LSU defeated Clemson 51-10 in their football game on Saturday night, with Sam Leavitt rushing for 113 yards and two touchdowns, and Jordan Ross returning an interception for a score. LSU had 644 yards of offense, while Clemson was held to just 54 yards, including a poor performance by the Tigers' defense which struggled to stop the run. The win marked Lane Kiffin's debut as LSU coach, who had previously considered signing two former pro players but ultimately decided not to. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney attributed their loss to their inability to stop the run, saying "You're not going to win if you can't stop the run."
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
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.
Lane Kiffin’s LSU debut was delayed, but by no means derailed.
asserted
debut → delay → means
Sam Leavitt complemented his 113 yards and two rushing touchdowns with 230 yards and a TD passing, edge rusher Jordan Ross returned an interception for a score, and No. 11 LSU rode the “Lane Train” to a resounding 51-10 victory over Clemson on Saturday night.
asserted
LSU → complement → night
“Imagine if we had pro players,” Kiffin said lightheartedly at the end of a brief TV interview at halftime, by which time LSU led 31-3, had outgained Clemson 336 yards to 54, and had 21 first downs to Clemson’s one.
asserted
LSU → imagine → one
Kiffin has gotten commitments from two of his former Mississippi players — tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris — who spent part of this offseason with NFL teams.
asserted
who → get → teams
A Louisiana court ruling cleared the way for him to place them on his roster this week.
asserted
him → clear → roster
But in the face of fervent opposition from the NCAA and SEC, he elected not to do so.
asserted
he → elect → NCAA
“If we would have won close or ugly, the whole story would have been I screwed the whole team up” by trying to sign recent pros, Kiffin said.
asserted
Kiffin → win → pros
“I have been criticized heavily the last two weeks, and I get it.
asserted
I → criticize → it
But my job is to not please you and what you are going to write.
asserted
you → please → what
My job is what I believe is right — and I believe we were fighting for what is right for those kids.”
asserted
what → believe → kids
Lightning strikes
A sellout crowd at 102,000-seat Tiger Stadium was scattered by a downpour and a lightning delay that pushed the start back nearly two hours.
asserted
that → scatter → start
Still, Death Valley was packed when the game began — and fans didn’t have to watch more than one quarter to see Kiffin’s up-tempo offense live up to its reputation, running 23 plays for 140 yards.
asserted
offense → begin → yards
LSU finished with 644 yards of offense while handing Clemson its worst loss in about 30 years.
asserted
LSU → finish → years
“The best thing about that game is it’s over,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.
asserted
Swinney → ’ → game
“Just really poor performance, not what we worked for or expected.
asserted
we → work → what
“You’re not going to win if you can’t stop the run,” Swinney added.
asserted
Swinney → go → run
“We just did a really poor job of setting the edge, especially versus the quarterback run, which really killed us.”
asserted
which → do → us
Dilin Jones, a transfer from Wisconsin who finished with 113 yards and two TDs rushing, gave LSU the lead for good with a 1-yard run that made it 10-3.
asserted
it → finish → run
“Everyone saw what this offense is capable of — I mean, the quarterback we have, the offensive coordinator (Charlie Weis Jr.), the offensive line,” Jones said.
asserted
Jones → see → quarterback
“We really felt like we could just go out there and execute.”
uncertain
we → feel → ?
Ross’ 30-yard interception return made it 17-3 before Leavitt’s frenetic scoring runs of 8 and 13 yards put LSU up by four TDs late in the second quarter.
asserted
runs → make → quarter
“Anything I can do to help my team get into the endzone I will do,” said Leavitt, a transfer player who helped lead Arizona State to the College Football Playoff in 2024, but saw his 2025 campaign derailed by a foot injury.
asserted
campaign → do → injury
“I’m going to take the plays when they come to me.”
asserted
they → go → me
Clemson’s offense struggled so much that Swinney subbed starting QB Christopher Vizzina out of the game in favor of freshman Tait Reynolds late in the second quarter.
asserted
Swinney → struggle → quarter
LSU pulled farther away when Leavitt found Ole Miss transfer Winston Watkins Jr. for a 32-yard TD down the left sidelined in the third quarter.
asserted
Leavitt → pull → quarter
Jones’ 12-yard TD made it 44-3.
asserted
it → make → ?
Leavitt given the rest of the night off after that, but LSU scored once more when reserve Landen Clark completed a 30-yard scoring pass to Phillip Wright III.
asserted
Clark → give → III
Clemson hasn’t taken a loss this bad since falling 41-0 to Syracuse in the 1996 Gator Bowl.
asserted
Clemson → take → Bowl
A promising start to the game on defense belied how tough of a night it was going to be for Clemson, which briefly led 3-0 after cornerback Ashton Hampton intercepted Leavitt’s second pass of the game.
asserted
Hampton → belie → game
“The start of the game was great for us, but we couldn’t truly capitalize on it,” Vizzina said, referring to his offense’s stumbles.
asserted
Vizzina → capitalize → stumbles
“We’re not helping our defense at all.”
asserted
We → help → defense
After ranking 126th nationally in rushing with 104 yards per game in 2025, LSU is benefitting from improved play by the offensive line, the addition of Jones and Leavitt’s legs.
asserted
LSU → rank → Jones
LSU rushed for 213 yards in the first half alone, more than in any game last season.
asserted
LSU → rush → game
Meanwhile, coordinator Blake Baker’s defense picked up where it left off, producing four sacks and a defensive score while holding Clemson to below 100 yards and without a TD until less than seven minutes remained fourth quarter.
asserted
minutes → pick → TD
LSU’s defense has “a chance to be really good, with players that fit well together,” Kiffin said.
asserted
Kiffin → have → players
It could not have been a much better start for Kiffin or LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry, who moved aggressively to hire the charismatic, yet polarizing coach.
uncertain
who → move → coach
The two embraced as Kiffin walked off the field after the game.
asserted
Kiffin → embrace → game
