Clemson’s season opener was billed as a playoff-type matchup, and it lived up to the hype—except for the final score. The Tigers fell 17-10 to LSU on Saturday night in a physical, defensive slugfest.
On his Sunday teleconference, head coach Dabo Swinney admitted the game came down to execution.
“The difference in the game was, you know, they made a couple more plays than we made,” Swinney said. “Had some critical penalties that extended some drives. Just too many missed opportunities.”
Defense Sets the Tone
If there was one bright spot, Swinney said, it was the defense. The Tigers held LSU’s explosive offense to just 17 points and only 2.8 yards per carry after the opening play.
“I was really proud of how they competed, especially in the fourth quarter,” Swinney said. “We looked like a Clemson defense is supposed to look—tough, physical, knock the ball loose… That’s winning football.”
Clemson forced two takeaways and limited LSU to 4-of-12 on third and fourth downs.
Special Teams Shine
Special teams also delivered in pressure moments. Punter Jack Smith averaged 44 yards per kick in his debut, while the Tigers nearly swung momentum with a late punt return.
“Our field goal protection was really good, our punt team was really good,” Swinney said. “That was a big moment for Jack… I was super pleased.”
Offense Falls Flat
But the glaring weakness was the offense. Swinney admitted Clemson didn’t come close to its potential.
“Offensively, we just did not play near like we’re capable of playing, or like we’re going to play,” Swinney said. “Nowhere near close to the ability that we can play at.”
Quarterback Cade Klubnik drew pointed criticism.
“Cade did not play well. It was a very average game for him,” Swinney said. “The good news is we all know he can play better… just did not do some of the basic things, and that’s usually what these games come down to.”
The Tigers had critical drops, failed third downs, and costly penalties that stalled promising drives.
O-Line Mixed Results
When asked about the offensive line, Swinney said the group wasn’t dominant but wasn’t disastrous either.
“Nobody was perfect on the offensive side,” he said. “Not good enough to win the game, but not terrible either. We made some plays, but we missed some opportunities to win the game.”
A Playoff-Type Atmosphere
Despite the loss, Swinney insisted the matchup will benefit Clemson in the long run.
“That was a definite playoff-type of field game, as far as the level of competition, the level of talent on the field,” Swinney said. “We’ve got a chance to be a great team… If we clean up the execution, this is a team that will get better throughout the course of the season.”
Looking Ahead
Swinney made it clear that nothing changes about Clemson’s season goals after one defeat.
“Hey, nothing’s changed for us,” he said. “We’ve got to go try to find a way to win the game this week. I think we’ve got a chance to be a great team. This loss doesn’t change that.”