Latest & Breaking News on Fox News
· collected 2026-09-06 · by Trey Wallace
Story summary
Lane Kiffin's LSU team defeated Clemson 51-10 in his coaching debut. The game was played at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the large crowd of fans reminded Lane Kiffin of Mardi Gras season.
This victory came after a week of drama surrounding two players who had sued to gain eligibility to play again: Dae'Quan Wright, a tight end who spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns in training camp, and Zxavian Harris, a defensive lineman who was with the New Orleans Saints earlier this summer. However, despite being cleared by a court ruling, Kiffin chose not to add them to the team's roster yet.
The LSU players, led by quarterback Sam Leavitt, performed well, with Leavitt completing 23 of 30 passes for 230 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 113 yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers' edge rusher, Jordan Ross, returned an interception for a score as well.
The loss marks the third consecutive season that Clemson has started off on the wrong foot, with their all-time winningest coach, Dabo Swinney, facing criticism for his reluctance to use the transfer portal.
Written for “LSU vs Clemson Football” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.
The Lane Kiffin era at LSU might have started with a hiccup by his team running out of the tunnel just a tad early on Saturday night, but they made up for it in front of a rabid crowd in "Death Valley" that reminded the head coach of Mardi Gras season.
uncertain
that → start → season
If you thought a little rain was going to dampen the party in Baton Rouge, you were solely mistaken.
asserted
you → think → Rouge
If anything, the two-hour delay gave the raucous crowd a chance to catch their breath and reload after the pregame festivities looked more like something out of a Woodstock documentary.
asserted
festivities → give → documentary
Thousands of fans, six deep along the barricades, waited for this LSU team, led by Kiffin, to walk the streets just outside of Tiger Stadium.
asserted
team → wait → Stadium
This was more of a revival, compared to a debut, and I know it's only one game.
asserted
it → compare → debut
"I felt like I was back at Mardi Gras," Lane Kiffin said following the 51-10 win over Clemson.
asserted
Kiffin → feel → Clemson
Police officers hadn’t seen this type of crowd in years, with two people mentioning the 2019 season as the last time the streets were this packed before kickoff.
asserted
streets → see → kickoff
While one team is obsessed with their new coach, Clemson seemed complacent.
asserted
Clemson → obsess → coach
The visitors section was essentially empty compared to other teams who have sat in the same corner of Tiger Stadium.
asserted
who → compare → Stadium
Once the loudspeakers started playing Garth Brooks, you knew that this night in Death Valley was going to be different.
asserted
night → start → Valley
It did not feel like the Brian Kelly era, though that's probably not the best comparison.
asserted
that → feel → era
Lane Kiffin walked the streets with his team in front of him, while Livvy Dunne and Theo Vonn trailed just behind the Tigers' head coach.
asserted
Dunne → walk → coach
The star-studded night in Baton Rouge was fitting for the new king of Louisiana, who strolled onto the field in his double-breasted suit while waving at the student section.
asserted
who → stud → section
Everything about this beating felt like a Hollywood Red Carpet event, with congressional leaders and celebrities lining the sidelines.
asserted
leaders → feel → sidelines
And, after a long week for college football fans who were following the non-stop headlines surrounding the Louisiana court case, you just knew Kiffin was going to have something to say while heading into the locker room at halftime with a 28-3 lead over Clemson.
asserted
Kiffin → follow → Clemson
"Imagine if we had pro players," the LSU head coach told ESPN.
asserted
coach → imagine → ESPN
Yeah, I don't know if that would have actually mattered tonight.
asserted
that → know → ?
Because we were watching two programs headed in opposite directions.
asserted
we → watch → directions
Dabo Swinney wasn’t lying about his team, and it could be his last season as head coach
In what might end up being his last season at the helm if he doesn’t turn this thing around in quick fashion, the Clemson head coach can't really talk his way out of this one.
uncertain
coach → lie → one
Everything about what we witnessed with this Tigers football team looks like a program who has lost its luster.
asserted
who → witness → luster
There is nothing appealing about Clemson any longer, besides the head coach coming up with different ways to describe his team.
asserted
coach → be → team
Just last week, Dabo made it a point to say he did not have any starters, making light of the fact he would find out how good his team was after they went up against LSU.
asserted
they → make → LSU
For the fans who have invested in this program, hoping that they would find their way out of the woods, tonight's performance shows just how far Clemson has fallen down the ladder.
asserted
Clemson → invest → ladder
And, I don't see how those within the athletic department can come out of Baton Rouge with hope of a turnaround season.
asserted
those → see → season
Honestly, this brand will always have life thanks to what Swinney accomplished in the CFP's early years.
asserted
Swinney → have → years
This football program feels as though they are just too far gone.
asserted
they → feel → ?
On one side, you had an LSU fanbase invigorated by a new head coach and life that was injected into the rabid group of fans.
asserted
that → have → fans
For Clemson, watching them play LSU on Saturday night, in Kiffin's debut, felt like two different teams headed in two different directions.
asserted
them → watch → directions
Swinney spent the offseason complaining about Ole Miss tampering with one of his former players, and about how he wasn’t finished with the job at Clemson.
asserted
he → spend → Clemson
Now, that talk just looks cheap and underwhelming, with Swinney having to answer some very hard questions.
asserted
Swinney → look → questions
Long week of court drama comes to an end, with LSU riding a wave
What some forget about the entire ordeal around a Louisiana court over the past ten days is that Lane Kiffin loves to put on a show.
asserted
Kiffin → come → show
The problem was that the SEC wasn’t buying a ticket.
asserted
SEC → buy → ticket
When LSU was deciding on whether to roster at least three former 'professional players' after a Baton Rouge judge granted them an injunction this week, they were doing so knowing the SEC was ready to pounce on the program.
asserted
SEC → decide → program
But, we all knew what story you'd be reading right now if LSU would have lost to Clemson on Saturday night.
asserted
LSU → know → night
Everyone already hates you, they can't hate you that much more," Kiffin said postgame about his halftime comments.
asserted
Kiffin → hat → comments
"I'm just glad they played the way they did, so that wouldn’t have been the story.
asserted
that → play → ?
Even if we would have won close, it would’ve been how I screwed the team up doing this thing.
asserted
I → win → thing
I said this morning, you can not agree with it.
asserted
you → say → it
I've been criticized heavily this past week, and I get that and understand, but my job is not to please you and worry about what you are going to write.
asserted
you → criticize → what
My job is that I believe in what is right.
asserted
what → believe → ?
…and 13 more, not listed.
