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Saturday's showdown in Tuscaloosa didn’t go as planned for LSU coach Brian Kelly. The dreams of the No. 14 LSU Tigers of securing the SEC West championship were left in tatters after a frustrating 42-28 defeat at the hands of Nick Saban's No. 8 Alabama.
The Southeastern Conference matchup initially promised a head-to-head battle, with LSU matching the Crimson Tide step for step. The Tigers even headed into the locker room with the score 21-21 at halftime. However, nothing was the same for the Tigers after the break. Even though Kelly’s team managed to pull ahead with a brief seven-point lead in the second half, it was all in vain.
LSU's defense, which has been solid the whole season long, continued to struggle against Alabama, allowing the Crimson Tide to rack up over 500 yards in total offense.
The defeat now leaves LSU with a disappointing three-loss regular season, dashing the school's hopes of returning to the conference title game. The debacle sparked a chain of reaction from fans, with chants of "Fire Brian Kelly" quickly gaining momentum online.
Let’s have a look at some of the reactions:
Brian Kelly discusses issues of LSU Tigers
LSU coach Brian Kelly was not at all happy after the Week 10 defeat to Nick Saban and Alabama. The questions surrounding the LSU offense in the face of defensive issues were brought to the forefront.
When asked about the turnovers, Kelly said that they played a top-10 team on the road and merely playing well is not enough in such matchups. He said:
“Look, if we don't throw the interception, we go down and score, then they're going, 'Wow, that Alabama defense gave up a lot of points.' Look, it was a game that we needed to play better, we needed to coach better.”
Milroe's running ability posed a significant challenge for the Tigers. Talking about depth issues in the secondary, a reason for being unable to defend Jalen Milroe, Kelly didn't believe it limited their options.
“We knew his strengths,” he said. “We had a gameplan that we felt that would address it, but we are limited in some of the things that we can do and didn't want to get in a lot of man situations.”
Kelly highlighted their focus on a unit pass-rush and the elusive nature of Milroe's running game as contributing factors to their struggles. The big runs, in particular, were a sore spot for LSU's defense during the game.
When asked about Milroe's QB draws on third downs, Kelly clarified that they were more scrambling situations rather than designed draws.
“You've watched Jayden in terms of scrambling,” Kelly said. “You know, you're in a very difficult situation there. If you're dropping eight, you know you're rushing three, there's big holes. If you're spying, you're short in coverage.”
Whatever happens ahead, one evident thing is that Brian Kelly is facing the heat for a lackluster season as per LSU’s standards. The LSU Tigers (6-2, 4-2 SEC) go up against the Florida Gators (5-4, 3-3 SEC) in Week 11 of college football.
