LSU coach Lane Kiffin has a message for Tiger Stadium fans ahead of Saturday’s showdown with Alabama: Get up early and bring the noise.
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For the first time since 2010, LSU will host Alabama in Tiger Stadium without a nighttime kickoff. Saturday’s game is scheduled to begin shortly after 2:30 p.m.
Kiffin acknowledged last week that he was surprised the game would be played in the afternoon. But with the kickoff time set, he’s encouraging LSU fans to adjust their routines and make their presence felt.
“So if you are used to 6:30, four hours earlier, start your day earlier, have breakfast earlier, start drinking earlier, whatever it is your routine, just move it up,” Kiffin said Monday. “Go to bed earlier Friday night. Message for your fans.”
Kiffin even joked that East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards should consider imposing a curfew the night before the game.
“What if we had the city shut down at 10 p.m. Friday? Everyone goes to sleep,” Kiffin said.
There’s a recent example of how a daytime kickoff can still produce a hostile environment for Alabama. When Tennessee hosted the Crimson Tide last month, the game kicked off at 2:30 p.m. central time, and the crowd noise at Neyland Stadium reached a reported 130 decibels during the third quarter.
The Volunteers won 26-10, with Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell struggling against Tennessee’s defense and the raucous crowd. Russell threw for 147 yards with two interceptions and was sacked five times.
LSU has also been successful in afternoon games at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers have won 16 of their last 17 games with 2:30 p.m. kickoffs dating to 2009. The lone loss during that stretch came in the 2020 season opener, when Mississippi State beat LSU 44-34 during the COVID-shortened season.
Saturday’s matchup carries major implications for both teams’ College Football Playoff hopes. LSU and Alabama each have two losses, and neither can afford to give up much more ground in the race for a spot in the 12-team playoff.
The first College Football Playoff rankings will be released Tuesday night, but Kiffin wants his players focused on Alabama rather than their potential postseason position.
“This is just one game that we've got to be ready to play to get to 1-0 and not worry about who we're playing next or where we are in playoff rankings or anything,” Kiffin said. “I told the guys, don't watch that. Don't watch it when it comes out because it's going to move so much between now and the end of the year, and you control a lot of it. So, play really well and win, and you won't have anything to worry about.”
The first College Football Playoff rankings will be unveiled Tuesday at 6 p.m. on ESPN.
