Cracks start to show for LSU as Brian Kelly calls out Garrett Nussmeier and Tigers as fallout continues after Ole Miss loss
It didn’t take long for some infighting and panic to set in for the LSU Tigers after their first loss of the year. Dropping a road game against Ole Miss hurts, especially when the Tigers’ offense has been struggling to overcome an apparent injury to quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. However, this is a moment where head […]
It didn’t take long for some infighting and panic to set in for the LSU Tigers after their first loss of the year. Dropping a road game against Ole Miss hurts, especially when the Tigers’ offense has been struggling to overcome an apparent injury to quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. However, this is a moment where head coach Brian Kelly could channel the loss into a bonding experience.
Instead, Kelly has become defensive and has been quick to pass the buck onto players. In turn, the Tigers’ fan base is extremely upset with Kelly. Their unwillingness to acknowledge exactly what is wrong with Nussmeier hasn’t helped.
Of course, Kelly’s abrasive approach trickled down, and he spent part of Tuesday talking about how his players must get better. That includes Nussmeier, which is shocking if the senior is playing hurt.
Brian Kelly calls out Tigers stars, including Garrett Nussmeier
After LSU’s defeat on Saturday, Kelly initially singled out Nussmeier during his press conference before quickly shifting course to avoid placing blame on any one player.
“I mean, look. Garrett Nussmeier has got to play better. Every player on offense has got to play better. And then we have to be more consistent on defense. I mean, there’s not one guy that you will point out and go, ‘Well, that was the reason why we lost’. There’s many, many players that have to play their best when their best is needed,” Kelly said.
“We weren’t very good on third down, right. We’ve been a really good third down team. We have to be better on third down, and that’s not just Garrett, you know. We’ve got to get open. Our coaches got to get our guys in a position where they can make some plays.”
As you can see, Kelly is threading a needle. Kelly’s saying Nussmeier is part of the blame but not all of it, but he wasn’t so effusive that it’s clear he’s taking any of the blame.
“And, look, you saw it. We struggled with completing the deep ball, where they did very very well completing the deep ball.”
“I mean, the quarterback is going to get micro-managed when you lose games. I get that,” Kelly added. “Look, all I can tell you is, you know, he’s healthy.
“And, you know, again, I think he would tell you, just like Tyree Adams would tell you, just like Chris Hilton would tell you, Bauer Sharp would tell you. We need to play better and more consistent on the offensive side of the ball.”
It’s simply not good enough for Kelly to avoid giving offensive coordinator Joe Sloan more public pressure or to shut Nussmeier down if he’s unwell. LSU is off this week before playing South Carolina, Vandy, Texas A&M, and Alabama over the next month. While putting the future NFL quarterback on the shelf would be difficult, it needs to be considered if rumors of a major injury are true.
All Kelly is doing right now is making a bad name for himself and souring his fans in Baton Rouge.
