Brian Kelly shares biggest difference in LSU program now compared to when he arrived
As Brian Kelly enters his third season as the LSU head coach, he feels good about where the Tigers program is.
LSU won 10 games in each of Kelly’s first two seasons, and despite losing several talented players, including Heisman winner Jayden Daniels, Kelly believes the Tigers are ready to start competing for championships this fall.
During Saturday’s spring game, Brian Kelly spoke with ESPN about how the LSU program is different now compared to when he took over.
“I think they’re just at a point now where they understand what the standards are,” Kelly said. “It’s an attention to detail, it’s a laser focus, it’s every single day. This is hard.”
Kelly and his LSU team reached the SEC Championship game in 2022, falling to Georgia, as the Bulldogs went on to win the national title.
Last season, the Tigers had arguably the top offense in the country but struggled on defense and ended the year 10-3. Kelly believes his team is ready to take a step forward in 2024.
“If you want to compete for a championship in this league, you’ve got to be elite. And you can’t get by with just doing it at 90 percent,” Kelly said. “You’ve got to be at 100-plus all the time. So that constant attention to detail is what this team is a lot better at.”
Brian Kelly explains how LSU offense will be different with new OC, QB
The LSU offense was arguably the best in the country in 2023, but several of the key pieces from that unit are now gone.
That includes Heisman winner Jayden Daniels, All-American receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock.
Still, Tigers head coach Brian Kelly has a lot of confidence in the LSU offense entering the 2024 season. Kelly spoke with ESPN ahead of the spring game on Saturday about how the offense will be different but can still be successful in 2024.
“I think where you try to focus is the running game,” Brian Kelly said. “An outstanding offensive line, you return a great offensive line. Let’s lean on them. Let’s give them the opportunity to show their ability to control the line of scrimmage.”
LSU led the nation in total offense last season at 543.5 yards per game. However, the majority of those yards came through the air.
LSU was a solid rushing team, averaging 204.5 yards per game. But Daniels was the leading rusher with more than 1,100 yards.
Instead of relying on the quarterback to make plays with his arm and legs in 2024, the Tigers will be more balanced on offense, starting with the running game.
“I think we all know, the game of football hasn’t changed all that much,” Kelly said. “If you control the line of scrimmage you then can do things in terms of throwing the football, play-action pass. It opens up everything else.”