Brian Kelly explains how to build Garrett Nussmeier’s confidence back up after struggles

LSU coach Brian Kelly still has faith in quarterback Garrett Nussmeier some down performances over the past few weeks. That includes Saturday as the Tigers suffered their first SEC loss of the season by a score of 38-23 against Texas A&M.

Nussmeier threw for a season-high three interceptions while completing only 50% of his passes and being sacked twice. He has now thrown for seven touchdowns to seven interceptions over his past couple of games.

Still, Kelly understands that there will be ups and downs in the first year as a starter for any quarterback He compared this year for Nussmeier to the first season of Jayden Daniels when he arrived in Baton Rouge in 2022.

“That’s the process of a first-time starter at quarterback,” Kelly said. “You weren’t here, but some of these ladies and gentlemen that were here in Jayden Daniels’ first year, we threw for 86 yards against Auburn. We barely got out of Arkansas after a 13-10 win. We got our butts kicked against Tennessee. Jayden Daniels, they’re ready to put up a statue in Washington right now. There were many, many people calling for his job here in Baton Rouge early in his tenure.

“So it’s the life of the quarterback at any level and Garrett knows that. His dad’s a quarterback coach. He’s built for this and he’s not a guy that is gonna shy away from it.”

Daniels’ first season wasn’t perfect, but he went on to more than double his touchdowns in the next season, going from 17 to 40. He would go on to win the Heisman Trophy in 2023 before being take No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.

That’s not to say that Nussmeier will find the same success, but it does go to illustrate how time and experience can work to improve a player if he’s willing to put in the work. Kelly knows that Nussmeier is.

“He was in the press room and he took full responsibility and accountability for what happened, which as you know, the quarterback gets too much of the credit and gets too much of the blame,” Kell said. “But having said that, he is up for the challenge of getting better. He’s out there and we’re working with him to get him to the level that he needs to be and he’s excited about doing it.

“So I’m not really worried about a loss of confidence with him because he knows this. He knows what this looks like and he knows others that have been here that are having incredible success in the NFL right now have gone through a similar path of development and he’s going through that too.”

Nussmeier will have a bye week to get right before LSU takes on Alabama on Nov. 9.