CLEMSON — No. 4 Clemson had every chance to prove it belonged on the big stage Saturday night. Instead, the Tigers were bullied in their own Death Valley, falling 17-10 to No. 9 LSU in primetime.
The Tigers (0-1) never found rhythm offensively and couldn’t match LSU’s (1-0) physicality in the trenches, falling flat in a showcase that exposed familiar flaws. A controversial overturned LSU touchdown in the third quarter gave Clemson life, but it only delayed the inevitable.
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Garrett Nussmeier spread the ball to nine receivers, going 28-of-38 for 230 yards and a touchdown.
His best connection came with 6-foot-7 tight end Trey’Dez Green, a former basketball standout who boxed out a defender for an 8-yard score that gave LSU the lead for good.
Running back Caden Durham added 74 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Clemson still had a chance late. Down 17-10 with 1:54 remaining, the Tigers drove inside the LSU 20 but stalled, turning the ball over on downs at the 15-yard line.
LSU’s defensive front dictated the game, logging five quarterback hurries and keeping Cade Klubnik uncomfortable all night.
Clemson’s offensive line had no answers, and the “revamped” rushing attack with Adam Randall was shut down completely. Clemson managed just 31 rushing yards on 20 carries–1.6 yards per attempt.
Klubnik finished 19-of-38 for 230 yards with an interception.
Old habits surfaced, as he showed “happy feet” in the pocket while trying to escape relentless pressure. To his credit, blame must be placed on protection breakdowns as well.
Defensively, Tom Allen’s unit held up for stretches, winning the turnover margin, but the lack of offensive support left them on the field for over 37 minutes.
Ronan Hanafin led Clemson with 12 tackles, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.
Linebacker Sammy Brown added 11 tackles, eight solo, with a TFL.
Avieon Terrell forced a fumble and broke up a pass, while Will Heldt tallied the Tigers’ lone sack.
Randall’s bruising fourth-and-goal run in the second quarter provided Clemson’s only touchdown, and safety Ricardo Jones set up a 42-yard Nolan Hauser field goal with a 24-yard fumble return.
But those moments stood as exceptions in a night defined by missed chances and a one-dimensional offense.
The Death Valley crowd forced two LSU timeouts and a couple false starts in the first half, but the Tigers’ rebuilt offensive line–a preseason question mark with four transfers–held firm.
Nussmeier had time to throw, while Klubnik was constantly under siege.
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Clemson has now dropped four straight against SEC opponents under Dabo Swinney.
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For a program that spent the offseason vowing to be tougher and more complete, this was the wrong stage to fall flat.
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