Reality set in Saturday night in Death Valley.
For LSU, that was an indoctrination into the Lane Kiffin era. It had it all– great play, aggressive decisions, showmanship and sarcasm.
LSU’s offense did what Kiffin offenses do. The pace, balance, scheme and execution overwhelmed Clemson to the tune of 644 yards and a school record 38 first downs. Blake Baker’s defense took another step forward as it did in year one and year two.
For Clemson, it was an embarrassing realization that the past is in the past and the present may get very uncomfortable.
Sam Leavitt played pitch and catch, carved up the Clemson defense with his legs and led five touchdown drives.
Elite transfers like Princewill Umanmielen, Jordan Ross, Ty Benefield and TJ Dottery muzzled Clemson’s feckless offense until the outcome was well decided early in the second half.
That was on the field.
Off the field, Kiffin’s fingerprints were everywhere. He was joined by comedian Theo Vonn, model Brooks Nader and Livvy Dunne for LSU’s walk down Victory Hill. His players dunked on the sideline basketball goal after big plays. Cookie Kiffin, Lane’s nephew, was lifted up to spray a fire extinguisher while the Tigers danced on the sideline. A new, modern playlist boomed over the Tiger Stadium speakers. Lasers lit up the turf during halftime.
Speaking of halftime, Kiffin exited the field leading 31-3 at intermission telling ABC’s Holly Rowe, “Imagine if we had pro players,” sarcastically. He went for two up 44-3 in the third. When Phillip Wright darted into the endzone to make it 51-3 in the fourth, Kiffin erupted into a huge trademark fist pump. Out of the two-minute timeout with the score 51-10, Husan Longstreet fired a 33-yard bomb to Wright. LSU never took a knee.
He ran up the score. Why? I don’t know. Surprised? Not in the least.
Asked after the game if he was trying to speed up the pregame weather delay that spanned two hours, Kiffin said the opposite.
“That locker room sucks over there,” Kiffin said. “When you sit in there, the longer you sit in there, it’s a real thing. Let them wait.”
Kiffin plays the villain role, and it was out in full on Saturday night. That’s LSU identity now. If it comes with 51 unanswered points, every Tiger fan in purple and gold will embrace it.
Kiffin’s players do, too. In the midst of the fire extinguisher smoke, basketball alley oops and sideline dancing, the Tigers stayed locked in and were only assessed a pair of penalties.
Dabo Swinney hasn’t embraced the shifting culture of modern college football. He didn’t add a top 100 transfer this offseason and started an overmatched quarterback light on talent and experience. LSU simply plucked one who’d been to the College Football Playoff.
A year ago, LSU exited Clemson a top five team with what looked like a marquee win. We’d soon learn neither team on the field that night was near the elite realm of the sport.
This version of LSU just might be.
While the national narrative all week was the battle in court over eligibility, Kiffin’s program was preparing to deliver a message with the eyes of the nation fixed on Tiger Stadium.
Many may love to hate the new era in Baton Rouge, that only seems to fuel Kiffin’s fire.
Tiger Stadium roared in adulation for the entirety of first half. Kiffin egged the fanbase on from sideline as the deafening noise forced an early Clemson timeout and a false start. Something suggests he enjoyed having 40,000 extra home fans as opposed to the last six years.
Four quarters of football will have Tiger fans buzzing for two weeks until Kiffin makes his return to Ole Miss. The epicenter of Kiffin hatred resides in Oxford. Its reach is widespread. Fifty-one unanswered points was enough to endear him to the only folks he’s concerned with these days.
It’s LSU against the world now. That’s just the reality.
