Brian Kelly Criticizes Own Play Calling, Doesn’t Want Rent-A-Win Openers, Injury Report

Brian Kelly, LSU head football coach.

The angry and upset LSU football fan base is not the only critic of the coaching staff’s play calling in the 27-20 loss at USC on Sunday.

Head coach Brian Kelly didn’t like it either in spots and let offensive coordinator and play caller Joe Sloan know it during Kelly’s press conference Tuesday. Kelly, in particular, did not like the fact that wide receiver Kyren Lacy did not touch the ball in the second half after catching eight passes out of nine targets for 94 yards with a 19-yard touchdown after a 10-10 tie at the half.

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier did target Lacy in the second half, but only twice.

“Maybe we could’ve pushed the ball down the field more,” Kelly said when asked about the game plan in the second half. “Kyren Lacy is clearly our best offensive player, and he didn’t get a touch. That’s clearly something that Joe and I talked about. He understands that. He’s a smart guy.”

Sloan is in his first season as LSU’s offensive coordinator after coaching quarterbacks under Kelly in 2022 and ’23. He was Louisiana Tech’s OC in 2020 and ’21.

“We need to get our best players the ball when it means the most,” Kelly said. “We’ve got to be better there in making sure our best players get the ball, and if that means pushing it down the field, we’re going to push it down the field, too.”

Kelly said the metrics pushed him to to go for it on 4th-and-goal from the USC 3-yard line on the opening drive of the game. Amid a heavy blitz, Nussmeier threw a desperation pass with no chance for a completion.

“The metrics gave us a high percentage there of scoring a touchdown,” Kelly said. “That was one of the reasons.”

Kelly sparred with a questioner who suggested more “diversity” in the running game.

“What would you like us to do? What? I’m just asking,” Kelly said. “We run counter. We run tackle pull. We ran inside zone, outside zone, toss. We’ve got every running play under the sun. We ran all those plays.”

LSU averaged 4.5 yards a carry in rushing for 117 yards on 26 rushes. John Emery Jr. gained 61 yards on 10 carries. But Emery lost a yard on a critical 3rd-and-1 from the LSU 30 midway through the fourth quarter with the Tigers up 17-13.

“We just have to be better when our best is needed in those tough situations,” Kelly said. “And we weren’t in some instances.”

BRIAN KELLY DOES NOT FAVOR SOFT OPENINGS

Kelly was asked if it might be time to get away from playing top flight opponents in LSU’s season openers, such as Clemson over the next two seasons, after the Tigers have lost five straight openers – Mississippi State, UCLA, Florida State twice and USC.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “We’re going to be a better football team because of what happened. It would’ve been better if we won the game. Our margin now is razor thin. But we’re developing a team, and this was important. We’re going to be better going into week two. We know a lot more about our football team, and what we need to do better as coaches.”

Had LSU defeated a lower grade team, Kelly and his staff would still be at or close to ground zero as far as knowledge of their team.

“I don’t necessarily think winning 73-0 gives you much benefit,” Kelly said. “You go into week two with a lot of questions about who you are. I’ve got a good feeling about this football team. This is going to be a good football team. We’ve got some work to do. But we’re going to get this team to the point where we’re balanced in all three phases. We’re going to complement each other.”

INJURY REPORT: LSU did not have veteran wide receiver Chris Hilton against USC because of a bone bruise. He is questionable for the Tigers’ next game against Nicholls State, which is 0-1 after a 25-17 loss at Louisiana Tech on Saturday. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+.

“He’s ground base running,” Kelly said. “But receiver’s different. Like if he was an offensive lineman, he’s playing. This is getting an elite player, elite speed guy right, where he feels really comfortable getting in and out of breaks. So, we’ll see how he goes through the week. I want to make sure he’s 100 percent before we put him back there.”

Should Hilton not go Saturday, his next chance will be at South Carolina (1-0) on Saturday, Sept. 14 (11 a.m., ABC).

Freshman Kyle Parker replaced Hilton vs. USC, but played only briefly after a 6-yard catch on LSU’s first drive of the game. He injured the ulna nerve in his arm and is doubtful for Saturday.

LSU special teams player Princeton Malbrue injured a knee vs. USC and is expected to miss most or all of the season.

“Looks to have a serious knee injury,” Kelly said. “The initial report was not good.”

Kelly thought Malbrue was injured on an “egregious block in the back” on the 46-yard kickoff return by USC’s Zachariah Branch following LSU’s touchdown to tie it 7-7 in the second quarter.

LSU’s defense forced a 22-yard field goal for a 10-7 deficit after USC reached the LSU 5-yard line.

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