The LSU Tigers let a golden opportunity slip away against the Texas Longhorns on Saturday night, and Sam Leavitt is taking plenty of heat for it.

LSU held an 11-point lead in the third quarter before Texas rallied for a 22-21 win in Baton Rouge, capped by Arch Manning’s touchdown pass to Raleek Brown in the final seconds. While the Tigers’ offense went silent down the stretch, Leavitt’s turnovers proved costly throughout the night.

On the CBS Sports postgame show, former NFL cornerback Bryant McFadden did not hold back in his assessment of the LSU quarterback.

“The Sam Leavitt that we’re watching this season at LSU is not the same Sam Leavitt that we saw in a Sun Devil uniform. Tonight, he was a liability,” McFadden said.

"The Sam Leavitt that we're watching this season at LSU is not the same Sam Leavitt that we saw in a Sun Devil uniform. Tonight, he was a liability."@BMac_SportsTalk #CFBPostgame pic.twitter.com/Dn5u1BaltB

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) November 15, 2026

Leavitt threw three interceptions, all to Texas defensive back Jelani McDonald. Two of them came in the first half, while the third came on LSU’s opening drive of the third quarter on a pass into the end zone. The miscue sent LSU head coach Lane Kiffin falling to his knees on the sideline.

That pick also marked Leavitt’s 12th interception of the season, a far cry from the form he showed during his time at Arizona State.

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To his credit, Leavitt still completed 27-of-37 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns. He was also sacked three times by the Texas defense. However, LSU failed to score after Dilin Jones’ 44-yard touchdown run gave the Tigers a 21-10 lead in the third quarter, allowing Texas to chip away with two field goals before Manning’s late heroics.

The Tigers also missed a 38-yard field goal before halftime, a miss that loomed large in a one-point defeat.

The loss dropped LSU to 6-4 on the season and 3-4 in SEC play, ending its hopes of contending for a College Football Playoff spot. Now, Kiffin and the Tigers must regroup to close the season strong.