Apparently, LSU football coach Brian Kelly has learned little from last year’s 45-24 loss by his No. 5 Tigers to No. 8 Florida State in the season opener in Orlando.
On his radio show the week of that game, Kelly said, “We’re going to beat the heck out of Florida State.” Then he spent most of the postgame show explaining that his team was not the one he thought it was.
And on Thursday, just three days before No. 13 LSU plays No. 23 USC in Las Vegas to open the 2024 season, Kelly did it again.
When asked by “Brian Kelly Show” host Chris Blair about the off-season in general, Kelly said this:
“We had a great foundation (in camp) – really three weeks of great work that puts us in a great position now to go beat the pants off of USC.”
Not as clearly definitive as last year. This time he said his team was just “in position” to beat the pants off of USC. He didn’t actually say his team would do that, as he did last year concerning the Seminoles. But close enough.
You can locate the tape of the show on LSUsports.net and click “past events” – https://lsusports.net/leanstream/. He says it at the 19:25 mark.
LSU fans couldn’t believe it as Kelly’s radio show went on.
“Why?,” Tigers’ fan Frank Duffy tweeted on his X account – @FrankDuffy. “Don’t give bulletin board material. We are all here in Las Vegas not running our mouths. Coach, do the same. Walk softly and carry a big offense (and hopefully this year a defense too)!”
Blair, the Voice of LSU Football, did not revisit the comment for the rest of the show.
The Tigers, who recovered from the Florida State loss to finish 10-3, are a 4.5 favorite to beat USC, which was 8-5 last season. But LSU has lost its last four straight openers, including a 24-23 loss to Florida State in the Superdome in 2022 in Kelly’s debut as LSU’s coach.
LSU may be without one of its best wide receivers in Chris Hilton Jr., who Kelly said remains questionable with a bone bruise. Starting guard Miles Frazier will play, Kelly said. He was questionable early in the week with an injury.
Redshirt junior Garrett Nussmeier will open the season at quarterback for LSU, which lost Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels after last season. Daniels was the second pick of the NFL Draft by Washington. Nussmeier’s backup, though, is anybody’s guess. Kelly called redshirt freshman Rickie Collins and junior transfer AJ Swann, formerly of Vanderbilt, as co-backups.
Kelly said that true freshman defensive tackle Ahmad Breaux will likely play Sunday.
“He’s the most ready – physically and mentally – to play for us,” Kelly said. Freshmen defensive backs PJ Woodland and Dashawn Spears could also play.
Why. Dont give bulletin board material. We are all here in Las Vegas not running our mouths. Coach, do the same. Walk softly and carry a big offense (and hopefully this year a defense too)!
— Frank Duffy (@FrankDuffy) August 30, 2024
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