On Monday morning, Tiger fans woke up with Saturday night still on their minds after a historic game unfolded in Death Valley—one that will forever be etched in Tiger history.
But just as it moved on from tough losses, LSU must now put this win behind it and shift its focus to what lies ahead.
The No. 8 Tigers are getting ready to face Arkansas in Fayetteville on Saturday. Head coach Brian Kelly addressed the press on Monday to recap Ole Miss, preview Arkansas and give an injury report.
“They believed they would win the football game”
LSU didn’t take the lead against Ole Miss until the very last play of the game. This success and fighting spirit highlighted the Tigers’ perseverance.
“Proud of our team, how they just kept fighting,” Kelly said. “They believed they would win the football game … They had a belief that they were prepared, and they were going to find a way to win the game.”
The Tigers converted fourth downs in critical situations, and the defense held the Rebels from scoring a touchdown in the second half and overtime.
LSU’s grittiness stemmed from outstanding performances from multiple players. Linebacker Whit Weeks, who had eighteen tackles, was awarded SEC Defensive Player of the Week. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier received SEC Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 337 yards and three touchdowns.
Also, defensive end Bradyn Swinson was named Defensive Lineman of the Week in the SEC after creating a career-high of eight tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Tigers must keep moving forward
After a big victory, Kelly stressed the importance of maintaining this energy, especially against Arkansas, a team who always keeps it close when playing LSU.
“They’ve set a standard of how to play this game … But now they have to think right about Arkansas and putting it all together each and every week,” Kelly said about his team.
Arkansas’ quarterback poses a threat to the Tiger defense, and it will have to continue putting pressure like it did against Jaxson Dart.
“Taylen Green [is] big, physical, can run, makes plays with his arm and legs … They lead the SEC in third-down conversions. This is a formidable offense,” Kelly said.
Kelly also said the team will have to improve in the run game.
“It’s a little bit of everything,” Kelly said. “We’re not in sync with all of our guys coming together as one in the running game, and we just have to do a better job coaching it across all the fronts.”
He explained the team is aiming for a 65% successful rate in the run game, and it’s not there yet.
LSU looking to get wide receivers back from injury
Brian Kelly mentioned potential returns for the LSU Tigers’ injured wide receivers.
He said CJ Daniels is a probable return for Saturday’s game, and Chris Hilton is day-to-day.
“We’re going to get somebody back, whether it’s CJ (Daniels) or Chris (Hilton), somebody’s coming back from one of those two guys,” Kelly said.
The Tigers will face the Razorbacks on Saturday night, and kickoff is at 6 p.m.
