Brian Kelly: 'We're Finding The Formula For This Team'

Brian Kelly knew it would be a process in order to get the LSU football program back to the standard. The Tigers overachieved in year one of the “Kelly Era”, setting the stage for high expectations in year two.

LSU dropped the ball against Florida State in Week 1. It was as highly anticipated of a matchup as there will be in college football this season and LSU crumbled, but it isn’t a season-ending loss by any means.

Kelly and the Tigers took it as a learning experience, and with two weeks to recover so far, this program is piecing it together quickly.

LSU hit the road to Starkville to take on a new-look Mississippi State squad in Week 3, and after winning in convincing fashion, Kelly and the Tigers are feeling confident.

Piecing Things Together

There were going to be learning curves along the way with such a retooled roster during the offseason. Sure, there were key pieces returning offensively, but it was going to be a work in progress for this entire team to gel as one.

Kelly detailed the challenges and “tweaks'' needed to get this program back to where they believe it can be. It started with a Week 1 loss, but it changed the trajectory of the season to many within the program.

“I made it pretty clear, with 14 transfers and the amount of freshmen we were going to have to play, that’s a red flag. If you’re really looking at it, that’s going to require some tweaking,” Kelly said on Monday. “There’s going to have to be some movement along the way. We were able to do that and I think we’re finding the formula for this team.”

Reliable Defensive Players Emerging

Two players that have stood out to Kelly this season have been Greg Penn III and Maason Smith for two completely different reasons.

For Penn, he entered the season as a player who knew he would need to adapt. The Tigers added a few linebackers, and with Penn carrying much of the load last season, it was a given his reps would decrease.

But Kelly has been impressed with his adaptability and consistency.

“The guy that settled this for us has been Greg Penn. Greg has been outstanding. He’s been a settling factor for us, communicates well, and that’s a guy we want to keep on the field. The best rotation keeps Greg on the field and we’ll move guys around him,” Kelly said.

When it comes to Smith, it’s a different story. A player who has played in less than 15 games during his college career, he’s finally getting back into a groove. When it comes to his development, Kelly has been pleased with the strides he’s taken both in-game and during practice.

“I think he’s getting there. We saw some things he wasn’t doing against Grambling that he’s now starting to impact the game a little bit more and that will continue to grow as he continues to work himself in position to play at a high level each snap,” Kelly said of Smith. “He’s a physical presence in there and we expect him to progress. He’s going to be an impact player for us.”

Youngsters Making Presence Felt

Kelly relied on his true freshmen to make an impact in Year 1 in Baton Rouge, and fast forward to Year 2, he’s seen his youngsters emerge once again.

It can be due to the elite-level recruiting this program has put together, but also to the fact that this roster is still a work in progress.

Depth remains an issue at a few key positions and Kelly has been impressed with his young players stepping up when they need them most.

Against Mississippi State, LSU saw three true freshmen make the most of their snaps and shine. It was key for the Tigers to get production and this program received that and more.

“You have three true freshmen playing on the road in the SEC, so you’re not running around saying ‘oh this is great’, but you have confidence in them to play well,” Kelly said. “What it shows more than anything else is we have more than 11 and we need to play them more.”