“Lying His A– Off”: ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Exposes Lane Kiffin’s LSU Tactics to Take Down Ole Miss

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The LSU-Ole Miss game already had enough storylines before Sam Leavitt’s name suddenly appeared on the injury report. Lane Kiffin was returning to Oxford for the first time since leaving the Rebels. LSU entered the matchup ranked No. 7, Ole Miss No. 8, and both teams were 2-0. Then, LSU listed its starting quarterback as doubtful on Wednesday night. Now, the Tigers have upgraded him to ‘questionable.’ But Stephen A. Smith still isn’t buying it.

“I knew Lane Kiffin was lying his a– off when he was talking about Sam Leavitt being doubtful,” Smith said on September 18 on ESPN. “We knew that was going to get upgraded. Just stop it. I mean, this man ain’t missing this game. He’s going to play in this game. We still haven’t even learned what he was doubtful over.”

Leavitt had played the previous week against Louisiana Tech and showed no obvious sign of an injury. He finished that game with 344 passing yards, one touchdown, and three rushing touchdowns despite throwing three interceptions in the first half. Kiffin also had not mentioned a quarterback injury during his Monday press conference.

“We don’t even know the injury, for crying out loud,” Smith said. “So, that’s it. And then he does his hour-long radio show. Doesn’t even mention the quarterback. When the hell has that happened? When have you seen a coach do an hour-long show and not once mention their quarterback?”

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The criticism carries more weight because SEC teams have to report player availability. The conference also bars teams from hiding a player’s actual status to gain a competitive or strategic edge. Schools that break those rules can face fines of $25,000 to $100,000. Interestingly, Leavitt’s status changed immediately.

LSU initially listed Leavitt as doubtful on Wednesday. He had not practiced that day, and the nature of the injury was not publicly identified. Reports subsequently indicated that he was dealing with a shoulder issue, while Reuters later reported that LSU’s QB had experienced back spasms that kept him out on Wednesday. LSU has not publicly confirmed the specific nature of the injury. Then Leavitt returned to the field on Thursday.

The Tigers upgraded him from doubtful to questionable on their next availability report. Under SEC rules, a “doubtful” tag means a player is not expected to play. A “questionable” tag means there is still some uncertainty over whether he will suit up. The conference rules also cover teams that give misleading information about injuries. As for Sam Leavitt’s importance, he is the main piece in LSU’s offensive puzzle.

Leavitt helped the Tigers open the season with a 51-10 demolition of Clemson before producing another strong statistical performance against Louisiana Tech. Through two games, he had 574 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and five rushing touchdowns, although four interceptions remained a concern. His mobility adds another problem for defenses.

Against Louisiana Tech, three of his touchdowns came on the ground. That gives LSU another dimension when opponents try to pressure him or crowd the line of scrimmage. The alternative would be a significant change.

If Leavitt cannot play, LSU could turn to Landen Clark or freshman Husan Longstreet. Clark has received the majority of the backup work so far and has completed 7 of 10 passes for 109 yards and one touchdown this season. That is why Ole Miss would naturally want clarity.

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