Brian Kelly says he avoided colliding with ref during Clemson game to save LSU from 15-yard penalty
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Brian Kelly appeared to collide with a referee during LSU‘s 17-10 victory over Clemson on Saturday. As it turns out, that’s not exactly what happened.
Kelly told the story of what did happen on Tuesday. Apparently, it was to keep himself from being flagged for 15 yards.
“He didn’t get me,” Kelly said to a few laughs from the media, in a video posted by Baton Rouge sports personality Matt Moscona. The LSU head coach then went into “the back story” of the sideline incident.
“Remember the collision on the sideline (in the College Football Playoff)? I don’t know if you remember,” Brian Kelly continued. “A coach… was running down the sideline, ran into the official. Anyway, it’s a 15-yard penalty if you make any contact, as you know.
“Fifteen yards at that time of the game was crucial. So I was backing up and I saw I wasn’t going to get out of the way. I headed the other way and caught my feet on somebody behind me, and I went over just to stay out of his way. So I took one for the team.”
Fortunately for Kelly, there was no harm committed. Not only that, but he picked up his first season-opening win as LSU’s head coach with Saturday’s victory over Clemson.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
