Lane Kiffin’s LSU debut had a late start, but the result came fast and loud once the game finally kicked off.
No. 11 LSU buried Clemson 51-10 on Saturday night in Baton Rouge, leaning on a rushing attack that kept rolling and a defense that turned the night into a nightmare for Dabo Swinney’s team. Sam Leavitt did plenty of damage with his legs and arm, Jordan Ross added a defensive touchdown, and LSU never let Clemson recover after the game’s opening minutes.
The delay was no small thing, either. A lightning storm pushed kickoff back nearly two hours at Tiger Stadium, where a sellout crowd of 102,000 had to wait through the rain before getting its first look at Kiffin on the LSU sideline. Once the game started, LSU wasted no time showing what this version of the Tigers wants to be.
By halftime, LSU was already ahead 31-3, had piled up 336 yards to Clemson’s 54, and owned a 21-1 edge in first downs. Kiffin, in a brief TV interview, couldn’t resist a jab.
“Imagine if we had pro players,” Kiffin said lightheartedly at the end of a brief TV interview at halftime, by which time LSU led 31-3, had outgained Clemson 336 yards to 54, and had 21 first downs to Clemson's one.
The offense looked every bit like a Kiffin group from the jump. LSU ran 23 plays for 140 yards in the first quarter alone, and the ground game kept smashing through Clemson’s front after that. LSU finished with 644 yards of offense and handed Clemson its worst loss in about 30 years.
Dilin Jones, the Wisconsin transfer, powered the backfield with 113 yards and two rushing touchdowns. He put LSU ahead for good with a 1-yard score to make it 10-3. Ross then flipped the game even more sharply with a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown, and Leavitt followed with rushing scores of 8 and 13 yards to send LSU into control late in the second quarter.
Leavitt finished with 113 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, and he added 230 passing yards and a passing TD. His third-quarter strike to Ole Miss transfer Winston Watkins Jr. covered 32 yards down the left sideline and stretched the lead further. Jones later added a 12-yard touchdown to make it 44-3.
After that, Leavitt was done for the night, opening the door for reserves Landen Clark and Husan Longstreet.
Clemson never found a rhythm. The Tigers briefly led 3-0 after cornerback Ashton Hampton intercepted Leavitt’s second pass of the game, but that was about as good as the night got. Swinney went to freshman Tait Reynolds late in the second quarter after starting quarterback Christopher Vizzina struggled to move the offense.
The numbers told the story. Clemson was held below 100 yards and didn’t reach the end zone until less than seven minutes remained in the fourth quarter. LSU’s defense also produced four sacks and a score, continuing the momentum from last season.
For LSU, the ground game was the headline. The Tigers ranked 126th nationally in rushing in 2025, averaging 104 yards per game, but that changed in a hurry here. With improved play up front, Jones in the mix, and Leavitt adding another layer with his legs, LSU rushed for 213 yards in the first half alone - more than it managed in any game last season.
Clemson, meanwhile, leaves with a lot to sort through after a loss that matched the program’s worst in roughly three decades. LSU gets Louisiana Tech next on Sept. 12.
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Clemson May Face A Brutal LSU Test Without A Key Starter
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Easton Ware appears to be the next man up if Sadler cannot go, and that would put a redshirt freshman into his first Clemson start at a spot where mistakes tend to be punished quickly. For an opener with that kind of physical pressure, the Tigers would prefer to have their veteran presence available, but for now the uncertainty lingers and the depth chart at right tackle remains one of the key details to watch. [Read more 🡒]