Clemson Gets Another Shot at LSU in Lane Kiffin’s Debut

Clemson led LSU 10-3 at halftime last August and never scored again. Caden Durham tied the game in the third quarter before Garret Nussmeier found Trey’Dez Green for the eight-yard touchdown that put LSU ahead with 12:18 left. Clemson reached the red zone on its final drive, but its fourth-down pass fell incomplete, and LSU left Memorial Stadium with a 17-10 win. Clemson gets the return game Saturday in Baton Rouge, where Lane Kiffin’s LSU team looks different from the one Clemson remembers.

The opener was only the beginning of a disappointing year for both programs. LSU and Clemson each finished 7-6. LSU fired Brian Kelly after a 5-3 start, then hired Kiffin away from Ole Miss. Clemson kept Dabo Swinney but dismissed offensive coordinator Garret Riley after Swinney said production and results had fallen short. Both programs reached the same record, then chose very different ways to respond.

Lane Kiffin and Dabo Swinney Chose Different Ways to Reset

LSU responded by changing its head coach and aggressively reshaping the roster. The Tigers added the nation’s top-rated transfer class, led by quarterback Sam Leavitt, offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, and edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, all rated first at their portal positions by LSU. Put the shared 7-6 finish beside that amount of turnover, and we can see how quickly Kiffin tried to change the team Clemson will face.

Clemson reached 7-6 with a different diagnosis. Swinney changed the offense and brought Chad Morris back as coordinator, the same move he made after Clemson’s previous six-loss season in 2010. Morris’ Clemson offenses averaged 468.5 yards and 36.3 points during a 41-11 run from 2011 through 2014. “I think we’ve got elite offensive personnel, and the name of the game is points,” Swinney said when Morris returned. Clemson averaged 27.2 points last season and scored only 10 against LSU, so Morris gets an immediate test of the problem he was hired to solve.

Christopher Vizzina Gets His First Road Start at LSU

The two repair plans become easiest to compare at quarterback. Christopher Vizzina has been in Clemson’s program for three years and owns one previous start, when he threw for 317 yards and three touchdowns against SMU. Leavitt arrives with 4,652 career passing yards, 36 touchdowns, a Big 12 championship, and College Football Playoff experience from Arizona State. Vizzina developed inside Clemson’s system, while LSU went outside its roster for a quarterback who has already handled a championship race.

The comparison only works if either offense protects its starter. Leavitt’s experience depends on LSU’s rebuilt offensive line, which now includes Seaton after his 22 starts at Colorado. Clemson has its own line of scrimmage problem to take care of. The Tigers rushed 20 times for only 31 yards and allowed two sacks against LSU last season. Morris has more to fix than the passing game because Vizzina’s first road start becomes harder if Clemson again asks its quarterback to carry most of the offense.

Game Preview and Prediction

College Football Clemson vs LSU: Preview and Prediction #clemsonfootball #lsu #lanekiffin #cfb

The Rematch Gives Both Resets an Immediate Test

Even with new quarterbacks and major roster changes, last season’s game still leaves a few useful points of continuity. Green, who caught the winning touchdown, returns for LSU. Cornerback P.J. Woodland also returns after making six tackles and recording a sack against Clemson. Calling this only a revenge game leaves most of the interesting part out. Clemson is returning to the same opponent, but Lane Kiffin, Leavitt, and several new starters have changed what the matchup asks Clemson to prepare for.

The rematch carries enough uncertainty before Tiger Stadium enters the equation. LSU is 30-5 at home since 2021, and Vizzina has never started a college game on the road. Kiffin has warned his players to control their emotions because “the place is going to be electric.” Mike Goodpaster’s Clemson-LSU prediction market preview lists LSU as a 10-point favorite with a 50.5-point total, giving the rebuilt home team a clear market edge before kickoff.

Vizzina has embraced the assignment. “I don’t think you can write it up any better,” he said after winning Clemson’s job this week. “I see it as a blessing. That is one of the top places to play in the country.” Clemson already knows how last year’s meeting ended. The first few possessions on Saturday will begin to show just how much the 7-6 program actually changed before getting another chance at the other.