Dabo Swinney Confirms Twin Injury Setback During LSU Game After Frustrating Clemson Confession

Death Valley was supposed to roar Saturday night, but instead it groaned. #4 Clemson had the 91% starting returners (from 2024 squad), multiple first future first-rounders, the pound-for-pound top-5 billing, and then #9 LSU came in, punched them in the mouth, and walked out with a 17-10 win that felt heavier than the score showed. The box score says Clemson had chances, but the real story? They couldn’t move a soul in the trenches.

Dabo Swinney didn’t sugarcoat it either. When asked about the biggest issue, he cut right to it (via Clemson insider Chapel Fowler on X): “Clemson coach Dabo Swinney’s biggest frustration with the offense tonight? He replies immediately: “That we didn’t get the run game going.” He says there were a lot of missed opportunities early. Tigers ran 20 times for 31 yards tonight — 1.6 yards per carry, long of 7.”

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney’s biggest frustration with the offense tonight? He replies immediately: “That we didn’t get the run game going.” He says there were a lot of missed opportunities early. Tigers ran 20 times for 31 yards tonight — 1.6 yards per carry, long of 7

— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) August 31, 2025

Clemson’s run game was almost nonexistent. The Tigers were just averaging only 1.6 yards per attempt. LSU’s defensive front dominated the line of scrimmage and shut down any momentum Clemson tried to build on the ground. Quarterback Cade Klubnik couldn’t escape the pressure, finishing with just 1 rushing yard on 8 attempts, while Adam Randall was the most effective runner, picking up 16 yards on 5 carries and scoring Clemson’s lone touchdown.

For a program that usually leans on offensive balance, the lack of a ground game stood out. Last season, Clemson averaged over 130 rushing yards per game, so this kind of drop-off was both surprising and costly. With the run game stalled, the offense became one-dimensional—and LSU took full advantage. If Clemson wants to bounce back this season, reestablishing the run will be critical—not just for the yards, but to keep defenses honest and give Klubnik more chances to work through the air.

This was supposed to be Cade Klubnik’s Heisman breakout moment, yet without balance the offense had no chance. Every drive felt like LSU’s defense was playing the calls before the snap. The Tigers from Baton Rouge stacked the box, piled up 8 rushing first downs to Clemson’s two, and shut the door with a fourth-down stop in the red zone. Brian Kelly hadn’t won a season opener since 2019, but his team looked tougher, faster, and far more prepared.

Dabo Swinney on dual injury

And then came the real gut punch—injuries to two cornerstone players. Chapel Fowler spilled on X. Because while the ground game was already choking, the injury bug showed up with brass knuckles. First series? Boom—Antonio Williams, the All-ACC wideout meant to be Klubnik’s security blanket, pulls a hamstring and is done for the night. Just like that, Clemson lost its biggest perimeter weapon before the offense even had a chance to breathe.

And as if it wasn’t finished, safety Khalil Barnes went down too. Swinney later admitted Barnes “couldn’t come back,” leaving the secondary scrambling while Nussmeier quietly picked them apart. Two cornerstone players gone in a game where they were already gasping for rhythm—it was like fighting LSU with one hand tied.

Losing both while the run game was already stuck in the mud left Clemson with no answers. Swinney summed it up with: “That’s another tough loss for us.” The problem is, it wasn’t just one loss. Between the bottled-up ground game and the twin injuries, Clemson may have stumbled into something much bigger.

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