By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE – It was the most dominant and well-balanced performance of college football’s first full weekend of games.
And the most impressive season opener by any LSU athletic team in school history.
The Tigers’ 51-10 wipeout of Clemson last Saturday in new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin’s maiden voyage was filled with gaudy numbers.
A school-record 38 first downs. More than 300 yards passing and 300 rushing for just the sixth time in LSU history. Ninety-four offensive plays, the most since the same number the Tigers ran in 2020 vs. Ole Miss in then-Rebels’ head coach Kiffin’s first Tiger Stadium appearance.
But heading into Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. home game here against Louisiana Tech, which scored a school-record 80 points in a 74-point beatdown of Northwestern State in its season opener last weekend, perhaps the most important number from LSU’s first game wasn’t from the offensive side of the ball.
The Tigers’ defense allowed Clemson a mere six snaps all night in LSU territory. Three came on Clemson’s first possession when it managed a field goal after intercepting Tigers’ starting quarterback Sam Leavitt on the second play of the game at the LSU 33.
“Spot the ball, that’s really all it is,” Tigers’ edge rusher and Ole Miss transfer Princewell Umanmielen said of LSU’s play-to-play defensive destruction. “No matter what happened on the play before, get ready to put your helmet in somebody else’s helmet and get the (LSU) offense on the field.
“It’s all 11 (defenders) on the ball on all three levels, everybody in the back-end filling gaps and holding their own in coverage. Everybody has the speed, the size. It’s just like picking your poison.”
On 13 Clemson possessions, LSU’s defense forced three-and-outs seven times, intercepted a pass (returned for a TD), and allowed only a field goal and a TD (on final possession of game).
Also, the Tigers’ defense held Clemson to just 1-of-13 on third-down attempts and forced 10 total punts, including nine consecutive possessions at one stretch during the game.
“The defensive ends played really well in pass defense and played physical in run defense,” Kiffin said. “We were blitzing some.”
LSU recorded 11 tackles for loss, including 4½ sacks and five quarterback hurries. Kiffin and Umanmielen credited new defensive ends coach Sterling Lucas for the noticeable improvement.
“He attacks me about all the little stuff,” Umanmielen said of Lucas. “He knows where my mind is. He knows where everybody in the edge room wants to go, and he has the keys to get me there. He’s coached people in the (NFL) league .”
Resting on the sideline, LSU’s offense empathized with Clemon’s stifled offense. During preseason practice, LSU’s defense won most of the battles against the offense.
“When we struggled in fall camp,” said LSU wide receiver Winston Watkins, an Ole Miss transfer, “I really didn’t take it as struggling. I took it as like we’re competing with one of the best defenses ever.
“I played college football last year, and I’ve seen the Georgias and teams like that. I know who’s good and who’s not. I know we have a very elite defense.”
Unlike last week when the Tigers headed into Saturday with off-the-field drama hanging over their heads whether they would challenge the SEC’s rule banning NFL players from joining league rosters, LSU is entering game two with no legal distractions.
The SEC’s scheduled Thursday meeting of presidents of the 16 league schools to possibly vote on expelling LSU from the conference resulted in no action.
On Tuesday night, Kiffin decided to not add Ole Miss transfers tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris (both NFL training camp cuts this summer as rookies) to the LSU roster.
Instead, the Tigers activated sophomore edge rusher Gabriel Reliford of Shreveport’s Evangel Christian and previously injured sophomore cornerback Aidan Anding of Ruston High.
The move seemed to douse the league’s collective flamethrower aimed at LSU.
LSU president Wade Rousse sent a letter Wednesday to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey informing him of the roster moves.
“LSU filled its two remaining roster spots with eligible student-athletes,” Rousse wrote. “The roster is now locked for the season. LSU complied with SEC rules. The point is moot.”
GO FIGURE
13: Players made their first start in an LSU uniform last week vs. Clemson
16: LSU true freshmen played in opener against Clemson
17: Straight LSU wins over Louisiana Tech
29.3: The average victory margin lifetime in the Tigers’ 21 games vs. the Bulldogs
39: Consecutive LSU victories vs. in-state opponents
100-15: LSU’s record against non-conference opponents since 2001
Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com