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Former Players, Social Media Reacts to Clemson's Beatdown By LSU

The Clemson Tigers were blown out in their season opener on Saturday night in Baton Rouge.
Griffin Barfield|
Clemson quarterback Christopher Vizzina (17) wasn't able to meet expectations in his second career start this weekend.
Clemson quarterback Christopher Vizzina (17) wasn't able to meet expectations in his second career start this weekend. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Clemson Tigers

Week 1 of college football had the majority of social media in its grasp throughout this weekend, but on Saturday night, that shifted towards frustration with the Clemson Tigers. 

Clemson fell to No. 11 LSU 51-10 in a Baton Rouge beatdown, being the primetime game of the first full week of the sport. In a game where LSU took an early 31-3 lead going into halftime, the Internet had a field day with all things related to the program and head coach Dabo Swinney. 

A lot of the narrative came from Swinney being unable to adapt to the times, while in one offseason, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin brought in a completely new roster, new quarterback and a coaching staff. 

However, former players weren’t impressed with what Clemson brought into Saturday’s contest. 

Meanwhile, former edge rusher T.J. Parker, who left the team in the offseason, was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 2026 NFL Draft, was optimistic in rooting for the team, despite the loss. 

One of the biggest topics of discussion was the offensive line, which broke down during countless reps of Saturday’s loss. The general media ripped the group apart, especially the left side of the line. 

Clemson has four of five starters coming into the new offensive line, while its only returner, Harris Sewell, moved to center to play the first game of his career in that position. In a venue of more than 102,000 opposing fans, the group could not meet the moment. 

Social media went nuts for the interviews that were going down in the contest as well. Of course, Kiffin always brings a different type of character to the microphone, and after making a joke about the NFL players being on his roster, X, formerly Twitter, had some responses. 

Another viral moment included when ESPN sideline reporters Holly Rowe and Laura Rutledge conducted an interview with an LSU cheerleader, who did push-ups after every score that the Tigers had on Saturday night. For a game that was in primetime, the eventual outcome created moments that the general media found entertaining off the field. 

Going forward, Clemson will look to get on the right foot next weekend with its contest against Georgia Southern. After that, Swinney’s group will face North Carolina and then go to Cal to kick off ACC play. If the Tigers can get back to winning ways, they will face Miami at home in what is their last chance to get back to the top of college football. 

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Griffin Barfield
GRIFFIN BARFIELD

Griffin is a communications major who was the Sports Editor for The Tiger at Clemson University. He led a team of 20+ reporters after working his way up through the ranks as a staff writer, sideline reporter, and assistant sports editor.

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