Tiger defense looking to build on breakout showing

By Hunt Palmer

The LSU defense still has to perform for another four months, but the opening act was stellar.

The Tigers stifled Clemson Saturday night, holding a veteran offense to 10 points, three of which came on a drive that went backwards after a fumble return set Clemson up just outside the red zone.

LSU clamped down on the running game, made everything tough through the air and made the plays necessary to close the game late.

The effort was months in the making.

“I think it’s a testament to all of our preparation that we put in in the spring, summer,” said senior linebacker West Weeks. “A big point of emphasis for us was creating that brotherhood, and when you have that brotherhood, you’re able to keep or hold your brother accountable. So, it’s kind of not wanting to let your guy down to the right or left.”

To Weeks’s point, every level of the defense had a stern challenge on its hands, and every level rose to the occasion.

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik struggled to find places to go with the football. He completed just 50 percent of his throws.

“When our DBs are playing like that and just locking everything down, it really does just open everything up for us,” Weeks said. “We’re able to bring a bunch of different blitzes, show a bunch of different looks. It really frees us up to just play wild.”

Weeks and the front seven sure did.

Clemson couldn’t find any lanes to run, and Klubnik was under duress much of the night. The Clemson offense really resembled what LSU’s first unit looked like much of August working against Blake Baker’s unit.

This time, though, the eyes of the nation were watching. While it may have been jarring for those who weren’t on the practice field in August, it was just another day for those who were. Those daily wins by the defense helped the LSU offense prepare to control the game the way it did against a stout Clemson defense.

“(The media) saw, they’re a phenomenal defense,” said LSU offensive guard Josh Thompson. “Iron sharpens iron. It’s a tale as old as time. If you look at us from now to spring, you can see the growth, and it’s one of the coolest things.”

With that effort in the rearview, confidence can become contagious. It’s one thing to win reps under the South Louisiana sun in practice. It’s another to knock off a top five team in primetime on opening weekend.

The buzz around camp was positive, now it’s a national narrative. The confirmation is inspiring.

“I feel like it was a little bit all talk,” said senior cornerback Mansoor Delane. “People say what they are. But when you go out there and put it all together, it gives people more confidence. In practice, we’ve seen it already. But coming in a game situation, it just gives the defense even more confidence.”

One game doesn’t make a season. It’s a step toward all the goals LSU has laid out. Head Coach Brian Kelly has talked about playing at a championship level. That’s not just lip service at LSU. It’s the expectation.

Maintaining focus over the course of a 12-game season can be a challenge, but this LSU group boasts a lot of maturity.

“I don’t really think it changes anything because I think we had that mindset going into the game,” Weeks said. “We knew exactly what we can do. We watched the film. We know we have a lot of stuff to get better at and a lot of stuff we could have done in the game. Obviously, it’s good to get a win, but I think we had that confidence going into the game.”