Brian Kelly tries to change the narrative around LSU football by focusing on emerging star against South Carolina
The LSU Tigers aren’t playing pretty offensive football right now, but they’re winning at a rate that gives them the chance to win the SEC and make the College Football Playoff. While other programs fell like gnats this weekend, the Tigers slipped past South Carolina with a 20-10 victory. LSU head coach Brian Kelly tried […]
The LSU Tigers aren’t playing pretty offensive football right now, but they’re winning at a rate that gives them the chance to win the SEC and make the College Football Playoff. While other programs fell like gnats this weekend, the Tigers slipped past South Carolina with a 20-10 victory. LSU head coach Brian Kelly tried to focus as much as he could on the positive in the aftermath of the matchup.
Of course, LSU’s defense has been lights out for the majority of the season. They locked back in this week, limiting star South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers to 124 passing yards and one interception and 19 rushing yards on 22 carries. It was a fantastic performance, with a 72-yard rushing touchdown by Matt Fuller proving to be the only notable gaffe.
The offense hoped to see Garrett Nussmeier get back to himself, but he was hit-or-miss. The running game took off, carrying the unit to victory. Beggars can’t be choosers, and Kelly is at least happy to see a more aggressive Nussmeier and a competitive spirit from the roster.
Brian Kelly heaps praise on Garrett Nussmeier and LSU roster
Between Nussmeier’s newfound aggressiveness, Trey’Dez Green’s breakout, and LSU’s fight through sloppy play, the Tigers must continue to trudge forward, per Kelly.
Brian Kelly on Trey’Dez Green: “He’s pretty good at football…” “Clearly, he’s a mismatch. He’s a unique talent and we need to continue to feature him in our offense.”
Here’s what Kelly said about LSU’s toughness: “I love the way our guys competed for 4 quarters. Our fan stayed in there with us. We found a way to win, despite mistakes. Bottom line, I like the way our guys competed tonight.”
Finally, on Nussmeier: “He was a lot more aggressive. We want to clean up some things, but he’s competing his tail off for us.”
Completing 20-of-33 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns, but also two interceptions, Nussmeier continues to be the talking point about this roster. When the gunslinger is hot, LSU appears unbeatable with this defense. But that version of the senior passer hasn’t been around due to a lack of development and an oblique injury.
On the flip side, Green’s breakout was a sight to see. The 6-foot-7, 240-pounder caught eight passes for 119 yards and one touchdown. He had only two receptions for 17 yards and one touchdown entering the matchup, so this was a stunning outcome for the sophomore.
LSU may need more of Green as they look to find the right balance for an offense that has been too reliant on the passing game and hasn’t consistently created momentum on the ground. That wasn’t the story this week, but it is a big plot line moving forward into the second half of the year.
