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By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
If you thought last week was the lowest point of the Brian Kelly era....
If you thought the aftermath of LSU's 41-13 loss to Alabama would be the point where Kelly's 3rd year Tigers showcased their leadership & resolve....
If you thought this injury-riddled 4-5 Florida team, led by a true freshman QB (dealing with injury himself) would exist only as cannon fodder for a pissed off purple & gold outfit....well....you would be horribly mistaken:
In a game where Brian Kelly's #21 ranked LSU Tigers controlled proceedings for 3 of 4 quarters against Billy Napier's 4-5 Florida Gators, owned time of possession for 41 to 18 minutes, ran 92 plays to Florida's 43, outgained the Gators by over 50 yards, finally ran the football well for stretches, converted 13 third down opportunities to Florida's 3, QB Garrett Nussmeier didn't throw an interception, and also won the penalty battle, the Tigers still....somehow....some way, carved out a path to another double digit devastation, falling 27-16 for their 4th overall defeat & 3rd bitter loss in a row....losing to A&M, Alabama and now Florida by 11+ points each.
Despite solid 1st half outings by Caden Durham, Aaron Anderson, Mason Taylor, and Josh Williams, LSU collapsed yet again when it mattered most, specifically losing the battle inside the trenches & failing to score points....just a single touchdown for the second straight Saturday, 0 sacks & 0 turnovers created by Blake Baker's defense alongside just 1 tackle for loss, and on the other side of the coin, an offensive line nightmare:
Before the game, LSU's offensive line gave up 6 sacks all year.....
...in just one night, Brad Davis' O-line surrendered 7 sacks on Nussmeier, and 11 TFLs to their backfield....killing drives, taking LSU out of the red zone, destroying & overpowering the Tigers' front psychologically...with red shirt freshmen Paul Mubenga & DJ Chester routinely driven off the line of scrimmage.
Those 7 sacks arrived at the least opportune times, shaking Nussmeier out of rhythm, smashing his throwing hand at one point, which forced a grimace or nine from the starting QB, before he was later knocked out of the game for a few plays near the final whistle.
Nussmeier was repeatedly smacked around for 4 quarters, unable to trust his offensive line, continously getting roughed up, while his confidence drained by the play.
Even while Joe Sloan's offense rode their luck on the edge of a blade with one 3rd or 4th down conversion after another, earning 10 early into the 3rd quarter, watching Sloan's offense throw away or bungle away possessions was like pulling teeth.
LSU's offense was plagued by a horrific combination of poor playcalling, surreal weakness in short yardage situations, Brad Davis' bullied offensive line, and a 3rd straight second half capitulation...the afternoon ending with Brian Kelly's Tigers receiving a 4th quarter throttling at the hands of the SEC's 12th ranked squad.
If you thought the loss to Alabama was bad, well on Saturday afternoon in the Swamp, you were in for a wake up call for just how low things can get:
The day started out with news that LSU's veteran leaders Bradyn Swinson and Sage Ryan would be benched for the 1st quarter, while talented (but rarely utilized) sophomore DE Dashawn Womack wasn't allowed to travel....it ended with a 55 yard game-sealing touchdown run by the Gators....right past a handful of those same upperclassmen....white shirts jogging haplessly, helplessly......completely out of position....unprepared for this new level of decadent shame.
LSU's locker room was tested today....the question was asked: did they have the minerals to overcome??? To fight???
We found out the answer...a deafening "NO!" that rang out loud and clear as some of LSU's most experienced Tigers committed costly consistent mistakes, selfish errors, sported a fearful mentality for the 3rd straight Saturday, as some even acted a fool on the sidelines.
This was a team who's heads weren't in the game, their preparation was pitiful yet again, and by the last minutes, the 2024 LSU Tigers looked eager for the final whistle....tapping out against a sub .500 team.....
If the loss to A&M was unacceptable....if by some imagination stretch, forgivable......If the Alabama humiliation could be excused away by a faction of Kelly loyalists pointing to the future.....There is nothing anyone can say to defend this scandal......losing by 11 points against sub .500 Florida...
The word of the day is spiraling.....this is a squad that is spiraling out of control right now, first came a lack of discipline or killer's instinct on the field, which manifested itself in defeats vs USC and A&M, then came the off field distractions, bad locker room vibes & issues from this week....and we are witnessing Brian Kelly's 2024 LSU regress at a stunning, ugly rate.
I'm mystified how this staff & team are letting this season unravel at such a frightening, careless, listless pace...like watching a car crash in slow motion, while so many witnesses stare on, glazed over 1,000 yard expressions afixed to their faces, unable or incapable of preventing the cold, hard, wicked impact.
Brace yourselves...
A head coach's process doesn't automatically guarantee championships, even Nick Saban's Alabama dynasty fell short of titles during some years, but Brian Kelly was hired because his "Path" is designed to create, foster & retain a strong culture.....an environment that can rebound from cold blooded defeats, even improve as a troubled season moves along....
It's now nearing the end of year 3 under Brian Kelly....
....possessing a squad full of Tigers who've been coached by Kelly for multiple years, if not all three, somehow we're starting to see fractures forming within Brian Kelly's established culture, an erosion currently taking place on and off the field at a devilish frenzy.
We're watching players & even coaches appear completely unaware of the urgency of any scenario, content to shuffle along, seemingly indifferent to the outcome of the game they're taking part in....
All of this falls at the feet of Brian Kelly, a $100,000,000 head coach who placed far too much faith and snaps in his elder statesmen veterans, and most of these veterans repaid that faith & exclusive game time by failing to deliver for 3 straight seasons....all while Kelly has been unable to recruit or develop enough talent to usurp these longtime Tigers....
....yes, these are faithful players who've clocked the miles in purple and gold, but they have always been marked by a tendency to fade or implode during big games against the best opponents.
As for LSU's Head Coach himself, my overarching, harsh questions from last week still stand....concern growing even deeper after Kelly exhibited little control over anything on Saturday, apart from his grip on a white paper...evidently a prop to showcase his increased "involvement".
Following the defeat, Kelly uttered something worrying to me in this same vein, saying, "when the team doesn't play well, the head coach has to get involved...", as if the Head Coach should just chill for the duration....and then have the license to scream about everything when it goes wrong....
This team is mediocre, this staff is under-performing...they're soft....afraid of success...but worst of all, they're beginning to show varying degrees of quitting...
If there's anything that will save the last few games of this quickly devolving, revealing campaign, it's Brian Kelly trusting in his brigade of elite youth for the future ahead, replacing his underperforming upperclass veterans with young, hungry Tigers of the future......it may just be the only way to stop the bleeding.
WATCH THE POSTGAME👇
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
©️ 2024 Uninterrupted Writings Inc
I can’t disagree with anything you said. I also believe Kelly has lost this team. I said last week the O Line was beginning to check out too. Dellinger’s absence can’t be blamed for everything. My concerns now extend beyond this year.
😭😭😭😭😭 That’s all I have right now. 😭