LSU football news: Lane Kiffin's proud of Tigers for setting 'good standard' with blowout wins
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No. 8 LSU improved to 2-0 on Saturday night with a 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech, but head coach Lane Kiffin was far from satisfied with how his team performed early. The Tigers led only 10-7 at halftime after a difficult first half that included four turnovers and 10 penalties for 101 yards.
Kiffin viewed the uneven performance as potentially useful ahead of LSU’s first SEC game. Rather than seeing a 31-point victory as sufficient, he pointed to his team’s dissatisfaction as evidence of the standard being set.
“Maybe it was perfect for us, that we needed something like that, because if we played good on offense, and the game was 70-7 or something, then we don’t have their attention,” said Kiffin. “So, maybe it’s what we needed. And we’re in a good place.
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“We’re winning by 31 points and we’re really upset. We’ve got a good standard going… second half was 35-7. That’s a lot of people doing things right.”
Lane Kiffin says maybe this kind of game is what this team needed.
“But we’re in a good spot. We won by 31 points and we’re upset.”#LSUpic.twitter.com/NnZLjVdWJk
— Cory Diaz (@ByCoryDiaz) September 13, 2026
Tigers quarterback Sam Leavitt struggled during the second quarter, throwing three consecutive interceptions. One of those turnovers became a Bulldogs-record 100-yard interception return for a touchdown by safety Jordan McRae. Wide receiver Eugene Wilson III also lost a fumble, creating another opportunity for Louisiana Tech.
Still, LSU eventually pulled away by scoring 35 points in the second half. The Tigers finished with 528 total yards and entered the red zone 10 times, although three of those possessions ended in field goals and two ended with interceptions.
Leavitt recovered from his mistakes by completing 25 of 38 passes for 344 yards while accounting for four touchdowns. He also scored three rushing touchdowns, including a 9-yard run late in the third quarter and a 5-yard touchdown run in the fourth. Through two games, Leavitt has five rushing touchdowns, while he has thrown only two touchdown passes.
LSU’s defense provided the biggest difference against the Bulldogs. The Tigers surrendered only 140 net yards, recorded seven sacks and forced three turnovers. Princewill Umanmielen, a transfer who followed Kiffin from Ole Miss, finished with three sacks.
LSU will now face its biggest test of the young season. The Tigers travel to No. 9 Mississippi next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Ole Miss is also 2-0, setting up Kiffin’s return to the program he left after the 2025 regular season.
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