Sam Leavitt was back under center for LSU on Saturday night, and the Tigers didn’t waste much time showing they were ready to roll with him.
Leavitt started against McNeese State at Tiger Stadium despite a hamstring injury he picked up last week in the second quarter of LSU’s 35-6 home win over Texas A&M. There had been some expectation he might sit, especially with No. 11 LSU listed as a 52-point favorite over the Cowboys, but the regular starter was in the lineup.
The injury didn’t keep Leavitt out of last week’s game entirely. He stayed in for more than two quarters after getting hurt, though LSU kept him mostly in the pocket. Backup Landen Clark handled a heavy workload in short-yardage situations after that, rushing nine times for 41 yards and going 0-for-5 as a passer with two drops.
Leavitt opened efficiently on Saturday. On LSU’s first drive, he went 3 for 3 for 20 yards, completing throws of four, 10 and six yards. That series ended with a nine-play, 48-yard march that produced a 7-0 LSU lead, helped along by an interception from safety Tamarcus Cooley.
Clark, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Elon, was also expected to see plenty of action against McNeese State. Husan Longstreet, a redshirt freshman from USC, was expected to play as well.
LSU also had some changes on defense and up front. Ty Benefield made his second straight start at the star spot in place of Dashawn Spears, who is out for the season with a knee injury suffered at Ole Miss two weeks ago. Jhase Thomas started for the second week in a row at Benefield’s safety spot next to Cooley.
Up front, William Satterwhite II started at left guard for the second consecutive week, holding off Bo Bordelon, who had started LSU’s first three games.
In Other News...
LSU May Have Found A New Weapon In Saturday's Rout
Saturdays rout offered LSU something it has been searching for on offense: another young target who can do real damage as soon as the ball is snapped. True freshman Corey Barber Jr. made the most of his chances in the first half, hauling in four passes for 45 yards and two touchdowns as the Tigers quickly separated from McNeese State and turned the game into a runaway before halftime.
The timing matters, too, because LSU got that burst while quarterback Sam Leavitt was still managing a hamstring injury and still finished the day efficiently through the air. By halftime, the Tigers had already piled up a 35-0 lead, outgained McNeese State 347 yards to 31 and owned a 20-2 edge in first downs, a sign that the offense was operating with more rhythm and more answers than the opponent could handle. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Kiffin Sent LSU A Clear Message In A Blowout Win
LSUs 63-14 win over McNeese State looked one-sided long before it was over, but the bigger takeaway may have been the way Lane Kiffin handled it. The Tigers piled up a program-record number of first downs and offensive plays while finishing with the second-most total yards in school history, a reminder that the performance stayed sharp from start to finish even after the margin opened up.
Kiffin still found ways to keep the edge intact, calling timeout before the second half despite the comfortable lead and making substitutions that were as much about message as matchup. It was a clear push to reinforce his standards and the culture he wants in place, even in a game that could have easily drifted into empty snaps and soft focus. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Just Got A New SEC Reality Check In The Poll
The latest AP Top 25 brought another reminder of how quickly the SEC pecking order can shift, and LSU is feeling it from multiple directions. Alabamas climb to No. 3 after its dominant win over Mississippi State was the loudest statement in the poll, but Missouris move into the rankings after handling Florida may have been just as notable for how it reshapes the league picture around the Tigers in Baton Rouge.
For LSU, the takeaway is less about where it sits than how crowded the conversation has become around the SECs top tier. A few strong Saturdays can change everything in this league, and the Week 5 poll underscored how slim the margin is between holding position and watching rivals surge past. With the rankings already rewarding teams that looked sharper over the weekend, LSU has been handed a clear reminder that reputation alone will not carry much weight for long. [Read more 🡒]