It was a frustrating start to the season for the Clemson Tigers, who dropped a tough 17-10 decision to LSU in front of a sold-out Memorial Stadium. For fans in Death Valley, this game was a tale of two teams wearing the same uniform. One was a ferocious, opportunistic defense that looked ready for a title run. The other was an offense that, after a promising start, completely disappeared.
How can one team look so good on one side of the ball and so lost on the other? Let's analyze the Tigers' polarizing performance with 3 Ups and 3 Downs.
▲ 3 UPS ▲
1. A Defense That Creates Opportunities
While the final score was a disappointment, Clemson's defense came to play. They were flying to the football, creating havoc, and generating turnovers.
- The Key Stats: The defense forced two fumbles and recovered both. They were consistently disruptive in the backfield, racking up 8.0 tackles for loss.Linebacker Ronan Hanafin was a one-man wrecking crew, finishing with a team-high 12 total tackles, a tackle for loss, and a crucial forced fumble. Avieon Terrell also forced a fumble that Ricardo Jones recovered and returned 24 yards, setting up the team's first points. This unit gave its offense every chance to win.
2. Bryant Wesco Jr. Looks Like a True No. 1 Target
In an offense that struggled to find rhythm, wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. was a consistent bright spot. He proved to be the most reliable weapon in the passing game and made big plays when targeted.
- The Production: Wesco Jr. led all Clemson receivers with 4 catches for 66 yards.His most impressive play was a clutch 21-yard reception on a 4th-and-2 situation in the second quarter, which kept a touchdown drive alive. In a game where offense was hard to come by, Wesco Jr. showed he can be a go-to playmaker.
3. That Glimpse of Offensive Potential
For one brilliant stretch in the second quarter, we saw what this Clemson offense could be. They put together a masterful, 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that temporarily gave them control of the game.
- The Drive: The series featured a 26-yard pass to T.J. Moore and the aforementioned fourth-down conversion to Wesco Jr..It was capped off by a tough 1-yard touchdown run from Adam Randall to give Clemson a 10-3 lead. That drive showed a balanced, efficient, and clutch offense—a formula they just couldn't replicate for the rest of the game.
▼ 3 DOWNS ▼
1. The Ground Game Goes Extinct
It is nearly impossible to win in modern college football when you cannot run the ball, and Clemson's ground game was completely erased by LSU.
- The Brutal Numbers: The Tigers finished the game with a staggering 31 net yards on 20 rushing attempts. That’s an anemic average of just 1.6 yards per carry.The inability to establish any push up front made the offense predictable and put the entire weight of the game on the quarterback’s shoulders.
2. A Complete Second-Half Offensive Shutdown
After taking a 10-3 lead into the locker room at halftime, the Clemson offense simply vanished. They were shut out for the entire second half, failing to produce a single point.
- The Stagnation: Clemson punted three times and turned the ball over on downs twice in the second half. They converted only 3 of 13 third-down attempts in the entire game.With the defense keeping them in it, the offense had multiple chances to tie the game or take the lead but could not sustain a single meaningful drive after the break.
3. Critical Errors in High-Leverage Moments
In a one-score game, every mistake is magnified, and two specific miscues proved to be momentum-killers from which Clemson never recovered.
- The Mistakes: First, with the game tied 10-10 in the third quarter, quarterback Cade Klubnik threw an interception that gave LSU the ball at midfield. Then, on Clemson's next possession, kicker Nolan Hauser missed a 48-yard field goal that would have put them back in front. Those back-to-back empty possessions handed the momentum to LSU for good.