LSU vs. McNeese: No. 11 Tigers face huge injury worry on defense
LSU vs. McNeese closes out the No. 11 Tigers’ nonconference schedule Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7:45 p.m. ET at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU (3-1, 1-1 SEC) hosts the FCS Cowboys (2-3, 1-2 Southland) a week after a 35-6 rout of Texas A&M.
The Tigers are No. 11 in the latest AP Top 25 and are 53.5-point favorites, according to ESPN. McNeese snapped a two-game skid with a 27-24 win over East Texas A&M but is now without its starting quarterback.
LSU vs. McNeese game information
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
- Time: 7:45 p.m. ET
- Venue: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- TV: SEC Network
- Line: LSU by 53.5, per ESPN
McNeese outlook
The Cowboys are adjusting at quarterback after Devin Lippold, who had thrown for 744 yards and eight touchdowns, suffered a season-ending wrist injury. Jake Strong went 17-for-27 for 202 yards and a touchdown in his first start of the season last week, according to McNeese Athletics.
Strong is not new to the job. The Texas Tech transfer started 11 games for McNeese in 2025, The Reveille reported.
Running back Omiri Wiggins has 375 yards and three touchdowns on 56 carries, and wide receiver Elisha Edwards leads the team with 21 catches for 311 yards and three scores, according to ESPN. McNeese’s three losses came against Stephen F. Austin (38-27), Tarleton State (27-24) and UT Rio Grande Valley (27-10).
LSU outlook
Lane Kiffin’s first LSU team opened with a 51-10 rout of Clemson and a 45-14 win over Louisiana Tech before a 32-24 loss at Ole Miss. The Tigers answered by dismantling Texas A&M on Sept. 26.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt completed 17 of 23 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns to Jackson Harris in that game, according to CBS Sports. Leavitt pulled a hamstring in the second quarter but stayed in. On the season, he has 1,044 passing yards with five touchdowns and six interceptions.
Running back Dilin Jones has become LSU’s workhorse, with 348 yards and four touchdowns on 78 carries. That already tops his production last season at Wisconsin, according to Sports Illustrated.
Linebacker Whit Weeks left the Texas A&M game in a walking boot with an apparent ankle injury. Kiffin said after the game he did not have an update on the severity, CBS Sports reported, leaving Weeks’ status for LSU vs. McNeese unclear.
Key matchups in LSU vs. McNeese
LSU’s pass rush against McNeese’s quarterback looks like the decisive battle. The Tigers sacked Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed four times, and edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen recorded his team-high seventh sack of the season, according to CBS Sports. Strong will need to get rid of the ball quickly against a front much tougher than anything he has seen in Southland play.
On the other side, LSU cornerback DJ Pickett against McNeese receiver Elisha Edwards is worth watching, according to SI. Pickett held Texas A&M’s Mario Craver to three catches for 43 yards, and Edwards has topped 50 receiving yards in all four of his games, including eight catches for 111 yards against Tarleton State.
Players to watch
Sam Leavitt, QB, LSU
Leavitt was sharp against Texas A&M, and a clean, mistake-free outing would set up the Tigers’ SEC stretch run, which starts Oct. 10 at Kentucky. His hamstring is worth monitoring.
Landon Barrett, LB, McNeese
Barrett was named Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week after recording 11 tackles and his first career interception against East Texas A&M. He leads McNeese with 31 tackles and should see plenty of work against Jones and the LSU run game.
What to watch
Kiffin’s challenge in LSU vs. McNeese is keeping his team focused on McNeese rather than looking ahead, a point SI raised before kickoff. A clean, injury-free performance matters as much as the result, especially with Weeks’ ankle still a question.
For McNeese, the game is a measuring stick for Strong as the starter. For more SEC action this weekend, read our Kentucky vs. South Carolina preview.
Reporting from ESPN, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, McNeese Athletics and The Reveille contributed to this story.