Lane Kiffin Does Damage Control for Sam Leavitt as LSU QB Faces Scrutiny Despite Week 5 Win

A win should have silenced the doubters, but Sam Leavitt still found himself under the microscope. LSU defeated McNeese State by 63-14 in a dominating display. However, Leavitt wasn’t his usual self, especially in the run game. However, according to Lane Kiffin, the numbers may not tell the whole story of Leavitt’s performance in Week 5.

“I thought Sam did well,” Kiffin said in the post-game press conference. “He really didn’t move very much during the week at all. Didn’t practice on Tuesday. Told him he’s going to play. He needs to practice at least seven on seven Wednesdays. So he did, and so he’s obviously a lot better than he was a week ago, but he was still limited in what we called.”

Fortunately, Leavitt didn’t have to do a lot in the game. He completed 18 of 23 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns before checking out in the second half to let backup Landen Clark take over.

Leavitt pulled his left hamstring during the second quarter of LSU’s victory over Texas A&M. After the game, Kiffin said that his QB was fine. Leavitt didn’t look like he was nursing an injury in the pregame warmups. He had the same routine. The only visible difference was that he was wearing extra tape on his left leg.

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However, the coaching staff still went with a cautionary approach against a non-conference opponent. That reflected the most in the run game. A QB who is known for his dual-threat prowess didn’t register a single rushing yard against McNeese State.

And it wasn’t like LSU’s run game wasn’t going. Harlem Barry had 125 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Stacy Gage also had a great outing, going for 110 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just six carries.

In total, LSU ran for 373 yards and six touchdowns. At halftime, the Tigers led 35-0, the point where Lane Kiffin decided to give his backup QBs a go.

While head coach Kiffin praised his game, Leavitt threw one interception during the game. This marked his seventh interception of the season. LSU alum Breiden Fehoko noted that his tendency for passing errors remains an unresolved liability.

“The Sam Leavitt experience is going to cost LSU their season at some point,” Fehoko wrote on X after the game.

Against Louisiana Tech, Leavitt threw three interceptions in the first half. Even against Ole Miss, the QB play from LSU was poor in the first half. Leavitt couldn’t get anything going while Trinidad Chambliss was torching the LSU defense on the other side.

However, Leavitt still led the Tigers to a second-half comeback. But Ole Miss answered late in the game and won 32-24. So far, Leavitt has thrown for 1,217 yards and 8 passing touchdowns. Leavitt also has 6 rushing touchdowns in the season.

Next up, LSU has Kentucky (4-1) fresh off a comeback win over South Carolina. The schedule also has the likes of Alabama, Texas and Tennessee, which are going to test Sam Leavitt’s ability to lead the Tigers’ offense.

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