Josh Pate lays out the stakes for Brian Kelly against Texas A&M
By Jyesha Nance
Published:
If the Tigers fail to win against No. 3 Texas A&M on Saturday, they will face some noise. Postgame conversations will likely be uncomfortable for LSU head coach Brian Kelly.
That’s according to college football analyst Josh Pate, who joined ESPN’s Get Up on Thursday morning to discuss what is at stake for No. 20 LSU on Saturday. Kelly is not coaching for his job, Pate said, but he will be coaching to avoid some conversations he’d otherwise not want to have.
“I would say this weekend if they don’t get the job done, there’s a meeting in that building Sunday where some changes on his offensive staff are demanded,” Pate said. “And then the question becomes, ‘Does Brian Kelly look around and say I don’t have to answer to anyone, this is my offensive staff, you do what you feel like you need to do?'”
The Tigers had high hopes entering the 2025 season, ranking as the No. 9 team in the nation and climbing as high as No. 3. However, their ranking has declined, along with the team’s performance.
When Kelly was hired in 2022, he was expected to bring championship expectations and a winning culture to LSU. While he has maintained consistent winning seasons, recent struggles, such as a loss to Vanderbilt, have led to fan frustration and questions about his performance.
The Tigers’ offense in particular has struggled this season, ranking 64th nationally in yards per play and 86th in scoring.
Pate suggested that offensive coaching changes would need to be made rather than firing Kelly.
“They’ve been woeful offensively down there, unlike some of the changes on the other side of the ball that were probably made organizationally. He is responsible for the current offensive coordinator there, and it hasn’t worked out,” Pate said.
Saturday’s game against the Aggies is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
