LSU football defeated Clemson 17-10 in a battle of top-10 ranked teams on Saturday night. LSU made an emphatic game one statement and wasted no time notching a signature win for its playoff resume.
LSU put an end to week one woes that have haunted the Tigers since 2020. Before Saturday, LSU’s last week one win came in 2019. Joe Burrow was still in Baton Rouge.
Advertisement
Brian Kelly’s Tigers can exhale. LSU put a lot of stock into beating Clemson and ending the season-opening losing streak. If LSU lost, it may have been tough to recover. But LSU doesn’t have to worry about that.
LSU’s defense earned the headlines. Blake Baker’s unit held Clemson to 10 points with a handful of impact transfers making their presence felt. On offense, LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier wasn’t terribly explosive, but he took care of the ball.
Here are five stats that defined LSU football’s week one win vs. the Clemson Tigers.
Mansoor Delane: One catch allowed
Mansoor Delane may have been LSU’s most impactful player on Saturday night. The Virginia Tech transfer was left on an island in man coverage and delivered. Clemson looked his way eight times, but only completed one pass. Delane’s tape was textbook and NFL scouts are sure to take notice.
Advertisement
Delane’s passer rating when targeted was 0.0 — making him the only SEC corner in week one to be targeted and allow a passer rating of zero.
LSU’s success rate: 43%
LSU’s offense wasn’t perfect. The Tigers struggled in the first half and couldn’t find explosive plays, but LSU was just efficient enough to win the game. LSU’s success rate was 43%, not a great mark, but it put LSU in the 59th percentile — above average.
LSU marched down the field for two touchdown drives in the third quarter. Outside of Aaron Anderson’s 39-yard screen, these drives were built on LSU methodically working its way down the field. LSU played mistake-free football and avoided the negative plays.
Advertisement
Clemson’s success rate on passing downs: 26%
When LSU put Clemson in an obvious passing situation, Klubnik and company had no answer. LSU’s defense was able to dial up the blitz and get after the Clemson quarterback. It’s hard to win games of this magnitude if the offense can’t function in passing downs. If LSU stuffed Clemson on first down, that series was eventually over for the Orange Tigers.
LSU’s defense had six players with multiple pressures
Continuing with the theme of LSU’s defense applying pressure — the Tigers had six players with two or more quarterback pressures on Saturday.
Whit Weeks and Bernard Gooden led with four each. Harold Perkins had three, including the game-clinching play on fourth down. West Weeks, Patrick Payton, and Ahmad Breaux each had two.
Advertisement
Aaron Anderson: 6 catches, 99 yards
Anderson was LSU’s most productive receiver on Saturday. With six catches for 99 yards, he picked up right where he left off in 2024. Anderson was preseason All-SEC, and he looked the part in week one. Anderson came up big on LSU’s first touchdown drive, taking a screen pass 39 yards. That play put LSU deep in Clemson territory and in position to score a touchdown and tie the game.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Five stats that defined LSU football’s win over Clemson in week one
