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Brian Kelly details decision to go for two, win in OT vs Alabama

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•11/05/22•

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LSU coach Brian Kelly looks on from the sidelines during his team's 21-17 win over Auburn on Oct. 1, 2022. (Brandon Sumrall / Getty Images)

Brian Kelly decided to put everything on the line in overtime. Down one, a decision to go for two was either going to give LSU the win or send them home packing, giving Alabama a steep advantage in the SEC West. The move paid off, with freshman tight end Mason Taylor catching the game-winning pass from quarterback Jayden Daniels.

During his postgame interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe, Kelly detailed the decision to go for two. He said it “felt like the right time” to win the game instead of going to another overtime. Kelly said the effort from his team is something to be proud of, especially against a team like Alabama.

“It just felt like the right time,” Kelly said. “Our guys, they played so hard. I just love the way our guys competed and I didn’t want to keep going in overtime. Just felt like the right time to try to win the game.”

As for the play call, putting the ball in Daniels’ hands seemed to be the key. Kelly trusts his quarterback to make a big play when called upon. Once again, Daniels came through in the clutch late in the game.

“We wanted to get 5 on the edge,” explained Kelly. “Good things are going to happen. Made a great decision. The true freshman, who played so great today, Taylor. Made two big plays for us.”

Brian Kelly compliments Tiger Stadium crowd

Tiger Stadium is one of the best environments in college football. That’s well known throughout the entire sport, with teams fearing to play there at night. Even so, it’s still Kelly’s first go around with the program, getting to experience the atmosphere on Saturday.

He said the LSU fans definitely made a difference in the result, simply calling them “amazing.”

“This crowd — unbelievable,” said Kelly. “They made such a difference today. Amazing.”

LSU now controls its own destiny in the SEC West and is the favorite to appear in Atlanta. Depending on the Alabama-Ole Miss result next week, they even may be able to drop another game. Either way, Kelly has the Tigers rolling in Year One.