Brian Kelly spotlights similarities with Georgia from previous matchups

This is LSU head coach Brian Kelly’s first year in the SEC. However, it’s not his first time playing Georgia. While he was at Notre Dame, Kelly took on Kirby Smart’s Georgia team twice, losing both times in close games.

Now, Brian Kelly is getting ready to try and beat Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. Ahead of the game, he spotlighted the similarities between this Georgia team and the previous ones he’s played.

“Well, you know what you’re going to get,” Brian Kelly said. “Kirby is still the head coach. They’re going to be disciplined. They’re going to be physical. There’s new coordinators. You know the kind of system you’re going to get, the preparation, the discipline, all those things are going to be part of Coach Smart’s team. All those things are going to be the same.”

So, in a lot of ways, Brian Kelly does feel like he’s seen this team before. It has a strong identity and in that way, you know what you’re going to get. At the same time, this isn’t the same exact team that he coached against while he was at Notre Dame.

“But the personnel is different. The coordinators, the schemes are a little bit different,” Brian Kelly explained.

At the end of the day, Brian Kelly knows he’s going to face an incredibly difficult challenge against Georgia. Things like scheme have changed, but Kirby Smart has always been an elite recruiter. So, the team is still full of talent.

“One thing they haven’t lacked is in recruiting. They’ve got outstanding personnel, really good players that we’ll have to prepare for.”

Brian Kelly on Brock Bowers

One player Brian Kelly has never had to compete against before is tight end, Brock Bowers. For LSU, finding a way to stop him is going to be incredibly difficult.

“Hope they don’t throw it to him,” Brian Kelly joked.

“Yeah, I mean, look, sometimes we break this game down to one player against another one. You’re hoping that in some situations that your zone coverage, where you have somebody underneath them over the top. Because really, I mean, if you look at it, if it’s just a one-on-one situation, he’s a pretty unique athlete. And that he can line up and has lined up at wide receiver, that’s not a great matchup for anybody.”