Head coach Brian Kelly was preaching a “1-0” mentality long before Saturday night.
Despite all odds, he and LSU football got what they wished for: beating No. 4 Clemson and finally winning a season-opener.
The game ended 17-10 after the team found its footing in the second half, closing a seven-point deficit.
LSU looked good for a touchdown reception by wide receiver Barion brown in the third, but the call was controversially overturned as the catch was ruled incomplete. The offense only used it as fuel to their fire, and tight end Trey’Dez Green eventually found the endzone at the beginning of the fourth.
The statement win marks the team’s first in a season opener in five years.
Here are three takeaways from LSU’s performance.
Blake Baker’s defense is the real deal
With defense being such a crucial issue for LSU in recent years, all eyes were on defensive coordinator Blake Bake, who joined the staff in 2024.
Withstanding Cade Klubnik and Clemson’s running game were topics of concern entering the matchup, but Kelly said his players kept their composure and made all the right calls.
“You go on the road and play a top-five team, you better bring a defense,” Kelly said in the postgame press conference. “We knew that we were going to be that defense that needed to step up and step up big.”
That’s exactly what happened. LSU held Clemson scoreless in the second half and gave up just 10 points total. Clemson averaged only 1.6 yards per carry and finished with 261 total yards.
Klubnik eventually shifted to a passing attack, but couldn’t find any momentum in the second half.
The game-sealing play was down at the LSU 15 on fourth-and-4 when a defender forced Klubnik to make a rushed and incomplete pass.
“We’ve had offenses here the last few years that could move the football,” Kelly said. “We needed a complement with a defense that could stand the test.”
Baker’s guys not only stood the test – they defined the game.
Play calling passed up points
Looking back, this could’ve been a high-scoring game for LSU, but lack of execution in the red zone and missed opportunities for easy points are mistakes that could haunt the Tigers later in the season.
LSU entered the red zone four times with only 10 points to show for it, including two failed fourth-down conversions inside the 25.
In the second quarter, Kelly and the Tigers passed on a field goal inside the 15 and went for it on fourth down. They came up empty.
Scoring 17 points with 354 total yards and over 35 minutes of possession is a low output, especially for having as many chances as they did.
Against better offensive teams or in the SEC, leaving points off the board like that could cost them a win. LSU escaped against Clemson, but red zone efficiency will have to improve moving forward.
Running game has turned a corner
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier appeared like some weight was lifted from his shoulders thanks to the offense’s much-improved ground attack.
The Tigers rushed for 108 yards and allowed just one sack against one of the best defenses in the nation. They dominated possession in the second half, only allowing Clemson to hold the ball for nine minutes.
On the go-ahead drive, LSU ran the ball five times in a row and was topped off by a six-yard strike to Trey’Dez Green, who recorded his first career touchdown and the game-winner in the fourth.
“The real difference here offensively was the ability to carve out a running game against a really good defense,” Kelly said.
Running back Caden Durhan led the team in rushing yards with 74 by the end of the night.
There were many question marks surrounding Kelly’s reworked offensive line in the preseason, but the group held up under pressure and opened crucial holes.
This was far from a perfect game for LSU, but it was exactly what the team needed to start what could be a long-running season. With both an offense and defense that will prove formidable to any opponent, the Tigers send a clear message that they intend to go 1-0 every week.
