LSU Uses Strong Second Half to Pull Away From Louisiana Tech, 45-14
Photo By: Bayou State Media Staff : Cameron Lawrence
BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU entered Saturday night looking to build on an impressive start to the 2026 season. While the Tigers did not play their cleanest football from the opening whistle, a much stronger second half ultimately allowed LSU to separate from Louisiana Tech and earn a 45-14 victory inside Tiger Stadium.
The win moves No. 8 LSU to 2-0 on the season as the Tigers prepare to turn their attention toward SEC play.
Saturday's game featured two very different halves for LSU. The Tigers moved the football throughout the night, but early turnovers helped keep Louisiana Tech within striking distance despite LSU controlling much of the action.
By the fourth quarter, the difference between the two teams became much clearer.
LSU takes early control
LSU opened the scoring with a 29-yard field goal from Scott Starzyk before quarterback Sam Leavitt used his legs to extend the advantage.
Leavitt scrambled five yards into the end zone late in the first quarter, putting LSU ahead 10-0.
The Tigers appeared to be settling into the game, but turnovers soon changed the tone of the first half.
Louisiana Tech struggled to generate offense of its own, yet LSU's early miscues gave the Bulldogs opportunities to remain close. The biggest swing came late in the second quarter when Leavitt was intercepted near the goal line and Louisiana Tech's Jordan McRae returned the turnover 100 yards for a touchdown.
Instead of potentially extending its lead before halftime, LSU entered the locker room ahead 10-7.
It was an unusual first half considering the Tigers had largely controlled field position and limited Louisiana Tech offensively. LSU's early mistakes helped keep the game closer than the overall play suggested.
Tigers respond after halftime
Any concerns surrounding LSU's first-half performance began to fade once the Tigers returned to the field.
Running back Dilin Jones broke free for a 46-yard run early in the third quarter, helping LSU immediately flip the field and regain momentum.
Starzyk eventually added another field goal to stretch the lead to 13-7.
From there, LSU began finding its rhythm.
Leavitt scored on a nine-yard run later in the third quarter, and the Tigers followed it with a successful two-point conversion on a pass to Malachi Thomas.
LSU's defense then created another opportunity when DJ Pickett came away with an interception.
Starzyk converted his third field goal of the night following the takeaway, and LSU entered the fourth quarter ahead 24-7.
LSU breaks the game open
The Tigers found another gear during the final quarter.
Leavitt connected with Eugene Wilson III for a 53-yard gain that quickly pushed LSU into scoring position. The quarterback later finished the drive himself with a five-yard rushing touchdown, his third rushing score of the night.
Another Louisiana Tech turnover gave LSU a short field soon afterward.
This time, Leavitt delivered through the air, finding Trey'Dez Green for a 10-yard touchdown that pushed the Tigers' advantage to 38-7.
Louisiana Tech managed its first offensive touchdown of the evening when Blake Baker connected with Jalen Mickens for a 67-yard score, but by that point LSU had already taken control.
Backup quarterback Landen Clark added the final touchdown of the night on a seven-yard run, giving LSU the 45-14 final margin.
Leavitt responds after early challenges
Leavitt's ability to respond after a difficult start became one of the more notable storylines of the night.
The LSU quarterback threw three interceptions, creating some early challenges for an offense that otherwise moved the ball effectively throughout the game.
Rather than allowing those mistakes to define his performance, Leavitt settled in after halftime and continued creating explosive plays both through the air and on the ground.
He finished with 344 passing yards and one passing touchdown while adding three rushing touchdowns.
His response helped LSU turn a close halftime score into a comfortable victory.
With SEC play beginning next week, ball security will remain an important area of focus as the Tigers prepare for a more demanding stretch of the schedule.
LSU's receiving corps continues to produce
LSU once again received production from several different targets.
Trey'Dez Green led the Tigers with six receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown, providing another strong performance as one of LSU's biggest receiving threats.
Eugene Wilson III added six receptions for 93 yards, including the 53-yard catch that helped ignite LSU's fourth-quarter scoring surge.
Jackson Harris also made an impact with 80 receiving yards.
The distribution gives LSU plenty of options offensively. Even with the early turnovers, the Tigers still finished with 528 total yards and consistently created explosive plays throughout the night.
Defense gives LSU room to recover
While the offensive turnovers were part of the story, LSU's defense deserves significant credit for keeping Louisiana Tech from taking full advantage.
The Bulldogs were held without an offensive yard during the first half and struggled to establish any consistent rhythm.
LSU also created three takeaways of its own.
Pickett's interception helped set up points in the third quarter, while the Tigers recovered two Louisiana Tech fumbles during the game.
Outside of Mickens' 67-yard fourth-quarter touchdown reception, Louisiana Tech found very little sustained success against LSU's defense.
That performance gave LSU time to settle in offensively while maintaining control of the game and eventually building a comfortable advantage.
A strong finish with SEC play ahead
A 45-14 final score reflected how decisively LSU controlled the second half.
There were still areas the Tigers will look to clean up moving forward, particularly after finishing with four turnovers and 10 penalties for 100 yards.
The encouraging part for LSU was the response.
Rather than allowing the first half to define the night, the Tigers came out of halftime with greater consistency and produced 35 second-half points.
LSU showed that it could respond to adversity, protect its home field and finish the game with authority.
Now, the attention shifts to one of the most anticipated games on LSU's schedule.
The Tigers will travel to Oxford on Saturday, September 19, to open SEC play against Ole Miss.
The matchup already carries the history of a longstanding SEC rivalry, but this year's meeting comes with an added storyline surrounding LSU head coach Lane Kiffin.
Kiffin will return to Oxford as LSU's head coach after leaving Ole Miss for Baton Rouge, adding another layer of intrigue to an already significant conference matchup. His return places even more attention on a game that will serve as LSU's first SEC test of the season.
For the Tigers, the objective remains the same: continue building on a 2-0 start.
LSU will enter Oxford looking to carry over the momentum of Saturday night's dominant second half as the Tigers begin conference play and face their first road challenge of the season.
LSU leaves Tiger Stadium at 2-0 after a dominant second-half performance, carrying momentum into what should be one of the most anticipated matchups of the young season.
Follow Bayou State Media for more LSU football coverage, game-day updates, analysis and stories throughout the 2026 season.
