By KACE KIESCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
LSU is going to dominate Clemson on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium — at least that is what EA Sports College Football 27 thinks.
The Bayou Bengals took a 44-10 win in a CFB 27 simulation of coach Lane Kiffin’s LSU debut. The Tigers (now 1-0 by EA) capitalized on explosive plays and shut down the offens of Clemson (0-1).
The real game between No. 11 LSU and No. 23 Clemson is at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Tiger Stadium to open the 2026 season.
LSU redshirt junior quarterback Sam Leavitt was the MVP of the game, completing 29 of 41 passes for a whopping 448 yards and four touchdowns and rushing for 92 yards and another score. Ole Miss transfer wide receiver Winston Watkins Jr. led the team with 11 receptions for 173 yards and two TDs, and sophomore Harlem Berry racked up 102 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
LSU kicked off the scoring with a 72-yard connection between Leavitt and Florida transfer Eugene Wilson III at the 13:38 mark in the first quarter. Clemson responded with a 1-yard touchdown run from senior quarterback Christopher Vizzina, but another bomb from Leavitt, this time a 93-yard pass to Watkins, reclaimed the lead. LSU kicker Scott Starzyk missed on the point-after attempt, and a 30-yard field goal from Clemson’s Nolan Hauser brought the score to 13-10 at the end of the quarter.
Another massive play for the Tigers’ offense blew the game wide open. Leavitt called his own number and ran for 86 yards to the house midway through the second quarter, surpassing Jayden Daniels’ 85-yard score against Florida in 2023 for the longest run ever by a Tigers QB. LSU piled on with a 1-yard TD pass to Kansas State transfer wideout Jayce Brown and ended the half up 30-10 after a 30-yard Starzyk field goal in the final seconds.
Clemson was held scoreless after the 54-second mark in the first quarter. Vizzina finished 10 for 25 for just 90 yards, no doubt in part thanks to a deafening Death Valley – Baton Rouge version. True freshman Naeem Burroughs led Clemson with 31 receiving yards on two catches. Sophomore running back Gideon Davidson had a more productive evening with his 13 carries for 84 yards.
After a scoreless third quarter, LSU offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. clicked in the final frame. The Tigers tacked on 14 more points thanks to a 9-yard run from Berry and 7-yard reception from Watkins, his second score of the night.
It was a near-perfect performance for the Tigers. Leavitt’s 448 passing yards would be the sixth most in a game in LSU history, and the success of the rushing attack would help to silence any doubts about the Tigers’ offensive line.
Player ratings reign supreme in CFB 27 simulations. LSU’s 88 overall rating is the eighth-best in the game while Clemson’s 83 overall is tied for No. 23. The disparity reflects the all-star roster Kiffin has built this offseason with the nation’s No. 1 transfer class.
The mock game did miss the mark in a few aspects, though. Someone needs to tell EA that Wisconsin transfer Dilin Jones is the new sheriff in the Tigers’ backfield. He is expected to be the lead back Saturday night, but did not record a carry in the sim. Junior tight end Trey’Dez Green was also abnormally quiet, catching just three passes for 39 yards. He scored two touchdowns against Clemson last year, and many expect the preseason All-American to take another step up in production under Kiffin and Weis this season.
So, will CFB 27’s prediction come to fruition Saturday night?
Probably not exactly.
But it was a fun break from the lawsuits and temporary restraining orders.
By the way, tight end Dae’Quan Wright, who has practiced with LSU this week after joining the Tigers via the new NFL transfer portal, did not play in the sim.
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