BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU head coach Brian Kelly took full responsibility for his team’s 42-13 loss to Alabama on Saturday, a defeat that effectively dashed any remaining hopes of a College Football Playoff berth for the Tigers. The loss dropped LSU to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in SEC play, leaving Kelly acknowledging that their path to a conference title has become much more challenging.
When asked how he and the team would approach the final three weeks of the regular season with the playoff now a long shot, Kelly said, “We’re disappointed in how we played. These guys aren’t just saying, ‘Hey, we’re out of the playoffs.’ They’re disappointed. And I’m disappointed that we didn’t live up to the standards of LSU football. That matters more to us than the playoffs.”
Kelly continued, “When you wear the LSU jersey, there’s a level of football expected. Those three letters on your chest come with a standard. We didn’t meet that standard, and that’s what’s disappointing.”
Despite having an open week to prepare for Alabama, LSU struggled to slow down quarterback Jalen Milroe, who once again torched the Tigers’ defense. Milroe ran for 185 yards and four touchdowns on Saturday, adding to his dominant performance from the previous season, where he rushed for 155 yards in a 42-28 victory over LSU. Milroe finished the game with more rushing yards (185) than passing yards (109).
Kelly pointed to LSU’s struggles against mobile quarterbacks as a key issue. “If you’re watching the game, you’re asking, ‘What did we do for two weeks?'” Kelly said. “We have a scheme to stop the quarterback. We didn’t execute it. I take responsibility for that, but we also have to make sure we’re putting our players in the right positions to succeed. We own it together, and we need to fix it.”
When asked about defensive adjustments, Kelly kept his comments broad, stating, “We’re not reinventing the wheel when it comes to defending quarterbacks. There are only a few ways to do it. We have to work with the players we have, and it hasn’t worked well these past couple of games.”
LSU linebacker Greg Penn III expressed confidence in the team’s game plan heading into the matchup, noting, “He’s a great player, and you can’t really replicate his speed in practice. I thought our game plan was solid, but they executed better than we did.”
Offensively, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier struggled in critical moments. With LSU trailing 14-6 in the second quarter, Nussmeier was sacked and fumbled the ball, which Alabama recovered and quickly turned into a touchdown. In the third quarter, with LSU attempting to mount a comeback, Nussmeier threw an interception in the end zone, which Alabama capitalized on to extend its lead. Nussmeier finished with three turnovers, giving him six turnovers in his last two games.
Penalties also played a significant role in the loss. On a key third-quarter Alabama drive, LSU thought it had stopped Milroe on a sack, but officials flagged the Tigers for a face mask penalty, much to the displeasure of the fans in the stands, some of whom threw debris onto the field. Kelly acknowledged the frustration, saying, “If I was in the stands, I wouldn’t be happy either. But I’m not advocating throwing things on the field. I think everyone should use good judgment.”
For Alabama (7-2, 4-2), the win keeps them firmly in the playoff race. Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer called it “probably the most complete game we’ve played” and praised Milroe’s ability to make plays with his legs, saying, “He’s not just a guy who gets first downs; he finishes in the end zone.”
After the game, Milroe celebrated with Alabama fans, while an LSU supporter, visibly upset, shouted for Kelly to leave Baton Rouge. Despite the loss, LSU players expressed their determination to regroup and refocus before their game at Florida next week. Kelly, for his part, reiterated that he would continue working hard to improve the team.
“The bottom line is, we didn’t play to the standard of LSU football,” Kelly said. “That’s on me. I’ve got to make sure we put our players in better positions to succeed, and that’s the work I’ll do.”