Sam Leavitt just grabbed the season lead for Stripes of the Week, and he did it with a bad hamstring. Seriously, how wild is that? The dude is playing through pain and not just holding his own, but dominating the conversation as Week 8 wraps up.
Leavitt’s Ride to the Top: Hamstring or Not, He’s Elite
For the second week straight, Leavitt earned three stripes, jumping Deuce Geralds for the season top spot right before the bye week. Talk about deserved, right? This guy has been absolutely on fire. Over the last two weeks, he completed 63 of 83 passes for 676 yards and seven touchdowns, plus added 12 carries for 65 yards and another score on the ground. What a run! Early in the season, it felt like he was looking to run a bit too much, but that hamstring injury actually forced him to become more of a pocket passer. And this past week, even with the injury, we saw the most complete version of Sam Leavitt yet. He went 32-of-45 for 387 yards and three touchdowns through the air, adding eight carries for 54 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Yeah, he had one nearly costly decision, but come on. Now, the biggest thing for Leavitt is to keep this elite play going and let that hamstring heal up during the bye. That’s crucial.
Harris Explodes, Ross Wrecks Havoc
But Leavitt wasn’t the only one lighting it up! Jackson Harris is a fast riser, elevating from two stripes last week to three this week. Nine catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns? That’s just insane. We haven’t seen an LSU receiver put up 178 yards since Malik Nabers dropped 239 back in 2023. With defenses already starting to focus more on Winston Watkins Jr. and Trey’Dez Green sidelined with an injury, Harris has absolutely thrown his name into the conversation for one of the best wide receivers in the SEC. You gotta love to see a guy step up like that when the team needs him most!
And on defense, Jordan Ross grabbed two stripes for the second week in a row. Honestly, he could’ve been a three-stripe guy again. Four total tackles, two sacks, and a pass deflection? Dude was a menace out there. Everyone was talking about Princewill Umanmielen and Deuce Geralds for the pass rush earlier in the season. But after Princewill missed most of the Mississippi State game, Ross stepped up huge. Now Princewill is back, and those two together were a wrecking crew against Auburn, accounting for three of the team’s seven sacks. If both of those EDGE rushers can stay healthy and perform like they did at Auburn? Opposing offenses are gonna have more than their hands full, no doubt.
So, heading into the bye, LSU has some serious momentum, especially with guys like Leavitt, Harris, and Ross playing out of their minds. The focus now is on resting up that hamstring and keeping that elite play rolling after the break. You know we’ll be watching to see how they come out swinging next!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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