Louisiana Tech’s Insane Season Opener Gives LSU Something It Cannot Ignore

The LSU Tigers are riding a mountainous wave of momentum after completely dominating the Clemson Tigers to the tune of a 51-10 victory over the weekend, putting together the perfect start to the Lane Kiffin era in Baton Rouge.

While billed as what should have been a challenging season opener for the Tigers, surprisingly, the Week 1 matchup proved to be quite the opposite, as the Tigers led 31-3 at halftime, and LSU did not lift its foot off the gas pedal in the second half.

Now with momentum on their side, the Tigers roll into week two against an in-state foe in the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, and while LSU heads into that matchup as heavy favorites, Louisiana Tech's Week 1 performance should give the Tigers an interesting challenge.

LSU Must Be Ready For Underrated Challenge vs. Louisiana Tech

LSU Tigers Head Coach Lane Kiffin, LSU Tigers take on the Clemson Tigers. September 5, 2026; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; at Tiger Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Like LSU, Louisiana Tech also had a dominant performance in its season opener, thrashing the Northwestern State Demons 80-6. The Bulldogs' commanding victory created history, with Louisiana Tech's 80 points being the most scored in program history.

The Bulldogs' offensive explosion accounted for 10 offensive touchdowns and 528 yards of total offense; 296 of those yards came in the passing game, while the rushing attack totaled 232 yards as Louisiana Tech averaged close to nine yards per play against Northwestern State.

And in his Monday press conference, Kiffin acknowledged Louisiana Tech's offensive success in its season-opening win.

“Any time you score 80 points, even over 50, no matter who you're playing, that's doing a lot of things right on offense, and they're very well coached," Kiffin said.

Defensive coordinator Blake Baker must have his defense ready to go against a Louisiana Tech offense that has proven it can put up a lot of points.

Baker did well against Clemson in limiting what that offense could do, as the LSU defense allowed under 150 yards of total offense, as Clemson barely eclipsed 100 yards passing and was held to under 50 yards rushing.

Not only will the LSU defense have to be ready to go against the Bulldogs, but the offensive side of the ball will have to be just as prepared. Louisiana Tech allowed just 129 total yards of offense to Northwestern State, as it totaled 43 yards in the air and 86 on the ground and averaged only 2.1 yards per play.

Kiffin highlighted Louisiana Tech defense could also present a challenge to the LSU offense, and it's something the Tigers will have to be aware of.

“They’re very different on defense,” Kiffin said. “The defense they play is really unusual, and so you've got to change a lot of rules and do a lot of different things and stuff... it just presents a lot of challenges, and they played great, obviously, on all phases last week.”

Obviously, LSU is a step up from Northwestern State for Louisiana Tech; however, a performance that dominant should not be ignored.

For the Tigers, they must not be caught looking too far ahead to a high-profile matchup against the No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels, and a solid performance against Louisiana Tech would give LSU more momentum heading into Week 3.

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