What Brian Kelly had to say About LSU's Matchup With Georgia
LSU head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media Monday morning, ahead of his team’s matchup with No.1 Georgia (12-0, 8-0) in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday.
Kelly was asked a multitude of questions about LSU’s season, as his Tigers won the SEC West in his first year as head coach, after finishing last in the division the year prior. The Tigers are coming off of their worst performance of the year, falling 38-23 at Texas A&M Saturday. Kelly was also asked about the Georgia Bulldogs and their talented roster.
Here are some of the key points from the presser:
Brian Kelly was asked what lessons he’s learned about coaching in the SEC:
“This past weekend. How, you have to bring your best every week. If you don’t bring your best, you’ll get beat. I think that, more than anything, is the takeaway. You cannot play without the energy and identity of your football team. There’s just too many talented players, and if you’re not ready to play, and play at your best, you’ll get beat. That’s the SEC West.”
The comment is especially interesting because it echoes what Kirby Smart had to say about the conference this past weekend.
“I don't need the College Football Playoff committee or any person to tell me what the SEC's like. I was born and raised in this, and I know how good it is, I know how physical it is. I know how hard it is to play in this league. Week in and week out, it's tough and physical.” said Smart
“Now, everybody always wants a piece, everybody wants some of the SEC. They talk about it, and they don't play in it year round. So it's different when it comes to bowl season and it's a one-game matchup, but if anybody wanted an invitation, they can come play in this league. It's tough."
Kelly was asked to evaluate Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett:
“When you turn on the film he just exudes confidence. He’s a guy that’s mastered the position and what Coach [Todd] Monken and certainly Coach Smart are asking him to do within that offensive structure. He moves around with confidence.” observed Kelly.
“[Stetson Bennett]’s not a guy that’s looking to run, but he can run away from you. In the Auburn game, you could see him accelerate and separate from defenders. But he wants to get the ball to his playmakers… I think the confidence level he brings brings up the confidence level around him, and all the playmakers that he has.”
Later in the press conference, Kelly was asked to describe Georgia’s defense under Kirby Smart:
“Certainly physical. The defensive tackles are outstanding… Look, I think it’s pretty clear that what you see is: the perimeter players not only are athletic, but are outstanding tacklers, and that doesn’t surprise me coming from what Kirby [Smart] does, and what he demands from his players.” said Kelly.
“They’re tough-minded, they’re physical, they play downhill, and they play 3-down/4-down. We’ve obviously seen a lot of it, but you’ve got to make sure you minimize the negative plays against a defense like this. You can get into some bad plays, and now you’re behind the chains. They get you to third down and there’s a lot of things they can do. First and second down, and eliminating negative plays, against this defense in particular, is really big.”
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