CLEMSON — Each and every year, Clemson comes into the new season with a specific set of goals. That list always begins with winning the opener, and for the third straight year, the Tigers have failed to achieve that goal.
After falling at home to LSU 17-10 on Saturday night, Clemson has not only dropped three consecutive openers, but the team has also lost its last two games in Death Valley. The last time the Tigers dropped two straight at home was way back in 2008.
While Clemson’s revamped defense under new coordinator Tom Allen played more than well enough to win, it was the offense, which features a ton of returning production, that failed to live up to the preseason hype.
Now it’s back to the drawing board, as the Tigers look to respond after another week one loss.
“We just got to respond and move on,” linebacker Wade Woodaz said. “Sitting here dwelling in our feelings isn’t going to do anything positive.”
Two years ago, Clemson lost at Duke after fumbling multiple times inside its own five-yard line. Last season, the Tigers were blown out in Atlanta by Georgia. This time, despite the offensive issues leading to the defense being on the field more than 37 minutes, Allen’s unit kept the team in the game.
Clemson held LSU’s high-powered offense, littered with elite skill talent, to just 354 yards of total offense. The Bayou Bengals averaged just 2.5 yards per carry in the second half. However, it just wasn’t enough.
“They are a good team,” Woodaz added. “It is not like we lost to some bums. They are a really good team.”
With Troy coming to town on Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. kick, and Clemson opening as a 32.5-point favorite, now is the time to get things back on track, before a huge road matchup against Georgia Tech in week three.
“We just have to respond, clean up the little things,” Woodaz said. “It is so cliché, I feel like I am saying the same things over and over. Missed opportunities on offense. We did a great job getting the ball back at the end, but at the end of the day, we didn’t get the result we wanted, so we didn’t play good enough.”
Photo by Bart Boatwright