Clemson and LSU may need another round.
LSU coach Brian Kelly took a swipe at Clemson coach Dabo Swinney after the latter gave the two programs low grades for their showings in LSU’s 17-10 upset road win Saturday.
Swinney assigned the visitors a 65 grade, while he handed his team a 58 mark.
“I thought we dominated them in the second half, so he’s either really a really good grader for giving himself a 58 or he’s a really hard grader on us — or he didn’t see the second half,” Kelly said during a press conference Tuesday. “Which, that might have been the case, he might not have wanted to see the second half.”
Saturday’s Tigers vs. Tigers battled represented one of the marquee games of the weekend, and LSU rallied from a 10-3 halftime deficit to grab the road win and make a huge early statement.
LSU controlled the ball for 20:33 in the second half while holding Clemson scoreless, although the home team had more yards in the final 30 minutes than the first 30.
Clemson’s six second-half possessions, in order, went: missed field goal, interception, punt, turnover on downs, punt, turnover on downs.
While Swinney praised the contest, he believes neither team truly impressed.
“It was a hell of a game. Down to the last play. Right out of the gate,” Swinney said. “It’s like getting the final exam, Day 1 of class. They made a 65. We made a 58. Neither one of us were great.”
That remark clearly irked Kelly, who fired back later Tuesday.
LSU is now ranked third, moving up six spots, while Clemson dropped from fourth to No. 8.
Swinney’s squad aims to rebound Saturday at home against Troy, while LSU welcomes Louisiana Tech on Saturday for its home opener.
“Clemson is a darn good football team,” Kelly said. “That’s a top-notch team, and they’re going to be a team in the hunt for a playoff picture. We hope we are too, but it was only one game. So I don’t know if he’s a hard grader or an easy grader, but I like the way that we played in the second half.”
