LSU spent the offseason in the middle of a storm of headlines, but when the ball was finally kicked off Saturday night in Tiger Stadium, Lane Kiffin’s team made sure the conversation shifted fast.
No. 11 LSU didn’t just handle Clemson in the sequel to the “Battle of the Death Valleys.” The Tigers blasted Clemson 51-10 and turned one of opening weekend’s marquee games into a rout.
“My job is not to please you and worry about what you’re going to write,” Kiffin said of recent controversies. “My job is what I believe is right and I believe we were fighting for what was right for those kids.”
The final score was ugly. The numbers behind it were even harsher.
LSU piled up 644 yards of offense to Clemson’s 145 and owned a 38-8 edge in first downs. The Tigers were 11-of-16 on third down.
Clemson managed just 1-of-13. LSU had already built a 31-3 halftime lead while outgaining Clemson 281-53, and by the time the backups took over, the game was long gone.
Clemson’s only points before the break came after LSU’s lone major mistake early. Sam Leavitt was intercepted on the second play of the game, giving Clemson the ball deep in LSU territory. The LSU defense answered by holding Clemson to two yards, forcing a 49-yard field goal and a 3-0 deficit that lasted only briefly.
From there, LSU scored 51 straight points.
One of the biggest blows came from the defense. Late in the first quarter, edge rusher Jordan Ross jumped in front of a Christopher Vizzina pass and took it 30 yards for a touchdown. That return covered more ground than Clemson managed on any single offensive play all night.
LSU’s offense kept building the margin with real drives, not shortcuts. The Tigers opened with an 89-yard march for a touchdown, then added scoring drives of 72 and 51 yards before halftime. After the break, they followed with 69 yards and then 66 yards for more touchdowns.
Leavitt was at the center of it all in his LSU debut. He finished 16-of-28 for 230 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and he added 113 rushing yards and two scores on 12 carries. His 113 yards matched running back Dilin Jones for the team lead.
Jones was just as important in the backfield, finishing with 23 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Together, Leavitt and Jones accounted for 226 rushing yards.
Winston Watkins Jr. led LSU’s receivers with seven catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. His 32-yard touchdown catch from Leavitt in the third quarter pushed the lead to 38-3 and wiped away any lingering doubt.
LSU’s defense kept the pressure on throughout the night. Whit Weeks led the Tigers with six tackles, Princewill Umanmielen had a team-best 1.5 sacks, and Ross delivered the defensive highlight with the pick-six.
Clemson didn’t reach the end zone until 3:13 remained in the fourth quarter, after LSU had emptied the bench. That score made it 51-10 and kept the margin from getting even more lopsided on the scoreboard.
Even LSU’s reserves got involved. Backup quarterback Landen Clark hit Phillip Wright III for a 30-yard touchdown with 6:43 left, accounting for the Tigers’ final points.
After an offseason filled with lawsuits, eligibility issues, former NFL players and plenty of noise that had little to do with football, LSU’s first real statement came on the field.
And it was loud.
LSU 51, Clemson 10.
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