LSU heads into its open week with a rare kind of résumé: top-tier on both sides of the ball.
Under first-year coach Lane Kiffin, the Tigers are one of just two FBS teams sitting inside the top 10 nationally in both total offense and total defense. LSU is No. 6 in total offense at 510 yards per game and No. 4 in total defense at 258.1 yards allowed per game. The only other school in that neighborhood is Ohio State, which ranks No. 10 in total offense at 476.3 yards a game and No. 6 in total defense at 264.3 yards allowed a game.
That balance is exactly what Kiffin said he expected from this group, especially given the transfer-heavy makeup of the roster. LSU brought in 42 players through the portal, and Kiffin had said before the season and early in it that the team would be at its best later on, just as his teams were during his time at Ole Miss from 2020-25.
Now the Tigers appear to be hitting that point. LSU is 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the SEC after what Kiffin described as its best game of the season at Auburn, and the timing could not be better with the final four regular-season games all coming against SEC opponents.
The run starts Saturday, Nov. 7, when No. 15 LSU hosts No.
10 Alabama at 2:30 p.m. on ABC in Tiger Stadium. The Tigers then stay home for No.
11 Texas on Nov. 14 before closing the regular season with road games at No. 16 Tennessee on Nov. 21 and at Arkansas on Nov.
- The SEC Championship Game is set for Dec. 5 at 3 p.m. on ABC.
“Most teams in the SEC usually have a glaring offense or defense between total offense and defense, and we don’t have those,” Kiffin said. “Our offensive and defensive statistics are really good.
We lead the SEC in both offense and defense - top 10 nationally in both. It goes to show what we’ve been saying about the team - we have really good players who play really good at times.
And usually when we screw up, it’s us making mistakes.”
The numbers back that up across the board.
LSU’s passing game is No. 1 in the SEC and No. 6 nationally at 318 yards per game, while the defense ranks No. 3 in the SEC and No. 18 nationally against the pass, allowing 172.8 yards a game. Against the run, the Tigers are even sharper on defense, giving up just 85.4 yards per game, which ranks No. 1 in the SEC and No. 6 nationally. The rushing offense has been solid as well, checking in at No. 5 in the SEC and No. 33 nationally at 192 yards per game.
Third down has been another strong point. LSU’s offense is converting 51 percent of its third downs, going 61 for 118, which ranks No. 2 in the SEC and No. 16 nationally. On the other side, the defense is holding opponents to 30 percent on third down, allowing 35 conversions in 114 tries, good for second in the SEC and 16th nationally.
The Tigers are also scoring at a high clip. LSU’s offense is averaging 40.1 points per game, ranking No. 7 nationally and No. 2 in the SEC, while the defense is giving up 16 points a game, which is also No. 2 in the SEC and No. 17 nationally.
Still, Kiffin pointed to one area that needs work during the open date.
“We need to improve in some areas as we self-scout,” Kiffin said. “One would be turnover margin.”
LSU enters the break at minus-2 in turnover margin, ranking No. 87 nationally and No. 11 in the SEC. The offense has coughed up three fumbles, while quarterback Sam Leavitt has thrown eight interceptions for 11 total giveaways.
Leavitt, though, has not thrown an interception in the last two weeks. The defense has produced nine takeaways, including two fumble recoveries and seven interceptions, but the Tigers still sit at minus-2 overall.
“That’s the one glaring thing,” Kiffin said. “When we don’t screw up games, we’re really hard to beat. I think we play as well as any team in the country.”
In Other News...
LSU Is Getting Healthier Right As Its Toughest Stretch Begins
LSU is finally starting to get some good news on the injury front at a time when it badly needs it. Tight end TreyDez Green made his return in Week 8 after dealing with a knee injury, giving the Tigers another option back in the lineup as they come out of the bye week and prepare for the grind of the SEC schedule.
Whit Weeks is the bigger name to watch next, with the linebacker targeting a return for Alabama after recovering from an ankle fracture. LSU still has several players sidelined for the year, so the roster is far from whole, but getting healthier now matters with the toughest stretch of the season ahead and little margin for error left. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Doubles Down On LSU Move Amid Early Tigers Scrutiny
Lane Kiffin is already leaning into the realities of his move from Ole Miss to LSU, and he made clear during a media teleconference and a podcast appearance that he has no second thoughts about it. He talked up the football culture in Baton Rouge, pointed to the support around the program and framed the decision as one rooted in the long view, even as the Tigers continue to draw early scrutiny around how the transition is unfolding.
Kiffin also addressed where LSU stands right now on the field and in the roster-building process, sounding optimistic about where the program can go from here. The early-season conversation has naturally focused on results and fit, but Kiffins message was less about immediate hand-wringing and more about believing the foundation is there for something bigger to develop. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Hate What Happened To This Alabama Showdown
The SEC finally put a clock on LSUs November 7 showdown with Alabama, and for Tiger fans, it is one they did not want to see. The league announced the game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC, setting up the first afternoon meeting between the programs in Baton Rouge since 2010 and taking away the kind of night atmosphere that has long made this rivalry feel bigger than a regular conference game.
It also gives the matchup a little extra weight beyond the usual stakes. This will be the final annual meeting before the SECs revised scheduling rotation interrupts the series, and LSU and Alabama will not be back in Baton Rouge together until at least 2030. For a fan base that expected one more true primetime version of this game, the television slot landed like a letdown. [Read more 🡒]