By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
No. 8 LSU and quarterback Sam Leavitt returned to earth on Saturday night, then took off again.
Leavitt threw three interceptions in the second quarter alone, got sacked four times in the first half and found himself and the Tigers leading 32-point underdog Louisiana Tech by only a field goal at the break. Then Leavitt and company exploded in the second half for a 45-14 win in front of a sold-out Tiger Stadium crowd of 102,321.
In the end, Leavitt completed 25 of 38 passes for 344 yards and a touchdown around those three interceptions and rushed for three touchdwons for the Tigers (2-0). But LSU looked nothing like the well-oiled machine it was last week in a 51-10, near-flawless, season-opening victory over No. 23 Clemson in the LSU debut of coach Lane Kiffin.
Leavitt threw behind wide receiver Jackson Harris at the goal line, and safety Jordan McRae caught it instead and dashed 100 yards for a touchdown to get the Bulldogs (1-1) within 10-7 with 1:53 left to play in the second quarter. The Tigers had just looked like they were about to go up 17-0 after reaching a third and goal at the Tech 6-yard line. Leavitt then threw another interception to linebacker Zheric Hill after he got LSU to the Tech 14-yard line with 29 seconds to play in the second quarter, keeping the score 10-7 at halftime.
Early in the second quarter, safety Kam Franklin started the trilogy of aerial turnovers with an interception of Leavitt.
“I think it’s a reality check,” Leavitt said. “We definitely need to practice better, practice harder. Really upset at myself. That (the interceptions) can’t happen.”
And Leavitt needs to work on his timing.
“Sam’s got to do a better job taking care of the ball,” Kiffin said. “You can see in some plays he was trying to do too much there because we’re not doing well. And the week before, he did a good job of not doing that. And you’ve got to not be frustrated in that.”
“I think it’s a reality check.”
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 13, 2026
-LSU QB Sam Leavitt after half off night. @kacehk https://t.co/vLK6IKQlp6
The Tigers went back to basics in the third quarter as running back Dilin Jones ripped off a 46-yard run to set up a 25-yard field goal by Scott Starzyk for a 13-7 lead. Jones finished with 66 yards on 18 carries to lead LSU’s sluggish run game after a sterling performance of 309 yards a week ago.
“Hey, we’ve got to be patient and got to win the game, regardless of what that looks like,” Kiffin said he told offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. at halftime. “Second half is 35-7, so that’s a lot of people doing things right.”
The Tigers also struggled in short yardage situations with the run game, particularly at the guard positions, which Kiffin pointed out about last week’s game.
“This was an offensive production issue about how we finish drives and taking care of the ball,” Kiffin said of the first half. “You’ve got to do a better job in the red zone. Inability to run the ball in direct runs. We had to start going around them with things. To be down there 10 times – two times without scores, really disappointing there. Credit to Louisiana Tech.”
The inside running and red zone offense will likely have to improve if LSU is going to win at No. 9 Ole Miss (2-0) on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ABC) as Kiffin – aka Mississippi Public Enemy No. 1 – returns to the site of his previous head coaching job for six seasons.
“The first SEC matchup, coach Kiffin’s return – it’s going to be electric for sure.”
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 13, 2026
-LSU LB Whit Weeks: https://t.co/oYYtW9wCPS
LSU kept running with Jones on its next drive and set up a 23-yard completion from Leavitt to tight end Trey’Dez Green to the Tech 27-yard line. Then Leavitt dashed nine yards for the touchdown and 21-7 lead with a two-point conversion at the 4:32 mark in the period. And the worried crowd breathed a sigh of relief. It was over.
“But we’re in a good place,” Kiffin said. “We’re winning by 31 points, and we’re really upset. We’ve got a good standard going.”
LSU took a 24-7 lead on a 23-yard field goal by Starzyk late in the third quarter after cornerback DJ Pickett set the Tigers up at the Tech 11-yard line with an interception and 32-yard return.
Then Leavitt, feeling more comfortable, cut it loose on the Tigers’ next possession with a 53-yard completion to wide receiver Eugene Wilson III to the 5-yard line. There, Leavitt called his number again for a 5-yard touchdown run and 31-7 lead at the 13-minute mark of the fourth quarter.
Leavitt found Green for a 10-yard touchdown and 38-7 lead with 9:41 to play after LSU safety Jhase Thomas set the Tigers up at the Tech 20-yard line with a 22-yard return. Backup quarterback Landen Clark made it 45-14 with a 7-yard touchdown run with 1:48 remaining.
LSU’s defense held Louisiana Tech to 140 total yards -3 rushing yards on 31 carries. And a week after Tech beat Northwestern State, 80-6, the Bulldogs’ only touchdown came with 8:08 to play came against the backup defense on a 67-yard pass from quarterack Blake Baker to wide receiver Jalen Mickens for a 38-14 score.
“The first team was really lights out,” Kiffin said of a defense that collected three turnovers and sacked Baker seven times, including three by former Ole Miss edge rusher Princwill Umanmielen.
“It’s almost like you felt like they were going to get turnovers on every possession,” Kiffin said of the defense. “So that was awesome. Really good job against an offense that put up 80 points last week.”
Overall, though, the Tigers looked ugly on offense often and will have to play much better, particularly on the offensive line with the run game against Ole Miss, which beat Charlotte, 41-9, on Saturday.
“But maybe it was perfect for us, because if we play good on offense, and the game is 70-7 or something, then you don’t have their attention,” Kiffin said, channeling his inner Nick Saban reverse psychology. “So, maybe it’s what we needed.”
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