CLEMSON, S.C. - Trailing by seven late in the game, Clemson drove to the LSU 15-yard line but was stopped on downs as No. 9 LSU (1-0) defeated No. 4 Clemson (0-1) at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night, 17-10.
Clemson forced a three-and-out to get the ball back with 1:46 to play at its own 43-yard line. Quarterback Cade Klubnik hit completions to T.J. Moore (19 yards) and Tyler Brown (17 yards) to move to the LSU 21-yard line, but Klubnik was pressured on fourth down, and an incompletion allowed LSU to run out the clock.
Klubnik finished 19-of-38 for 230 passing yards, hitting Bryant Wesco Jr., T.J. Moore and Tyler Brown four times each. Defensively, Clemson had eight tackles for loss, forced two takeaways and held LSU to 354 yards of total offense. In his first career start, safety Ronan Hanafin led Clemson with 12 tackles, followed by linebacker Sammy Brown with 11 tackles.
After quiet drives on back-to-back possessions to open the game, Ricardo Jones picked up a fumble forced by Avieon Terrell and returned it 24 yards to the LSU 24 to set up Clemson’s first score, a Nolan Hauser 42-yard field goal with 8:57 to play in the first quarter.
After again trading possessions, LSU knotted it at 3-3 on a 52-yard field goal by Damian Ramos 4:07 into the second quarter.
Klubnik then led Clemson on a 13-play, 75-yard drive that included two fourth-down conversions, including the drive-capping one-yard touchdown by Adam Randall, giving Clemson a 10-3 lead with 4:36 to play in the half. On third-and-goal at the 14-yard line, Klubnik found Tyler Brown for a 13-yard gain, which set up the Randall score, the first rushing touchdown of his career.
Late in the second quarter, LSU drove 12 plays to the Clemson 12-yard line, but Clemson forced a stop on fourth-and-2 when safety Ronan Hanafin forced a fumble that was recovered by fellow safety Kylon Griffin. The stop allowed Clemson to take a 10-3 lead into halftime.
After Clemson missed a 48-yard field goal early in the third quarter, LSU evened the score at 10-10 on a two-yard touchdown run by Caden Dunham with 8:59 remaining in the frame. LSU recorded its first takeaway of the game on Clemson’s ensuing possession, picking off Klubnik at the LSU 46. However, LSU’s eight-play drive came up empty when Damian Ramos’ 46-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left.
LSU took its first lead of the game with 12:18 remaining in the fourth quarter. LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier capped an 11-play, 73-yard drive with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Trey'Dez Green to give LSU a 17-10 lead.
Clemson forced an LSU punt after the two-minute timeout to give Clemson one final drive, but LSU ultimately held for the season-opening victory.
Clemson returns to Memorial Stadium next week. Clemson’s kickoff against Troy on Saturday, Sept. 6 is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
