The streak is over.
For the first time since 2019 and the first in Brian Kelly’s tenure as head coach, the LSU Tigers have won a season opener. And it’s a very big win.
LSU, ranked No. 9 in the AP Top 25, knocked off the No. 4 Clemson Tigers 17-10 Saturday night at Clemson, S.C.
LSU had lost three straight openers under Kelly.
“I’m so pleased for our players,” Kelly said in his postgame press conference. “They’ve worked so hard.
“They made the plays today. You go on the road and play a top-five team you have to win the game up front. And we limited them to 12 yards rushing in the second half.
“We had the ball for over 30-something minutes in the second half. We controlled the clock. That’s a formula for winning football games when you have two really good teams. And our guys cleaned up the turnovers and we made some really big plays on defense when we needed to.
“So proud of our players, our staff, our resolve. To win these games there is some tactical things that I just mentioned. But you’ve got to have some grit, you’ve got to have character.
“And these kids listened to all the doubters and said, you know what, it doesn’t matter.”
LSU players wore T-shirts with 1-0 printed on the back during warmups before the game, but Kelly downplayed the end of the streak of season opening losses.
“Those narratives were never anything we bought into as a program,” he said. “People build up the first game to a level of craziness. Look at the quarterbacks who are under incredible scrutiny.
“I think in this business you really have to stay focused on what you’re job is. And my job is to bring a football team on the road, play with great confidence and composure, and compete their tales off for four quarters. That’s my job. Not to worry about what other people say or do.
“I get it. It’s out there. But they don’t put me in this position to worry about those things. I’ve got to go do a job and those kids came through tonight. They deserve all the credit in the world.”
The game more than lived up to its billing as the elite teams battled to the end.
LSU rallied from a 10-3 halftime deficit. The Tigers tied the game on Caden Durham’s 2-yard run and Damian Ramos’ PAT with 8:59 left in the third quarter.
LSU took the lead on an 8-yard pass from Garrett Nussmeier to Trey’Dez Green with 12:18 left in the game.
The LSU defense came through with three stops down the stretch. The last came with 59 seconds left.
Trying to escape heavy pressure, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnick threw an incompletion on fourth-and-4 from the LSU 15.
“We’ve said from Day One. We’ve had offenses the last few years that could move the football,” Kelly said. “We needed to complement with the defense that could stand the test.
“And to go on the road to play a top-five team you better bring a defense. And we knew we were going to be that defense that needed to step up and step up big.
“I thought (defensive coordinator) Blake (Baker) called a great game. Our guys, each one of them came up and made individual plays. There’s too many to mention.”
Kelly added that Mansoor Delane, who had an interception, got the game ball “for some of his big plays.”
Nussmeier and Klubnick are both considered Heisman frontrunners. Nussmeier completed 28-of-38 passes for 230 and the one TD with no interceptions.
Klubnick completed 19-of-38 passes for 230 yards and no TDs with one interception.
Durham led LSU on the ground with 74 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown. Nine LSU players had receptions. Aaron Anderson led the team with six catches for 99 yards.