Though everyone just thinks Clemson is going to roll over and allow 11th-ranked LSU to run all over them, Lane Kiffin does not feel that way.
LSU’s head coach is a little bit scared about what to expect on Saturday night when Clemson visits Baton Rouge, La. Neither he nor his coaches know what to expect from Dabo Swinney’s Tigers because of their new quarterback and new offensive coordinator.
Chad Morris took over for Garrett Riley in January to run the offense, while senior Christopher Vizzina and freshman Tait Reynolds have been in a quarterback battle throughout fall camp.
As of Monday evening, Swinney still has not named a starter for Saturday’s 7:49 p.m., kickoff.
“That is a really good combination that is coming together,” Kiffin said. “We have to figure out what they are going to do because you do not know. Coach [Morris] has not called (a game) for a little bit of time, so we are not sure exactly what they will look like and that is always scary.”
Clemson, which has lost three straight season openers and four of its last five, is a little in the dark about LSU’s offense too. Though Tom Allen will know what Kiffin likes to do, they have not seen him with this personnel group.
Kiffin brought in 60 new players after taking the LSU job, including 40 from the transfer portal. He has a new starting quarterback in former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt. He also acquired a new running back in Wisconsin’s Dilin Jones and nine new wide receivers from the portal, including Jayce Brown of Kansas State and Jackson Harris of Hawaii.
“This will be about us. Practicing really well and playing really well in a really exciting environment,” Kiffin said. “But going back to not all the hype and just the preparation of it and playing really well in our first game together.”
And, as Kiffin mentioned, it will be Clemson’s first game with a new quarterback, something it has not had to worry about the last three seasons when Cade Klubnik was the starter.
However, Klubnik is now playing for the New York Jets, and many believe Vizzina will get the start against the Bayou Bengals. Vizzina has spent the last three years as Klubnik’s backup.
“I remember him from high school. I actually watched him work out,” the LSU coach said. “He is really talented and really throws the ball well on the move.”