Lane Kiffin took his first loss as LSU head coach last Saturday against his former program. In the aftermath of the defeat, Sam Leavitt has faced criticism for his poor performance, especially in the first half and on the game’s final drive. The Arizona State transfer threw for 158 yards at 5.9 yards per attempt, his lowest mark of the season. However, according to Kiffin, LSU’s offensive woes can’t be entirely put on Leavitt.

“Well, we’ve got to play more consistently in the offensive line. You know, in the pass protection, Everybody wants to blame the quarterback,” Kiffin said September 24, 2026, on The Lane Kiffin Show. “But when the quarterback can’t set his feet, or he’s getting hit early, especially on the road in the SEC, you know, he’s not the first quarterback to have numbers like that.”

“They happen. So, a lot of that’s what happens in front, so we can step into throws and make the throws, and so that’s part of it,” the head coach added. 

LSU is 2-1 overall and 0-1 in the SEC. Leavitt has completed 57 of 93 passes for 732 yards, three touchdowns, and five interceptions. He has also rushed 40 times for 198 yards and six scores. His legs have produced, but the passing has been inconsistent. .

Against Ole Miss, Leavitt finished 16 of 27 for 158 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. In the first half, he had only about 51 passing yards while LSU trailed 24-7. Adding to that, late in the game, he missed tight end Zach Grace near the goal line. A fourth-down throw was then tipped and intercepted. 

However, on the road in the SEC, the noise and the fronts make protection problems worse. Kiffin is not calling the night perfect, but is saying the box score does not tell the whole story.

The Ole Miss game supports parts of that view. Leavitt was pressured on about half his dropbacks. On those snaps, he completed 55.6% of his throws for 47 yards. Kiffin has said LSU must play better around him and protect him better. 

What also didn’t help Leavitt was that Trinidad Chambliss looked like the best QB in college football. He showed a degree of certainty in his decision-making that you usually see in the pros. The passes were precise.

In the first half, the ball came out quickly. And even when LSU defense got home, the Ole Miss QB had options. Finally, when it mattered the most, he used his legs late in the fourth quarter to give the Rebels the lead.

Kiffin’s defense of his QB came after media criticism of the QB’s performance at Ole Miss. “Impressed LSU battled back from 24-7 at halftime. But Sam Leavitt was seeing ghosts all night, resorting to pocket-bolting scrambles, relying more on his feet than his accuracy, which came and went. Just missed backup TE at goal line,” Skip Bayless posted after the loss. 

“Sam Leavitt has to get the ball out of his hands… Time and time again, Sam Leavitt did not get the ball out of his hands on time (against Ole Miss)… If that first read’s not there, it’s backyard football, and we run around,” Jordan Rodgers said on ESPN’s Get Up.

Ole Miss was not the full season. Against Clemson, Leavitt went 16 of 28 for 230 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He ran for 113 yards and two scores in a 51-10 win. That was his best night. Against Louisiana Tech, he threw for 344 yards but had three interceptions. He still scored three rushing touchdowns in a 45-14 win.

LSU now faces No. 23 Texas A&M on Saturday at Tiger Stadium. Both teams are 2-1 and coming off losses. Marcel Reed has run well against LSU in recent years, which is why Kiffin also stressed the defensive line this week.