“I learned a lot”: Garrett Nussmeier talks about LSU coach Brian Kelly
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier tells Mackenzie Salmon about his relationship with head coach Brian Kelly.
Sport in Seriousness
After another painful loss to open the season, LSU coach Brian Kelly couldn’t contain his frustration.
In his press conference following the 27-20 loss to USC in the Vegas Kickoff Classic on Sunday, Kelly made his point by slamming his fist on the table so hard he nearly knocked over his water bottle.
“We’re sitting here again… we’re sitting here again,” Kelly said in an emphatic voice, “talking about the same things, about not finishing when you have an opponent capable of taking them out.”
LSU, ranked 12th in the US LBM Coaches Poll preseason rankings, led by four points with less than six minutes left, but could not stop the Trojans (ranked 23rd) from marching down the field in the final two minutes and scoring the game-winning touchdown.
Kelly admitted that this was the first time in his three years as LSU’s head coach that he was so dissatisfied with his team.
“I’m so angry about this that I have to do something about it. I’m not doing a good enough job as a coach,” Kelly said. “I have to coach them better because it’s unacceptable that we didn’t find a way to win this football game. That’s ridiculous.”
This defeat continued the Tigers’ dubious streak of losing their opening game in each of the last five seasons.
Particularly frustrating for Kelly and LSU, the deciding point was set up by a 15-yard penalty on Tigers safety Jardin Gilbert that moved the ball to the Tigers’ 13-yard line. On the next play, USC’s Woody Marks ran 13 yards into the end zone to break a 20-20 tie and seal the Trojans’ victory.
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