No. 8 LSU and QB Sam Leavitt overcome a rash of turnovers in a 45-14 victory over Louisiana Tech

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.

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.

Louisiana Tech: Visits Baylor next Saturday.

LSU: Visits No. 9 Mississippi next Saturday.

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