LSU humiliates Dabo Swinney, Clemson in Lane Kiffin’s Death Valley debut
By Adam Spencer
Published:
We had to wait about an hour and a half longer for the Lane Kiffin era to officially begin at LSU, but it was worth it for the fans who braved the rain and lightning.
The LSU Tigers absolutely humiliated Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers in the real Death Valley on Saturday night, picking up a 51-10 victory.
Sam Leavitt looked like a potential Heisman Trophy contender, running for 113 yards and 2 touchdowns and adding 230 yards and 1 touchdown through the air. TE Trey’Dez Green looked like a cheat code who will be used more often in the coming weeks, catching 4 passes for 58 yards. Winston Watkins III led the way for the receiving corps, catching 7 passes for 110 yards and a score.
Dillin Jones was electric as a runner, piling up 113 yards and 2 touchdowns. Transfer LT Jordan Seaton was as advertised, leading the way for several big runs.
The defense, led by DC Blake Baker, held Clemson to -4 yards in the first half.
That’s right, folks, you and I rushed for 4 more yards than Clemson in the first half.
Clemson took a 3-0 lead on the first drive of the game and then LSU took over and never looked back.
It truly was this easy for LSU for most of the night after that opening drive:
Here was Jordan Ross’s pick-6:
The biggest question to debate moving forward is whether this is more about how good LSU is or how bad Clemson is. Perhaps it’s a little bit of both. Lane Kiffin has built a heck of a team with an NIL war chest and his usual portal prowess. And, as he pointed out at halftime, he doesn’t even have former pro players on the roster.
Tougher tests await for the Bayou Bengals, but Week 1’s challenge was passed with flying colors.
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Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
