LSU’s opening statement against Clemson was loud enough to turn heads across the sport, but Louisiana Tech’s first week may have forced the Tigers to pay even closer attention to what’s coming next.
The Bulldogs didn’t just beat Northwestern State in their season opener. They flattened the Demons 80-6 and made history in the process, piling up the most points in program history. It was the kind of scoreboard eruption that can’t be brushed aside, even with LSU rolling into Week 2 as a heavy favorite.
Louisiana Tech’s offense was humming from start to finish. The Bulldogs scored 10 offensive touchdowns and finished with 528 yards of total offense, including 296 through the air and 232 on the ground. They were close to nine yards per play against Northwestern State, a number that jumps off the page no matter the opponent.
Lane Kiffin didn’t ignore what Louisiana Tech put on tape. In his Monday press conference, he made clear that the Bulldogs’ offensive output carried real weight.
“Any time you score 80 points, even over 50, no matter who you're playing, that's doing a lot of things right on offense, and they're very well coached," Kiffin said.
That’s the part LSU has to respect: the Bulldogs weren’t just winning, they were doing it with efficiency and control. And the challenge doesn’t stop on one side of the ball.
Defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s group handled Clemson with authority, holding the Tigers to under 150 yards of total offense. Clemson barely got past 100 yards passing and was kept under 50 on the ground. That kind of performance sets a standard LSU will want to carry into this week.
But Louisiana Tech’s defense also gave a strong first impression. Northwestern State managed only 129 total yards, with 43 coming through the air and 86 on the ground, while averaging just 2.1 yards per play. Kiffin pointed out that the Bulldogs’ defensive structure is not the usual look.
“They’re very different on defense,” Kiffin said. “The defense they play is really unusual, and so you've got to change a lot of rules and do a lot of different things and stuff... it just presents a lot of challenges, and they played great, obviously, on all phases last week.”
LSU is obviously walking into a much tougher matchup than Louisiana Tech faced in Week 1, but the Bulldogs’ opener was too big to dismiss. For the Tigers, the key is staying locked in and not drifting ahead to the No.
9 Ole Miss Rebels on the schedule. A clean showing against Louisiana Tech would keep LSU’s momentum rolling into Week 3.
In Other News...
LSUs Ex-Pro Fight Just Ran Into A Bigger Roster Problem
LSUs roster picture got a lot tighter this week after the Tigers added injured players Aidan Anding and Gabriel Reliford to the official list, bringing the program to the NCAA limit of 105. For a team already juggling roster management and outside scrutiny, the move matters because it leaves no immediate room to add former NFL players DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris, even as the program continues sorting through the broader mess.
The situation has also spilled well beyond the depth chart. The SEC has threatened penalties and even a vote to expel LSU over its efforts to bring in the ex-professionals, while legal action involving LSU officials and the conference is still moving forward. Lane Kiffin has publicly backed the idea of signing Wright and Harris, saying he believed both were deserving of fifth seasons, but for now the Tigers are stuck with a roster logjam and no clear answer on what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Made A Roster Decision Fans Never Expected Under SEC Pressure
LSUs roster crunch got a lot more complicated after the Tigers added Gabriel Reliford and Aidan Anding to their 105-player roster, a move that quickly closed the door on two former NFL contract signees, DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris. The decision comes in the middle of a broader fight that has put the program in an uncomfortable spotlight, with the SEC taking a hard line on athletes who previously signed professional contracts and LSU pushing back on that interpretation.
The timing matters because this is not just a depth-chart issue, but a conference-level dispute that already escalated into an amended lawsuit threatening LSUs standing in the SEC. For now, the Tigers have chosen to move forward with two non-former professional players instead of opening those spots to Wright and Harris, leaving the bigger question unresolved as the legal and conference pressure continues to build. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Faces Mounting SEC Pressure In Fight That Could Force A Response
LSUs roster decision has turned into a broader SEC headache, with the conference now pressing the school over a move that brought former NFL players back into college football. Tony Clayton, who represents DaeQuan Wright and Zxavaian Harris, publicly took aim at commissioner Greg Sankey after LSU declined to roster his clients and instead added two injured players, a sequence that has only added fuel to an already tangled dispute.
The conference has threatened to expel LSU for violating bylaws that bar former professional players from returning to college, and the matter has spilled into federal court with the SEC, NCAA and LSU all caught in the legal crosscurrents. Lane Kiffin has denied orchestrating the players return, but he has backed them legally, leaving LSU in the middle of a fight that is no longer just about a depth chart and could end up forcing a response from the conference office. [Read more 🡒]