Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford has dominated the buildup to LSU’s matchup with Ole Miss, but the game still comes down to the men on the field. Kiffin said earlier this week that the players will decide it, and that point matters here. He won’t be throwing touchdowns, and Pete Golding won’t be making tackles.
There’s no shortage of headliners in this one. Sam Leavitt leads LSU at quarterback, while Trinidad Chambliss is the name steering the Ole Miss side. And if LSU is going to go into a top-10 road environment and come out with a win, it will need strong nights from three players who sit right at the center of the game plan.
Leavitt is the biggest one. Through two games in a Tiger uniform, he has already shown both sides of the coin.
He opened his LSU career against Clemson with an interception on his first series, then settled in and played electric football the rest of the way. A week later against Louisiana Tech, he threw three interceptions and still piled up more than 300 passing yards.
That kind of volatility won’t fly against Ole Miss. LSU’s offense leans on Leavitt, and this matchup gives him very little room to ease in.
Golding’s defense is the toughest LSU has faced so far, which means the Tigers need their quarterback ready from the jump. He has to start fast, not search for rhythm.
The upside is obvious. Leavitt brings one of the best arms in the SEC and can hurt defenses with his legs, too.
LSU also still needs its downfield passing game to come alive. Ole Miss corners like to play aggressively, and that can open the door for receivers to get loose deep.
When those shots are there, LSU has to take them.
Up front, LSU made a major investment for a game exactly like this. Jordan Seaton, the Colorado transfer at left tackle, was brought in to handle pressure nights and elite matchups.
Through two weeks, he has been one of the SEC’s best tackles. That level has to hold.
Seaton gets a difficult assignment with Ole Miss edge rushers Suntarine Perkins and Kam Franklin. They’re both among the league’s best, but they get there in different ways.
Perkins is the finesse threat. Franklin brings power.
Seaton has to deal with both.
His job starts with Leavitt’s blindside in pass protection. It doesn’t stop there. LSU also needs him to help control the edge in the run game so the Tigers can get something going off tackle.
Then there’s Ty Benefield, the Boise State transfer who has already become one of LSU’s biggest portal additions. He has backed up the preseason buzz with strong play, showing range in the deep middle and a willingness to come downhill against the run.
That versatility is exactly what LSU needs against Ole Miss. The Rebels will look to Kewan Lacy to pop an explosive run, and Benefield is in the right spot to help prevent that. LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker may also send him on a few blitzes, with Trinidad Chambliss in mind.
Benefield has been billed as one of the country’s top defenders. Against Ole Miss, he gets a chance to back that up with a performance that stands out.
In Other News...
Lane Kiffin Family Drama Just Added Another Twist To LSU Week
Landry Kiffin picked a familiar college-football backdrop for the launch of her new clothing brand, Fifth Year, rolling out the live sale during the LSU-Ole Miss game. The brand leans into activewear and gameday apparel, built around college colors and traditions, which makes the timing feel especially on-brand for a family that has spent plenty of time around both sidelines.
For LSU fans, the launch adds another layer to a week already shaped by the Kiffin familys connections to both programs. Landrys ties to LSU and Ole Miss give Fifth Year a built-in crossover appeal, and the coincidence of debuting it on game day only sharpened the spotlight around a matchup that was already going to draw attention well beyond the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Suddenly Has A Huge Ole Miss Question At Quarterback
An already important trip to Ole Miss got more complicated for LSU when quarterback Sam Leavitt was listed as doubtful because of an undisclosed injury. Leavitts availability had been one of the biggest factors in how this matchup was being framed, and his status now hangs over everything LSU is trying to sort out before kickoff.
If Leavitt cannot go, Elon transfer Landen Clark is expected to step in and make the start, which would put a lot more on LSUs shoulders in a tough road environment. The betting line has already moved in Ole Misss favor since the news broke, a pretty clear sign of how much this quarterback situation has changed the outlook for the Tigers. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Ole Miss Rivalry Just Picked Up An Ugly Off Field Twist
The LSU-Ole Miss rivalry already has plenty of edge on the field, but now it has spilled into the courtroom in a way that reaches straight into the Tigers roster. Ole Miss has filed breach-of-contract lawsuits against former Rebels Princewill Umanmielen and Devin Harper after both transferred to LSU, putting a legal wrinkle on what is usually just another bitter SEC football matchup.
Umanmielen was served court papers tied to the lawsuit just before LSUs game against Ole Miss, and he now has to respond with discovery documents as the case moves forward. The suit seeks nearly $1 million in penalties and is aimed at sorting out revenue-sharing obligations between the schools, turning a familiar rivalry into something far messier than a Saturday in Oxford or Baton Rouge. [Read more 🡒]