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LSU Coach Brian Kelly Has Fired Back At Dabo Swinney

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 4:07 PM ET

Brian Kelly had a pointed retort to Dabo Swinney's review of their Week 1 encounter.

LSU began the 2025 college football season with a 17-10 win over Clemson at Memorial Stadium. Both squads entered the showdown ranked inside the AP poll's top 10, but Swinney didn't think either team aced their first test.

"It's like getting a final exam day one of class," Swinney said after the game. "They made a 65, we made a 58. Neither one of us were great."

Kelly took issue with Swinney's grading rubric during Monday's press conference, via On3's Bryce Koon.

"We dominated them in the second half," Kelly said. "So he’s either a really good grader for giving himself a 58, or he’s a really hard grader on us. Or he didn’t see the second half, which that might be the case. He might not have wanted to see the second half."

LSU passes first test of season

Even if LSU doesn't deserve an A+, Kelly's team more than barely passed when earning a monumental road win against the nation's No. 4 team.

Down 10-3 at halftime, LSU scored two second-half touchdowns on lengthy drives while holding Clemson scoreless. The ACC program drove into the red zone during the game's closing moments, but a turnover on downs effectively ended the game.

Some stats support Kelly's implication that the game was more lopsided than the final score suggests. LSU dominated time of possession and gained 354 yards to Clemson's 261, limiting Clemson to 31 rushing yards on 20 carries.

LSU gifted Clemson three points by fumbling early in the offense's second drive, and another fumble halted a 12-play series inside the end zone before halftime. Those miscues could explain Swinney's harsh grade.

Each team also committed six penalties and combined to convert seven of 24 third-down opportunities, so it wasn't the cleanest matchup between two College Football Playoff candidates at peak form. Yet LSU probably merits at least a B for leaving South Carolina with a massive victory.

LSU hosts Louisiana Tech, and Swinney will hope Clemson doesn't flunk a Week 2 home contest against Troy.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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