Kelly's Tigers deflect 'doubters,' topple Clemson

CLEMSON, S.C. -- LSU coach Brian Kelly didn't have to pound the table after this season's opener.

No. 9 LSU ended its five-game losing streak in openers with a 17-10 victory over No. 4 Clemson on Saturday night, its first season-opening win since record-setting quarterback Joe Burrow and his high-flying offense went undefeated and captured a CFP national championship in 2019.

In a game that was expected to be a shootout between potential NFL first-round picks Garrett Nussmeier and Cade Klubnik, LSU's much-maligned defense stole the show by shutting out Clemson in the second half and limiting the Tigers to 31 rushing yards.

"You've got to have some grit and you've got to have character, and these kids listened to all the doubters and said, 'You know what? It doesn't matter,'" Kelly said.

A year ago, Kelly was so frustrated after LSU's 27-20 loss to USC in its opener in Las Vegas that he pounded a table with his fist and nearly knocked over his water bottle.

"We're sitting here again ... we're sitting here again," Kelly said last year. "Talking about the same things, about not finishing when you have an opponent in a position to put 'em away."

That wasn't a problem Saturday night. After LSU finally took the lead on Nussmeier's 8-yard touchdown to tight end Trey'Dez Green with 12:18 to play, LSU's retooled defense stopped Clemson's offense on fourth down at the LSU 33 and forced a three-and-out on the next possession.

After Clemson drove to LSU's 15-yard line with about a minute to play, linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. forced Klubnik to roll out and throw an incomplete pass on fourth down.

"We've had offenses here in the last few years that could move the football," Kelly said. "We needed to complement it with a defense that could stand the test. You go on the road and play a top-5 team, you better bring a defense."

After LSU finished 14th in the SEC in scoring defense in 2024, allowing 24.3 points per game, the Tigers invested heavily on that side of the ball in the offseason. Kelly has said LSU spent about $18 million on this year's roster.

Newcomers such as defensive ends Patrick Payton (Florida State) and Jack Pyburn (Florida), tackle Bernard Gooden (South Florida), cornerback Mansoor Delane (Virginia Tech) and safeties Tamarcus Cooley (NC State) and A.J. Haulcy (Houston) were big contributors against Clemson.

LSU had only two sacks but took away Klubnik's running lanes and harassed him on several plays. He completed 19 of 38 passes for 230 yards with 1 interception.

Perkins, who tore the ACL in his left knee in the fourth game of the 2024 season, had 1½ tackles for loss, 1 sack and 2 quarterback pressures.

"First game back, there were some really, really good things," LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker said of Perkins. "Again, he does things that a lot of humans can't do on this Earth. There's a lot to get better at, and he'll be the first one to tell you that. His effort, his intensity, the way he led on the sideline all game was special."

LSU's offense was far from perfect. The Tigers had two costly fumbles in the first half, including one at Clemson's 12-yard line. Still, LSU had 354 yards of offense and 25 first downs and dominated the second half by controlling the clock thanks to its running game.

Nussmeier completed 28 of 38 passes for 230 yards with 1 touchdown.

"To win a game like that, you know it wasn't pretty and we scored 17 points, but coming out here on the road and breaking the losing streak and all of that, it's exciting for our program," Nussmeier said. "It's huge. It's a momentum booster and a confidence booster."

LSU will play at home in its next three games, against Louisiana Tech, No. 15 Florida and FCS program Southeast Louisiana, before hitting the road again.

"Listen, these wins are big," Kelly said. "There's no doubt. There's a boomerang effect, but they had confidence coming into this game. We just need to keep doing what we're doing."