Sam Leavitt Played at Ole Miss. LSU Still Needs More From the Passing Game
For most of the week, the first question was whether Sam Leavitt would play. By Saturday night, LSU had its answer. The harder question came four quarters later: what did the Tigers actually get from their passing game once he did?
Quick Answer
Sam Leavitt played against Ole Miss after being removed from the SEC availability report and finished with 158 passing yards, one rushing touchdown and a late interception in LSU’s 32-24 loss. He helped lead a 17-point comeback, including a 26-yard touchdown pass to Weston Watkins, but LSU’s offense remained uneven and failed to score from the Ole Miss 6-yard line on its final possession.
Leavitt gave LSU enough to rally
The night was not a referendum on toughness. Leavitt answered that before kickoff simply by taking the field after a week in which his status moved from doubtful to questionable and then off the availability report entirely.
He also made some of LSU’s biggest second-half plays. A 13-yard third-down run set up his 4-yard rushing touchdown. Later, he found Weston Watkins for a 26-yard score that cut the Ole Miss lead to three.
The passing total tells part of the story
Leavitt finished with 158 passing yards while Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss threw for 363. That gap was not solely on the quarterback — protection, separation, down-and-distance and game flow all matter — but it shows how much more LSU needed from the air in a road game that demanded explosive answers.
Trey’Dez Green led LSU with 60 receiving yards before leaving with a lower-body injury. LSU’s passing game became even harder to sustain after losing one of its biggest matchup problems.
The final possession will be the teaching tape
LSU reached the Ole Miss 6-yard line with a chance to tie the game. The Tigers had multiple shots at the end zone but could not finish. On fourth-and-goal, Leavitt’s pass was tipped and intercepted by Jaylon Braxton.
That play should not erase the comeback. It does define the next step. LSU needs Leavitt and the offense to become more efficient before the game reaches desperation territory.
What this means for Texas A&M
Texas A&M comes to Tiger Stadium after allowing Kentucky to control the third quarter in a 31-21 upset. LSU will have opportunities, but the Tigers cannot rely on another late rescue act. Getting Leavitt comfortable earlier — and creating more easy throws — should be a major priority this week.
Follow Leavitt’s full season in the Sam Leavitt LSU tracker.
Read the LSU–Ole Miss final-score recap.
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