Kiffin Suggests Baton Rouge Implement Friday Curfew for 2:30 p.m. Alabama Game

LSU fans will face an earlier start time for the November 7 game against Alabama, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. at Tiger Stadium instead of a prime-time evening slot. Head coach Lane Kiffin addressed the schedule change on Monday, suggesting fans adjust their daily routines to arrive at the stadium fresh and ready to generate noise. He joked that the city of Baton Rouge could enforce a 10 p.m. curfew on Friday night to ensure everyone is asleep and prepared for the mid-afternoon matchup.

The scheduling shift comes after Kiffin expressed mild dissatisfaction with the time selection last week. He has since noted that the Tigers have lost only one home game in the 2:30 p.m. slot since 2009. Kiffin pointed to a recent example where Tennessee broke a noise record in Neyland Stadium, reaching 130.3 decibels during a 2:30 p.m. win over Alabama on October 17. He urged the LSU crowd to aim for similar intensity, telling fans to eat breakfast earlier and go to bed earlier on Friday night.

The game carries heavy weight for both teams as they look to solidify their College Football Playoff positions. The No. 15 Tigers, currently 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the SEC, need a win to regain momentum after losses to Ole Miss and Kentucky. A victory over No. 9 Alabama would provide a crucial ranked win, offsetting their earlier stumbles. Conversely, a loss for the Tide, who are 6-2 overall and 4-2 in the SEC, could complicate their playoff chances because their remaining schedule features only unranked opponents: Vanderbilt, Chattanooga, and Auburn.

Alabama’s offense has struggled to score against top-tier defenses. Sophomore quarterback Keelon Russell has faced challenges, including a 26-10 loss at Tennessee where star receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams was sidelined by injury. On Monday, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer reported that Coleman-Williams, who has 415 receiving yards and four touchdowns in six games, is working back on the field and making good progress. Kiffin noted that Alabama’s size and skill at the quarterback position make them the most talented team LSU has faced this season.

LSU enters the contest with a defense that ranks fourth nationally, allowing an average of 258 yards per game. The unit has recorded 34 sacks, one short of the national lead held by Tennessee. However, the defense has started slowly in recent games, allowing 30 or more points in losses to Ole Miss and Kentucky. At home, the Tigers have held Power 4 opponents to just 5.3 points per game this season, a statistic Kiffin hopes the crowd will help maintain against a talented Alabama attack.

The historical record for this specific matchup favors the Tigers in this time slot. LSU is 4-15 against Alabama since 2008, but the last 2:30 p.m. game between the two schools was in 2010, which LSU won 24-21. The only loss in the 2:30 p.m. slot for the Tigers since 2009 occurred in 2020, a 44-34 defeat to Mississippi State played in front of approximately 21,000 fans during the pandemic.