Doubt that LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt knows about Dirty Harry, let alone anything one of Clint Eastwood’s iconic movie characters said.
But one of those lines fits what Leavitt did to produce his best night yet as LSU’s quarterback Saturday night against Texas A&M in Tiger Stadium in a 35-6 rout that was not that close.
All summer long, Tiger fans fretted over Leavitt’s status coming off surgery on his right foot after an injury last season at Arizona State. His mobility was not a problem, but rather an asset, in the opening blowout of Clemson, the Week 2 pullaway from Louisiana Tech or the Lane Kiffin Homecoming game at Ole Miss.
It became a problem against the Aggies. Not that injury, even if it was the same leg. Leavitt tweaked a hamstring on a second-quarter keeper, and spent the rest of his night looking like Kirk Gibson limping around the bases after his epic game-winning pinch-hit home run that won Game 1 of the 1989 World Series, propelling the Los Angeles Dodgers to a world championship upset of the slugging Oakland A’s.
Eastwood’s Detective Harry Callahan had a series of classic quotes in the five-flick Dirty Harry series. One thing Callahan said fits what Leavitt did Saturday night.
“A man’s gotta know his limitations.”
By design to some degree, but more out of necessity, Leavitt was content to stay in the pocket and go through his progressions. The results made his multi-million dollar NIL deal look a lot better: 17 completions in 23 throws, 312 yards, and two touchdowns, so sharp that combined with the Tigers’ defensive shutdown, he did not need to finish the game.
Meanwhile, the opposing quarterback went through hell.
A&M’s Marcel Reed had shredded LSU in each of the last two seasons, but Blake Baker’s defense made him feel like he was across Nicholson Drive in the cage with Mike the Tiger.
It was the first time since 2018 LSU held an SEC team without a touchdown. This SEC team had scored 49 points on the Tigers and handed Brian Kelly his $54 million buyout last season, but Reed was an Aggie joke Saturday night – 10 of 26 for 106 passing yards, and stacked up for a negative 13 yards running (mostly trying to escape tacklers) after collecting 170 in his first two meetings with LSU.
The LSU defense sacked Reed four times, added three more tackles for loss, and oskied two interceptions.
Dialed back to pretty much one dimension, Leavitt was sharp, and the offense flowed. The Tigers piled up 506 yards, while yielding just 197.
“Really gutsy performance by him,” said Kiffin. “I was actually getting ready to take him out. And he said, no way, he wasn’t coming out.”
He shouldn’t take the field next time, not against FCS McNeese this Saturday night. Backup quarterback Landen Clark, who starred at the FCS level last season for Elon (North Carolina, not Musk), ran for a couple short touchdowns and looked quite capable of steering the Tigers in the Bonnette Bowl (longtime LSU publicist Michael Bonnette’s younger brother Matthew is his counterpart at McNeese).
In the “go figure” category, the Tigers (3-1 overall, 1-1 in the SEC) slipped one spot to 11th in the AP Top 25, because Florida soared up 13 spots to No. 8 after former Tulane coach Jon Sumrall’s Gators ripped Ole Miss 52-28.
Leavitt’s limp will bear watching, and unfortunately LSU linebacker Whit Weeks will only be able to watch. Given the prized No. 7 jersey for his senior year, Weeks was again struck by injury, this one a fracture in his leg that will require surgery today. The team captain and defensive signalcaller in a best-case scenario might be back in 4-6 weeks, or on the dark side, not at all.
Dahvon Keys was the primary replacement, and a good one. He made six stops Saturday night and led LSU with 92 last season.
Now that the Tigers have lost two of their best defenders for at best, indefinitely – safety Dashawn Spears is gone for the year after an injury at Ole Miss – Baker may need to cook up even more devious game plans to offset their absences.
Speaking of absences, the incomparable Hall of Fame writer Ron Higgins is also on the shelf after surgery, hopefully to return in 4-6 weeks. We don’t have a Dahvon Keys behind hm, but we will limp through giving you LSU coverage until he’s back.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com