Garrett Nussmeier threw a tie-breaking touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and No. 9 LSU rode a stifling defense to a 17-10 victory over No. 4 Clemson in the season opener for both teams Saturday night in Clemson, S.C.
Nussmeier completed 28 of 38 passes for 230 yards and LSU outgained Clemson 354-261 to snap a five-year losing streak in openers.
Cade Klubnik completed 19 of 38 for 230 yards with one interception for Clemson.
Clemson drove to the LSU 30 on the first possession of the second half, but missed an opportunity to increase its 10-3 lead when Nolan Hauser was wide right on a 48-yard field-goal attempt.
LSU took advantage on the ensuing possession by driving to set up Cade Durham’s 2-yard touchdown run that made it 10-10 with 8:59 left in the third quarter.
LSU missed a chance to take the lead on its next possession when Damian Ramos was wide left on a 46-yard field-goal attempt.
On the fifth play of the fourth quarter, Nussmeier threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Trey’Dez Green to give LSU the lead for the first time, 17-10, with 12:18 to play.
Clemson drove from its 43 to the LSU 15 on its final possession, but Klubnik’s pass on fourth-and-4 was incomplete.
The defenses reigned in the first half as well. LSU’s second possession ended with a fumble at its 48 that Clemson’s Ricardo Jones returned 24 yards. After two incompletions and a rush for no gain, Hauser kicked a 42-yard field goal to give Clemson a 3-0 lead that held up through the first quarter.
On the seventh play of the second quarter, Ramos kicked a 52-yard field goal to tie the score.
Clemson responded on the ensuing possession with a 13-play, 75-yard drive that included a conversion on fourth-and-2 that led to Adam Randall’s 1-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal.
LSU drove to a fourth-and-2 at the Clemson 12 in the final seconds of the second quarter, but Chris Hilton Jr. caught a pass from Nussmeier for a 1-yard loss before losing a fumble. That left Clemson with a 10-3 halftime lead.
