LAS VEGAS — Brian Kelly pounded his left fist on the news conference table so forcefully that his water bottle nearly fell over.
Following No. 13 LSU’s season-opening loss to No. 23 USC on Sunday night, where they squandered a four-point lead with under six minutes to go, Kelly expressed his deep frustrations.
“We had some guys play incredibly hard tonight, and here we are again, discussing the same issues!” Kelly exclaimed while striking the table. “It’s about not finishing when you have a chance to put the opponent away. On the sideline, it felt like the game was over.”
This marks the first time during his LSU coaching career that he has felt “angry” with his team, citing a lack of what he called a “killer instinct.”
“I’m so angry about it that something needs to change. I’m not coaching well enough,” Kelly lamented. “It’s unacceptable that we didn’t find a way to win this game. It’s absurd. It’s unacceptable.”
Despite accumulating 421 yards of offense and having six more minutes of ball possession, LSU could not capitalize on their opportunities. Their initial drive of the game advanced 74 yards over 13 plays and took more than seven minutes, yet it ended with no points. Although they fell behind for most of the first half, LSU managed to take the lead twice in the third quarter.
“Unfortunately, it’s evident that when we gain an advantage, we don’t know how to maintain it,” Kelly stated. “You have to finish teams off. We had the chance to do that, but we became complacent and made more mistakes when ahead instead of exhibiting focus and determination. That’s disappointing.”
Kelly’s frustrations were compounded by the Tigers’ performance, which included 10 penalties for 99 yards compared to USC’s six penalties. Several of these infractions came at critical junctures. On USC’s game-winning drive, a targeting call on LSU placed the Trojans inside the red zone, where they quickly capitalized and scored with just eight seconds remaining.
Additionally, LSU struggled in their running game. Earlier in the week, offensive lineman Will Campbell had boldly stated that the Tigers would focus on their ground game against the Trojans.
“That’s not something we’re trying to keep quiet,” Campbell asserted. “I’m telling everyone right now, we’re going to run the football.”
However, by the end of the game, LSU managed only 117 rushing yards, forcing quarterback Garrett Nussmeier to carry the offensive burden. Though Nussmeier threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, the offense faltered after a third-quarter touchdown, allowing USC’s refreshed defense under coordinator D’Anton Lynn to keep the game competitive with several crucial third-down stops.
“They had every right to be confident,” USC coach Lincoln Riley noted regarding LSU’s offensive line. “But so did we. We just didn’t publicize it.”
The Tigers faced 13 third downs during the game but converted only five into first downs. Following their third-quarter go-ahead touchdown, their next four drives resulted in two punts, a field goal, and an interception by Nussmeier that ended their hopes.
“For us to be the kind of football team I envision, we need to eliminate the careless mistakes,” Kelly emphasized. “We need to learn to play off each other much more effectively.”