LSU has spent months preparing for Clemson. The problem for Lane Kiffin and his staff is that some of what they will see Saturday night in Baton Rouge doesn't exist on recent film.
Clemson will arrive at Tiger Stadium with Chad Morris back calling the offense and a new starting quarterback expected to be Christopher Vizzina, giving LSU a different kind of preparation challenge ahead of the season opener.
Kiffin acknowledged as much Monday when asked specifically about preparing for Morris and Vizzina.
“We're not sure exactly what they'll look like,” Kiffin said. “That's always scary.”
Morris returned to Clemson in January for his second stint as the Tigers' offensive coordinator, more than a decade after he last called plays for Dabo Swinney. During his first stint from 2011-14, Clemson went 41-11 and averaged 468.5 yards and 36.3 points per game.
But that history only provides so much help to LSU.
Morris has coached at several stops since leaving Clemson following the 2014 regular season, and the personnel he'll have Saturday looks considerably different from the Clemson offenses he once directed with Tajh Boyd at quarterback.
Vizzina is part of that unknown.
The junior spent the past three seasons behind Cade Klubnik and has thrown only 111 passes during his Clemson career. Last season, Vizzina completed 45-of-71 passes for 406 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.
Kiffin, however, was familiar with Vizzina well before this week's preparation began.
“I remember him from high school, actually watched him work out,” Kiffin said Monday. “Really talented, really throws well on the move.”
Vizzina entered Clemson as a highly regarded prospect in the 2023 recruiting class but has spent most of his career waiting behind Klubnik. Now, with Klubnik gone and Morris taking control of the offense, Vizzina appears positioned for the biggest opportunity of his Clemson career on one of college football's biggest opening-week stages.
As of publication, Dabo Swinney has yet to name an official starter.
For LSU, preparing for Vizzina means studying a limited sample of college snaps while also trying to anticipate how Morris will build an offense around a different quarterback and a revamped Clemson backfield.
Kiffin called Morris and Vizzina “a really good combination,” but indicated LSU's preparation ultimately has to center more on itself than trying to predict every wrinkle Clemson could unveil.
“This will be about us practicing really well and then playing really well in a really exciting environment,” Kiffin said, “but going back to not all the hype and just the preparation of it and playing really well in our first game together.”
Kiffin also had plenty of praise for the program Clemson has built under Swinney, calling the Tigers a “really tough opponent” with an experienced coaching staff.
“Dabo's one of the best to ever do it and has done it for a long time,” Kiffin said.
Saturday will offer the first real look at what the next version of Clemson's offense will become.
While LSU knows the names involved, Kiffin made clear Monday that knowing exactly what Morris and Vizzina will bring to Baton Rouge is another matter.
