Lane Kiffin’s LSU debut couldn’t have gone much better, and Clemson’s opener could hardly have gone much worse.
In Baton Rouge, LSU rolled past Clemson 51-10 in a season-opening blowout that now stands as the worst loss of the Dabo Swinney era. The defeat also dropped Clemson into a troubling stretch: four straight losses in season openers, with the program’s last opening-day win coming in 2022 against Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
The game swung early, but only briefly. Clemson opened with a 3-0 lead after picking off Sam Leavitt, and for a moment it looked like the visitors might have settled things down. Instead, LSU took control and never let go, ripping off 31 unanswered points to build a 31-3 halftime lead.
From there, the home Tigers owned the line of scrimmage. Clemson’s offensive front struggled to hold up, and that was a big reason the night unraveled so quickly.
A pressure-packed snap on Christopher Vizzina turned into a pick-six, and the run game never found any traction. Clemson finished the first half with -4 yards on the ground, while LSU had more trips to the red zone in the first 30 minutes than Clemson had first downs.
The numbers from the opener were ugly in every direction. Clemson posted its lowest first-half yardage total of the Swinney era, and the offense never really recovered after the break. The program’s offense has now averaged just 5.75 points per game across its last four openers, a stretch that has been rough on the eyes for anyone expecting a fast start.
There were a few individual bright spots buried in the mess. Bryant Wesco gave Clemson some success when the offense isolated matchups, but those chances were too scarce to change the tone of the night. At quarterback, there was at least some movement toward Tait Reynolds, who showed some escapability in a chaotic pocket.
Defensively, one player stood out in a game full of problems. Old Dominion transfer Jerome Carter made a strong first impression in his Clemson debut, finishing with 11 tackles and a pass breakup. For a defense that spent much of the night chasing LSU, that was one of the few encouraging signs.
The margin kept growing until LSU was up 41 midway through the third quarter, and Kiffin went for two, driving the point home. By the end, the 41-point defeat had pushed aside Clemson’s previous low points under Swinney, surpassing the 37-point losses to West Virginia and Florida State from more than a decade ago.
Clemson now turns to Georgia Southern, which is 1-0, for a Saturday, September 12 matchup at 7:30 on the ACC Network.
In Other News...
LSU Brings A Roster Controversy Into Clemson Showdown
A roster wrinkle has followed LSU into its showdown with Clemson, with a judge granting an injunction against the NCAA that opened the door for more than 40 athletes to be eligible this season. Among them are LSU players DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris, and their status has become part of the pregame conversation as the Tigers get ready for one of the weekends biggest games.
Lane Kiffin did not include Wright and Harris on LSUs initial 103-man roster submitted by the deadline, though he could still add them later. Speaking on ESPNs College GameDay before the Clemson matchup, Kiffin addressed what he called a difficult decision, adding another layer of uncertainty to a game already carrying plenty of attention. [Read more 🡒]
Clemson's Opener Turned Into A Nightmare For One Brutal Reason
A delayed kickoff did little to ease the kind of opening Clemson wanted to avoid, and LSU made sure of it once the game finally got going. Clemson briefly nudged ahead 3-0, but the Tigers from Baton Rouge quickly took control and never looked back, rolling to a lopsided win behind an offense that piled up 644 total yards and a defense that kept Clemson bottled up for most of the night.
It was the sort of performance that turned a marquee opener into an early-season warning sign for Dabo Swinneys group. Clemson was held under 100 yards for much of the contest before finding a little more room late, while LSU kept stacking plays on both sides of the ball and added a pick-six from Jordan Ross to deepen the damage. [Read more 🡒]
Clemsons LSU Opener Comes With A Roster Standoff Still Hanging
LSUs season opener against Clemson already has enough intrigue on the field, but there is another layer hanging over the matchup before either team snaps the ball. The Tigers did not list former NFL players DaeQuan Wright and Zxavian Harris on their Week 1 roster for the game, even after a recent court ruling went in their favor, leaving a notable personnel question in place as the season begins.
Clemson had warned LSU that putting the players on the field could run afoul of contract terms, and LSU still has room to add them later in the season if it chooses. For now, the situation leaves one more unresolved subplot around a game that already carries plenty of attention, especially with both players having previously played for Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss. [Read more 🡒]