LSU Stomps Clemson 51-10 in Kiffin's Debut — SkimNews
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- LSU crushed unranked Clemson 51-10 in Lane Kiffin's debut, building a 31-3 halftime lead despite a two-hour weather delay and a sellout crowd of 102,321 in Tiger Stadium.
- Sam Leavitt and Dilin Jones combined for four rushing touchdowns, helping LSU outgain Clemson by 125 yards rushing between the tackles in the first half (per ESPN Research), a stark reversal from last year's 3.6 yards per carry and 104 yards per game.
- Lane Kiffin built his first roster from 48 transfers — the nation's top portal class per ESPN.com — and quipped "Imagine if we had pro players" leaving his halftime interview, deflecting the week's eligibility controversy.
- LSU's defense limited Clemson to one first down in the first half (the program's fewest in any half since Sept. 24, 2022 vs. New Mexico) and forced a pick-six by 6-5, 246-pound defensive end Jordan Ross with 2:07 left in the first quarter.
- Clemson's offense mustered minus-four rushing yards and no third-down conversions on eight tries in the first half, totaling just 54 yards, which prompted coach Dabo Swinney — entering the season under pressure after last year's 7-6 finish — to turn to true freshman Tait Reynolds.
- Former NFL players Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris were left off LSU's active roster despite a court ruling granting them a fifth year of eligibility; Notre Dame transfer Junior Tuihalamaka, part of the same case but never signed by an NFL team, was added and recorded a tackle in the first half.
Why it matters: Kiffin's transfer-laden roster — top-ranked in the country by ESPN — answered the eligibility questions with a 41-point win that left the former NFL players on the sideline, while Clemson now faces a deepening crisis after Swinney benched his second-year starting quarterback for a true freshman in a game where his offense managed just 54 first-half yards.
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