Lane Kiffin's debut with No. 11 LSU matches the hype in a 51-10 victory over outmatched Clemson

Lane Kiffin’s debut as LSU’s head coach didn’t go as planned schedule-wise, but it didn’t take long to deliver results. In front of a sellout crowd at Tiger Stadium (102,000), No. 11 LSU beat Clemson 51-10 on Saturday night after a rain and lightning delay pushed kickoff back nearly two hours. By halftime, LSU led 31-3, outgaining Clemson 336 yards to 54 and holding a 21-1 edge in first downs. Sam Leavitt contributed 113 rushing yards and two TDs and added a passing touchdown for 230 yards total offense, while edge rusher Jordan Ross returned an interception for a score. Dilin Jones, a transfer from Wisconsin, ran for 113 yards and two rushing touchdowns, giving LSU the lead for good on a 1-yard run to make it 10-3. LSU finished with 644 total yards and recorded Clemson’s worst loss in about 30 years, though Clemson coach Dabo Swinney blamed poor run defense—especially setting the edge. Clemson also pulled QB Christopher Vizzina during the struggling stretch.