LSU walked into a top-five house and left with the one thing it hadn’t had in five years: a win in the opener. The ninth-ranked Tigers slugged out a 17-10 road result over No. 4 Clemson, and it wasn’t fireworks that did it. It was a defense that finally showed teeth.
Defense answers every question
All summer the talk centered on Garrett Nussmeier and Cade Klubnik trading haymakers. Instead, LSU’s defense shut Clemson out after halftime and squeezed the run game to 32 yards. When Clemson had to have it late, LSU closed the door. A fourth-down stop at the 33, a quick three-and-out, and then one last stand in the red zone with Harold Perkins Jr. forcing Klubnik off his spot and into an incompletion.
Brian Kelly didn’t need speeches. He needed stops. He got them.
The moment that flipped it
Early in the fourth, Nussmeier found tight end Trey’Dez Green on an 8-yard strike for the go-ahead score. From there, LSU leaned on clock and pads. The Tigers finished with 356 total yards and 25 first downs, grinding away while their defense took the air out of Clemson’s offense.
What the numbers say
Nussmeier went 28-for-38 for 230 yards and a touchdown. LSU did cough up two first-half fumbles, including one at the Clemson 12, but the defense made sure those mistakes didn’t linger.
Clemson’s Klubnik completed 19 of 38 for 230 yards with one interception. LSU had only two sacks, yet the rush lanes were closed all night and the pressure showed up in the downs that mattered.
Perkins, back from last year’s ACL tear, flashed everywhere: 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack, two pressures, and the late chase that sealed it.
The rebuild on that side is real
Last season LSU finished 14th in the SEC in scoring defense. The staff spent big and shopped hard in the portal. Edge help from Patrick Payton and Jack Pyburn, interior power from Bernard Gooden, coverage from Mansoor Delane, and range at safety with Tamarcus Cooley and A.J. Haulcy all showed up in real snaps, not just on paper.
MORE: Jameis Winston’s brother Jonah shocks Alabama crowd with FSU commitment
What’s next
LSU gets three straight in Baton Rouge: Louisiana Tech, No. 15 Florida, and Southeast Louisiana. The opener box has finally been checked. The measuring stick now moves to how long this defense can hold it.
More NCAA Football News:
- Jalen Daniels, Kansas Jayhawks look to keep momentum rolling against Wagner
- Michigan State Spartans open season against hungry Broncos on Friday
- Opening night test: Miami (Ohio) meets Wisconsin under the lights
- Showdown at Arrowhead: Nebraska and Cincinnati kick off in style
- Battle for respect: Rutgers and Ohio open with conference pride at stake
- Battle in the bay: Life without Jeanty begins for Boise State in 2025