The 2026 college football season got underway Saturday night in the real Death Valley as the LSU Tigers began the Lane Kiffin era by hosting Clemson in a primetime matchup. Mother Nature did her part to put a wrench in things as the game was delayed two hours, but that didn’t matter as LSU put on an explosion of football in a 51-10 rout of Clemson.
HOW WE GOT HERE:
After the two-hour delay, LSU started the game with the football. Going up tempo, Sam Leavitt’s pass was tipped into the air by Malik Elzy
and was intercepted by Ashton Hampton to give Clemson great field position after the turnover. However, LSU’s defense was able to make a big stand and held Clemson to a field goal of 42 yards to make it 3-0 early in the contest.
LSU went down the field and was able to tie the game thanks to a big play over the middle to TreyDez Green that eventually led to a 49-yard field from Scott Starcyzk. On the ensuing Clemson possession, Whit Weeks blased into the backfield on thrid and short and made a huge play to force a punt.
After that, the LSU offense staggered down the field on a 12-play, 89 yard drive that ended with Dilin Jones punching it in from a yard out to take a 10-3 lead. On the next Clemson drive, Jordan Ross absolutely snatched a ball out of the air and picked off Vizzina before taking it back to the house for a 17-3 lead, absolutely erupting Death Valley.
Early in the second, LSU went moving down the field once again as Leavitt found open receivers as well as running space in all aspects of the field, leading the Tigers to a 72 yard scoring drive that he capped off with a dynamic scramble into the endzone to make it 24-3 with still 7:54 left in the first half.
Inside of the two-minute warning, the Tigers continued to dominate Clemson as the LSU offense found empty pockets to attack. Leavitt once again capped off the drive with a 13-yard touchdown to make it 31-3 at the halftime break.
LSU opened the second half right where they left off, going on a 69 yard scoring drive as Leavitt found Winston Watkins Jr wide open in the flat for a 32-yard touchdown to make it 38-3 in the third quarter.
Kiffin’s offense wasn’t done as Jones got his second touchdown run of the night, this time a 12-yarder to make it 44-3 after the failed two-point try.
Landon Clark came into the game late in the third quarter as LSU had this game all but settled. Late in the fourth, he found Phillip Wright III for a 32 yard touchdown to make it 51-3.
Clemson made its way into the end zone for the first time inside the final five minutes of the game, but it was too little too late as the Tigers of LSU dominate this one 51-10.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: QB Sam Leavitt
While his passing stats don’t jump out, the way he was able to lead the offense tonight was more than enough in the rout. Leavitt finished with 230 yards passing and 113 yards rushing with four total touchdowns and the one early interception.
