No. 11 LSU’s 63-14 win over McNeese State on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium wasn’t just a blowout. It was one of those games that gave you a little bit of everything - a quarterback fighting through a sore hamstring, a freshman defensive tackle piling up sacks and then bulldozing in for a touchdown, and a deep bench getting real work before Kentucky arrives.
Sam Leavitt was in the lineup after a week of questions about whether he’d be able to go, and he answered with a gutsy half of football. He threw for 176 yards and three touchdowns in a little less than a half, which is strong production given the circumstances.
But the interception issue followed him again. Leavitt’s seventh pick of the season came in this one, and he has now thrown at least one interception in every game this year.
That’s the part that keeps sticking out.
Then there was Deuce Geralds, who keeps adding to what is already a striking freshman season. The defensive tackle got to five sacks in the first half, which was expected enough against an overmatched McNeese offense.
What wasn’t expected came next: Geralds lined up at running back - or fullback, if you want to make LSU’s Jacob Hester happy - and punched in a 1-yard score. It brought to mind Booger McFarland’s freshman year in 1995, when McFarland went on to become an All-American.
Geralds has that kind of ceiling.
LSU also used the night to work deeper into the roster. Lane Kiffin didn’t seem to sit any key starters, but he did give plenty of reps to the reserves.
Freshman wideout Corey Barber caught the first two touchdowns of his career, while quarterbacks Landen Clark and Husan Longstreet also got into the mix. It wasn’t spotless - the Tigers had three straight punts and allowed two long touchdowns in the third quarter - but the bigger goal was clear: conserve energy and move on toward Kentucky.
In Other News...
LSU May Have Found A New Weapon In Saturday's Rout
Saturdays rout offered LSU something it has been searching for on offense: another young target who can do real damage as soon as the ball is snapped. True freshman Corey Barber Jr. made the most of his chances in the first half, hauling in four passes for 45 yards and two touchdowns as the Tigers quickly separated from McNeese State and turned the game into a runaway before halftime.
The timing matters, too, because LSU got that burst while quarterback Sam Leavitt was still managing a hamstring injury and still finished the day efficiently through the air. By halftime, the Tigers had already piled up a 35-0 lead, outgained McNeese State 347 yards to 31 and owned a 20-2 edge in first downs, a sign that the offense was operating with more rhythm and more answers than the opponent could handle. [Read more 🡒]
LSU's QB Plan Just Got More Complicated Than Fans Hoped
LSUs quarterback picture already had a little fog around it, and the McNeese State game only made it thicker. Sam Leavitt was back under center as the regular starter even while working through a hamstring injury from the previous week, a reminder that the Tigers are managing more than just the normal September wear and tear. Behind him, Landen Clark and Husan Longstreet were also slated for meaningful snaps, keeping the offense in a state of shared responsibility rather than a clean, settled hierarchy.
It was not just the quarterback room feeling the strain. Safety Ty Benefield and William Satterwhite II also started in place of injured or replaced players, which says plenty about how many moving parts LSU has had to sort through at once. For a team trying to establish rhythm early, the challenge is no longer simply who starts, but how quickly the Tigers can get continuity while those rotations keep shifting around them. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Sent LSU A Clear Message In A Blowout Win
LSUs 63-14 win over McNeese State looked one-sided long before it was over, but the bigger takeaway may have been the way Lane Kiffin handled it. The Tigers piled up a program-record number of first downs and offensive plays while finishing with the second-most total yards in school history, a reminder that the performance stayed sharp from start to finish even after the margin opened up.
Kiffin still found ways to keep the edge intact, calling timeout before the second half despite the comfortable lead and making substitutions that were as much about message as matchup. It was a clear push to reinforce his standards and the culture he wants in place, even in a game that could have easily drifted into empty snaps and soft focus. [Read more 🡒]