LSU Dominates Clemson in Lane Kiffin’s Debut; ‘Imagine If We Had Pro Players’

BATON ROUGE, La. — Lane Kiffin’s debut as LSU’s head coach faced a postponement, but it was far from derailed.

Sam Leavitt added 230 passing yards and a touchdown to his 113 rushing yards and two scores on the ground, while edge rusher Jordan Ross returned an interception for a touchdown. No. 11 LSU rode the “Lane Train” to a commanding 51-10 win over Clemson on Saturday night.

“Imagine if we had pro players,” Kiffin quipped during a brief halftime television interview, by which point LSU held a 31-3 lead, had amassed 336 yards of total offense to Clemson’s 54, and had recorded 21 first downs compared to Clemson’s lone one.

Kiffin secured commitments from two of his former Mississippi standouts — tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris — who spent part of the offseason with NFL franchises.

A Louisiana court ruling opened the door for him to add them to his roster this week. However, amid fierce pushback from the NCAA and SEC, he chose not to do so.

At least for now.

“If we had won close or ugly, the entire narrative would have been that I sabotaged the team” by attempting to sign recent professionals, Kiffin said. “I have faced heavy criticism over the past two weeks, and I understand it. My responsibility, though, is not to satisfy your expectations or what you will write. My responsibility is to do what I believe is right — and I think we were advocating for what is best for those young men.”

Lightning strikes

A sellout crowd of 102,000 at Tiger Stadium was dispersed by heavy rain and a lightning delay that pushed the kickoff back nearly two hours.

Nevertheless, Death Valley was filled when the game finally got underway — and fans needed only one quarter to see Kiffin’s up-tempo offense deliver on its reputation, racking up 23 plays for 140 yards.

LSU concluded the night with 644 total yards of offense, handing Clemson its most lopsided defeat in roughly three decades.

“The best thing about that contest is that it’s over,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney remarked. “It was simply a dreadful performance, far from what we prepared for or expected.”

“You cannot win if you cannot stop the run,” Swinney continued. “We failed badly at setting the edge, particularly against the quarterback runs, which really hurt us.”

Dilin Jones, a transfer from Wisconsin who accumulated 113 rushing yards and two touchdowns, gave LSU a permanent lead with a 1-yard plunge that made it 10-3.

“Everyone witnessed what this offense can accomplish — the quarterback we have, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., the offensive line,” Jones said. “We truly believed we could go out there and execute.”

Ross’ 30‑yard interception return pushed the score to 17‑3 before Leavitt’s rapid scoring runs of eight and 13 yards gave LSU a four‑touchdown advantage late in the second quarter.

“Anything I can do to help my team reach the end zone, I will do,” said Leavitt, a transfer who guided Arizona State to the College Football Playoff in 2024 before a foot injury derailed his 2025 season. “I’ll seize the opportunities when they arise.”

Clemson’s offense faltered so severely that Swinney replaced starting quarterback Christopher Vizzina with freshman Tait Reynolds late in the second quarter.

LSU extended its lead when Leavitt connected with Ole Miss transfer Winston Watkins Jr. on a 32‑yard touchdown down the left sideline in the third quarter. Jones’ 12‑yard scoring run made it 44‑3.

Leavitt was then given the remainder of the night off, but LSU added another score when backup Landen Clark fired a 30‑yard touchdown pass to Phillip Wright III.

The takeaway

Clemson: Swinney may be headed for a difficult season. The Tigers have not suffered such a lopsided loss since a 41‑0 defeat to Syracuse in the 1996 Gator Bowl.

A promising defensive start belied the tough night ahead for Clemson, which briefly held a 3‑0 lead after cornerback Ashton Hampton intercepted Leavitt’s second pass.

“The opening of the game was great for us, but we couldn’t truly capitalize on it,” Vizzina said, noting his offense’s struggles. “We’re not providing any help to our defense.”

LSU: After ranking 126th nationally in rushing with 104 yards per game in 2025, LSU is benefiting from a stronger offensive line, the addition of Jones, and Leavitt’s mobility. The Tigers rushed for 213 yards in the first half alone—more than in any game last season.

Meanwhile, coordinator Blake Baker’s defense continued its prior form, recording four sacks and a defensive touchdown while limiting Clemson to under 100 yards and keeping the Tigers off the scoreboard until less than seven minutes remained in the fourth quarter.

LSU’s defense has “a chance to be really good, with players who mesh well together,” Kiffin said. “That is exciting, and they should be thrilled about it.”

It could not have been a better start for Kiffin or LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry, who acted decisively to hire the charismatic yet polarizing coach. The two shared an embrace as Kiffin left the field after the final whistle.

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