CLEMSON — Brian Kelly said he was coming into Clemson’s Death Valley to win the game, and he did just that thanks to quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and a stingy defense.
Nussmeier’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Trey’Dez Green with 12:18 to play was the difference in No. 9 LSU’s 17-10 victory over fourth-ranked Clemson.
“It was a heavyweight fight,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “They just made a couple of more plays than we did, and we made a couple of more critical errors than they did. In games like that, that is usually the difference.”
The loss was Clemson’s third straight to open a season. Clemson was 12-1 in season openers in head coach Dabo Swinney’s first 13 years.
With the win, LSU snapped its five-game losing streak to open a season. It’s previous win to start a season came at Texas in 2019, it’s last national championship season.
Clemson’s lone touchdown came on a 1-yard touchdown run by Adam Randall with 4:36 to play before halftime. LSU’s defense held Clemson to 261 total yards. Clemson was just 3-for-13 on third down.
In a battle of Heisman candidates, Nussmeier had the better night, going 28 of 38 for 230 yards and a TD. Clemson’s Cade Klubnik completed 19 of 38 passes for 230 yards with an interception. He was also sacked twice and harassed all night.
Another loss to the SEC
Clemson has now lost four straight games to SEC teams and are 3-8 in its last 11 such contests.
Game Changing moment
It appeared Clemson got a stop on a late LSU drive in the third quarter. On third-and-11 from the LSU 37, Nussmeier’s throw to Zavion Thomas was off target, as the ball fell to the ground. However, Clemson corner Ashton Hampton was pulling the back of his jersey and was flagged for pass interference.
The 15-yard penalty kept the drive alive and led to Green’s 8-yard TD reception from Nussmeier with 12:18 to play. The TD gave LSU a 17-10 lead.
No running game
The big question all off-season was about Clemson’s running game. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney continuously said the fans and media would be surprised. Well, they were not.
Adam Randall started at running back and finished the game with fiver carries for 16 yards. Clemson had five different players combine for 31 rushing yards on 20 carries. Clemson averaged just 2.9 yards per carry when taking away lost yardage from sacks.
Clemson ran just four rushing plays in the second half, the last coming on a 2-yard loss by quarterback Cade Klubnik with 3:51 left in the third quarter.
It ran the ball for just three yards on four carries in the second half.
The Tigers’ 31 rushing yards is the program’s fewest total in a home game since a loss to Virginia Tech back in 2007.
Clemson caught the drops
On a key fourth down play in the fourth quarter with the Tigers’ trailing LSU by seven, T.J. Moore dropped a pass that would have kept the drive alive. After the defense got a stop, Klubnik threw a deep pass to Bryant Wesco down the left side. But like Moore, Wesco dropped the pass and Clemson ultimately was forced to punt the ball back to LSU.
Injuries
Wide Receiver Antonio Williams left the game on the second possession of the game. He left the game with what looked like a hamstring injury after he pulled up and grabbed the back of his right leg. He went into the locker room and did not return.
Safety Khalil Barnes left the game in the second quarter after trying to intercept a pass on the sideline. No word on what his injury could be.
Offensive guard Walker Parks (knee) did not play. Harris Sewell started in his place at right guard.
Next
Clemson hosts Troy next Saturday with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m.