LSU didn’t just beat Clemson’s offense in Week 1. Blake Baker’s defense squeezed it until there was nowhere left to go.
Clemson got on the board first with a 3-0 lead after LSU threw a pick on its own side of the field, but that was about as comfortable as things got for the Tigers. After that, LSU kept Clemson from crossing midfield until garbage time. For Baker, it was the clearest sign yet that this group can be special.
The talent level showed up everywhere. LSU’s mix of returners and transfer additions looks like the program’s most gifted defense in several years, and the opener gave a glimpse of why. Playmakers flashed at every level, from the front to the secondary.
Ty Benefield was one of the biggest reasons the night went the way it did. The Boise State transfer drew strong offseason buzz, and his LSU debut matched it.
On Clemson’s opening series, Benefield broke up a third-down pass to help force a three-and-out. He handled the high-safety job for most of the game, which gave him chances to make plays all over the field, including coming downhill into the box against the run.
The freshman defensive line group also got real work. Deuce Geralds, Richard Anderson, and Lamar Brown all saw meaningful snaps, with Geralds logging 21, Anderson 17, and Brown 16.
There’s still plenty of room to grow, but the raw talent stood out. Anderson is enormous and held up well against double teams.
Brown spent most of his snaps at defensive end and looked physically even with Clemson’s offensive line, creating knockback. All three look ready to help against SEC fronts.
TJ Dottery also made a strong first impression in Baton Rouge. He was uneven at Ole Miss last year, but Baker put him in spots where he could play to his strengths. Dottery finished with five pressures and three stops, and LSU let him use his speed to chase the passer and cover ground sideline to sideline.
Speed, in general, looked like a theme for this defense. Weeks and Dottery give LSU a quick, athletic pair at inside linebacker.
The edge group has more burst, too. Jordan Ross and Princewill Umanmielen are a different kind of player from Jack Pyburn and Patrick Payton, and both flashed elite get-off.
The two combined for eight pressures in Week 1.
Harold Perkins’ departure to the NFL opened the door for DaShawn Spears at star, and Spears looks like a natural fit. He’s a true nickel, a safety by trade who can match up with receivers in man coverage while still bringing enough size and force to work in the box.
That was also a night that fit Baker’s preferred style. At Missouri, fire zone was a staple, and when he has the personnel he wants, he can bring pressure from different angles without overcomplicating the scheme.
Brent Pry talked about fire zones that way, and Baker used them effectively against Clemson’s quarterbacks. Benefield’s presence in the middle of the field gave LSU the confidence to send five.
There were more useful snaps beyond the headliners. Defensive end Dylan Carpenter didn’t generate the same pressure numbers as the others up front, but he was physical when setting the edge against the run.
In the secondary, Ja'Keem Jackson carved out a real role in the rotation. When LSU added extra defensive backs, Jackson came on as a corner while PJ Woodland slid to nickel. Jackson’s 74.3 PFF defensive grade made him LSU’s fifth-best-graded defender of the night.
The interior rotation was deep, too. Five defensive linemen on the inside played at least 10 snaps.
By the numbers, it was a full shutdown. LSU held Clemson to a -0.47 EPA/play, which ranked as a 0th-percentile performance for the Clemson offense at GameOnPaper.com.
Clemson’s 29% success rate landed in the 2nd percentile. However you slice it, LSU’s defense dominated.
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