Both the Clemson Tigers and LSU will be looking to reverse some recent misfortunes when the two teams meet in the 2025 season opener at Memorial Stadium on Aug. 30.
For Clemson, Dabo Swinney’s team has lost three straight to SEC opponents, including a 34-3 drubbing at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs in Week 1 last year in Atlanta. The Tigers also lost to rival South Carolina and Texas and are 3-7 against SEC opponents since the last time Clemson and LSU met in January 2020 for that year’s national championship.
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For LSU, the Bayou Bengals haven’t started a season with a win since 2019. They fell to Southern California in Las Vegas last year and lost to Florida State in Week 1 in back-to-back years before that. Entering his fourth season on the bayou, Brian Kelly has yet to win a season opener.
At least one CBS Sports college football analyst believes LSU and Kelly’s winless streak in openers will continue. Brad Crawford took a look at the 2025 SEC football schedule on Friday and predicted each team’s first loss.
Crawford believes LSU won’t leave Clemson’s Death Valley with a win.
“While the Tigers are one of four SEC teams we’ve projected to reach the playoff this fall, there’s going to be some complaining after the opener. Another missed opportunity in Week 1 won’t sit well with the fanbase following an offseason of hype thanks to significant player acquisitions in the transfer portal. That said, how the Tigers respond here will ultimately determine how far Garrett Nussmeier and crew go as one of the SEC’s top teams — on paper.” –Brad Crawford, CBS Sports
Clemson will be seeking its second all-time win over LSU. While the two teams have met only four previous times in school history, Clemson’s lone win in the series was in the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Eve 2012, a 25-24 upset. Afterwards, Swinney called it a “landmark win.”
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Clemson and LSU will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 30. The game will be televised on ABC.
Clemson football schedule 2025
All times Eastern.
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Aug. 30: vs. LSU (7:30 p.m., ABC)
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Sept. 6: vs. Troy (3:30 p.m., ACC Network)
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Sept. 13: at Georgia Tech (12 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN)
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Oct. 11: at Boston College
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Nov. 14: at Louisville (8 p.m., ESPN)
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Nov. 29: at South Carolina (12 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN)
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson football will beat LSU in season opener, CBS Sports says