By KACE KIESCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
After over two hours of a lightning and thunderstorm delay, LSU’s star-studded roster made its long-awaited first appearance of the Lane Kiffin era, and nothing could rain on LSU’s parade as the No. 11 Tigers took a 31-3 halftime lead over No. 23 Clemson in front of 102,321 at Tiger Stadium Saturday night.
On the opening drive of the game, Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt led the Tigers’ offense. The offensive line from left to right opened with Jordan Seaton at tackle, Bo Bordelon at guard, Braelin Moore at center, Aliou Bah at guard and Weston Davis at tackle. The Tigers opened in a three-wide receiver set with Eugene Wilson III, Malik Elzy and Winston Watkins Jr. Running back Dilin Jones and tight end Trey’Dez Green motioned from the backfield into an empty set.
After a Leavitt interception that Elzy should have caught on the game’s second play, the starting defense took over.
Transfers Princewill Umanmielen and Jordan Ross lined up on the defensive ends, while Clemson transfer Stephiylan Green and freshman Deuce Geralds filled the interior tackles. Linebackers Whit Weeks and TJ Dottery, cornerbacks DJ Pickett and PJ Woodland, Dashawn Spears at the star and safeties Ty Benefield and Tamarcus Cooley made up the rest of the starting defense.
Cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson came in as an extra defensive back on the first third down of the game. Ross substituted off, and Spears rushed off the edge in his place.
When the offense returned, Kansas State transfer Jayce Brown replaced Elzy. The rest of the lineup remained the same as Leavitt led a 10-play 59-yard drive that was highlighted by a 21-yard pass to Green and 14-yard reverse by Watkins on back-to-back plays. Placekicker Scott Starzyk capped it off with a 49-yard field goal to score the Tigers’ first points of the season.
And there were many more to come as LSU put up a whopping 336 yards of offense in the first half on 52 plays. Leavitt completed 9 of 19 passes for 123 yards and showed excellent speed and moves in rushing 11 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns. LSU put up 21 first downs, while the Tigers’ defense held Clemson to one first down and four rushing yards on 12 carries amid 54 total yards.
Auburn transfer Malik Blocton subbed in for Geralds at defensive tackle, and Dylan Carpenter replaced Ross on the edge to open the defense’s second series. Clemson quarterback Christopher Vizzina connected on a 22-yard completion to Bryant Wescoe Jr. before Weeks blew up a 3rd-and-2 two run near midfield to force the game’s first punt.
Hawaii transfer receiver Jackson Harris saw his first action when the offense took the field for the third time. It was not until the six minute, 39 second mark that Jones came off the field. He was replaced by Central Florida transfer running back Stacy Gage briefly before returning to punch in a 1-yard touchdown run. Returning backs Caden Durham and Harlem Berry did not play in the first half. A Starzyk extra point gave the Tigers a 10-3 lead.
We have a Lane Delay …https://t.co/OSE2HvyrIM
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 5, 2026
Defensive tackle Dominick McKinley made his first appearance as the defense began its third drive. Five-star freshman edge rusher Lamar Brown lined up on the interior for his first collegiate snap on the drive’s first third down. Ross dropped back into coverage from the edge, cut under a Vizzina pass towards the left hash and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown and 17-3 lead with 3;36 left in the first quarter.
Brown returned, this time at defensive end in place of Umanmielen and helped force another three-and-out to end the first quarter of the Kiffin era up 17-3.
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