Brian Kelly: 'Being the No. 1 offense in the country was not good enough'

LSU‘s offense was unrivaled in college football last season led by Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels.

Offensively, the Tigers averaged 543.5 yards per game to go with 44.3 points per game. The only issue? LSU’s defense was ranked outside of the top 100 in the country, allowing over 400 yards per game and gave up four touchdowns per game on average.

“Clearly being the No. 1 offense in the country was not good enough,” Kelly admitted at SEC Media Days. “I think you have to have much more balance. So I think the balance that we need is offensively and defensively we have got to be able to complement each other. We didn’t do that last year.”

Kelly cleaned house on his defensive staff, letting Matt House go, as well as his assistants, and hiring new defensive coordinator Blake Baker to the mix after helping lead the Missouri Tigers to an 11-2 record in 2023.

He’s going to be tasked with returning LSU back to being the defensive stronghold it boasted during its 2019 national championship run.

“What we’re going to need is that complement on defense; going to have to play better defense this year. I think we’ve made the necessary strides in the off-season to continue on that growth. So again, complementary football, offense and defense. I know that sounds like coach speaks, but the numbers prove it out. You can’t have the No. 1 offense in the country and not play the kind of defense necessary to get you to the next level.”

Personnel-wise, offenses won’t be able to take their eyes off of Harold Perkins in the front seven. He moved from the EDGE to an off-ball linebacker role, which ultimately saw his slight numbers declide from the year prior. Baker’s defense has the potential to better accommodate the standout pass rusher in 2024.

Greg Penn III joins Perkins in the middle as one of the nation’s top returning inside linebackers. The biggest question is whether or not the Tigers can remain healthy on the defensive line. There’s not enough depth for LSU to compensate for more than a couple of injuries this season along the front, specifically at defensive tackle.

As the 2024 regular season draws nearer, the answers to the Tigers’ questions on that side of the ball will soon be answered. Their new defensive effort begins on Sept. 1 against USC in Las Vegas.