The Louisiana State University Tigers mounted a thrilling second-half comeback against the University of Mississippi Rebels on Saturday night, but quarterback Sam Leavitt’s late-game decision-making left long-time sports commentator Skip Bayless far from convinced.

Following seventh-ranked LSU's 32-24 road loss to eighth-ranked Ole Miss at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Bayless took to social media to voice glaring concerns about the young signal-caller's pocket presence under heavy pressure.

“Impressed LSU battled back from 24-7 at half,” Bayless posted on X. “But Sam Leavitt was seeing ghosts all night, resorting to pocket-bolting scrambles, relying more on his feet than his accuracy, which came and went. Just missed backup TE at goal line.”

Bayless' critique accurately captured the rollercoaster performance that defined LSU's evening in Oxford. Trailing 24-7 at halftime, the Tigers stormed back with 17 unanswered second-half points to tie the contest at 24-24. Leavitt spearheaded the rally, scrambling for a 4-yard touchdown run before delivering a pinpoint 26-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Winston Watkins. By the final whistle, Leavitt completed 16 of 27 passes for 158 yards, one passing touchdown, and one interception, while adding 63 rushing yards.

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However, after Ole Miss responded with a touchdown and a two-point conversion to retake a 32-24 lead, Leavitt’s tendency to flee the pocket resurfaced on LSU’s final possession.

Driving deep into Rebels territory with a chance to tie the game, the Tigers reached fourth-and-goal at the Ole Miss 6-yard line late in the fourth quarter. Instead of stepping up inside the pocket, Leavitt scrambled right under heavy rush pressure and threw toward backup tight end Zach Grace in the end zone. Defensive end Kam Franklin tipped the hurried pass, allowing cornerback Jaylon Braxton to make the game-sealing interception.

While Leavitt showed remarkable dual-threat athleticism to keep LSU alive, Bayless highlighted a critical takeaway: relying on unscripted scrambles over pocket discipline will continue to haunt the Tigers in high-stakes SEC battles.