LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin gave credit where it was due after Saturday night’s heartbreaking “22-21 loss” to the Texas Longhorns in Baton Rouge, according to ClutchPoints.
Still, watching a two-score lead slip through his fingers in Death Valley left a bitter taste in his mouth, as Kiffin praised Texas for “executing” in the clutch after quarterback Arch Manning fired a late game-winning touchdown pass.
The first-year LSU coach did not hide his frustration over letting a winnable SEC showdown get away from his squad during the conference contest, per “recent reporting”.
“Really disappointing to be up two scores in the game and not being able to close it out,” Kiffin said postgame, according to “the head coach’s remarks”.
“Plenty of opportunities, even with all the stuff before. … We outplayed them to win the game, but that’s not how it works. Disappointed for our players, our fans,” Kiffin added, as documented by “program coverage”.
The box score backs up Kiffin’s point because No. 24 LSU outgained No. 8 Texas “366-273” in total offense while averaging 5.5 yards per play compared to Texas’ 4.1, per ClutchPoints.
Running back Dilin Jones gashed the Longhorns for 125 rushing yards on 19 carries, which included a 44-yard touchdown burst late in the third quarter that gave the Tigers a commanding 21-10 cushion, according to “match stats”.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt “threw for 244 yards” and two touchdowns while connecting with wide receiver Jackson Harris eight times, based on “team statistics”.
However, those missed opportunities Kiffin mentioned “proved fatal” for the program as LSU went just 2-for-5 in the red zone and missed a field goal before halftime, according to “game summaries”.