Clemson football plays LSU today: Kickoff time, TV channel, injury report, score
Clemson football’s 2025 season opener is finally here.
The Tigers, who’ve been talked up all offseason as a legit national championship contender, are set to host LSU in a thrilling AP Top 10 matchup on Saturday.
Here’s your gameday guide.
Clemson vs. LSU game, TV info
Who: No. 4 Clemson (0-0) vs. No. 9 LSU (0-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Memorial Stadium in Clemson
TV: ABC
Broadcast crew: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe, Molly McGrath
Stream: Via ESPN or the ESPN app
Radio: 105.5 FM in the Clemson area (see all Clemson radio affiliates here)
Satellite radio: Sirius XM Channel 84
Series history: Clemson trails 1-3; LSU won last meeting
Clemson vs. LSU Vegas odds
Clemson is a 4-point favorite against LSU as of Saturday, according to the VegasInsider.com consensus betting line. Clemson was favored by as many as 4.5 points earlier this week, and some sportsbooks (including ESPN BET) still list Clemson -4.5. Per VegasInsider, 60% of bets are on LSU to cover the spread.
Weather forecast for Clemson, SC
Weather.com’s 10-day forecast indicates excellent weather for Saturday’s game – partly cloudy with a high of 83 degrees during the day and “a few clouds” with a low of 64 at night. Sunset will be shortly after kickoff. There’s a 15% chance of rain.
Top storylines for the game
• How about this stat from ESPN’s David Hale? Since 2021, Clemson and LSU are a combined 1-7 in Week 1 games and have been outscored by a combined 216-148. In the 12-team College Football Playoff era, this is by no means an elimination game. But coach Dabo Swinney explicitly lists winning the opener as one of Clemson’s season-long goals for a reason. The Tigers have lost two openers in a row and three of their last four (Georgia in 2021, Duke in 2023, Georgia in 2024). LSU has lost five straight, including all three under Brian Kelly.
• Clemson and LSU making the preseason AP Top 10 gives this game a special designation. It’s only the seventh time in Memorial Stadium history that the venue will host an AP Top 10 matchup — and this is a stadium that’s been open 83 years. Clemson is 4-2 in six previous instances and has won three games in a row (most recently NC State in 2022). Swinney has been good against AP Top 10 teams at home, too — 6-2 all-time, regardless of Clemson’s ranking in those games.
• One notable Clemson injury to watch is starting offensive lineman Walker Parks (knee). Parks, Clemson’s usual starting right guard, was injured during the first scrimmage of preseason camp. Swinney said Parks has been able to practice “a good bit,” but he’s still “working his way back to 100%.” If Parks can’t go, expect sophomore Elyjah Thurmon to sub in at right guard. Even if Parks does play, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him and Thurmon split snaps at the position.
• Punters, anybody? Swinney and Clemson declined to pursue a punter out of the transfer portal but now face a conundrum — none of their three in-house candidates has separated himself yet. Remaining undecided at punter was one of the reasons Clemson declined to release a Week 1 depth chart, and Swinney said choosing between Jack Smith, Will McCune and Robert Gunn III could literally come down to pregame warmups. Smith, a veteran, is considered the favorite.
Clemson vs. LSU players to watch
Clemson RB Adam Randall: Swinney has confirmed that Randall, a converted wide receiver, will start at running back for Clemson against LSU. Randall (6-2, 235) had a 41-yard run against Texas in the CFP. He also has … four career carries.
Clemson DT Peter Woods: Woods (6-3, 310) is in the best shape of his life and playing at his natural position after rotating between DT and DE last year. He’s a projected first-rounder, but Clemson’s entire defense must improve against the run.
LSU WR Barion Brown: Brown, a Kentucky transfer, torched Clemson for 226 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in the Gator Bowl. The SEC’s record holder for career kick return TDs, he’s a threat to score every time he touches the ball.
LSU LB Harold Perkins: A game changer as a true freshman, Perkins played out of position in 2023 and then missed most of last year with a knee injury. Expect him back to his full self in 2025. In 31 career games, Perkins has 27.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.
Clemson 2025 football schedule
Listed with known kickoff times and TV channels
Aug. 30: vs. No. 9 LSU, 7:30 p.m. (ABC)
Sept. 6: vs. Troy, 3:30 p.m. (ACC Network)
Sept. 13: at Georgia Tech, noon (ABC or ESPN)
Sept. 20: vs. Syracuse
Oct. 4: at UNC
Oct. 11: at Boston College
Oct. 18: vs. No. 16 SMU
Nov. 1: vs. Duke
Nov. 8: vs. Florida State
Nov. 14: at Louisville/Friday game, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Nov. 22: vs. Furman
Nov. 29: at No. 13 South Carolina, noon (ESPN or ABC)
Clemson 2025 depth chart
Clemson is not providing a Week 1 depth chart before the LSU game but plans to provide a weekly depth chart starting next week, before the Troy game.
This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
