LSU QB Leavitt doubtful for Ole Miss amid gamesmanship questions — SkimNews
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- LSU listed starting quarterback Sam Leavitt as doubtful for Saturday's rivalry game at Ole Miss in a Wednesday night availability report, with the nature of any injury unclear
- Leavitt showed no visible signs of injury after completing LSU's win over Louisiana Tech and speaking to reporters, and coach Lane Kiffin made no injury mention at his Monday news conference
- The SEC defines doubtful as a 25% chance to play, prohibits gamesmanship in availability reports, and sets fines of $25,000 to $100,000 with potential accountability measures for head coaches who file inaccurate or late reports
- Linebacker TJ Dottery, LSU's team leader in tackles, was also listed as questionable for the Ole Miss game
- Leavitt was the top transfer quarterback this offseason, a two-year starter and former Big 12 Freshman of the Year at Arizona State who joined LSU following Kiffin's hiring
- Leavitt's production has been uneven: a three-touchdown, zero-turnover debut against Clemson followed by a 25-of-38, 344-yard, one-touchdown passing line with three interceptions in the 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech
- Backups Husan Longstreet (freshman) and Landen Clark (sophomore) have minimal experience, combining for just eight career pass attempts between them
Why it matters: A doubtful designation under SEC rules carries a real 25% chance the starter sits, which would thrust two largely untested backups — Longstreet and Clark, with eight combined career pass attempts — into a top-10 rivalry game against Ole Miss. The unusual gap between Kiffin's Monday comments, Leavitt's postgame appearance, and Wednesday's doubtful listing also invites a gamesmanship probe that could draw $25,000–$100,000 in SEC penalties and accountability measures against the head coach.
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