LSU wasted little time putting McNeese State in a hole, and the Tigers were already up 35-0 by halftime behind a sharp first half from Sam Leavitt and a breakout showing from true freshman Corey Barber Jr.
Barber, a true freshman wide receiver, made the most of his chances early. He finished the first half with four catches for 45 yards, and two of them went for touchdowns - a 6-yard score and a 12-yard grab that helped LSU blow the game open. Barber entered the night with just one reception for 15 yards across three previous games, but he looked right at home against McNeese.
Leavitt, playing despite a hamstring injury, never appeared limited. He went 18 of 23 for 176 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, directing an offense that piled up 347 yards and 20 first downs before the break.
His first touchdown toss to Barber came with 4:01 left in the second quarter and pushed LSU ahead 28-0. Not long after, Leavitt found Barber again from 12 yards out to make it 35-0 with 57 seconds remaining in the half.
LSU got production all over the field. Harlem Berry, seeing more action than usual, ran 10 times for a team-best 89 yards in the first half.
Dilin Jones handled the usual starting duties at running back and added 79 yards on 16 carries. Eugene Wilson III also made his presence felt with four catches for 58 yards.
Roman Mothershed, who moved from wide receiver to tight end last week, added another early touchdown with a 1-yard catch in the first quarter that put LSU up 14-0. He finished the half with two receptions for 11 yards. Winnie Watkins Jr. had three catches for 40 yards, while Jackson Harris added three grabs for 17 yards.
The Tigers also got a lift from backup quarterback Landen Clark, who started the second half after scoring on a 3-yard run that made it 21-0 with 7:37 to play before halftime.
McNeese did open with some success, putting together a 30-yard drive in seven plays - the longest opening drive by an LSU opponent this season. But that series ended when LSU safety Tamarcus Cooley intercepted Jake Strong and returned it 21 yards to the McNeese 48, setting up the Tigers’ first score.
Barber, Berry and Mothershed were all listed by Tiger Rag last week among eight reserve players to watch against McNeese State, and all three delivered in the first half.
In Other News...
Clemson Ties Make This LSU Coaching Hoax Even More Disturbing
A cruel social media hoax briefly spread around LSU on Thursday when a parody account posing as passing game coordinator George McDonald falsely announced the death of inside wide receivers coach Sawyer Jordan. The post used a black-and-white photo and a misleading caption, and because it looked official enough to catch fire quickly, it was shared widely before being pulled down.
Jordan is alive and actively coaching, but the damage was done by the time the fake post disappeared. The reaction from fans and commentators was immediate and largely angry, a reminder of how quickly impersonation accounts can turn something ugly into a public mess, while LSU's football program has yet to address the incident. [Read more 🡒]
LSU's QB Plan Just Got More Complicated Than Fans Hoped
Sam Leavitt took the field against McNeese State despite working through a hamstring injury from the previous week, and that alone made LSUs quarterback picture worth watching. What had looked like a chance to settle into a simple rhythm instead came with built-in caution, especially with backup quarterbacks Landen Clark and Husan Longstreet also expected to handle meaningful snaps.
The quarterback situation was not the only wrinkle in LSUs lineup, either. Safety Ty Benefield and William Satterwhite II were in the starting mix in place of injured or replaced players, a reminder that the Tigers were juggling more than one personnel puzzle as the game unfolded. For a team that would prefer cleaner answers this early, the larger concern is how much of the rotation may still be in flux. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Sent LSU A Clear Message In A Blowout Win
The blowout over McNeese State was one of those games that can tempt a team to drift, but LSU kept piling on offense and stayed sharp from start to finish. The Tigers set program records for first downs and total offensive plays, while finishing with the second-most total yards in school history, a sign that the production never really let up even as the margin kept growing.
Lane Kiffin made sure the tone stayed right, too. He called a timeout before the second half despite the comfortable lead and worked through substitutions that reinforced his expectations for effort and standards, sending a clear message that the details still matter even in a lopsided win. For a team trying to build more than just a scoreboard result, that kind of attention can be as important as the numbers themselves. [Read more 🡒]