Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford has turned Saturday night into one of the most charged SEC openers in years, and the football matchup matches the noise. No.
7 LSU and No. 8 Ole Miss both come in 2-0, both have already handled one major test, and both have done enough through two weeks to land in the first top-10 meeting between the programs since 1962.
The setting only sharpens it. LSU and Ole Miss have been border rivals since their first game in 1894, and the series has long had championship and national title weight hanging over it. This one carries a different kind of electricity, though, because Kiffin left Ole Miss to take over LSU just before the Rebels were scheduled to play in the 2025 College Football Playoff.
That move has made this game a target date for fans across college football, not just in Louisiana and Mississippi. Ole Miss coach Pete Golding said the atmosphere should be enough to bring out the best in both sides.
"I think both teams put themselves in a great position to have a top-10 matchup to open up SEC conference play for us at home with College GameDay," said Rebels coach Pete Golding. "If (players) can't get up for this one, I don't know why they play the game.
"There's so much on the line ... and then obviously the former players, former coaches and the relationships that you've had. Obviously, this one is unique."
LSU has already shown it can handle a spotlight. The Tigers opened by crushing Clemson 51-10, then followed with a 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech.
Ole Miss answered with a wild 41-38 escape against then-No. 24 Louisville and then beat Charlotte 41-9.
Kiffin, who brought several players and assistant coaches with him from Oxford to Baton Rouge, brushed off the idea that his team is carrying the heavier emotional load.
"I told the players, 'Man, you don't have anything to worry about as far as attention on you all week and everything,'" Kiffin said. "'There's going to be so much attention, hatred, everything on me.
Really, the pressure's on (the Rebels). We won seven games last year.
They won 13. ... You guys just get to go play.'"
He also pointed to Ole Miss’ backfield, calling out Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy as "two Heisman candidates ... in the same backfield," and described Chambliss as "the best-playing quarterback in the country last year."
That duo runs into a nasty LSU front. The Tigers lead the nation in total defense at 142.5 yards per game and rank second only to Houston against the run at 18.5 yards per game.
Golding, who was elevated from defensive coordinator to replace Kiffin and guided the Rebels to two CFP wins before a Fiesta Bowl semifinal loss to Miami, has his own quarterback to prepare for. Or at least, that was the plan until LSU’s injury report added a layer of uncertainty.
The Tigers moved quarterback Sam Leavitt from doubtful to questionable on Thursday after initially listing the Arizona State transfer as doubtful on the SEC’s midweek injury report. That designation means a 25% chance of playing versus 50% for questionable.
Leavitt did not appear hurt when he left the Louisiana Tech game, and it is not clear whether the issue surfaced in practice. Multiple sources told LouisianaSports.net that he practiced Thursday morning, after missing Wednesday’s workout because of back spasms. Kiffin’s side could also be playing a little gamesmanship given the stakes.
Leavitt has been central to LSU’s fast start. He ranks sixth nationally in total offense at 354.5 yards per game, shares third in the country and leads all quarterbacks with five rushing touchdowns, but he has also thrown four interceptions, including three in the first half last week.
If Leavitt can’t go, freshman Husan Longstreet and sophomore Landen Clark are the backup options for LSU.
Golding knows the challenge either way, especially with a quarterback who can hurt defenses with his legs.
"I've just been really impressed with his athleticism once he decides to become a runner," Golding said of Leavitt. "I think it's going to be really important to try to make him become a pocket passer."
In Other News...
Ole Miss Gets Defensive Help As LSU Brings A Huge QB Question
Ole Miss is set to open conference play with a marquee home game against LSU, and the Rebels should get a boost on the back end of the defense when the Tigers come to Oxford. Cornerback Antonio Kite is expected back in the lineup, while safety Sharif Denson is also slated to return, giving Ole Miss some much-needed help in a top-10 matchup that figures to test every layer of the secondary.
The timing matters because LSUs own injury situation could reshape the way this game is played. Star quarterback Sam Leavitt is listed as doubtful, which leaves a major question mark hanging over the Tigers as they head into one of the SECs earliest measuring-stick games. For Ole Miss, getting healthier in the secondary before a game like this is about as good a break as a defense can ask for. [Read more 🡒]
Ole Miss Isnt Buying LSUs Quarterback Status For Saturday
LSUs quarterback situation has already become part of the buildup to Saturday in Oxford, with Sam Leavitt listed as doubtful on the SEC injury report because of soreness in his throwing shoulder and limited practice participation. For Ole Miss, that designation is only adding another layer to a game that already carried plenty of weight, since the Rebels are preparing for the possibility that the Tigers may have to adjust late in the week.
Inside the Ole Miss coaching staff, though, there is a clear sense that the report may not tell the full story. They do not sound convinced Leavitt will actually sit out, even as LSU has an alternate plan ready with Landen Clark expected to start if needed. However it plays out, the Rebels are treating the situation as one worth monitoring right up until kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Faces One Big Road Test As Leavitt Concern Grows
The buildup to Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium has already started to take shape on the national radar, and Aaron Murray is leaning toward LSU in what shapes up as one of the more watched games of the weekend. The former Georgia quarterback and college football analyst pointed to the matchup as a chance for LSU to steady itself, while also acknowledging the parts of Ole Miss that make this such a tricky assignment for any visitor.
Murray also singled out Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and receiver Deuce Alexander as players who can tilt the game if they get rolling. For LSU, the focus remains on Sam Leavitt and whether he can make enough of a jump for the Tigers to handle the road environment, with ABC set to carry the broadcast and plenty of attention likely to follow every possession. [Read more 🡒]