Clemson Tigers Center Takes Positive Outlook on Week 1 Loss

While the Clemson Tigers suffered a loss in their first game of the 2025 season, not all will end up being bad when looking back on it. That’s what center Ryan Linthicum believes. 

The Clemson offense has been the main takeaway from this contest, only scoring 10 points and losing by seven when returning 85% of the production from a season ago. However, it’s only the first week, after all, and Linthicum knows improvements will be made. 

“We had some good IDs, but there’s definitely a lot of room for improvement,” he said on Wednesday. “Just the little things, I realize how big the little things are in games like that, but it can cost you a lot. Back to the drawing board, but definitely some things we’ve got to improve on and just the minor details, for sure.”

It’s also not often you get to face a top 10 team from outside your conference. Clemson and LSU faced off last weekend in the opening game of both of their schedules. It was the first time that the teams had met since the 2019 national championship.

Having the history and the value of the opponent will make the team better, according to Linthicum. Everything will remain on the table as the team enters ACC play next weekend. 

“I look at it as a blessing,” he said. “We had a big, tough matchup first, and I really like games like that. You see where you’re at, and there are a lot of things that we can clean up, but it’s all fixable. If we just come in with that mindset every day, that it’s a one-game season, just make sure that we learn from our mistakes, and it can be a special season.”

The team fought until the final offensive snap, being unable to convert on a fourth down to save the Tigers’ hopes of a home win. Linthicum learned that big games like this will come down to a few plays, and it’s only a matter of who takes advantage of them. 

“Three or four plays, and that can cost you,” he said, “so just making sure that we learn from that and make sure that we are mentally locked in every play to be successful.”

Under the guidance of offensive line coach Matt Luke, the redshirt senior gives props to the coaching staff for being prepared for the contest. Similar to what he said before, it’s going to be about the small, particular things that end up winning or losing you a game, especially at the level that Clemson plays at. 

“We were well prepared,” Linthicum said. “Our offensive staff does a great job of getting us prepared. Like I said earlier, it’s just the little things. It’s just eyes looking in the wrong direction. It’s just little errors like that in a big game like that that can cost you. So, we just have to hone in on the little details and just make sure that we are laser-focused in big games like that because, as you can see, it comes down to a couple of plays.”

Though the team has a lower opponent in Troy, Linthicum and the offensive line will look to improve the unit’s performance this Saturday at Memorial Stadium. What has helped the Damascus, Maryland, native the most through this process is finding joy in the journey, which he hopes that the rest of his line is able to believe in throughout the rest of the long season. 

“We know what we’ve got to do,” Linthicum said. “I think the biggest thing that you can take away from games like this is seeing it as joy, counting everything as blessings, and I think if you have that mindset, we have an older team and we understand what it takes to get there.”