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Brian Kelly details value LSU gains from challenging season opener vs. Clemson

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh06/12/25griffin_mcveigh
NCAA Football: Louisiana State at Florida
Nov 16, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly against the Florida Gators during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

LSU has a season opener problem under Brian Kelly. Three massive games to kick off the season have all gone against the Tigers — two vs. Florida State and another against USC. Kelly may face his toughest challenge of them all to start 2025, going to another version of Death Valley to face Clemson.

Despite the struggles, Kelly is quite confident heading into the matchup. He believes the LSU roster is in a positive place and has the ability to perform well on the road against a quality opponent. There might even be some value in knowing game No. 1 is a must-win.

“They are exciting openers and unfortunately, we have not done well in those openers and haven’t had the outcomes that we’ve wanted,” Kelly said via the College GameDay Podcast with ESPN’s Rece Davis and Pete Thamel. “Clemson will be a great challenge but one that, more than I think anything else, we have a football team that can go on the road. And that’s what you have to do.

“You have to have a defense that travels and we finally have got the roster in a position where these are the kind of games you want to go and play and you need to win them. I’m not going to make any other statements other than the fact that we need to win the opener.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 30, the first official Saturday of the season. The entire college football world will be watching, as they have been in previous LSU openers. Both Florida State games, plus the USC matchup, were in primetime slots with massive audiences.

Needing the win, in Kelly’s words, is well known around the locker room too. He has made sure to plaster messages around facilities in Baton Rouge. Everyone knows there is a larger goal at stake than one game in August but LSU is taking the Clemson game as seriously as they can.

“We’ve circled the game,” Kelly said. “I’ve never done that before in openers. It’s all over our weight room, it’s all over our workouts, wearing shirts. I mean, we’re doing the kumbaya of ‘We’re playing Clemson and we need to beat Clemson.’ Is that too much pressure? No, I think we’ve got enough mature veteran guys on this team. We’ve had a clear conversation about why we’re doing it and they’re all in on that.”