Rece Davis praises LSU after dominant win over Clemson

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Despite having a drama-filled week, LSU’s 2026 season got off to a great start on Saturday.

LSU crushed Clemson 51-10 in a game that was virtually over by halftime. LSU was up 31-3 at the time before scoring 20 more points in the second half.

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It was a dominant showing across all three phases, impressing much of the college football media, including ESPN’s Rece Davis. Davis appeared on Monday’s edition of the “The Pat McAfee Show” and said that LSU looked like a “championship contender” during that game.

“LSU comes out there, and they look like a championship contender from the jump,” Davis said.

LSU’s controlling performance

Davis isn’t wrong because LSU made Clemson’s offense a complete non-factor. Clemson managed only 10 points and had a lot of trouble passing the football. The run game wasn’t much better.

On offense, LSU did whatever it wanted, especially on the ground. Quarterback Sam Leavitt rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Dilin Jones added 113 yards and two touchdowns.

This was Lane Kiffin’s first game as the Tigers’ head coach, and it was a massive party. LSU will look to continue that party this Saturday when Louisiana Tech visits Baton Rouge. It will come one week before the Sept. 19 showdown against Ole Miss in Oxford.

Kickoff against Louisiana Tech will be at 7:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.

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