Brian Kelly makes shocking admission following LSU not having "answers necessary" to defeat Texas A&M
Earlier this season when LSU lost their opening game to USC 27-20 head coach Brian Kelly erupted in anger during his post-game press conference. This time around it was completely different. After jumping out to a 17-7 lead through the first two and a half quarters, LSU fell apart, inevitably losing 38-23 following a quarterback […]
Earlier this season when LSU lost their opening game to USC 27-20 head coach Brian Kelly erupted in anger during his post-game press conference. This time around it was completely different. After jumping out to a 17-7 lead through the first two and a half quarters, LSU fell apart, inevitably losing 38-23 following a quarterback change for Texas A&M.
Instead of a show of anger, Coach Kelly just got real with the media, making a shocking admission about himself and the coaching staff:
"I feel as though, from a coaching standpoint, we need to help our team too. I didn't feel like we had the answers necessary on defense, nor on offense, to help our group out. We need to coach better. And we need to execute better in the second half. It's disappointing [that] we did not."
It wasn't all on the coaching staff, but it's certainly nice to hear Brian Kelly admit that he and his coordinators simply did not have the right answers when Texas A&M made some major in-game changes. The biggest change obviously came following a Garrett Nussmeier interception throw halfway through the third quarter when Mike Elko decided to change quarterbacks, bringing Marcel Reed into the game. Reed immediately executed the perfect read option play for a touchdown as he ran the ball in for the score.
Reed would go on to score four consecutive touchdowns, then add a field goal for good measure as Texas A&M completely took over the game down the stretch. He only had to complete two passes for the entire half as his rushing threat proved too much.
Outside of stopping the mobile quarterback of Texas A&M in the second half, Brian Kelly shared the three key things the team just simply couldn't manage to do:
"We have to build balance within the offense. We have to be able to handle the running quarterback. The silliness of the field goal stuff, that has got to end. That is just ridiculous. We'll clean that up in short order. But those two things in particular–we played such good defense for the first half….And then [they] go to a running quarterback and it just goes away from us…We need to build some [offensive] balance so Garrett [Nussmeier] is not out there trying to make a play every flipping down."
Offensive balance. Stopping the running quarterback. Missed field goal attempts due to entirely embarrassing execution. The team simply could not make the right adjustments to get things done in the end.
As much as Brian Kelly repeated that the team worked on their run game, it clearly wasn't enough. Finishing the game with 24 total rushing yards is just absolute failure on the part of everyone involved. The team only called 18 runs for their running backs on the entire game. Caden Durham and Josh Williams turned those carries into just 38 total yards. It's no wonder Garrett Nussmeier felt so much pressure to force things that he threw three interceptions.
Brian Kelly is right. The coaching staff has to get better and setting up their players for success. The play calling can't completely abandon the run. The defense has to be able to find an answer for athletic quarterbacks on a consistent bases. And the team cannot miss field goals due to silly procedural mistakes.
Hopefully LSU gets their act together, and fast, because coming off their upcoming bye they have to face Alabama. Winner of that game likely goes to the College Football Playoff. The loser almost assuredly does not.
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