Fresh off a 51-10 thrashing of Clemson to open up the Kiffin tenure in Baton Rouge, the Tigers welcome Louisiana Tech to town on Saturday evening.The atmosphere with the Bulldogs in town will pale in comparison to what was witnessed in Death Valley for the season opener against the Tigers.Kiffin knows that, but it isn't stopping him from challenging the fanbase to show up and show out.LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin on the sideline during the third quarter of a game against the Clemson Tigers on September 5, 2026, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
(Derick Hingle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)LSU HAD A REVIVAL, CLEMSON WAS AT A FUNERAL: LANE KIFFIN’S DEBUT SENDS A LOUD MESSAGE TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL"Don’t let the opponent dictate how you are a fan.We challenge our players to do that, so, the fans, too," Kiffin told reporters on Monday.
"If you’ve got to have a mock Saturday or put up a stage of 'College GameDay' — whatever it is.Come out here early; come out here and start drinking at 7:00 a.m..""Everything’s got to be the same as last Saturday," he continued.
"I challenge our fans the same thing.The fans were electric.
The whole walk, the beginning of the game, the first quarter – you could feel it coming down on the opponent.People who have been here a long time, they said it was the loudest, intense feelings they felt ever."Tiger Stadium before a game between the LSU Tigers and the Clemson Tigers on September 5, 2026, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
(John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Kiffin urging fans to come and support his team against a not-so-flashy opponent is nothing new, nor is it a tactic exclusive to him.The 51-year-old coach issued the same sort of statements during his tenure at Ole Miss when the Rebels welcomed smaller, out-of-conference opponents to Oxford.Most other coaches of Power Four programs face the same challenge of having fans show up – which translates to spending their money – at g...