LSU's Offense vs. Clemson's Defense: Part 2 of 2
I asked Gemini’s Deep Dive two questions: “How does Tom Allen’s Defensive philosophy mesh with projected defensive starters for Clemson this year?” and “How can LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and LSU’s Offense succeed against a Tom Allen coached Clemson this year?”
Question 2: “How can LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and LSU’s Offense succeed against a Tom Allen coached Clemson this year?”
Gemini’s Response:
LSU's Garrett Nussmeier and the offense face a significant challenge against Tom Allen's Clemson defense in the upcoming season opener.
Garrett Nussmeier's Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths:
Arm Talent: Possesses excellent arm strength and can make NFL-level throws with a quick release.
Pocket Presence: Shows remarkable poise in the pocket, working to create space and climb/slide to find throwing lanes.
Quick Processor: Regularly reads through progressions and finds options downfield.
Deep Ball Touch: Excels at throwing deep balls with good touch and accuracy, according to NFL.com.
Weaknesses:
Turnover Prone: Can be prone to turnovers, especially when forcing passes into tight windows.
Durability Concerns: Has a slender frame and has struggled with durability in the past, taking big hits and laboring through games.
Decision-Making: Needs to improve ball security and decision-making, as he sometimes forces passes into coverage.
Limited Mobility: While he can evade defenders in the pocket, he is not a great athlete and lacks significant mobility.
Clemson's Defense under Tom Allen:
Scheme: Allen employs a 4-2-5 nickel defense that focuses on simplicity in the front seven and more complex looks in the secondary to confuse offenses.
Strengths:
Top Talent: Clemson boasts a dominant defensive line, ranked No. 1 in college football by Clemson Sports News with potential top-10 NFL Draft picks like T.J. Parker and Peter Woods.
Run Defense Improvement: Allen's presence is expected to significantly improve Clemson's run defense, which struggled in 2024.
Aggressive Style: Allen's defense is aggressive, with a focus on takeaways, tackling, and generating pressure.
Weaknesses (Potential):
Run Defense (2024): While Allen aims to fix it, the run defense was a major weakness in 2024.
Secondary Depth: The depth of the secondary remains a potential question mark, according to some analysts.
How LSU Can Succeed:
Protect Nussmeier: LSU's offensive line must provide adequate protection for Nussmeier, especially given his past durability concerns. The loss of four starters, including Will Campbell, will make this a challenge.
Limit Turnovers: Nussmeier must prioritize ball security and make smart decisions to avoid costly turnovers against an aggressive Clemson defense.
Exploit Potential Secondary Weaknesses: If Clemson's secondary struggles with depth or adjustments, LSU's talented receivers must take advantage.
Utilize the Run Game: A strong rushing attack can take pressure off Nussmeier and help control the tempo of the game.
Capitalize on Red Zone Opportunities: LSU needs to execute effectively in the red zone to convert scoring chances against a defense that ranked highly in this area under Allen at Penn State.
My Thoughts: One of the Hallmarks of Joe Sloan coached QBs and since starting of this decade LSU QBs is that they are prepared to succeed in the NFL (ala Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels). There is also the poise that Nussmeier has likely gained from a year of starting in the SEC. I do not expect any of the weaknesses listed for Nussmeier by Gemini to be a factor. I might be a little optimistic on the mobility weakness but I seem to recall that Joe Burrow became a better escape artist his second year at LSU. So, who knows? The question is not whether Nuss is a potential Heisman winner/#1 NFL draft pick. The question is has the LSU coaching staff done a solid job of coaching talented offensive linemen?
I think LSU has the option of short passes to running backs and tight ends or opening the game by seeing if one of the two fastest wide receivers in the NCAA can sprint to the end zone for a first play touchdown. Not a lot of teams should be able to prepare for a 6’7” basketball player-like tight end (Trey’Dez Green) and 6’5” tight end Bauer Sharp who had a team leading 42 receptions at Oklahoma in 2024. I have not seen much on LSU’s tight ends or Aaron Anderson, who was not far from a 1,000 yard season last year. He had 884 receiving yards last year. Plus LSU has two other QBs with dual threat capabilities. My last thought is that LSU has a great idea of what Clemson is likely to do, considering the return of so many starters and a well known new DC. On the other hand LSU targeted and obtained a number of new very talented players for specific needs and there is no film that can tell any of us how these parts will work together. Geaux Tigahs!!!
Notice/disclaimer: Google’s Gemini can only sort through and pick out highlights from what others (very biased humans) have written. In short, Gemini’s conclusions are based mostly on who has offered a written opinion and the trend of opinions on the questions that I asked. My opinion: there is a defiant magic to LSU football. For the record: I attended LSU (bachelors), Texas A&M (masters), and Mizzou(2nd masters). My parents met at LSU and are both graduates. My younger brother is an LSU grad and I live in Louisiana. So, my gut tells me that LSU is going to beat Clemson. Don’t let me down, Tigahs!
The articles that Gemini cited for both questions includes: Althon Sports “Tom Allen’s Defensive Revival”, Clemson Sports News “Clemson’s 2025 Defensive Line”, 247Sports “Update 2025 depth chart projection for Clemson football”, 247Sports “VIP Notebook: A ‘way-too-early’ prediction of Clemson’s . . .”, 247Sports “LSU, Clemson taking opposite approaches in preparation for. . .”, NFL Draft Buzz “Garrett Nussmeier Quarterback LSU”, Daft on Draft “Just how high is Garrett Nussmeier’s ceiling?”, Last Word on Sports “Garrett Nussmeier 2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report”, Clemson Sports News “Clemson’s 2025 Defensive Line: Poised to Dominate”, 247Sports “Five biggest questions for Clemson’s defense entering. . .”, Greenville Online “What to know about Tom Allen, new defensive coordinator”, Althon Sports “Column: How Tom Allen is Fixing Last Year’s Problems”, and SportsGrid “Ranking the Top 40 Offenses for the 2025 College Football Season”.