By KACE KIESCHNICK, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
Clemson at LSU
Saturday, Sept. 5 • 6:30 p.m. CT • ABC
Baton Rouge, La. • Tiger Stadium (“Death Valley”)
Spread: LSU -10.5 | O/U 50.5
Overview
No. 11 LSU hosts Clemson in a rematch of the 2025 season opener (a 17-10 LSU win) that does not have the same top-10 pedigree or expected College Football Playoff implications as a season ago but carries just as much excitement. The Tigers kick off the first game of the Lane Kiffin era that has already been defined by the blockbuster transfer classes and drama that LSU fans anticipated when they welcomed the controversial figure from Ole Miss. On Saturday night, though, courtroom battles, eligibility debates, “X” rumors and everything else will fade into the background as the sun finds its home in the western sky above Tiger Stadium.
With plenty of fresh faces on both sides of the ball, Blake Baker’s “Bayou Bandits” defense will look to set the tone against Clemson senior quarterback Christopher Vizzina in his second-ever start. His Clemson counterpart, Tom Allen, will hope his rebuilt but stout unit can contain an explosive, unproven LSU offense with only three returning starters.
KEY STORYLINES
- Rosters Overhauled
The Bayou Bengals will roll out a roster rebuilt by Kiffin’s No. 1 ranked 40-player transfer portal class. Dabo Swinney’s Clemson team is also in the middle of a program reset. After disappointing 7-6 seasons from both schools last year, Swinney lost nine players to the NFL draft and welcomed his biggest portal class ever — 10 players, earth-shattering by his standards. LSU’s transfers have taken over key roles across the roster: QB Sam Leavitt, WRs Jayce Brown, Eugene Wilson III, Winston Watkins Jr. & Jackson Harris, RB Dilin Jones, LT Jordan Seaton, RG Aliou Bah, DEs Princewill Umanmielen & Jordan Ross and S Ty Benefield. Clemson’s impact transfers reside primarily on the defense: Safeties Corey Myrick & Jerome Carter III, CBs Elliot Washington & Donovan Starr, DTs Markus Strong & Andy Burburija and DE London Merritt. Swinney’s offense will rely on five returning starters to help young talents step into new roles in the QB, RB and OL rooms.
- New Quarterbacks
Vizzina was named the official starting QB just days before the season opener. The former five-star recruit is entering his fourth season in Clemson, but he has taken just 238 offensive snaps in his career. 71 of those came in his lone start, a 35-24 loss to SMU last season, when he was 29-for-42 with 317 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against a Mustangs team that finished the season ranked 135th in passing defense. Swinney also said freshman QB Tait Reynolds would “likely” see the field after a strong fall camp made the position battle tighter than expected. For LSU, Leavitt makes his debut. The Arizona state transfer was the top-rated player in the portal this offseason but spent much of the spring sidelined as he recovered from a season-ending “Lisfranc” surgery. Kiffin reports that he has been impressive throughout fall camp and is able to make the explosive runs and “adult throws” that helped him lead the Sun Devils to the CFP in 2024.
- Experienced Offensive Coordinators Find New Homes
Former Ole Miss coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. made the trip from Oxford to Baton Rouge with Kiffin. Kiffin has hailed Weis as the true mastermind behind their explosive, up-tempo offense that ranked second in the nation in total yards each of the last two seasons and never finished outside the top 13 in their four seasons together at Ole Miss. Chad Morris returns to Clemson this season after previously serving as Swinney’s offensive coordinator from 2011-2014. During that span, his offense averaged 468.5 yards and 36.3 points per game, ranking ninth and 12th among Power Four schools respectively, and he helped the Tigers to a 41-11 record. After disappointing head coaching stints at SMU and Arkansas, Morris was Auburn’s OC in 2020, a high school coach in 2021, an offensive analyst at South Florida and Clemson the next two seasons, the Texas State passing game coordinator in 2024 and watched his son play QB for Virginia last season. His arrival reflects an effort to revitalize the offense and return to the Clemson identity, leadership and success of the 2010s. Look for both Tigers’ offenses to move at a blistering pace, establish the run and take deep shots when available.
- Clemson defensive front vs. LSU offensive line
A Clemson defensive line has become one of the most reliably talented groups in college football, but Allen had to replace a lot of last year’s production this offseason. Senior DE Will Heldt, who led the team with 7 ½ sacks and 15 ½ tackles for loss last season, is back, but DE T.J. Parker and DTs Peter Woods and DeMonte Capehart both left in the NFL Draft. LSU nabbed one of their Week 1 starters, DT Stephylan Green, in the transfer portal. Fifth-year EDGE Jahiem Lawson will step up from a rotational role that produced 3 ½ sacks a year ago to anchor the other end of the line while the interior looks to senior Strong and sophomore Amare Adams following the arrest and dismissal of graduate lineman Vic Burley last month. The linebacker corps lost No. 2 tackler Wade Woodaz to the NFL but returned junior LB Sammy Brown, who led the team with 106 tackles last season. He is joined by redshirt senior Jeremiah Alexander, who played in all 13 games last year. LSU’s offensive line is led by returning starting center Braelin Moore. Seaton was the No. 1 LT in the transfer portal, LG Bo Bordelon gets his chance as a starter after four seasons in Baton Rouge, Bah is a solid vet at RG and RT Weston Davis returns to the starting lineup after a challenging 2025. The unit will need to be much improved for the offense to move the ball.
PLAYMAKERS TO WATCH
• Sam Leavitt (LSU QB): A dual-threat playmaker who makes explosive plays on the ground and elite arm talent returns from a season-ending right foot surgery
• Trey’Dez Green (LSU TE): LSU’s all-time TE touchdown leader (11). The only returning skill-position player, who could expand his role from a red-zone target to an every-down threat
• Ty Benefield (LSU S): First-team All-Mountain West Boise State transfer who makes plays at every level of the defense
• Sammy Brown (Clemson LB): First-team All-ACC selection who led the Tigers with 106 tackles
• Ashton Hampton (Clemson CB): 47 tackles, a sack, an interception and 11 pass breakups last season stepping into No. 1 role
KEY MATCHUPS
CBs DJ Pickett and PJ Woodland vs WRs Bryant Wescoe Jr. and T.J. Moore — strength on strength, Vizzina will need help from his talented, veteran receivers. If Pickett and Woodland can shut them down, that could spell disaster for the Clemson offense.
RB Dilin Jones vs. Clemson LBs — Jones has taken over the backfield ahead of returners Caden Durham and Harlem Berry. He needs to show why he earned that role to revive LSU’s rushing attack.
DE Princewill Umanmielen vs. Clemson LT Brayden Jacobs — Jacobs is a sophomore who played 368 snaps and started four games last season stepping into the full-time LT role. Swinney likes him at that spot, but Umanmielen will be a big challenge for the former four-star after leading Ole Miss with nine sacks last season.
STATS AND TRENDS TO KNOW
LSU coaches are 22-10-1 in their first game as head coach all-time
The Tigers are 4-1 against Clemson all-time
Kiffin is 0-3 coaching inside Tiger Stadium
The nearly 900 media and celebrity credentials issued for this game are the most in Tiger Stadium history
THE OUTLOOK
There are massive unknowns for both teams, but two things are certain. LSU’s defense is loaded and a capacity Tiger Stadium crowd is a horrific setting for a QBs first road start. If the Tigers can force Clemson turnovers, things can get ugly quick. Leavitt and the offense have the firepower to put up big points, but with so many new faces and a formidable Clemson defense, it may take some time to settle into the game. Their success depends on the line’s ability to protect Leavitt and prevent the Clemson edge rushers from blowing up the run game. There are a lot of similarities between the Tigers. Both offenses will want to run at track-meet pace, but growing pains could turn the game into more of a marathon than a 100-meter-sprint. The game will come down to which team can establish and stop the run in the trenches and keep their respective offenses away from talented pass rushes in obvious passing downs.
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