Sam Leavitt rushed for three touchdowns and passed for one to overcome three interceptions and No. 8 LSU shook off a shaky first half to run away from visiting Louisiana Tech 45-14 on Saturday night in Baton Rouge, La.
Leavitt passed for 344 yards, but one of his three first-half interceptions was returned 100 yards for a touchdown and kept the Tigers (2-0) in a tight battle for much of the night.
The Bulldogs (1-1) managed just 140 total yards after scoring 11 touchdowns in an 80-6 victory against FCS Northwestern State a week earlier. Blake Baker passed for 128 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Dilin Jones’ 46-yard run set up Scott Starzyk’s 25-yard field goal on LSU’s first possession of the third quarter, nudging its lead to 13-7.
On the Tigers’ next possession, Leavitt ran 9 yards for a touchdown and threw a two-point conversion pass to Malachi Thomas. The ensuing possession ended when DJ Pickett intercepted Baker and returned 32 yards to the Bulldogs’ 11, setting up Starzyk’s 23-yard field goal and a 24-7 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Leavitt ran 5 yards for a touchdown on the third play of the fourth quarter. His 10-yard touchdown pass to Trey’Dez Green, who finished with 104 receiving yards, increased the lead to 38-7. Baker answered for the Bulldogs by throwing a 67-yarder to Jalen Mickens, who had 101 receiving yards.
Landen Clark, who relieved Leavitt, rushed 7 yards for a touchdown to complete the scoring. LSU finished with 528 yards.
The Tigers’ second possession of the game ended with Starzyk’s 29-yard field goal, and on their next possession Leavitt’s 5-yard touchdown run increased the lead to 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.
LSU was on the verge of increasing its advantage after driving to the Louisiana Tech 2, but Jordan McRae intercepted a Leavitt pass and returned 100 yards for a touchdown that trimmed the lead to 10-7 at halftime.
Zheric Hill and Kam Franklin also had interceptions in the second quarter for the Bulldogs.
