No. 5 LSU football was experience self-confident heading into Sunday’s matchup towards No. 8 Florida Condition. So confident, in fact, that mentor Brian Kelly stated before in the week that “we’re gonna beat the hell out of FSU.”
Perfectly, Kelly and the Tigers couldn’t back again up that chat in the match itself. Following major by 3 at halftime, LSU collapsed in the next half and fell 45-24 in embarrassing manner. Following building momentum late past period and by the offseason, this loss arrives as a big disappointment for the Tigers.
Brian Kelly, earlier this 7 days: “We’re gonna beat the hell out of FSU”
Florida State, tonight: pic.twitter.com/kitAK7LGPb
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 4, 2023
You can find loads of blame to go all around for this decline, but a several key figures bear the brunt of it. With that reported, listed here are a few Tigers most to blame for their blowout reduction to the Seminoles.
3. Jayden Daniels
Daniels, a single of the Heisman favorites heading into the season, experienced a decent game on paper. He done 22-of-37 passes for 347 yards, a person touchdown and an interception while including 64 hurrying yards on 15 carries. In context, while, Daniels’ general performance turns into substantially considerably less outstanding.
First of all, Daniels obtained 75 yards and his lone landing on a go to Brian Thomas Jr. late in the fourth quarter, when the video game was by now very long over so it barely even mattered. Next, Daniels took four sacks on the night, which is likely a lot more of an offensive line issue but nonetheless not a excellent look for him. 3rd, his efficiency little by little got even worse as the game went on. When the activity commenced to snowball in Florida State’s favor, Daniels could not crack LSU out of it and created it worse, if anything at all.
Unsurprisingly, Daniels’ Heisman odds took a substantial hit in this match. There is nonetheless time for him to proper the ship, but the margin of mistake for the two him and LSU football just turned non-existent.
2. Harold Perkins Jr.
Toward the stop of previous time, Perkins grew to become the star participant for a reliable LSU protection. The previous five-star recruit concluded his freshman period with a crew-large 7.5 sacks and gained Very first-Crew All-SEC honors. Going into his 2nd year, expectations had been exceptionally higher for the New Orleans native.
Even so, Perkins was mostly a non-issue in Sunday’s reduction. He had five full tackles which include two solo, but more importantly, experienced no sacks or tackles for decline. LSU’s defense ran out of gas late in the sport, and Perkins just wasn’t there to spark the device.
All that claimed, it can be difficult to blame Perkins too a great deal for this functionality. Instead than capitalizing on his strengths as a move-rusher, the Tigers’ coaching workers confusingly determined to use him practically entirely as an off-ball linebacker rather. His principal position was getting the spy for FSU quarterback Jordan Travis, when he definitely should’ve been rushing far far more generally. On the number of occasions wherever he did rush, Perkins appeared just as pure as at any time.
When you never send Harold Perkins in to move hurry, you’re building babies cry across The us pic.twitter.com/GbNhKkPqC4
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisDC) September 4, 2023
Perkins’ placement on this list is much more to do with the coaching staff’s misuse somewhat than his individual struggles. Talking of which…
1. Brian Kelly
The LSU head coach is a controversial determine amongst faculty soccer lovers. He has won quite significantly just about everywhere he has been, but his more abrasive type is very off-putting to some. Right after Sunday’s displaying, individuals detractors are back again and likely louder than ever.
Just set, Florida State’s Mike Norvell coached circles about Kelly in the 2nd half. The Seminoles came out of the locker area seeking completely refreshed, when the Tigers arrived out wanting lethargic and lifeless. That disparity only grew to become a lot more obvious as the activity went on, and Kelly was not able to snap his crew out of it.
His in-game effectiveness is a person factor, but Kelly did not make any buddies just after the game either. In his postgame push convention, Kelly primarily threw his players less than the bus for underperforming when having minimal duty himself.
“This is a complete failure from a coaching standpoint and a player standpoint that we have to obviously address and we have to own,” Kelly claimed, for each ESPN. “I know adversity is normally likely to strike at some time in this game, and this is our initial true piece of adversity that we have to tackle. I’m self-assured our men and our coaches will rally in the fashion that they require to.”
Regrettably, this has been a pattern through Kelly’s coaching career. If just about anything, the actuality that he even said “from a coaching standpoint” at all is a phase in the ideal course. Nevertheless, it is not a superior glance at all for a mentor immediately after a blowout loss, in particular one with Kelly’s monitor file.
Now, Kelly’s Tigers have to once all over again triumph over a time-opening loss to accomplish their lofty objectives this season. That ultimately proved to be too a great deal for them very last year, and only time will tell if this calendar year is any distinctive.