LSU found an unusual little wrinkle in Saturday night’s 63-14 win over McNeese State: a quarterback fielding punts.
Husan Longstreet, a redshirt freshman from USC who was ranked No. 4 nationally at quarterback in the 2025 class out of Corona, California, made two fair catches in the second half after recently working on punt return duty in practice. It’s a rare sight anywhere, and at LSU it appears to be a first since Carl Otis Trimble of Tallulah in the 1975 season. Trimble, known as the black Joe Namath, returned four punts for 65 yards that year and also ran back seven kickoffs for 124 yards, though he had already moved from quarterback to split back before that season.
The quarterback-to-punt-returner lane has been traveled before. Joe Theismann did it at Notre Dame from 1967-70 and later for Washington in the NFL while backing up Sonny Jurgensen and Billy Kilmer in 1974. Theismann returned 15 punts for 157 yards, then two more the next season for five yards before taking over as the full-time starter in 1976 and ’77 and eventually holding the job from 1978-85.
At LSU, the idea came from running backs coach Kevin Smith, and Lane Kiffin credited him for the suggestion.
“Kevin brought that up,” LSU coach Lane Kiffin said Sunday afternoon on his weekly teleconference. “And Kevin’s the best running backs coach in the country.
That was his idea. Husan has good hands.
He’s quick with the ball, and he’s been great in practice doing it.”
Longstreet also got work at quarterback once the game was well in hand. He completed 6 of 9 passes for 62 yards after starter Sam Leavitt and Landen Clark had already played, and he added 32 rushing yards on four carries.
Leavitt, meanwhile, stayed in the pocket all night as he continues to deal with a minor hamstring injury from last week’s win over Texas A&M. He finished 18 of 23 for 176 yards and three touchdowns with one interception.
“Sam’s had some great throws the last two weeks,” Kiffin said.
When asked what a fully healthy Leavitt should look like, Kiffin pointed to timing and footwork.
“Play in rhythm, set his feet and throw. We’ll be playing better defensive fronts than we have the last two weeks.”
No. 10 LSU, now 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the Southeastern Conference, heads to No.
25 Kentucky on Saturday at 6 p.m. on ESPN. The Wildcats are 4-1 and 2-1 in the SEC.
That game opens a brutal stretch for LSU: seven straight conference matchups to close the regular season, four of them on the road.
With the Tigers up 35-0 early and Kiffin emptying the bench, the focus shifted to who made the most of the snaps. He landed on sophomore running back Harlem Berry, who followed up his 58-yard effort on seven carries against Texas A&M with 125 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries against McNeese State.
“That gives you a lot of confidence in your second back,” Kiffin said, adding that Berry is improving as a pass blocker. He also praised Dilin Jones’ pass protection, calling it “elite,” which is part of why Jones remains the No. 1 back.
Kiffin also singled out true freshman receiver Corey Barber, who took advantage after Winnie Watkins Jr. dropped two passes. Barber caught seven passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns, giving him his first meaningful action of the season. Before Saturday, his only catch had been a 15-yard grab in the opener against Clemson.
“That was great to see,” Kiffin said. “Those are the ones that come to mind.”
There was also movement up front. William Satterwhite II, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Tennessee, started at left guard for the second straight game ahead of fifth-year senior Bo Bordelon, who had started the first three.
“Yeah, he’s done well,” Kiffin said. “We’re still rotating.
They’ve both done well. They don’t wear down as much, and that makes us better.”
Kiffin also addressed the sideline scene late in the game, after LSU’s defense gave up back-to-back touchdowns on 43- and 64-yard passes because of blown coverages. He said two people told him his rant looked like something Nick Saban might do, and he admitted the comparison made sense.
“Two people said today that my rant reminded me of him,” Kiffin said. “Except I was on the other end.
One of our cornerbacks had just given up an outside touchdown. Then a safety gave up an outside touchdown.
We had two (backup) quarterbacks not ready to go into the game. I don’t care what string you are, you can’t do that.
When I went to Alabama (2014-16 under Saban), it definitely changed the way I thought.”
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Leavitt said he expects to be fully healthy for Kentucky, which could give LSU another layer to work with if he looks like himself again. The injury forced him to focus more on passing, but a healthier version of Leavitt could change the way the Tigers attack the Wildcats and restore some of the dual-threat element that makes their offense tougher to defend. [Read more 🡒]