Lane Kiffin didn’t spend much time feeding the noise after LSU’s 32-24 loss to Ole Miss. He backed Sam Leavitt, then laid out exactly why the quarterback’s night looked the way it did.
Leavitt, the Arizona State transfer who reportedly cost $6 million to become the new face of LSU football, had a rough opening in Oxford. His passing game never really got rolling in the first half, when he completed nine of 13 throws for just 46 yards. The Rebels made him work for everything, and his most productive moments came when he pulled the ball down and used his legs.
That’s the tension LSU is trying to manage now: getting Leavitt comfortable enough to play his game while still keeping the offense on schedule. Kiffin said he tried to make the situation clear to his team, especially with outside criticism swirling after the loss.
“I broke that down to the team so they understand, because I think often players see social media or whatever, and I don't know what it says, but I bet it says this week,” Kiffin said. “Okay, man, they showed the open receivers, you know, and Sam not hitting open receivers in the game - probably three different touchdowns - but then I break it down to them so they see.
“Okay, hey, wait, that seems easy. Just throw the ball to the open guy for a touchdown.
But when you get impacted early in the game by the rush, they did a really good job. …”
That rush was the story for much of the afternoon. Pete Golding’s Ole Miss defense kept coming after Leavitt, mixing standard pressure with simulated looks and blitzes that forced him to speed things up.
According to Pro Football Focus, Leavitt was pressured on 50 percent of his dropbacks. On those 19 pressured snaps, he completed just 55.6 percent of his passes for 47 yards.
The blitz numbers were a little better for LSU. Ole Miss sent extra rushers on 42.1 percent of dropbacks, and Leavitt responded by completing 69.2 percent of those throws with a touchdown. The game-ending interception, though, came against the blitz.
“Confidence is fragile at every position, but especially at quarterback because it's the one position you've got to do your job with, potentially getting hit from all over,” Kiffin said. “So, and when you have success, a lot of the plays he was having success was taking off on his own and doing things. So it's hard to stay in there when that's how the game was going.”
Leavitt did give LSU something with his legs, finishing with 63 rushing yards and a touchdown. Even so, Kiffin made it clear there’s still a step left for his quarterback to take.
“But he knows he got to do a better job of that, even in those situations, and deliver the ball on time and not try too much,” Kiffin said.
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LSUs Quarterback Situation Just Got Dragged Into A New Controversy
LSUs quarterback room has already carried plenty of weight this season, and now Sam Leavitts move to Baton Rouge has been pulled into a very different kind of spotlight. The Tigers loss to Ole Miss was the backdrop, but the noise afterward centered on social media attention around an account believed to be linked to Leavitts father, Jared Leavitt, a former BYU linebacker.
The posts drew controversy for comments about Muslims, and they quickly became part of the conversation around LSUs quarterback situation. As of now, LSU has not issued a statement about the social media posts, and there has been no apology from the account, leaving another off-field issue hanging over a team trying to settle things on the field. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Had Plenty To Say About This Ole Miss Sideshow
The LSU-Ole Miss matchup had plenty of on-field intrigue, but a separate social media subplot quickly grabbed attention around the game. A fan seated next to Barstools Ben Mintz was identified online as Hannah Minch, an Ole Miss supporter who already had a sizable following, and her appearance in the seats turned into one of those viral side stories that can travel fast during a big SEC weekend.
For LSU fans, it was another reminder of how much the conversation around this rivalry now spills well beyond the stadium. Minchs profile surged after the moment spread, while Lane Kiffin added his own layer to the night by speaking about the emotional closure he felt connected to his Ole Miss past and his current LSU role. It left plenty for both fan bases to debate long after the game itself faded from view. [Read more 🡒]
Trinidad Chambliss Had A Message LSU Fans Wont Like
Ole Miss left Baton Rouge with a 32-24 win, and Trinidad Chambliss made sure the tone afterward matched the result. The Rebels quarterback was sharp from the start, finishing 33 of 48 for 363 yards and two touchdowns, and his play helped Ole Miss build a 24-7 lead by halftime before LSU tightened things up in the second half.
Chambliss also had a message for anyone still sizing up the Rebels after the game. He said Ole Miss is here to compete, a confidence that fit the way he played when the pressure was at its highest. For LSU, it was the kind of loss that leaves a sting because the early deficit made the comeback chase so difficult, and because the opposing quarterback sounded anything but surprised by the stage. [Read more 🡒]