GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
LSU football coach Brian Kelly sounded like he was ready to play Texas A&M two nights earlier than Saturday, while on his weekly radio show Thursday night.
“There’s a notch there that we haven’t hit yet, and we’ve got to go hit it,” Kelly said. “Because it’s go time.”
The No. 20 Tigers (5-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) are a loss away from certain elimination from the 12-team College Football Playoff, barring several certain miracles. And they face No. 3 Texas A&M (7-0, 4-0 SEC) on Saturday in Tiger Stadium (6:30 p.m., ABC).
“I think I’m making this clear,” Kelly said. “We have to play much more violently. We have to play more physical like their hair’s on fire. We’ve got to go hit people in the mouth and be more physical. We have to play with a different demeanor and mindset.”
Kelly has either heard the criticism of his team’s soft play or noticed it, or both.
I have never seen a softer culture at LSU than what we are witnessing right now
— T-Bob Hebert (@TBob53) October 18, 2025
Everyone is overpaid, and underperforming, satisfied to go home to their bank accounts
There's no toughness to this team and no toughness to this program
LSU has forgotten the face of its Father
Kelly said LSU practiced for more than two hours Thursday.
“Usually, this time of year, you practice for an hour or so,” he said. “It was a very competitive contact practice with ones versus ones (first team vs. first team). Football is a game of controlled violence, and that’s how we have to be. Arguably, it’s been one of our best weeks of practice in terms of intensity. It was pretty lively this week – the way we went after things.”
Kelly told fans watching the radio show at TJ Ribs restaurant and his statewide radio audience that they need to watch the game.
“If you don’t have a ticket, you’re going to have to watch the game. We’re going to,” he said and paused. “Just see what happens. I think you’re going to see a football team go out and compete their tails off on Saturday night.”
Much rides on the game as far as the playoffs and possibly on Kelly’s future, particularly if the Tigers continue to lose. After an open week following the A&M game, LSU plays at No. 4 Alabama (6-1, 4-0 SEC) on Nov. 8.
“They have no margin for error,” Kelly said of his team. “We can’t talk about it anymore. We’ve got to go out and do it. We’ve got to score touchdowns. If you get to the 1-yard line, you’ve got to score a touchdown. And defensively, you’ve got to get off the field.”
TYREE ADAMS HAS ANKLE SURGERY
LSU starting left tackle Tyree Adams had tightrope surgery Tuesday on his high ankle sprain suffered in the first quarter at Vanderbilt on Saturday, Kelly said on his radio show.
“That’s usually about a month (of rehabilitation), so maybe we’ll have him back late in the season,” Kelly said.
The tightrope procedure stabilizes the ankle by inserting two metal buttons connected by a braided cord through an incision.
True freshman Carius Curne will start in Adams’ spot instead of sophomore D.J. Chester, who replaced Adams last week in the Vanderbilt game and did not play well.
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