LSU head coach Brian Kelly did not hide his frustration after the No. 13 LSU Tigers fell 27-20 to No. 23 USC in their season opener on Sunday night. Despite holding a four-point lead with under six minutes left, LSU failed to secure the win, leading Kelly to voice his anger during the post-game press conference.
"We had some guys play their hearts out tonight, and yet we're still talking about the same issues!" Kelly said to ESPN, slamming his fist on the table. He stressed the team's inability to close out the game, adding, "I'm so angry about it that I need to take action. I’m not doing a good enough job as a coach."
Kelly specifically criticized his team’s lack of a "killer instinct" and noted that this was the first time during his LSU tenure that he felt this level of anger towards his team. He expressed disappointment in their failure to capitalize on their lead, saying, "It's clear that when we get ahead, we don't know how to maintain our focus. We get complacent, make more mistakes, and lack the sharp focus and killer instinct we need."
The Tigers' offensive efforts were marred by 10 penalties totaling 99 yards, several of which occurred at crucial moments. On USC's game-winning drive, a targeting penalty on LSU allowed the Trojans to move inside the red zone, leading to their decisive touchdown with just eight seconds left.
Despite outgaining USC with 421 yards of offense and controlling time of possession, LSU’s ground game struggled with only 117 rushing yards. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier passed for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, but LSU's offense faltered in the final quarter, resulting in two punts, a field goal, and a game-sealing interception.
Kelly concluded, "To be the kind of football team I want, we need to eliminate these foolish mistakes."
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