Booger McFarland rips Brian Kelly, says former LSU coach 'didn't work hard enough'

As LSU gets ready for its first game since Brian Kelly’s firing, Booger McFarland said he still can’t pick against his alma mater. But he also ripped Kelly and said he “didn’t work hard enough” during his tenure in Baton Rouge.

LSU fired Kelly after a home loss to Texas A&M prior to the bye. The school then named Frank Wilson interim head coach. Wilson’s debut will be Saturday night in Tuscaloosa as the Tigers take on Alabama on the big stage. It will be a high-profile matchup as the program kicks off a new era.

Before he officially said he was picking LSU – arguing the Tigers need to have a chance in the fourth quarter – McFarland said “good riddance” that Kelly is no longer in charge. When Tony Kornheiser followed up, the former LSU star pinpointed what went wrong the last four years.

“Brian Kelly didn’t work hard enough in Baton Rouge,” McFarland said. “I think right now, all the stories are starting to come out. There’s a thing called being a good fit, and I think as we look back on it, Brian Kelly wasn’t a good fit. I think for all the reasons that we talked about – him being from Boston and coming down to the south. It just wasn’t a good fit.

“I don’t even know if he knew what gumbo was. Like, if I’ve got to explain to you what gumbo is, you probably don’t need to be in the south.”

Kelly had a 34-13 overall record at LSU prior to his departure, including a 19-10 mark in SEC play. The Tigers made it to the SEC title game in his first season, but did not return to Atlanta after that. LSU had a 5-3 record at the time of Kelly’s departure.

Booger McFarland: LSU needs to ‘have a chance’ in 4th quarter

Saturday night, LSU will play its first game since Kelly’s departure with Wilson in charge. As for his keys to the matchup, Booger McFarland said he thinks Wilson will have the program ready to go for the high-profile affair against Alabama.

He added LSU just needs to have a chance in the fourth quarter in the hostile environment at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Tigers are 10-point underdogs as of Thursday night, according to BetMGM.

“I think the interim coach, Frank Wilson, is going to do a really good job of getting these guys ready to play,” McFarland said. “I think they’re going to play for the three letters on the helmet – LSU. And I think if you’re the Tigers, man, you’ve got to go out and let it go. You’ve got to play fast. You’ve got to play physical.

“I’m always going to choose us. I think we’re a 10-point underdog. That’s fine. It’s all good. It doesn’t matter to me. I think my guys are gonna show up and they’re going to play hard. If we can run the football and the quarterback remembers what color jerseys we’re wearing – I think we’re wearing white – then I think we’re going to have a chance in the fourth quarter. And when you’re a double-digit underdog on the road, to have a chance in the fourth quarter, that’s all you can always ask.”

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