Brian Kelly critical after LSU's 'unacceptable' loss to USC in season opener

LSU coach Brian Kelly expressed frustration after the Tigers' 27-20 loss to USC, citing a lack of ‘killer instinct.’

LSU head coach Brian Kelly did not hold back his frustration after the No. 13 LSU Tigers lost 27-20 to No. 23 USC in their season opener on Sunday night. Despite holding a four-point lead with under six minutes remaining, LSU was unable to secure the win, prompting Kelly to express his anger during the post-game press conference.

"We had some guys play their butts off tonight, and we're sitting here again talking about the same things!" Kelly said to ESPN, slamming his fist on the table in frustration. He emphasized the team's failure to finish strong, adding, "I'm so angry about it that I've got to do something about it. I'm not doing a good enough job as a coach."

Kelly specifically criticized his team's lack of "killer instinct" and noted that this was the first time during his tenure at LSU that he felt "angry" at his team. He expressed disappointment in their inability to put USC away when given the opportunity. "Unfortunately, it's clear that when we get up in a game, we do not know how to handle ourselves," Kelly said. "We get complacent, we make more mistakes when we're ahead instead of having a... better focus and a steely-eyed killer instinct."

The Tigers' offensive efforts were undermined by 10 penalties totaling 99 yards, several of which occurred at critical moments. On USC's game-winning drive, a targeting penalty on LSU put the Trojans inside the red zone, leading to their decisive touchdown with just eight seconds remaining.

Despite outgaining USC with 421 yards of offense and controlling time of possession, LSU's ground game struggled, managing only 117 rushing yards. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, but LSU's offense stalled in the final quarter, resulting in two punts, a field goal, and a game-sealing interception.

Kelly concluded by stating, "For us to be the kind of football team I want, we have to eliminate the foolish mistakes."