CLEMSON, S.C. — Sports columnist Scott Rabalais with his three takeaways from LSU's season opener Saturday at Clemson:

1. STATEMENT MADE

So many questions about LSU coming into this game after five straight season-opening defeats. So many questions answered. It was a 17-10 victory that LSU dug out of the dirt rallying from a 10-3 halftime deficit. The Tigers made mistakes, but they were the better team on both sides when you look at the 60 minutes in total. This has to be the biggest win of the Brian Kelly era, challenged only by the win over Alabama in 2022.

2. HAT TIP TO THE DEFENSE

Throughout preseason camp, the LSU defense looked much improved and frequently had the better of the offense. That was borne out in this game. Yes, Clemson got its yards and its points, but LSU looked fa

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