LSU’s defense has come a long way in a hurry.
Three years after finishing near the bottom of the sport, the Tigers are sitting at No. 1 nationally in total defense through two games in 2026, allowing just 142.5 yards a game. That kind of turnaround would sound wild on its own, but it gets even louder when you remember where this unit started: No. 105 in 2023, giving up 416.6 yards a game and ranking 15th out of 16 SEC teams.
The early numbers are eye-popping, even if the opponents have not exactly been a murderer’s row. LSU opened by crushing Clemson 51-10, then followed that with a 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech.
Against Clemson, the Tigers gave up only 145 total yards, eight first downs and 40 net rushing yards on 1.5 a carry. Against Tech, they were even stingier on the ground, allowing minus-3 rushing yards on 31 carries while surrendering just 140 total yards.
That puts LSU at No. 2 nationally in rush defense as well, with only 18.5 yards allowed per game.
The schedule context matters. Clemson entered the weekend ranked No. 134 of 138 FBS teams in total offense at 246 yards per game, and Louisiana Tech sat at No. 110 at 334 yards per game. Clemson did rebound to beat Georgia Southern 22-7 on Saturday, while Tech was coming off an 80-6 win over Northwestern State, an FCS team that had already lost to NAIA Louisiana Christian 42-37 in Week 1.
Still, LSU has taken care of business exactly the way a top defense is supposed to.
Defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s rise has tracked the whole transformation. LSU brought him in after firing Matt House and clearing out the rest of the defensive staff following the 2023 season.
Under House, the Tigers were 115th in the nation against the pass and last in the SEC at 255.6 passing yards allowed per game. In 2024, LSU improved to 61st nationally in total defense at 364.4 yards allowed a game, then climbed again last season to No. 27 at 328.7.
Now the Tigers are all the way at the top.
After the win over Tech, Lane Kiffin didn’t hold back.
“I thought our defense was lights out again,” Kiffin said after the win over Tech. “Amazing job - negative yards rushing, even with the twos (second team).
But the first team was really lights out. It’s almost like you felt like they were going to get turnovers on every possession, so that was awesome.”
LSU backed that up with two fumble recoveries, an interception and seven sacks of Tech quarterback Blake Baker, who is no relation to the defensive coordinator. Edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, the senior transfer from Ole Miss, accounted for three of those sacks and finished with five tackles. On the season, he has 4.5 sacks and 11 tackles.
The first real stress test comes Saturday night in Oxford.
No. 7 LSU, 2-0, will play No.
8 Ole Miss, 2-0, at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at 6:30 p.m. on ABC. The Rebels bring a potent offense led by senior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and junior running back Kewan Lacy.
Last season, under then-Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin and then-offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., those two helped push the Rebels to a 13-1 finish, including a 7-1 mark in SEC play, before Ole Miss fell in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Kiffin and Weis are both now at LSU.
Ole Miss is No. 39 in total offense at 454 yards per game. LSU is third nationally at 620.5 yards per game.
Chambliss has completed 44 of 62 passes for 561 yards, five touchdowns and one interception, and his passing efficiency rating is 170.4, which ranks 33rd nationally. He has also rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Lacy has 148 rushing yards on 30 carries with three touchdowns.
“They have the best running back and quarterback in the country last season coming back,” Kiffin said Monday. “That’s going to put them in a position to win a lot of games.
So, we’re going to have to prepare really well. That’s a big challenge for our defense.
Here’s the best playing quarterback in the country last year. And he doesn’t make many mistakes.
You’re dealing with a really mature quarterback. So, you’re going to have to play really well for a long period of time.”
And for LSU’s defense, that’s the kind of test that will tell the real story.
In Other News...
Greg McElroy Just Framed Ole Miss LSU In A Way Fans Wont Love
With No. 7 LSU headed into a marquee Week 3 matchup with No. 8 Ole Miss, Greg McElroy took a close look at what could decide one of the early seasons biggest tests. On his Always College Football show, the former Alabama quarterback settled on LSU to win 31-24, while pointing to questions around Ole Miss ability to force turnovers and sustain enough offense to keep pace.
For LSU fans, the more eye-catching part may have been McElroys assessment of the Tigers defense, which he called the strongest unit he has seen this season. That kind of praise only raises the stakes for a matchup that already feels like a measuring-stick game, with both teams entering ranked near the top and a lot of national attention fixed on how LSU handles a dangerous Ole Miss challenge. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Fans Heading To Oxford Just Got A Rivalry Warning
Ole Miss is drawing a hard line for Saturday nights matchup with LSU, announcing that no one wearing Tigers gear or colors will be allowed in the student section at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The move comes with the rivalry already carrying extra edge after past tensions between the fan bases, including an arrest during a recent baseball series that underscored how quickly things can spill over.
For LSU fans headed to Oxford, it is a clear warning that the atmosphere will be tightly controlled around the student area as the Tigers and Rebels meet in prime time. The game is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC, and even before kickoff, the off-field boundary-setting has added another layer to a matchup that rarely needs help getting attention. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Walks Into A Tense Oxford Scene With More Than A Game At Stake
LSUs trip to Oxford carries the usual SEC weight on the field, but this one has brought a sharper edge to the buildup. With a huge crowd expected and additional security measures in place, Ole Miss officials have stressed that the changes are driven first by attendance and logistics. Still, the atmosphere around the game has taken on a more charged feel than a standard rivalry week, with Lane Kiffin acknowledging the pressure that comes with walking into a hostile setting.
Kiffin has also become part of the conversation away from football, with comedians and fans directing personal attacks his way as the game approaches. His daughter responded publicly, calling out inappropriate comments and adding another layer to an already tense backdrop. For LSU, it means the focus in Oxford will not just be on a Saturday matchup, but on managing a night where the noise around the game may be just as loud as the crowd inside it. [Read more 🡒]