Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said his team’s Week 1 loss to LSU was a bit like taking a final before beginning a class.
The Tigers lost 17-10 at home Saturday night in a matchup of top-10 teams. LSU moved up six spots to No. 3 in the post-Week 1 AP Top 25 while Clemson fell four spots to No. 8 after the defeat. During his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Swinney said that what Clemson experienced on Saturday should help prepare them for later in the season.
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“That is a physical group, a very smart quarterback, and that is a back so they’re going to be a problem,” Swinney said. “They’ve got some explosive dudes and it was a hell of a game. It was a hell of a game. Down to the last play. Right out of the gate.”
“It’s like getting the final exam day one of class. They made a 65 we made a 58. Neither one of us were great. But the good news is we’ve got the questions to the test now. And we’re going to get it again later on. So it’s on us to make sure we’re ready.”
The win was the first Week 1 victory for LSU in six years. The Tigers had lost five straight season-openers since they went 15-0 on the way to the national title in 2019.
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LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier was 28-fo-38 passing for 232 yards and a TD in the win while Caden Durham had 17 carries for 74 yards and a score and WR Aaron Anderson had six catches for 99 yards. Clemson had just 261 yards of total offense and was shut out in the second half as LSU scored a TD in each of the final two quarters.
LSU’s victory also dropped Clemson to 2-6 against SEC teams since the 2022 season began. Clemson was 0-3 against SEC teams in 2024 with losses to Georgia, South Carolina and Texas.
The Tigers from South Carolina are still the significant favorites in the ACC at +125 despite Miami’s win over Notre Dame and Florida State’s win over Alabama. As Swinney alluded to in his answer, Clemson is very likely to face a team of LSU’s quality in the postseason.
Heck, they may even get a rematch with LSU in December or January. And if they do, Clemson’s offense needs to be much better than it was on Saturday.
