GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU football coach Brian Kelly fielded a question Tuesday about his sarcastic humor at press conferences this season as a sign that he is more relaxed in his third season in Baton Rouge.
“Did you see me with Nussmeier on the sidelines? I mean that didn’t look intense?,” Kelly retorted of his tirade toward junior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. He had just thrown two ill-advised interceptions in the No. 13 Tigers’ 42-10 win over South Alabama Saturday night.
As Nussmeier returned to the sidelines, Kelly greeted him with some choice words and returned to his coaching box. Then he turned around and went back to Nussmeier to chew some more.
“I think I maintain my intensity when it’s game time,” Kelly said. “That’s my office. For me, you have to be able to get to a lot of guys at different levels. Nussmeier and I have a great relationship, where he responds well, if he’s leaned on in some instances.”
Nussmeier agreed in his comments after the game.
“You can’t lean on him like that all the time,” Kelly cautioned. “But there are times when you need to lean on him.”
Kelly was then asked if his levity at press conferences this season is a sign of his rebirth at LSU following 12 seasons as Notre Dame’s head coach before joining the Tigers after the 2021 season.
“Oh, I love it,” he said. “It’s comfortable. You can joke around a little bit without being taken too serious. I have to check myself at times. A couple of weeks ago, I was too sarcastic in the press room. But I enjoy it here. I love being the head coach at LSU. It’s a place for me where I feel real comfortable.”
The Tigers (4-1, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) return to SEC play on Oct. 12 against No. 12 Ole Miss (4-1, 0-1 SEC) at 6:30 p.m. on ABC in Tiger Stadium after an open date this weekend.
Injury Report
Starting tailback Caden Durham has a toe injury, but is expected to be ready for the Rebels.
“He’s doing great, 100 percent,” Kelly said, then started joking again. “1,000 percent. Million. He’s doing chin-ups right now.”
A lineman fell on Durham after his second touchdown of the game against South Alabama. Durham rushed seven times for 128 yards with an 8-yard touchdown and an 86-yard run to the 1-yard line that set up a touchdown, and he caught three passes for 89 yards with a 71-yard touchdown.
“Yes. Those linemen are so agile,” Kelly said, then got serious. “You’re not going to get much from me on injuries this week. It’s an open date. We’ll have our guys for Ole Miss. We expect them to be ready.”
Wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. (ankle) could have played against South Alabama, which would have been his first game of the season. He is expected to play against Ole Miss.
“It’s more about him getting to 100 percent, not 85 or 90 percent,” Kelly said after the game Saturday. “We could’ve got him out there. But we had enough firepower.”
Backup wide receiver C.J. Daniels aggravated a knee injury against South Alabama. He caught three passes for 40 yards.
“He aggravated an old knee injury (an anterior cruciate ligament tear), but we got good reports on it,” Kelly said. “He had an ACL. This was not an ACL.”
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