Coming off a disappointing season-opening loss, LSU football Head Coach Brian Kelly spoke to the media today, reflecting on the loss against Florida State and the upcoming game against Southern.

Special teams, defense and quarterback play were among the topics of discussion, along with the significance of playing Southern. 

Here are some takeaways from what Kelly said:

Quarterback play

All offseason, the biggest story was regarding who would start at quarterback for LSU. That question was answered just hours before kickoff when Jayden Daniels was announced as LSU’s starter. He finished the game with 209 passing yards going 26-35 and added 114 yards rushing. Kelly talked about Daniels’ performance and what improvements can be made.

“I think early recognition needs to be better, but I thought he competed well,” Kelly said. “I thought later in the game he definitely settled into some really good rhythm. I think when we picked up some tempo that really benefited him.”

The play calling adjustments in the second half, called for more quick throws which seemed to benefit Daniels. His decisions when to run and pass were a topic of discussion after the game, and Kelly complimented Daniels on his awareness.

“I thought late, his pocket presence was excellent. He knew when to run, when to stay in the pocket and find the open receiver,” Kelly said.

Special Teams

The most glaring deficiency LSU had on Sunday, special teams were a major point of discussion coming out of the game. From two blocked kicks to two muffed punts, LSU’s performance on special teams was a deciding factor in the game. Kelly addressed the two muffed punts first, taking responsibility for putting Malik Nabers back out to field the second muffed punt.

“I felt like he’s an elite athlete. He’s confident and I wanted to show that confidence in him,” Kelly said of Nabers. “And that’s my call in that situation. So, you know, one of them is on him. The other was on Coach Kelly for sticking with him.”

Kelly also talked about the two blocked kicks, highlighted by the blocked extra point at the end of the game.

“As it relates to the field goal, extra point situation, we made a change. We flipped personnel over from that left side, and moved somebody over there that we felt would sure that side up. We kicked the extra point with success and had the look we wanted. And then on the final PAT, we didn’t execute the way we needed to,” Kelly said.

The defensive performance

LSU’s defense was another storyline on Sunday, with Florida State finding success in the passing game and on third down. The other big storyline was the loss of Maason Smith for the season on the defensive line. Kelly confirmed that Smith suffered a torn ACL, and talked about how they plan to adjust without him.

“He’s a great player. You’re gonna miss great players, but you know, it’s next man in now for us from that standpoint. So, you gotta count on other guys to step up and they did in the game,” Kelly said.  “I think our defensive line rallied and played as hard as they could. You certainly wouldn’t, after film study, single that out as a reason for not having success.”

Among those players expected to step up is sophomore Mekhi Wingo. Wingo played significant snaps on Sunday and finished the game with six tackles. Kelly talked about his performance and what they expect from him.

“It’s hard to compare anybody to Maason Smith, his size, his athleticism, but Mekhi Wingo is gonna be Mekhi Wingo,” Kelly said. “What he does is extremely effective as a football player. And he gets now obviously a bigger share of that work and it’ll be incumbent upon some others too, to step up as well.”

The game against Southern

Outside of the loss to Florida State, the biggest talking point was the upcoming matchup with cross-town opponent Southern. This is the first time the two schools have met and the first time LSU has faced a school from the SWAC. Kelly previewed the matchup and talked about the significance of the game.

“Playing an HBCU school, I think, is a great thing for this university and certainly for Baton Rouge,” Kelly said.” “Historic in nature, to have two schools from the same city uniting and celebrating this community.”

The game will be an opportunity for LSU to bounce back after the opening game loss. LSU vs. Southern is set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. in Tiger Stadium and will be streaming live on ESPN+.