Brian Kelly on LSU's blowout loss to Tennessee: We got what we deserved

The LSU Tigers have had some time to lick their wounds after falling to the top-ten-ranked Tennessee Volunteers at home on Saturday. Tennessee came into Baton Rouge, LA, and upended LSU 40-13, in a game with plenty of offense but not particularly competitive. After taking the weekend to assess what happened, Tigers head coach Brian Kelly gave his thoughts on his team’s performance, eluding that they got what they deserved.

“A quick look back over the weekend, which was not certainly a weekend that I’m anxious to look back at,” said Kelly. “But you have to take the good with the bad. And certainly, that was not anything that we want to put up there as a performance to be duplicated.

“The fact of the matter is, Tennessee played well; we did not start very well. Our attention to detail, the fundamentals, clearly has to get better. We’ve got a coach our team better. If you look at it… it’s a number of little things here and there. We certainly can’t start the way we did, as I mentioned, in terms of spotting a really good team ten points. (Our) guys battled, but again, you have to play clean against a top-ten team. we did not do that, and we got what you deserve in a game like that. If you don’t play smart football, if you don’t play clean, you’re gonna get what you deserve. So hats off to Tennessee.”

LSU’s special teams trouble continues

Special teams reared its head as an issue for LSU yet again on Saturday. One of the Tigers’ star receiver, Jack Bech, muffed the opening kickoff, which Tennessee recovered deep in LSU’s territory. That resulted in the Volunteers taking an early 7-0 lead. On LSU’s following possession, the Tigers punted away to Tennessee and witnessed several missed tackles from the punt coverage team. LSU’s 52-yard punt was returned 58 yards to the Tigers’ 26-yard line; putting the volunteers in field goal position. From that point on, it was all downhill for LSU.

The Tigers attempted to gain some momentum throughout the first half attempting to go for it on fouth down on two separate occasions and failing to convert both. One of the attempts was deep in Tennessee’s territory, which LSU could have walked away with at least three points.

Tennessee game is now in the past, and Kelly and the Tigers must look forward to their next opponent, the Florida Gators. Next week LSU will travel to the swamp in Gainesville, FL, to take on the Gators in an evening matchup. The game is scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. CST.