Brian Kelly vows LSU will take ‘different’ approach to season-opener vs. Clemson
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Brian Kelly has began his first 3 seasons at LSU by immediately putting the team — and himself — behind the 8-ball.
The Tigers’ head coach wants it all to be different to begin Year 4. This season, Kelly wants his team to be 1-0 coming out of that season opener instead of in an 0-1 hole with frustration and questions galore.
In 2022, it was a crushing 1-point loss to Florida State to begin the season. on a neutral field at the Superdome in New Orleans. Then in 2023, it was Florida State doing the honors again, as the Seminoles pushed LSU around in a 45-24 victory, once again on a neutral field in Orlando. And last season, while again playing its season opener in a spotlight showdown, LSU got beat by USC, 27-20, yet again falling on a neutral field in Las Vegas.
Three showdown season openers against high-profile opponents. Three national TV games, where a victory could’ve put such a different slant to the season. And, yes, 3 losses that put the wrong slant on each of Kelly’s first 3 campaigns in Baton Rouge.
So, what now in Year 4, as LSU prepares for another national TV showdown for its season opener? What can LSU, which hasn’t won its season opener since the 2019 national championship season, do differently as it gets ready for a fierce opening test at Clemson on Aug. 30? It’ll be the battle of the 2 programs that call Death Valley home, but LSU will be in the enemy Death Valley for a primetime collision with a really good Clemson team.
Kelly is vowing this time will be different, and he’s taking steps to make it that way. He explained his thinking to reporters at SEC Media Days on Monday in Atlanta.
“But we’ve also been 0-3 in openers at LSU under my watch. We needed to do some things differently this year. That is embrace this opener. Embracing it in a manner that this is a big game. It’s a tangible goal for our football team to want to be 1-0. That’s not let’s warm up into the season. We want to be ready for this football game. So, we’re doing everything in our power to give our players the opportunity for that success,” said Brian Kelly.
“Exciting season. Excited about the ability to continue to develop our program and our players. Looking forward to our opening (game) against Clemson University.”
LSU fans are looking forward to a 1-0 record that hasn’t been there in quite some time.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
