BATON ROUGE, La. — The start of the Clemson football season is finally upon us.
The Tigers travel to Baton Rouge on Saturday to take on No. 11 LSU under the lights at Tiger Stadium. The Bayou Bengals lead the all-time series 4-1, but this will mark Clemson’s first trip to the iconic venue. The last time a team beat LSU on their home turf the first time playing there came during the 2000 season, when UAB pulled off the feat, beating a Nick Saban-coached LSU team 13-10 on Homecoming.
Dabo Swinney’s program has not fared well in season-openers recently, with Clemson having dropped three straight to start the season and four of the past five, including falling 17-10 at home to LSU a season ago.
However, with the circus-like atmosphere surrounding this contest, with pretty much all of it on the LSU side, it’s almost like the actual game has been lost in all of the madness. Maybe the distractions surrounding Kiffin over the past couple of weeks end up benefiting Clemson. If you look at the talent already stacked on that LSU roster, which is rumored to have cost in the neighborhood of $50 million, Swinney’s Tigers might need all of the help they can get.
Playing in Tiger Stadium, at night, is already no easy task. There is a reason LSU has won around 88% of its home games played in primetime since 2000.
LSU has also won 27 straight against unranked opponents at home and is 97-12 on its home turf in night games since 2006.
Throw last season’s game out of the window. This isn’t close to being the same LSU team Clemson saw a year ago. Kiffin has added more than 60 new faces to the roster, including signing the nation’s top-rated portal class, which added well over 40 transfers to the roster.
One of the biggest portal additions was quarterback Sam Leavitt, and how successful he is will play a big role in determining how this one plays out. Leavitt, who missed a ton of time last season with an injury, is reportedly fully healthy, which makes him extremely dangerous. He is capable of doing some serious damage with his legs if he is not contained.
Tom Allen’s defense will need to make Leavitt beat the Tigers with his arm and not allow him to have a field day on the ground. That means consistently setting the edge, along with the interior of the defensive line winning more than its share of battles at the point of attack. Clemson has some serious depth concerns at defensive tackle, so that might be a big ask. Amare Adams, Andy Burburija and Markus Strong might have a handle the bulk of the snaps.
However, we can talk about the Clemson defense all night long. If the Tigers have a chance to pull off the upset, it’s Chad Morris’ offense that will have to get it done. And it will have to do so with Chris Vizzina making just his second career start at quarterback behind a new-look offensive line that is expected to have at least one inexperienced player in the starting lineup. Talk about a big ask.
Somehow, some way, Clemson has to be able to establish some semblance of a running game with Gideon Davidson and Chris Johnson Jr. Vizzina, or even Tait Reynolds, who is also likely to play at some point, are also going to have to be factors with their legs.
As talented as LSU is up front along the defensive line, there is some inexperience there. If Morris can create some confusion with motions and eye candy, maybe this offense can have enough success.
With this being an opener, there’s also bound to be some sloppiness. Can Clemson play a cleaner game than LSU? That will be key.
Make no mistake, this is a monumental challenge. There is a reason LSU is a double-digit favorite. However, there is a path to victory for Clemson. Come out and play physical. Show the opponent you won’t be overwhelmed by one of the most intimidating road environments in the nation.
Create an early turnover or two, and take the crowd out of the game. On the offensive side of the ball, make good, smart decisions and protect the football. Do those things, and you give yourself a chance.
Some folks are predicting a blowout. Actually, many are. I’m not so sure it plays out that way.
I expect this game to be competitive. This being an opener, along with the distractions from all the off-the-field stuff and LSU having so many new pieces on this team, might mean Kiffin’s squad will need some time to find its footing.
Either way, I think this is a game into the second half. However, LSU proves to be just too much, with Leavitt’s legs helping guide the Bayou Bengals to a late score to seal it. While Clemson may end up on the losing side, Swinney’s Tigers play well enough to earn a little respect.
LSU 28, Clemson 17