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09/12 22:12 CDT No. 8 LSU and QB Sam Leavitt overcome a rash of turnovers in a
45-14 victory over Louisiana Tech
No. 8 LSU and QB Sam Leavitt overcome a rash of turnovers in a 45-14 victory
over Louisiana Tech
By BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) --- Sam Leavitt overcame three interceptions with a three
touchdowns rushing, and No. 8 LSU pulled away in the second half for a 45-14
victory over a Louisiana Tech team that gave the Tigers fits for the better
part of their match-up Saturday night.
While LSU's defense was thoroughly dominant, allowing just 140 total net yards
while producing seven sacks and three turnovers, Lane Kiffin's offense will
have more than a few corrections to make before what might as well be billed
the "Kiffin Bowl" next Saturday.
That's when the Tigers (2-0) visit No. 9 Mississippi, the program Kiffin left
in favor of rival LSU at the end of the 2025 regular season --- when Ole Miss
was bound for the College Football Playoff.
LSU turned the ball over four times and committed 10 penalties for 101 yards
against Tech (1-1), which odds makers had listed as a five-touchdown underdog.
Although the Tigers gained 528 yards and drove inside the 20 10 times, three of
their red-zone possessions ended with field goals and two with interceptions.
Safety Jordan McRae converted his pick of Leavitt on the goal line into a
Louisiana Tech-record, 100-yard return for a touchdown that pulled the Bulldogs
to 10-7 --- a score which stood at halftime.
Tech trailed by just six points before LSU began to pull away on Leavitt's
9-yard TD run with 4:32 left in the third quarter. Leavitt added a 5-yard TD
run and 10-yard scoring pass to tight end Trey'Dez Green, who finished with six
catches for a game-high 104 yards receiving.
LSU edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, a transfer who followed Kiffin from Ole
Miss, had three sacks. The second forced Tech to attempt a 54-yard field goal
that fell short, ending a possession that began on the LSU 19 after Tech
cornerback Jenard Lockhart's 35-yard return of receiver Eugene Wilson III's
fumble.
The takeaway Louisiana Tech: Playing in Death Valley was a humbling experience for the Bulldogs' offense on the heels of an 80-6 victory over Northwestern State the previous week. In the first half at LSU, Tech had zero net yards and no first downs, its only scoring coming on McRae's interception. LSU: While Leavitt completed 25 of 38 passes for 344 yards --- including a 57-yard pass over the top to Jackson Harris --- he has just two TD passes through the first two games and only one from inside an opponent's 20. Leavitt has been more effective running the ball on red-zone possessions, scoring a team-leading five TDs rushing through two games.
Up next Louisiana Tech: Visits Baylor next Saturday. LSU: Visits No. 9 Mississippi next Saturday. ___ Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here. Visit the Top 25 here and see AP's full college football coverage here.
The takeaway Louisiana Tech: Playing in Death Valley was a humbling experience for the Bulldogs' offense on the heels of an 80-6 victory over Northwestern State the previous week. In the first half at LSU, Tech had zero net yards and no first downs, its only scoring coming on McRae's interception. LSU: While Leavitt completed 25 of 38 passes for 344 yards --- including a 57-yard pass over the top to Jackson Harris --- he has just two TD passes through the first two games and only one from inside an opponent's 20. Leavitt has been more effective running the ball on red-zone possessions, scoring a team-leading five TDs rushing through two games.
Up next Louisiana Tech: Visits Baylor next Saturday. LSU: Visits No. 9 Mississippi next Saturday. ___ Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here. Visit the Top 25 here and see AP's full college football coverage here.
