There's no panic in Kelly who's used to rebuilding programs
Before signing on as LSU’s head football coach last December, Brian Kelly already knew why he was being hired for a program that fell off a cliff into a sea of mediocrity after winning the 2019 national championship.
It was the same reason he was hired at Central Michigan in 2004 to take over a program that had five straight losing seasons averaging two league wins per season.
It was the same reason he was hired at Notre Dame in 2010 to take charge of a program that was 16-21 the three previous seasons and lost three times to Southern Cal and twice to Pittsburgh, Michigan, Michigan State, Navy and Boston College.
He was hired to rebuild fallen programs, which required applying his proven, methodical plan for success.
After losing 10 of his first 15 games at Central Michigan, he won his last 13 of 19 and captured the 2006 MAC championship.
And after a pair of 8-5 seasons at Notre Dame, his 12-1 2012 squad advanced to the CFP national championship game and lost by 28 points to Alabama.
Kelly's 4-2 start (2-1 in the SEC West) at this season with the Tigers – considerably better than his 3-3 beginning at Notre Dame or his 2-5 opening at Central Michigan – doesn’t faze him, even after LSU’s mistake-filled 40-13 loss to then-No.8 Tennessee last Saturday.
“We're gonna have some more good days and we're gonna have some more bad days,” Kelly said Monday at his weekly in-season press conference previewing Saturday’s game at Florida.. “We're gonna have to answer a lot of questions about why did we do this and that is all part of this.
“But the fact of the matter is, we're in the middle of teaching guys new habits, a new way of thinking, and a new way of doing things. They want to do it. It’s hard but they're committed.
“This process is a process. . .that's the reality of it and I'm okay with that,."
Kelly said he didn’t know anything about the makeup of LSU’s roster until after he signed as coach.
“I got a glimpse of it during the (Texas) bowl prep,” Kelly said. “I then saw where we're at and knew that we’ve got some work to do.”
Kelly’s roster currently has a combined 32 players remaining from the 75 signees from the recruiting classes of 2019, 2020 and 2021. Graduation, NFL draft entries and players who either transferred or quit took a chunk of the talent and experience levels for the Tigers.
Kelly said he expected offensive lineman Will Campbell to rejoin the team for practice this week leading to Saturday’s game at Florida. Campbell missed the Tennessee game when he was rushed by ambulance from the LSU practice field after having a medical “episode,” according to Kelly.
Also, starting offensive guard Garrett Dellinger, who’s already playing with a broken hand, has a second degree MCL knee sprain. Kelly said he’s out for the next two games leading into LSU’s open date before it plays Alabama on Nov. 5.
Here's Kelly on other subjects:
On why freshman linebacker Harold Perkins, LSU’s second leading tackler, played sparingly vs. Tennessee
“We moved him to Sam linebacker. Last week (vs. Tennessee) was a spread (passing) game with two (Tennessee) receivers that are out on the numbers. Harold would have to be standing out on the numbers playing the game as the SAM. We were in a nickel situation, and we would have had to change his position back to inside linebacker for that game. We weren't going to do that. This is a game (Florida) that suits him really well. You'll see a lot of Harold Perkins this weekend.”
On why LSU got off to another slow start vs. Tennessee
"I just wish I could give you a better answer. I thought we were prepared. The guys were excited. As we were coming out to the field, I thought (with) our preparation I don't know that I would do anything different.
“We have to execute better. We start the game, we don't catch a ball (fumbling the opening kickoff) that is one we normally make. We got off to a slow start again. We'll keep talking about how important it is.
"But that's execution more than being lethargic and disinterested. That group was ready to play, but you still have to execute.”
On what Kelly can do to jumpstart the offense
"The problem is we moved the football between the 20s but we didn't score in scoring zones. So, if you really want to break it down, we have to be critically analyzing key third and fourth down situations and really our red zone (offense).
“It's not really about plays as much as its execution in those critical moments. And so really probably spending more time during the week in those critical situations in third and fourth down and how we can support the group in that situation as well.
“We've got some new players on the offensive line. Maybe we have to do some more things where we're gonna move the pocket, maybe we have to protect with seven, do some things like that as well.
“It's really more about situational offense than it is adding anything. I think we probably have to take some things out because we have to execute at a higher level. Maybe less is more and maybe that's what we have to look at.”