BY: Jackson Sexton
Tonight, in Death Valley, Baton Rouge, Clemson faced LSU in one of their toughest matchups of the entire season. Last season, LSU won 17-10 in a tight game, but this season’s matchup flipped the script completely. The LSU Tigers walloped Clemson 51-10 in a game that can only be described as extremely one-sided.
Christopher Vizzina stepped into the pocket for Clemson today after an offseason quarterback battle with Tait Reynolds. Vizzina appeared in 5 games total last season, with a standout performance against SMU, completing 29/42 for 317 yards, 3 TDs and no interceptions, replacing Klubnik due to injury. Today, Vizzina finished 10/16 for 83 yards and an interception. His performance was overshadowed by Sam Leavitt with 16/28 for 230 yards, a TD and 1 interception. He established himself as a dual threat by leading the game in rushing yards, with a total of 12 carries for 113 yards.
Leavitt’s rushing outperformed Clemson’s highly praised running back group by himself, as they put up a total of 40 yards, where RB Jarvis Green led the pack with 4 carries for 21 yards. David Eziomume punched in Clemson’s first and only touchdown in the final minutes of the fourth quarter with an 11-yard run. The offensive line struggled as well, letting up four sacks and not creating nearly enough chances to get the running backs going.
With regards to receiving, Bryant Wesco Jr. returned from a neck and back injury after last season’s SMU game. He showed signs of promise and health, grabbing 2 receptions for 29 yards, but had -7 rushing yards. T.J. Moore was the Clemson Tigers’ lead receiver with 4 receptions for 31 yards. The two of them showed that they will most likely be the primary targets throughout the rest of the season.
On the other hand, Clemson’s defense had a few highlights but ultimately failed to stop the run or the passing game. Not only could they not stop the run, but they also allowed LSU WR Winston Watkins Jr. to put up a commanding 7 receptions for 110 yards and a TD. However, Sammy Brown continues to prove himself as one of the best players on the team and in all of college football, falling at No. 39 on ESPN’s Top 100 College Football players ahead of this season, and leading the game in solo tackles at 10. On just the second play of the game, CB Ashton Hampton managed to intercept a bobbled catch by LSU WR Malik Elzy, which led Clemson to secure their first points of the game.
If this game is even a fraction of an indication of how Clemson might perform this season, then severe changes are needed. Both offense and defense struggled severely against Kiffin’s Tigers. As a group, the Clemson offense was outdone in 1st downs, 3rd down efficiency, total passing yards, and total rushing yards. Clemson had a total of 145 yards of offense, while LSU had 644. On defense, Clemson recorded 1 interception at the very beginning of the game, 0 sacks, 2 TFLs, and allowed 51 points. These are not the statistics of a team that claims they can compete on the same level as teams like LSU.
We will see what changes come in the future, and Clemson Sports News will be providing you with all of them. Clemson will take on Georgia Southern in Death Valley next Saturday (9/12) at 7:30 pm.
