By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt’s penchant for leaving the passing pocket too early in recent weeks was hamstringing the Tigers’ offense.
Leavitt’s hamstring took care of that in the second quarter of the No. 10 Tigers’ 35-6 humiliation of No. 23 Texas A&M on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. The redshirt junior was forced to stay in the pocket to avoid the pain, rather than cut and run. As a result, he kept his feet on the ground and buried the Aggies beneath them by throwing more accurately.
“‘Sam obviously was very injured,” LSU coach Lane Kiffin said. “I joked to him that was the best thing that could’ve happened, because he had to stay in the pocket and throw on time. He knew he couldn’t run. Really gutsy performance by him. I was actually getting ready to take him out. He said, no way he was coming out. He was going to play through it. I’m not a doctor, but it’s a hamstring. It will eventually come back (and heal).”
“So, that’s a really quality win. I thought the fans were great. It was awesome, electric. I saw a lot of their fans left. That was good.” … Lane Kiffin https://t.co/rpLNvWCyK1
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 27, 2026
Leavitt completed 17 of 23 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns, including a 57-yard bomb on fourth-and-one to wide receiver Jackson Harris for a commanding 21-3 lead with 10:57 to go in the third quarter. He rushed just five times for 22 yards – all in the first half – and was not sacked after two last week and a boatload of hurries. He came into the game second on the team in rushing with 198 yards and six TDs on 40 carries
“It was just a little something to keep me in the pocket,” Leavitt said. “I’ll be just fine. In the second quarter, I was running to the sideline and felt a little pull. The way I was able to stay in the pocket, having the little injury kind of helped with that.”
The injury grew worse as the game went on, and so, the more Leavitt stayed in the pocket. In the third quarter, he was on fire, hitting 9 of 11 passes for 160 yards with the 57-yard TD to Harris. With a 35-6 lead entering the fourth quarter, Kiffin gave Leavitt the rest of the night off.
The way Leavitt sounded, he may stay in the pocket more when his hamstring does heal.
“My pocket presence, being calm, flat-footed and then just delivering the ball and having nothing but faith when I let go of it,” he said. “That was the emphasis of the week going into every single play. And it showed up today, so that’s going to be something I’ve got to keep pushing for and getting better at.”
Leavitt praised the hamstring injury and injuries one can continue playing with in general in a way.
“I’ve been playing tackle football since I was in the second grade, so it’s kind of funny. It (an injury) almost kind of locks you in on a different level when you get a little hurt,” he said. “Because you don’t have another option, other than distributing the ball. It’s like playing pure point guard in a different way than I have all season. I told the offensive line I might need a little more time back there, because I’m not going to be able to run around and make any plays.”
Instead he made plays by standing still.
He will still run when healthy, but then he’ll be able to mix it up. And that will make him even more dangerous.
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