LSU coach Brian Kelly apologized for an outburst at a reporter following Saturday’s 20-10 win over Florida.
“I’ve texted with (the reporter) and offered my apology to him for the way I handled the questioning,” Kelly said during a news conference Monday. “I think it’s important to understand that you know, my standards relative to how we work with the media on a day-to-day basis, need to be higher, and I take responsibility for that, and I’ll be better in the future.”
What Set Off Brian Kelly?
Following the No. 3 Tigers’ single-touchdown performance, a reporter questioned Kelly about his offense’s struggles.
“Stop. Really?” Kelly said. “Is that the first question? We won the game 20-10. Try another question. What do you want me to tell you? I just laid it out for you. We played the game to win the game.”
When the reporter tried to question Kelly about the Tigers’ struggles on third down (4-for-14 against Florida) and in the running game, he again became irate.
GettyBATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 06: Head coach Brian Kelly of the LSU Tigers watches play during the second half of the game against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Tiger Stadium on September 06, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)
“You’re looking at this from the wrong perspective,” Kelly said. “LSU won the football game, won the game. I don’t know what you want from me. What do you want? You want us to win 70-0 against Florida to keep you happy?
“Those are ridiculous questions and I’m getting tired of it. That football team just worked their tail off to get an SEC win and you want to know what’s wrong. You know what? You’re spoiled, you’re spoiled.”
LSU ranks last in the SEC, averaging just 20 points per game and totaling only five touchdowns across their first three games.
“I see it so differently than you guys,” Kelly said. “You want to immediately attack it. I love what they did tonight. They found a way to win. And if you guys don’t like that, I really don’t care. I’m so happy for those guys because they’re in there singing because they worked their tails off tonight. That’s the point. I’m not trying to embarrass you, but it was a stupid question.”
LSU Defense Looked Superb
LSU intercepted five passes in an emotional win over Florida, moving to 3-0 on the season. Despite the early ejection of preseason AP All-American linebacker Whit Weeks for a targeting penalty, the Tigers produced a relentless, high-pressure defensive performance that also included three sacks.
Star LSU Quarterback Has Been Subpar
The defense has been strong enough to offset an offense that has struggled for consistency and hasn’t been as explosive as anticipated, even with experienced quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite who threw for 4,052 yards last season.
Nussmeier, projected as a top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, completed 15 of 27 passes for 220 yards, with one touchdown and one interception in the game.
So far this season, Nussmeier has completed 65.1% of his passes for 689 yards, throwing three touchdowns and two interceptions, with a quarterback rating of 125.3
LSU Head Coach Brian Kelly Apologizes for Press Conference Outburst