LSU stymies Clemson in season opening win

By Hunt Palmer

THE STORY

LSU has a complete football team.

After a pair of seasons with a lot of talent and a few obvious holes, this team is full of talent and devoid of an obvious flaw.

The defense was excellent at all three levels.

LSU’s front mauled Clemson’s veteran offensive line and silenced the running game to 31 yards on 20 carries. Cade Klubnik was under duress from the start. He was pressured five times and sacked once.

The linebackers were everywhere. Harold Perkins iced the game with a pressure, and he led LSU in tackles with West Weeks.

The secondary was brilliant. They blanketed a talented Clemson receiving corps that was missing Antonio Williams, the leading returner from a season ago, who was out with an apparent hamstring injury in the first quarter.

LSU was credited with six pass breakups and an interception by Mansoor Delane.

Clemson’s six second half drives only netted 150 yards and no points. Meanwhile an LSU team that had been outscored 52-13 in second halves over the last two openers won 14-0 after intermission.

On offense, LSU stayed with the running game, rushing 31 times for 108 yards and a touchdown. It wasn’t remarkable, but it was steady.

Trey’Dez Green proved to be a matchup nightmare drawing a pass interference to set up a touchdown in the first half and hauling in a touchdown over Clemson’s top corner Avieon Terrell on a jump ball.

Aaron Anderson was a second half star finishing with 99 yards receiving. Garrett Nussmeier didn’t have to do everything this time around. He managed the game and never put the ball in harm’s way.

It wasn’t perfect.

LSU failed to get points just before the half when they tried to convert a fourth and two from the 14 with under 15 second left. Chris Hilton was stopped short of the marker and fumbled.

LSU final two drives could have salted the game away but didn’t. One stalled after two first downs, and the second was a three and out.

Bauer Sharp‘s fumble was costly as it set up a Clemson field goal. Barion Brown looked to have a touchdown on a play that was overturned by replay and preceded a missed field goal by Damian Ramos.

That was all inconsequential because the Tigers head home 1-0 for the first time since 2019 and will take on Louisiana Tech next weekend.

THE STATS

Total Offense: 354-261 LSU

Rushing Offense: 108-31 LSU

First Downs: 25-13 LSU

Clemson on Third Downs: 3-for-13

Clemson Pass Rush: 1 sack, 2 hurries

LSU Pass Rush: 2 sacks, 5 hurries

LSU was credited with six pass break ups.

Neither team converted a third down in the first quarter.

THE PLAYS

On LSU’s first snap, Caden Durham broke a tackle in the backfield and slipped free for a 25-yard gainer to get LSU moving.

PJ Woodland came flying in on a corner blitz and sacked Cade Klubnik to force a three-and-out on Clemson’s first drive.

Clemson’s defense made the first big play. Sharp made a catch near the sticks and was hit by Avieon Terrell. The ball came free, and Clemson picked it up and returned the fumble back to the LSU 24.

Clemson lost a yard on three plays, but Nolan Hauser made a field goal to spot the home team a 3-0 lead.

Four minutes into the second quarter, Ramos knotted things with a 53-yard field goal that split the uprights right down the middle. A Will Heldt second down sack nearly knocked LSU out of field goal range, but a third down screen to Ju’Juan Johnson allowed Ramos a chance. 3-3.

Clemson converted the first third down of the game on a 3^rd and five slant to T.J. Moore. He went 26 yards into LSU territory.

Then Clemson got loose on a third and two. A rub route was executed well on a route behind the line of scrimmage, and Moore took it down inside the LSU five. Perkins sacked Klubnik for a loss back to the 14. On third down, Clemson completed a pass down to the two.

On fourth and goal, LSU popped Clemson’s Adam Randall at the two, but he pushed his way in for the score. That capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive. 10-3 Clemson.

LSU answered with a long, impressive drive down to the Clemson 12 and decided to go for a fourth and two with 15 seconds left and no timeouts. Hilton was stopped short of the line to gain on a screen and fumbled. LSU got no points. 10-3 Clemson at the half.

Clemson took the second half kickoff and drove down to set up a 48-yard field goal, but Hauser missed it wide right.

LSU capitalized on the miss by taking the ball right down the field for a touchdown. Anderson made two big plays on the drive, and Durham punched it in from two yards out. 10-10 ballgame with 8:59 left in the third.

Two transfers made LSU’s biggest defensive play. Patrick Payton came free and hit Klubnik who threw high for his intended receiver. Delane snared it for an interception to set LSU up at its own 46 yard line.

It appeared that Brown had secured a catch that was a potential touchdown. Replay overturned the call to incomplete.

Two plays later Ramos hooked a badly missed from 47 yards and was gimpy after the strike. 10-10.

The Tiger defense got the ball right back and marched it down the field to take the lead for the first time. Green scored on a jump ball over Terrell, Clemson’s No. 1 corner. 17-10 Tigers with 12:18 to play.

Clemson marched into LSU territory and had a fourth and five from the 33 with 9:06 to play. LSU used a timeout pre-snap. Clemson fired for Moore, and Delane broke it up. Excellent play on the ball to turn it over to LSU.

LSU stalled at the Clemson 40 and punted back to the home team. The killer on the drive was a minus-seven yard pass play to Brown. The punt could have been downed inside the five, but LSU’s coverage team couldn’t corral it brining the ball out to the 20 with 4:26 left in a seven-point game.

Clemson went nowhere on the ensuing drive and had to punt back to LSU with 3:30 left. A holding call moved the ball back from where Thomas returned it at the 46 back to the 18 and really flipped the field.

LSU meekly went three and out and punted back to Clemson who had one timeout with 1:46 left and 57 yards to go down seven.

Clemson churned down into the red zone quickly and had a fourth and four from the 15 with 1:04 left. Perkins came free and smashed Klubnik who had nowhere to throw the ball. It fell incomplete and LSU took over on downs.