LSU football began the Lane Kiffin era in style by blowing out Clemson 51-10 on Saturday. The Tigers drew major hype heading into Kiffin's first season at the helm because of the talent on the roster. They delivered in dominating fashion.
The country took notice. Kiffin landed atop a ranking by USA Today and Paul Myerberg on head coach debuts. Out of the 31 head coaches in new positions, Kiffin delivered the best performance. Here is what Myerberg said about Kiffin following the Clemson victory.
"There was always faith in Kiffin’s ability to quickly turn things around at LSU. To so thoroughly humiliate Clemson in Saturday’s biggest game also speaks to how well he prepares his teams for elite competition. More than just the best debut of 2026,
this was one of the best impressions by any new coach in recent Bowl Subdivision history."
Once LSU's offense got rolling against head coach Dabo Swinney's team, there was no stopping it. LSU recorded a program-high 38 first downs along with 600 yards of offense. Quarterback Sam Leavitt rushed for a team-best 112 yards while also throwing for 230 yards in his debut donning the purple and gold.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Lane Kiffin's LSU football coaching debut was the best of 2026
