Lane Kiffin made his homecoming to Oxford. He was met with boos and jeers from fans showing their feelings about the former head coach. LSU vs. Ole Miss was one of the most highly anticipated games of the season. Last night, Ole Miss got their revenge. It seemed the game was going to get out of hand, with Ole Miss up 24-7 at the half. Then, Sam Leavitt led the Tigers to a comeback, tying the game up at 24-24.
Photo Cred: Yahoo Sports
In the end, Ole Miss took the last touchdown, converting a 2-point conversion after two offsides by the LSU O-line. With minutes left on the clock, Sam Leavitt led the LSU team down the field. LSU fans hoped for a last-minute touchdown to tie the game. However, a slight deflection changed the ball’s trajectory and landed in the hands of the Ole Miss cornerback Jaylon Braxton. This game was the first of many tests for the Tigers. During the game, Leavitt showed his flaws.
The game wasn’t horrible for him, rallying the team to come back from being down by 17 at the half. However, there were major flaws in his gameplay. Trey’Dez Green being taken out due to injury hurt the Tigers. But it still took the Tiger too long to get the 6’7″ TE the ball. He’s a major weapon for the LSU offense. Leavitt appears to rely too much on his legs rather than his arm. He went 16/27 on his passes and had 17 carries.
There were many times throughout the night where the pass was completable if he had only taken a moment to set his feet to ensure his pass was accurate. The QB folded under pressure, showing doubt in his offensive linemen. He attempted to run out of the pocket, but Pete Golding prepared for just that. He remained elusive, breaking many tackles throughout the game, but Golding’s defense was simply too much. Throwing blitzes at him, Leavitt rarely had anywhere to run to.
Some of his passing abilities did shine through in the third. He had a 26-yard touchdown pass to Winston Watkins Jr. late in the third quarter. The ball was placed perfectly for Watkins to come down with it, even with a defender on his tail. However, those throws came too far between. The absence of Trey’Dez Green took away a possible touchdown. His backup missed a throw that he should have brought in.
Photo Cred: Clutch Points
There were many instances of a wide receiver being open. But as Ole Miss seemed to feel more threatened by Leavitt’s run game than his passing. With this defeat, Pete Golding just gave other SEC teams a blueprint on how to stop this dual-threat quarterback. The QB appears to rely too much on his legs rather than his arms, especially under the bright lights.
LSU fans watched their previous quarterback, Garrett Nussmeier, sit in pockets for too long. He never used his feet in the ways he needed to. Now they’re beginning a journey to watch a quarterback who seems to rely more on his feet than his arm. Seems the Tigers offensive line never knows when to sit in the pocket and wait, or when to run. This next game against Texas A&M, who just took a hard loss to Kentucky at home, will be a shining factor on whether Sam Leavitt is the answer the LSU QB needs.
