GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
The air conditioner was not working during LSU football coach Brian Kelly’s weekly radio show at TJ Ribs restaurant Thursday night, but that didn’t dampen the mood.
“Listen, we’re sittin’ in here with no air conditioning, gettin’ ready for La. Tech. Let’s go,” Kelly shouted as he and a capacity crowd of fans remained cool and collected in spirit while talking Clemson and the night away.
“And if anybody knows how to fix the air conditioner, the drinks are on me,” Kelly said. “Now, everybody’s an air-conditioner repair person.”
Yes, people were paryting like it was 2019 again as LSU is 1-0 and No. 3 in the nation for the first time since that national championship season.
“They are here to win a championship,” Kelly said and explained that LSU could have won 27-10 at No. 4 Clemson on Saturday instead of 17-10.
“I know this is a lot,” Kelly said after technically explaining that officials actually ruled correctly in taking away wide receiver Barion Brown’s apparent, 29-yard touchdown for a 17-10 lead in the third quarter. But he added that the rule, which calls for receivers to survive the catch after falling to the ground unlike runners, needs to be changed.
How about a rematch in the playoffs? Wonder what the “grades” would be then?https://t.co/z8f2Lhuji2
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) September 3, 2025
“But here’s all I say. That should’ve been a damn touchdown,” he concluded as the crowd went wild. “Right? So let’s add that. That’s 24. If the coach (Kelly) kicks the field goal (late in the first half), that’s 27. And what was our grade (from Clemson coach Dabo Swinney to his 58)? A 65? Yeah, well. But you know what? The heck with them. We’re LSU. Let’s go!”
LSU hosts Louisiana Tech (1-0) at Tiger Stadium Saturday (6:30 p.m., ESPN+, SEC Network+) in its home opener.
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But Kelly spent most of the hour show reviewing the Clemson victory, which was his first season-opening win in four tries as LSU’s coach and broke an 0-for-8 losing streak against top five teams away from home.
“I know we can get better,” he said of LSU’s offensive line that featured five new starters from last season. “But for a first start against one of the best defenses that we’re going to see, I think all in all, that was a pretty good start for us. We’re not going to see may defenses like that. That’s something to build off of with a lot of new players.”
He praised the play of his safeties – returning senior Jardin Gilbert, transfer safeties Tamarcus Cooley and A.J. Haulcy, returning sophomore Dashawn Spears and returning junior Javien Toviano.
“We played five safeties,” Kelly said. “Getting that kind of play was great. We were here all last year, and saying, ‘Who’s in the witness protection program for safeties?’ I mean we didn’t make any plays back there. And these guys are really impacting what we do.”
Kelly said LSU won the game because of its offensive and defensive lines.
“We can win up front,” he said. “Before, it was always, ‘Can we score more points?'”
He was referencing LSU’s previous weaker defenses, particularly in 2023 with a great offense and quarterback Jayden Daniels.
“The better team controlled the line of scrimmage Saturday,” he said. “You can argue there was more talent on that offensive line last year, but in terms of working together, this group really played well.”
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And Kelly praised the controlled play of quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who completed 28 of 38 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown.
“You have to know the kind of game you’re in,” Kelly said. “And he knew the kind of game he was in. That you can’t teach anybody in the film room. You’ve got to know and sense the kind of game you’re in and make decisions accordingly. You saw the game he played. He never put the ball in harm’s way. He knew he had a really good defense, and he was going to get the ball out, and make checks to keep us in a position where we could win a football game against a top five team on the road.”
Nussmeier did not take the risks he did last season by trying to force the ball to players well covered.
“He had one-on-one match-ups that he turned down,” Kelly said. “And he turned down because he wanted to control the clock.”
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