644 yards to 145, and Kiffin has his answer
The weather delayed kickoff by nearly two hours in Baton Rouge. Nobody who stayed regretted it. LSU took Clemson apart 51-10 on Saturday night, in Lane Kiffin’s first game running the Tigers after his years at Ole Miss.
The yardage tells the story on its own. LSU 644, Clemson 145. The Tigers moved the chains 37 times, a school record.
Sam Leavitt threw for 230 yards and was done before the fourth quarter started. The Arizona State transfer ran for two scores, threw for another, and added 113 yards on the ground. Dilin Jones matched him with 113 of his own. LSU rushed for 309 as a team.
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Clemson’s quarterback room never found a pulse
Christopher Vizzina is in his fourth season at Clemson. Saturday was only his second career start, and it lasted until late in the second quarter: 83 passing yards, plus an interception that Jordan Ross took 30 yards the other way. Freshman Tait Reynolds came on and managed 22 yards through the air. Vizzina returned in the fourth.
Nineteen seasons in charge at Clemson, and Dabo Swinney had never been beaten this badly.
The early exchanges gave no warning. Nolan Hauser and Scott Starzyk traded 49-yard field goals. Then Jones punched one in from a yard out for 10-3, Ross returned his pick for six, and the first quarter closed at 17-3. Leavitt ran for eight yards, then 13. Halftime: 31-3.
The third quarter turned a beating into a statement
Leavitt found Winston Watkins Jr. for 32 yards on the opening drive after the restart. Watkins caught seven for 110 on the night. That made it 38-3. Jones went in from 12 on the next possession. 44-3 through three.
Landen Clark relieved Leavitt and hit Phillip Wright III for 30. David Eziomume got Clemson on the board from 11 yards out with the game long gone. LSU carry a No. 11 national ranking into next week, and a locker room that now believes what Kiffin has been telling them.
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