After three years of heartbreaking opening losses, Brian Kelly finally got his statement win after LSU went on the road and took down Clemson.
This is the peak of Kelly’s LSU tenure; the Tigers are 1-0 for the first time in five years thanks to his highest ranked win since coming to Baton Rouge, which also moved the Tigers up to No. 3 in the AP Poll.
Things may look promising now, but is it too soon to forget about the past three lack-luster seasons and take him off the hot seat?
Although there are many Kelly believers, one big win is not a reason to view his time in Baton Rouge as successful by any means. Now that he’s has gotten over the Week 1 curse, he needs to go further than just the Clemson win and push for a playoff berth or SEC championship, like he promised when he joined.
LSU has been spoiled over the past decade with legendary head coaches, playing under Ed Orgeron and Les Miles, both of whom managed to win a national championship with the Tigers. Kelly, on the other hand, has never had a real push for a playoff berth and has struggled in rivalry games.
For a program like LSU that has a history of winning, wins like the one against Clemson are all just stepping stones in the journey toward the playoffs and aren’t enough to exempt Kelly from his past struggles and get him off the hot seat.
Kelly may still have eyes on him, but there are some key takeaways from the Clemson game and his past three seasons that could lead to LSU finally achieving a season that meets their standards.
One of the biggest critiques of Kelly has been the lackluster defense. LSU’s defense has been statistically bad in his three years as head coach. Fans haven’t been happy with the number of yards and touchdowns allowed in games, when in the past, these same fans were used to watching some of the best defensive backs and linemen in all of college football.
This history of poor defensive efforts led to the firing of defensive coordinator Matt House, who was then replaced by Blake Baker in 2024.
Baker might be the answer to LSU’s struggles after showing strong defensive changes last year, but much of the hype stems from the recent second-half shutout at Clemson. The defense looked revitalized in its opening game, making play after play against a highly praised Clemson offense.
Many critics believed LSU’s defense would fall due to veteran quarterback Cade Klubnik and an experienced core of skill players, but LSU flipped the narrative and only allowed one touchdown and just 31 rushing yards. Although it’s only one game, the new defensive philosophy of Baker, along with new additions, seems like it could be the answer to Kelly and the Tigers’ defensive struggles.
Kelly also has always been able to salvage his seasons, even if not to the full expectations of LSU fans. Kelly has gone three for three in bowl games against relevant opponents, showing a trend of being able to gain stability near the end of the year to finish on a high note. Now that he’s has gotten past that hump of early challenges, now LSU just has to play to its strengths and finish the job.
Although more people might be getting on the Kelly hype train after starting 1-0, his history of late game coaching mistakes and poor red-zone play calling should still be on LSU fans’ minds.
Even Clemson was not the best outing for Kelly. He made play calling errors, most notably in the final 30 seconds of the first half, which cost LSU a field goal after a turnover on downs. Though the defense of Clemson was solid, LSU’s offense didn’t look very dominant either.
Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier managed to have a clean but average game for someone of his caliber, and the play calling at times seemed to be putting the offense in too many three-and-out situations. If it wasn’t for the amazing game from LSU’s defense, the field position battle would be completely different. LSU would’ve been forced to play a much different game, which might’ve led to a disappointing result.
Kelly now has the opportunity to turn this statement win into a historical season, but there’s a lot to watch for as the season progresses. Kelly shouldn’t be removed from the hot seat just yet, but this year is starting to look a lot more positive than the past three seasons.
