BATON ROUGE — Lane Kiffin did not sugarcoat Saturday’s 31-13 home loss to Alabama on Monday, telling reporters the final product fell well short of what LSU expects as the Tigers (6-3) pivot to Texas on Saturday night at Tiger Stadium.
“That’s not the expectations we have, what we’re used to and not what it’s gonna be like here,” Kiffin said.
Kickoff against Texas is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Nov. 14. Kiffin said he spent part of Monday reminding his players to shut out the outside noise that always follows a loss that looks the way Alabama’s did.
“I just said, ‘Here it comes. This is gonna be the everything we do is wrong noise.’ We lost to Alabama, especially the final score looking the way it did,” Kiffin said.
He said the criticism can swing from playing time and play-calling all the way to the celebrations fans loved when LSU was winning, and that the Tigers have to prepare the same way whether the feedback is praise or blame.
On Texas, Kiffin pointed to a defense that is rounding into form at the right time of year and singled out defensive standout Collin Simmons as one of the premier players in college football.
“I think they’re getting healthy at the right time. Really like Alabama did last week too,” Kiffin said.
Asked how LSU plans to handle Texas’ pass rush, Kiffin kept the details close but mentioned getting the ball out quickly and using screens. He also said tight end Trey’Dez Green is still not 100 percent healthy but has played through it, and that Sean Thompkins Jr. had a tough assignment filling in at right tackle for injured Weston Davis against Alabama but still did some good things and has the staff’s confidence if needed again.
Saturday also reunites Kiffin with Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. The two go back years, including ties through former offensive coordinator Norm Chow, and Kiffin said their personal history runs deeper than the sideline.
“We have a really unique relationship that goes back a long time,” Kiffin said. “On a personal level, a major change in my life was getting sober, I don’t know, six years ago. And he was a major part of that, and I owe him a lot for that and will always be really appreciative of him for that.”
Kiffin also weighed in on Monday’s announcement that the College Football Playoff will expand from 12 to 24 teams starting in 2027, and that the 2026 SEC Championship Game in Atlanta will be the last.
“I think it was kind of what they had to do,” Kiffin said of the expanded playoff.
LSU vs. Texas is Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT at Tiger Stadium.
Photo: LSU Athletics
