significant improvement before facing tougher opponents later in the season.
LSU: The Tigers’ performance provided an immediate glimpse of what Kiffin’s offense can look like in Baton Rouge. After averaging only 104 rushing yards per game and ranking 126th nationally in rushing last season, LSU produced 213 rushing yards in the first half alone.
The combination of Jones’ running ability, Leavitt’s mobility and improved offensive-line play gives LSU a dramatically different identity on offense.
Defensively, LSU was just as impressive. Blake Baker’s unit recorded four sacks, forced turnovers and scored a touchdown while keeping Clemson out of the end zone until late in the fourth quarter.
Kiffin believes the defense could become one of the team’s biggest strengths.
“It has a chance to be really good, with players that fit well together,” Kiffin said. “That is exciting, and they should be excited about that.”
For LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry, who aggressively pursued Kiffin during the coaching search, the debut could hardly have gone better.
Kiffin and Ausberry embraced on the field following the final whistle as the Tiger Stadium crowd celebrated a statement victory.
What’s Next
Clemson: The Tigers return home Sept. 12 to host Georgia Southern.
LSU: The Tigers remain at home Sept. 12 for a matchup with Louisiana Tech.
