LSU vs. Clemson Live Updates: Latest score, highlights and analysis
CLEMSON, S.C. — LSU visits Clemson Saturday night in a clash of teams with College Football Playoff expectations and national title hopes. Can Clemson beat one of the SEC’s best teams? Can LSU snap a streak of five consecutive season-opening losses?
LSU stuffs Clemson one last time to seal the win
08/30/2025 10:22:35 PMWith LSU linebacker Harold Perkins chasing him, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik’s last-gasp pass fell harmlessly to the turf. Clemson was facing its second fourth down of the fourth quarter in LSU territory, and LSU got the stop both times.
After the incompletion, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier lined up the offense in victory formation and took a knee to run out the clock. LSU’s 17-10 win snaps the Tigers’ five-year losing streak in season openers and gives them one of the best wins of the young season.
It’s safe to say if LSU coach Brian Kelly pounds a table in this season opener’s postgame press conference, it will be in celebration. LSU held Clemson to 31 yards on 20 carries. Klubnik threw for 230 yards, but it took 38 attempts.
LSU’s offensive line, meanwhile, held up against an excellent Clemson front. LSU ran 31 times for 108 yards. It’s not a great average (3.5 yards), but the Tigers never abandoned the run and there is a chance it might be one of the better rushing averages for a Clemson opponent this season.
Official collides with Kelly
08/30/2025 10:06:54 PMAn official tracking a long pass collided with LSU coach Brian Kelly as Clemson tried to come back late in the fourth quarter. Kelly appeared unhurt, and the ball — a long second-down pass from Cade Klubnik intended for Bryant Wesco Jr. — fell incomplete.
LSU’s defense, which has played well most of the night, stopped Clemson on third down and forced a punt. The Tigers currently face fourth-and-8 and lead 17-10 at the two-minute timeout.
LSU takes the lead
08/30/2025 09:35:51 PMLSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier hit tight end Trey’Dez Green for an 8-yard touchdown in the left corner of the end zone to give LSU its first lead of the game.
LSU now leads 17-10 with 12:18 remaining in the game. Nussmeier has completed 21 of 31 passes 208 yards.
Nussmeier limping after roughing the passer hit
08/30/2025 09:33:19 PM
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was limping as the third quarter ended after taking a hit from Clemson defensive end T.J. Parker.
Parker was flagged for roughing the passer, giving LSU the ball at the Clemson 21-yard line.
Clemson fans have been booing the officials for most of the possession to protest a pass interference call on Ashton Hampton. Some fans even threw trash on the field immediately following the play.
The TD that wasn’t, then was, then wasn’t
08/30/2025 09:19:21 PM
One of the biggest plays of the game will go down as an incomplete pass, but it lived three separate lives.
The pass from LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier to Kentucky transfer Barion Brown was originally ruled a 28-yard catch with Brown out of bounds at the 1-yard line.
When officials stopped the clock to review the play, several LSU players raised their arms to celebrate a touchdown. That’s because they’d seen a replay on the video board that showed Brown moving with the ball inside the pylon before going out of bounds.
But review official determined that Brown didn’t complete the catch. The ball popped out as he hit the ground. LSU wound up missing a field goal, and Clemson got the ball back with the score tied at 10.
Klubnik makes first big mistake of the night
08/30/2025 09:07:46 PMTwo plays after LSU tied the score with a Caden Durham touchdown, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik sailed a pass and it landed in the arms of LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, who joined the team this offseason after transferring from Virginia Tech.
LSU now has the ball on the its own 46-yard line with 8:15 remaining in the third quarter.
LSU finds the end zone
08/30/2025 09:07:09 PM
LSU tailback Caden Durham crashed into the end zone from two yards out, and LSU has tied Clemson 10-10 with 8:59 remaining in the third quarter.
LSU receiver Aaron Anderson caught passes on consecutive plays for a total of 53 yards to get the Tigers deep into Clemson territory. On third-and-5 from the Clemson 21-yard line, Garrett Nussmeier hit Kyle Parker for a 16-yard gain.
Clemson’s Ashton Hampton was called for pass interference on a throw intended for tight end Trey’Dez Green, giving LSU four cracks from the 2-yard line. LSU only needed two plays to score.
Clemson stones LSU before the half
08/30/2025 08:23:19 PM
LSU moved briskly from its own 25-yard line to the Clemson 12-yard line and seemed poised to put some points on the board before halftime. Facing a fourth-and-2 with 15 seconds remaining, LSU took its last timeout and then sent its offense on the field.
Garrett Nussmeier swung the ball right to Chris Hilton Jr., who was hit ahead of the line to gain by Ronan Hanafin. Hanafin jarred the ball loose, and it was recovered by Clemson’s Kylon Griffin. The Tigers ran out the clock, and they lead 10-3 at halftime.
Clemson hits paydirt
08/30/2025 08:04:11 PM
Clemson became the first team to find the end zone on a 1-yard Adam Randall run behind a crushing lead block from 315-pound defensive tackle Demonte Capeheart. Clemson now leads 10-3 with 4:36 remaining in the first half.
The Tigers marched down the field largely thanks to quarterback Cade Klubnik’s legs, which got Clemson out of trouble on several occasions. Klubnik carried three times for 19 yards early in the drive. Later, he hit Bryant Wesco Jr. for 21 yards to convert a fourth-and-2 from the LSU 24.
Clemson faced fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line when coach Dabo Swinney decided to send in the jumbo package that included Capeheart and fellow defensive tackle Peter Woods.
LSU ties it up
08/30/2025 07:44:41 PMLSU’s Damian Ramos drilled a 52-yard field goal tie the score at 3-3 with 10:53 remaining in the second quarter. The Tigers were moving briskly down the field until a sack of Garrett Nussmeier by Purdue transfer Will Heldt stalled the drive.
Clemson strikes first
08/30/2025 07:14:42 PMThe Tigers got the ball in LSU territory after Avieon Terrell forced a Bauer Sharp fumble near midfield and Ricardo Jones recovered and returned the ball to the 24-yard line. The offense couldn’t move the ball, but Nolan Hauser kicked a 42-yard field goal to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead.
LSU’s defense opens strong
08/30/2025 07:03:59 PMThe LSU defense forced a three-and-out on Clemson’s first offensive possession. Florida transfer Jack Pyburn pressured quarterback Cade Klubnik on first down, and cornerback P.J. Woodland sacked Klubnik on a blitz on third down.
Down the hill
08/30/2025 06:53:48 PMClemson’s entrance remains one of college football’s best.