Ed Orgeron points finger at himself following loss vs. UCLA

The excitement was palpable for Ed Orgeron to lead LSU into their first-ever game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. While the game was memorable, it’s sure to leave a sour taste in the mouth of Tigers fans everywhere.

LSU suffered a disappointing loss to open their season for the second consecutive season, falling to UCLA by a score of 38-27. Following the performance, Orgeron took the blame for his team’s disappointing play.

“We didn’t perform like we’re supposed to at LSU,” Orgeron said to reporters following the game. “It’s my responsibility and I told that to the team. Obviously, we’re going to look at it schematically, where we got to get better, there was a lot of areas. 

“Physicality at the point of attack, run the football better, stop the run, eliminate the explosive plays.Those are things we have to address and get better real quick. 

“One game does not define a season, but we do understand that was a letdown for our fans. I take responsibility for it. Got to get better.”

The Tigers are coming off of a disappointing 2020, and we’re looking to get back to their unreal 2019 form. Alas, it was a tough start for Orgeron’s team if they want to reach their ultimate goals, and they now have a long road ahead of them.

“I felt good about this football team going in.”

Continuing, Orgeron’s disappointment was on display throughout his post-game press conference. With the wounds still fresh, the LSU head coach was asked what the most disappointing part of the loss is.

“Obviously, the loss,” said Orgeron. “I felt good about this football team going in. I feel bad for the guys on our new coaching staff, they wanted to do very good. 

“They’ve been working very hard, but you look at, they had 50 yards rushing and they had 200-something yards rushing. They were all over the quarterback and they made some big plays and we gave up big plays on defense again. So, those are the things that are reoccurring. Got to get them fixed.”

While it was a signature win for Chip Kelly and the UCLA Bruins, it’s a loss for Orgeron and the Tigers that won’t be soon forgotten.

What’s next for LSU?

Luckily for Orgeron and LSU, there are some very winnable games coming up over the next month. Starting next week, with Central Michigan coming to town as an opportunity to fix some of their flaws.

Afterwards, LSU travels to play Mississippi State, comes home to face Auburn and then travels to Lexington to take on Kentucky. Then, the schedule gets tough with games against Florida, Ole Miss and Alabama.

Last night’s loss was a humbling one, for Ed Orgeron and the entirety of the LSU Tigers program. Still, their season is far from lost if they can right the ship over the next few weeks.