Video: Enraged Brian Kelly pounds fist on table after LSU falls to USC

Brian Kelly was not pleased with LSU's performance in Sunday night's football opener against USC, and let everyone see just how mad he really was.

LSU head coach Brian Kelly was enraged by what he saw on the field in Sunday's loss to USC. / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Brian Kelly slammed his fist on the table so hard his bottle of water almost fell over. That's how mad the LSU head coach was at his team losing Sunday's season opener against USC in Las Vegas.

"I'm not doing a good enough job as a coach ... it's unacceptable for us not to have found a way to win this football game."

Brian Kelly says he's "angry" with his team after the loss to USC. pic.twitter.com/vloYGyKDh2

— ESPN (@espn) September 2, 2024

LSU had a four-point lead with under six minutes to go, but allowed USC to drive down the field and win the game with just eight seconds left.

"We had some guys play their butts off tonight and we're sitting here again. We're sitting here again talking about the same things!" Kelly said as he hit the table.

"About not finishing when you have an opponent in a position to put them away. But what we're doing on the sideline is feeling like the game is over."

Kelly said this was the first time he has felt angry at his team during his time at LSU.

"I'm so angry about it that I've got to do something about it. I'm not doing a good enough job as a coach," Kelly said.

"I've got to coach them better because it's unacceptable for us not to have found a way to win this football game. It's ridiculous. It's crazy."

Penalties doomed LSU, which was flagged 10 times for 99 yards, including on what became the Trojans' game-winning drive, when a targeting infraction put USC in the red zone.

Moments later, Woody Marks ran through LSU's defense for the decisive touchdown.

One bright spot for LSU was quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, making his first full regular-season start as he takes over for Jayden Daniels, who entered the NFL this offseason.

Nussmeier was up to the job, throwing for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, but the Tigers' offense lost its momentum after his third quarter scoring play.

"For us to be the kind of football team I want, we have to eliminate the foolish mistakes," Kelly said. "We have to be able to play off of each other much better."

-

More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | Teams

Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Picks