LSU had a revival, Clemson was at a funeral: Lane Kiffin’s debut sends a loud message to college football - Fox News

Trey Wallace explains why Lane Kiffin has such lofty expectations put on him for his first year of coaching at LSU.

BATON ROUGE, La. – The Lane Kiffin era at LSU might have started with a hiccup by his team running out of the tunnel just a tad early on Saturday night, but they made up for it in front of a rabid crowd in "Death Valley" that reminded the head coach of Mardi Gras season.

If you thought a little rain was going to dampen the party in Baton Rouge, you were solely mistaken. If anything, the two-hour delay gave the raucous crowd a chance to catch their breath and reload after the pregame festivities looked more like something out of a Woodstock documentary.

Thousands of fans, six deep along the barricades, waited for this LSU team, led by Kiffin, to walk the streets just outside of Tiger Stadium. This was more of a revival, compared to a debut, and I know it's only one game.

"I felt like I was back at Mardi Gras," Lane Kiffin said following the 51-10 win over Clemson.

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Police officers hadn’t seen this type of crowd in years, with two people mentioning the 2019 season as the last time the streets were this packed before kickoff. And, forget about Clemson fans making the trip south to Louisiana.

While one team is obsessed with their new coach, Clemson seemed complacent. The visitors section was essentially empty compared to other teams who have sat in the same corner of Tiger Stadium.

Once the loudspeakers started playing Garth Brooks, you knew that this night in Death Valley was going to be different. It did not feel like the Brian Kelly era, though that's probably not the best comparison.

Lane Kiffin walked the streets with his team in front of him, while Livvy Dunne and Theo Vonn trailed just behind the Tigers' head coach.

Wide receiver Winston Watkins Jr. No. 6 of the Louisiana State Tigers comes out of the tunnel before a game against the Clemson Tigers at Tiger Stadium on Sept. 5, 2026, in Baton Rouge, La. (ISI Photos via Getty Images)

The star-studded night in Baton Rouge was fitting for the new king of Louisiana, who strolled onto the field in his double-breasted suit while waving at the student section. Everything about this beating felt like a Hollywood Red Carpet event, with congressional leaders and celebrities lining the sidelines.

And, after a long week for college football fans who were following the non-stop headlines surrounding the Louisiana court case, you just knew Kiffin was going to have something to say while heading into the locker room at halftime with a 31-3 lead over Clemson.

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"Imagine if we had pro players," the LSU head coach told ESPN.

Yeah, I don't know if that would have actually mattered tonight.

Why? Because we were watching two programs headed in opposite directions.

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In what might end up being his last season at the helm if he doesn’t turn this thing around in quick fashion, the Clemson head coach can't really talk his way out of this one.

Everything about what we witnessed with this Tigers football team looks like a program who has lost its luster. There is nothing appealing about Clemson any longer, besides the head coach coming up with different ways to describe his team.

Just last week, Dabo made it a point to say he did not have any starters, making light of the fact he would find out how good his team was after they went up against LSU.

For the fans who have invested in this program, hoping that they would find their way out of the woods, tonight's performance shows just how far Clemson has fallen down the ladder. And, I don't see how those within the athletic department can come out of Baton Rouge with hope of a turnaround season.

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Honestly, this brand will always have life thanks to what Swinney accomplished in the CFP's early years.

But now? This football program feels as though they are just too far gone.

Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers watches from the sideline during the first quarter at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., on Sept. 5, 2026. (ISI Photos via Getty Images)