Clemson Falls Short in Season Opener

Clemson fell short in its season opener to LSU, 17-10. It was a hard-fought, defense-heavy matchup that came down to the last possession. The first half was sloppy for both offenses, and the defenses held strong for the majority of the game. Ultimately, Garrett Nussmeier and the Bayou Bengals were able to get the win in Memorial Stadium. Dabo Swinney and his team can learn a lot from this loss. They will have plenty of opportunities to bounce back from this and get back on track for a national championship run.

Clemson vs. LSU Analysis

Offensive Inconsistency

For much of the game, the Tigers’ offense struggled to find a good rhythm. Losing senior wide receiver Antonio Williams early in the first half did not help much in that regard. The lack of a run game also severely hurt Clemson. The inability to move the ball on the ground allowed LSU not to worry much about the run game. This gave the Bayou Bengals’ defense the chance to get after Cade Klubnik in the passing game. The Palmetto Tigers’ offense rushed for just 31 yards on the night on 20 attempts. This is a big reason Clemson was in several third-and-long situations. The experienced Tigers’ offensive line had a hard time protecting Klubnik, who was pressured all night long. Klubnik finished the game completing 19 passes of 38 attempts for 230 yards and an interception. That pick Klubnik threw was Clemson’s only turnover of the night. That interception swung the momentum in LSU’s favor. The Bayou Tigers eventually capitalized, taking the lead for the first time at the beginning of the fourth quarter. It is clear that Clemson has to find some kind of run game in order to take a little bit of pressure off of Klubnik.

Penalties Hurt the Defense

The Clemson defense held strong for the majority of the game. Penalties in the secondary, though, kept the final LSU scoring drive alive. Ashton Hampton is a physical player in coverage. At times, that came back to bite him, though, as he received a couple of pass interference calls. Those fifteen-yard penalties turned third-down stops into first downs for LSU. Giving a high-powered offense with a talented quarterback like Nussmeier those extended drives, it’s not going to go well. Besides the penalties, the Tigers played well defensively. Other than a few displays of poor tackling, the run defense looked better than a year ago, giving up just 108 rushing yards total. There is still improvement to be made, though, as Caden Durham still ran for 74 yards on 17 attempts. If Clemson can clean up the penalties and tackling, they will be every bit as good as expected.

Takeaways

While a win would be preferred, the biggest goal of this game for both teams was to keep it close. Even in defeat, Clemson looked like a team capable of not just competing, but winning these kinds of games. The experience gained in this matchup will come in handy later on in the year. For now, the Tigers have to learn from this defeat. There is obviously plenty to work on, but also some things to be excited about. The defense has a ton of depth at all three levels. There were lots of rotations happening all night, and no drop-off in performance could be seen. Offensively, Bryant Wesco Jr and TJ Moore are coming along very well. Also, the return of Tyler Brown will aid this receiving corps tremendously. Williams’ Injury did not look too serious. But getting Wesco, Moore, and Brown more involved still will open up the offense to do more as the season progresses. Also, allowing Klubnik to be explosive with his legs is going to be key this season. Don’t give up on Swinney and his team just yet. All the potential to succeed is still there. They just have a bit more work to do. Main Photo: Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images