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Countdown to Clemson: LSU’s 1-0 mindset starts now, per Brian Kelly at SEC Media Days

Untitled design (1)by: Julie Boudwin07/14/25
LSU Brian Kelly
LSU and Brian Kelly have one of the top classes in 2026.

SEC Media Days means one thing — football season is right around the corner.

LSU head coach Brian Kelly brought quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, linebacker Whit Weeks and wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. to Atlanta Monday for Media Days.

Kelly made it clear the Tigers are laser-focused on something that has eluded them since 2019: winning the season opener.

For LSU fans, that stat might sting. The Tigers haven’t started 1-0 since Joe Burrow led them to Week 1 win in their national championship season under Ed Orgeron. Since then, season openers have been a source of frustration. Kelly, now entering his fourth year in Baton Rouge, said changing that narrative has become a very real priority as the Tigers kick off its season in a massive showdown at Clemson at 7:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 30. The game will air live on ABC.

“We’ve made it a specific goal,” Kelly said. “Goal setting is something that we’re all very familiar with in college football. Everybody talks about goals. We’ve made this a specific goal and a specific goal, meaning it’s tangible for our guys.”

Kelly said reminders of the task ahead are everywhere, quite literally.

“If you go through our weight room, we’ve got a Clemson paw print on the bags that we hit every day. It’s on every monitor in the building to go 1-0,” he continued. “I think it was important to have a tangible, specific goal for us to start the season. And I think it’s important—our kids want that. They can taste it.”

The Tigers open the 2025 season in a high-profile road matchup against Clemson—one of the sport’s team’s with big playoff aspirations, too. But Kelly is making sure his players don’t view it as just another game.

“I use the analogy that, you know when I work out, I like to have a clock in front of me. So I know what the time is and when it’s time to finish or to finish strong,” Kelly said. “And that’s what this is. This is a clock in front of them saying, ‘This is where we start this.’ And then it becomes 1-0 every week after that, but it’s tangible and it’s specific.”

With a veteran core and clear leadership, the Tigers are embracing the urgency—and accountability—that comes with a new season and a fresh opportunity. This time, they’re determined to get it right from the opening kickoff.

Stick with The Bengal Tiger for all the latest LSU information coming out of Atlanta from SEC Media Days.

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