Shortly before Brian Kelly’s weekly address with media Tuesday, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney assessed his team’s Week 1 home loss in a way only he could. Swinney harped on missed opportunities and said both teams failed to play clean, comparing the game to two squads taking a final exam on the first day of class.
“They made a 65, we made a 58,” Swinney said. “Neither one of us were great.”
Kelly was asked about Swinney’s remarks thereafter and did not disappoint.
“We dominated them in the second half, so, he’s either a really good grader giving himself a 58, or he’s a really hard grader on us,” Kelly said. “Or he didn’t see the second half. Which that might be the case, he might not have wanted to see the second half.”
It’s hard to argue with Kelly’s point. Clemson had three possessions on offense trialing by a touchdown in the fourth quarter and was stymied each time by LSU’s new-look, transfer-rich defense under Blake Baker.
Both coaches participated in friendly, pre-game mud-slinging throughout the offseason in anticipation of one of Week 1’s top showdowns, but now that Kelly’s squad has taken a leap in the national rankings following the win, bragging rights are solidified.
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“Look, this is all like, past,” Kelly said Tuesday, via Geaux247. “We’re much more focused on Louisiana Tech to be quite honest with you. Clemson is a darn good football team. That’s a top-notch team. And they’re going to be a team in the hunt for a playoff (spot). And we hope we are to, but it was only one game. I don’t know if he’s a hard grader or an easy grader, but I like the way we played in the second half.”
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik was sacked twice and rushed out of the pocket throughout thanks to LSU’s oft-attacking game plan. LSU kept the opposition off-balance with elite play up front and came at the preseason All-ACC pick from all angles.
“I didn’t think we handled their pressures very well,” Swinney said after the game. “Nowhere near close to what we’re capable of offensively. We are much more capable than that, and the guys will be disappointed when they see some of the missed opportunities on tape. But you’ve got to give LSU credit because they made a couple of those critical plays and that’s the difference in a game like this in the fourth quarter.”
LSU’s defense surrendered just 31 yards rushing on 20 carries and limited Klubnik to 230 yards and an interception on a 19 of 38 passing effort.
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