LSU fans were fuming Saturday after what appeared to be a highlight play against Clemson was waved off by referees.
No. 9 LSU had 2nd-and-11 at No. 4 Clemson’s 29 with just under five minutes left in the third quarter inside Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. LSU offensive coordinator Joe Sloan tried to get aggressive with the two teams tied at 10.
Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier dropped back and immediately launched a deep pass to wide receiver Barion Brown, who burst toward the end zone once the ball was snapped. Nussmeier’s pass was hauled in by Brown just as he reached the right pylon.
The play was initially ruled a touchdown. But upon review, referees wiped away the six points and kept the game tied.
The refs totally just got this one wrong. They just screwed over LSU Tigers and I’m actually rooting for Clemson, but that was a touchdown. That was a great throw & catch. Are you kidding me? pic.twitter.com/FtUhiYzG42
— Steve (@spacecoastgolf) August 31, 2025
Here are a few other angles of the controversial play.
This was ruled NOT a touchdown OR even a completion. LSU then went on to miss a FG #LSUvsCLEM pic.twitter.com/HgTXXJWoJX
— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhifer) August 31, 2025
LSU had to settle for a field goal attempt to end the drive. To make matters worse, kicker Damian Ramos missed the 46-yard kick.
But LSU was able to shake off the call and rebound on its following drive. The visiting Tigers scored a touchdown to take a seven-point lead early in the fourth quarter. LSU’s defense held firm the rest of the way to seal a huge 17-10 win over rival Clemson to open the season.
During his final appearance on ESPN’s “College GameDay,” Lee Corso picked LSU to win this season’s national championship. Saturday’s rebound performance, particularly given LSU’s track record in season openers, was the first step toward making Corso’s prediction come true.
