Lane Kiffin Has a Bigger Problem Than LSU's Loss to Kentucky

LSU football has now dropped six straight road games, and eight straight SEC road games after falling 35-34 to Kentucky on Saturday.

LSU fans thought and hoped that Lane Kiffin's takeover and one of the country's most talented rosters would right the wrongs of the previous staff on the road.

After starting 0-2 away from Tiger Stadium, there are concerns that maybe all those investments made this offseason can't change everything.

LSU "Got Exposed"

Oct 3, 2026; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin reacts to a play against the McNeese Cowboys during the second half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kiffin knows LSU let one slip through its fingers on Saturday.

"If you don’t do fundamentally sound stuff, you get exposed versus good teams," he said in his post-game press conference.

LSU had two chances with less than five minutes left in the game to put it away.

A Sam Leavitt turnover blew one chance, and a fourth-and-one punt blew the other.

The decision to punt on fourth-and-one with under a minute to go is the most puzzling of all, as Kiffin said after the Texas A&M game, he was hired at LSU because of his ability to make decisions to go for it in moments like that.

But he decided to not go for it in Lexington.

"We're one yard away from the game being over," Kiffin said in his postgame remarks.

And that's correct. It's so clear that two of the sport's most brilliant offensive minds can find a play to gain one yard. But they decided not to call it.

His disappointment - and LSU fans' - comes because it goes against Kiffin's DNA as a coach.

"Thought about going for it on fourth-and-one and then talked myself out of it," Kiffin said. "I really, obviously, am going to struggle with that; it was fourth-and-one."

A Lack of Clear Leadership

Trey"Dez Green — Sep 19, 2026; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; LSU Tigers tight end Trey'Dez Green (7) is helped off the field after an injury during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But the game wasn't lost on that play.

It was lost with seven penalties to Kentucky's two, multiple missed tackles on a special teams touchdown and a stretch of soft zone coverage that allowed crucial yards to be gained.

The fourth-and-one decision is the one Kiffin can control, but he has to make sure his team does better on the field every play.

A big reason for bad play is a lack of leadership on both sides of the ball.

LSU is without linebacker Whit Weeks and tight end Trey'Dez Green, two of its biggest leaders on their own side of the ball.

The lack of a leading presence really shows in games like Kentucky.

LSU should have won, and won easily, but in a tough environment, with a couple of broken plays and a collection of missed calls, the lack of leadership let the morale and momentum affect the play.

LSU has had players step up amidst the injuries, but not leaders.

Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google