LSU HC Lane Kiffin Details Unknowns in Clemson Offense: 'That's Always Scary'

A lot of new within the Clemson Tigers offense makes it tough to prepare for their Week 1 opponent.

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin will make his coaching debut for the Tigers against Clemson this weekend. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Perhaps there’s nobody more in the spotlight for the Clemson Tigers’ first game of the year than the opposing head coach, LSU’s Lane Kiffin. 

Kiffin took over headlines throughout the fall and winter months with his pivot from Ole Miss to LSU, but the recent weeks have had Clemson as his primary focus. With studying head coach Dabo Swinney’s group, one common theme has come up with Kiffin’s preparation that has left a question mark. 

It involves Clemson’s quarterback battle, which Swinney revealed that redshirt junior Christopher Vizzina would be named the starter on Tuesday morning. When Kiffin’s media availability was on Monday, he didn’t know the starter, nor how the new offensive coordinator, Chad Morris, would work. 

“Coach hasn’t called for a little bit of time, so not sure exactly what they’ll look like, and that’s always scary,” Kiffin said, “but this will be about us practicing really well and playing really well in a really exciting environment.”

With Vizzina, Kiffin remembers when he watched him on the recruiting trail back at Ole Miss. When playing at Briarwood Christian High School in Birmingham, Ala., he actually went to Kiffin’s old program for Junior Day back in January 2022. 

Vizzina had plenty of traits that many top programs liked, including the now-LSU head coach. 

“Really talented, really throws well on the move,” he said. “So, that’s a really good combination of them coming in together, and us figuring out ‘What are we going to do?’”

As for the game as a whole, the fanfare will play a significant part in Kiffin’s gameday experience. With outlets like College GameDay and national reporters honing in on Tiger Stadium this Saturday, the head coach is looking to put that all aside with preparation as the central concern throughout the week. 

The excitement comes from both sides, too.

 “There’s so much hype into this game, so much excitement from our fanbase to watch us, probably that same excitement for everybody else in the country to root the other way against us,” Kiffin said. 

Swinney has always been someone who Kiffin has respected, being a former part of the Nick Saban and Alabama staff who Swinney beat twice in the national championship. Clemson won’t be a pushover on Saturday night, despite the double-digit favorite LSU is, but it will need to put the noise behind it to leave Tiger Stadium with a win. 

“Really tough opponent in Clemson. Very well-coached, veteran staff of guys that have won a lot of games, coordinators, head coach, obviously,” Kiffin said. “Dabo is one of the best to ever do it and has done it for a long time.”

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