Lane Kiffin’s first game as LSU head coach ended with a 51-10 demolition of Clemson in a day that began with a personal moment involving his former Alabama boss, Nick Saban.
Kiffin joined ESPN’s “College GameDay” before Saturday night’s matchup in Baton Rouge, and he listened to Saban praising him and expressing confidence in what might come next at LSU.
“We met in L.A. You were in a tough spot. I was in a tough spot,” Saban told Kiffin. “You did a great job in coming in and helping us at Alabama, and I can tell you I am so proud of what you’ve been able to do at every stop, and I know you are going to do a great job here at LSU.”
Kiffin worked under Saban as Alabama’s offensive coordinator from 2014 through 2016, helping the Crimson Tide win the 2015 national championship.
ESPN host Rece Davis asked whether Saban offered that type of praise during their years together at Alabama.
“I’ve come a long ways and changed a lot of things, and so any problems that we had were my fault,” Kiffin said. “I’ve said it before, sometimes it’s like you grow up and later on you realize, man, I’m kind of becoming like my dad.
“I feel that way with [Saban], and now I understand why he did the things he did and why he’s the best coach to ever do it.”
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Hours later, Kiffin backed up Saban’s endorsement with a dominant debut, beating Clemson by 41 points and inflicting a 51-10 defeat on Dabo Swinney’s Tigers.
No. 11 LSU moved to 1-0 with the victory, giving Kiffin a statement result before the Tigers take on Louisiana Tech on Saturday for their Week 2 matchup.
