LSU’s Brian Kelly, Nussmeier Notes Challenging Season Opener at Clemson

The Clemson Tigers kick off the season against LSU next month in one of the highest-anticipated matchups of opening weekend, which head coach Brian Kelly and company did not hesitate to speak on at the 2025 SEC Media Days in Atlanta.

“We open up with a great program in Clemson,” Kelly said to the media in his opening statement.” I know Dabo [Swinney] very well. Respect him and his program and the accomplishments they've had. We played against each other several times when I was at Notre Dame and just have a ton of respect.”

During his tenure with the Irish, Kelly went 1-3 against Swinney and the Tigers from 2015 to 2020, the most recent resulting in a 34-10 Clemson victory at Bank of America Stadium.

Despite two straight 10-win seasons in 2022 and 2023, LSU has struggled heavily in season openers the past few years, including two losses to Florida State and one to USC.

Kelly seems to acknowledge it and take that statistic into account heading into 2025.

“But we've also been 0-3 in openers at LSU under my watch. We needed to do some things differently this year,” Kelly said. “That is embrace this opener. Embracing it in a manner that this is a big game. It's a tangible goal for our football team to want to be 1-0. That's not ‘let's warm up into the season.’”

“We want to be ready for this football game,” he added. “So we're doing everything in our power to give our players the opportunity for that success… looking forward to our opening against Clemson University.”

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, expected to be one of the nation’s best, currently holds the second-highest odds to win the Heisman Trophy (+850), according to Bet MGM. The senior expressed his unique motivation – Clemson tiger paws – to the media on Monday ahead of the Tigers’ opener in Death Valley.

“There are paw prints all over the weight room, for sure,” Nussmeier said about Clemson’s logo being scattered around the LSU facilities. “Just different things we do, and as I said earlier, it’s a 1-0 mindset. Clemson just happens to be the week one opponent.”

“If it doesn’t go the way we want it to go, then it’s back to a 1-0 [mindset] again,” Nussmeier said. “It’s not about the result, as I said. You know, it’s about the process. That’s what we’re focused on… It’s who we play week one, that’s our first game, so let’s go win the first game, and let’s work every single day like that is our expectation.”

Nussmeier praised the SEC numerous times during the 30 minutes he spent talking in the main media room, mentioning how the level of competition and talent-loaded rosters in the conference help them prepare for important non-conference road tests like on Aug. 30.

He also credited environments he has experienced that could be similar to Clemson, but recognizes that playing in Memorial Stadium isn’t an easy task.

“That stadium over there is pretty electric,” Nussmeier said. “It’s going to be very similar to playing a Texas A&M or a Florida, or an Alabama. So, some of that, we’re very excited for, very open to the challenge. We understand that it’s not going to be easy. We talk all the time about beating them, but we also know that Clemson’s a good football team. We know that it’s going to take our best, and we’re going to do everything we can to prepare ourselves to give our best that day.”

When asked about Clemson’s defensive front, led by T.J. Parker and Peter Woods, Nussmeier had high praise for the projected NFL Draft lottery picks.

“We play defensive lines like that every single week. And not that I’m comparing them to being the same. Obviously, they’re very, very talented, and they’re probably one of the top-three defensive line units in the entire country. We know that we’re going to have to face, we know that we have to compete against that… those guys can play.”

The showdown between the two squads of Tigers could turn out to be one of the most influential nonconference games of the 2025 season in terms of College Football Playoff implications, and Nussmeier appears to be looking forward to the “Battle for Death Valley.”

“We both call ourselves Death Valley. I’m not going to put any headlines out there about what’s what, but I’m very excited to get to play in a stadium like that,” Nussmeier said.

“As a quarterback, you love to be able to go on the road in those types of environments – to get to try and silence a crowd like that in something you look forward to, at least I do. Very, very excited about the opportunity.”

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