Leading up to Clemson’s matchup at LSU, much of the final week was spent talking about whether Lane Kiffin’s team would field former pro players.
Then, following a two-hour weather delay that pushed kickoff back to 9:40 p.m. ET, LSU showed the Tigers that they have a roster full of future NFL players.
And Clemson? Well, that’s another question.
Kirk Herbstreit once described Clemson as having “an embarrassment of riches”.
Saturday night in Baton Rouge, it was simply an embarrassment.
Clemson was blistered in every conceivable way in a 51-10 loss to No. 11 LSU.
At halftime, leading 31-3, Kiffin leaned in toward ESPN’s Holly Rowe and delivered this gut punch:
“Imagine if we had pro players.”
No thanks.
A few hours later, Dabo Swinney offered an even more succinct assessment of the 41-point loss, the largest of his career at Clemson.
“We got our ass kicked.”
There really wasn't a better way to describe it.
LSU finished with 644 yards to Clemson’s 145. The Bayou Bengals rushed for 309 yards, piled up a program-record 38 first downs and converted 11-of-16 third downs. Clemson rushed for 40 yards, had eight first downs and went 1-of-13 on third down.
Oddly, the night actually started about as well as Clemson could have hoped.
On LSU’s second offensive play, Sam Leavitt threw behind his intended receiver and Ashton Hampton intercepted the pass. Clemson managed only two yards off the takeaway, but Nolan Hauser drilled a 49-yard field goal to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead just 92 seconds into the game.
It would be Clemson’s last score until the final 3:13.
LSU answered with a field goal before marching 89 yards in 12 plays for its first touchdown. Then came the play that sent Clemson spiraling.
Facing third-and-6, LSU dropped defensive end Jordan Ross into coverage. Christopher Vizzina threw the ball into his hands, and Ross returned the interception 30 yards for a touchdown.
In a span of just 89 seconds, a tie game became a 17-3 LSU lead.
Clemson never recovered.
LSU, which ranked last in the SEC in rushing offense a season ago at 104 yards per game, had 213 and 336 total yards by halftime. Clemson, on the other hand, had 54 total yards and minus -4 rushing yards.
LSU held a 21-1 advantage in first downs, and that was just the beginning.
Clemson’s 54 yards were its fewest in a first half under Swinney.
Its 0-for-8 mark on third down tied its worst first-half performance of the Swinney era, matching the 2011 game against Troy.
The 28-point halftime deficit was Clemson’s second-largest under Swinney, behind only the 29-point halftime deficit against West Virginia in the 2012 Orange Bowl.
Woof.
Swinney turned to freshman Tait Reynolds for Clemson’s final possession of the half, but nothing changed after the break.
LSU stretched its lead to 38-3 on Leavitt’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Watkins before Dilin Jones’ second rushing touchdown made it 44-3 late in the third quarter. LSU eventually led 51-3 before David Eziomume scored Clemson’s only touchdown on an 11-yard run with 3:13 remaining.
“Offensively, no rhythm. The best thing we can do is let it develop and go back to work on Monday. We've got to show back up to work. We've got a long season ahead. We just got outplayed, outcoached in every facet. Again, credit to LSU,” Swinney said.
The final numbers backed him up.
Clemson averaged just 3.0 yards per play. LSU averaged 6.9. LSU recorded 11 tackles for loss and four sacks, while Clemson failed to record a sack.
A year after Clemson managed only 31 rushing yards in a 17-10 loss to LSU, the Tigers finished with just 40 on 26 attempts Saturday night.
In last year's meeting, Clemson at least had the ball at LSU's 15-yard line with a chance to tie the game in the final minute.
This time, there was no such drama.
Vizzina completed 10-of-16 passes for 83 yards with the pick-six. Reynolds went 4-of-6 for 22 yards.
“We will study the film. The pick-six hurt. That was a killer. CV made some nice throws. We will evaluate them,” Swinney said of the quarterbacks.
Clemson entered 2026 looking to put a 7-6 season behind it. Instead, the Tigers opened the new season with one of the most lopsided losses of the Swinney era.
Now comes the response.
Clemson returns home to face Georgia Southern next Saturday before hosting North Carolina the following week.
“We've got a lot of work to do. We've got to put our focus on what we can control. We've got to find a way to win this week and create some momentum headed into conference play. I was proud of them; they did not quit. But nowhere near where we need to be.”
After what happened in Baton Rouge, that last part is difficult to argue.
