Clemson coach Dabo Swinney sought to downplay his team’s season-opening loss to LSU on Tuesday, but opposing coach Brian Kelly was not in the mood for it.
Swinney suggested that both Clemson and LSU did not play anywhere near their best in Saturday’s game, a 17-10 LSU victory at Clemson’s Death Valley. Swinney compared his team’s defeat to a “final exam on day one of class,” and suggested LSU was worthy of a 65 compared to Clemson’s 58.
That metaphor did not land with Kelly, who openly questioned whether Swinney had watched the same game as he had.
“We dominated them in the second half, so he’s either a really good grader for giving himself a 58, or he’s a really hard grader on us,” Kelly said. “Or he didn’t see the second half, which that might be the case. He might not have wanted to see the second half.”
Brian Kelly’s response ⬇️ https://t.co/NyEVHnpoD2 pic.twitter.com/a3g2xEqmfX
— Bryce Koon (@bryce_koon) September 2, 2025
One can see where Swinney is coming from, as neither team particularly excelled on offense. At the same time, Kelly is not wrong either. LSU tallied 354 yards of total offense to Clemson’s 261, and also dominated in terms of time of possession.
Kelly had not been shy about taking shots at Clemson in the buildup to Saturday’s game. Obviously, he can claim the last laugh for now after coming out on top in a tough road test.
