Kirk Herbstreit says LSU ‘finally has a defense’ after late stand to beat Clemson
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LSU snapped its 5-game losing streak in season-openers with a 17-10 win over No. 4 Clemson on Saturday night. And the defense was a major reason why.
The ninth-ranked Tigers held Clemson to 261 yards of total offense in the victory. Though LSU wasn’t ending plays in the backfield with frequency (4 tackles for loss), the Tigers were constantly making their presence known around and behind the line of scrimmage. Clemson averaged just 4.5 yards per play. And, after getting burned on a few scrambles by Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik in the second quarter, the Tigers tightened up.
“LSU finally has a defense that they can hang their hat on,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit said of LSU. “They are gonna be a fun team to watch this year.”
Clemson had a chance to force overtime in the final minute of the game, faced with a fourth-and-4 from the LSU 15-yard-line. With only 1 timeout remaining and 1:03 on the clock, Clemson had to move the sticks or the game would be over.
LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker pressed the issue and sent linebacker Harold Perkins after the quarterback, flushing Klubnik out of the pocket and forcing a bad throw that fell harmlessly in the dirt.
“The defense was an issue last year for Blake Baker. He had one hand tied behind his back,” Herbstreit said after the game. “This is a different team. (The) defense is improved. A big win with a big stop when they needed it late in the game, something they struggled with a year ago.”
Klubnik completed just 19 of his 38 pass attempts in the game. The 261 total yards were the fewest by a Clemson team since last year’s season-opener against Georgia, and the fewest in a home game since Oct. 11, 2014.
“This is big not just for (Brian Kelly),” Herbstreit said. “This could be a kick-start to a special season for LSU.”
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
