LSU makes SEC Championship in Brian Kelly's first season
The LSU football team is headed to Atlanta for the SEC Championship on Saturday, December 3.
In Brian Kelly’s first year as head coach in Baton Rouge, the Tigers secured the SEC Western Division crown on Saturday – and did so with two regular season games remaining.
At 8-2 overall and 6-1 in the SEC, LSU’s path to Atlanta and the SEC title game is now secure thanks to the win over Arkansas and Alabama’s win over Ole Miss.
Now, the Rebels and Tide both have a pair of conference losses. Even if Alabama and Ole Miss win out and LSU loses to Texas A&M in the final game of the regular season, the Tigers would own the tie-breaker thanks to head-to-head wins over both teams.
LSU traveled to Fayetteville on Saturday and gritted out a 13-10 victory, leaning largely on the defense to get the road win in what was circled as a potential letdown spot for the Tigers following an emotional overtime win over Alabama the week prior.
“It’s hard to win in the SEC. That was evident today,” LSU head coach Brian Kelly said on Saturday afternoon. “Look, I could go through a laundry list of things we have to do better. The fact of the matter is, our guys wanted to win, they were prepared to win, they were prepared to play a team that was coming off a disappointing loss. We knew they would play hard today, and they did.
“(Arkansas is a) well-coached football team. Coach Pittman does a great job. Barry Odom called a great game defensively. Their team was prepared and they were a great challenge for us. But, we found a way to win on the road. That’s really what this is about when you play a league like this, specifically in the SEC West, find a way to win.
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“That’s what I am proud of. I am proud of our guys for having the mental toughness to battle and find a way to win a football game when we were challenged the way we were today. That’s kind of my takeaway. I am not sitting here disappointed. I am excited we won the football game in a very difficult environment. Our guys knew that. We are in a different realm now. We are being hunted. We are going to get everyone’s best shot. They understand that. We have some things to work on. We will enjoy this victory, then come back prepared for UAB and Senior Night.”
LSU entered the season far from the favorites to win the SEC West, and the over/under for total wins was set at seven. Sitting at 8-2 with two games remaining, the Tigers far exceeded expectations in Kelly’s debut season – which has now included road wins over Auburn, Florida and Arkansas and home wins over the likes of Alabama and Mississippi State.
LSU’s lone loss in conference play came at home against Tennessee. The Tigers dropped the season opener against Florida State in heartbreaking fashion, rallying to score with no time left on the clock before having the extra point attempt blocked, which kept the game from going to overtime.
Since then, the Tigers have gone on an 8-1 run as the focus turns to the the final regular season home game against UAB next Saturday at 8 p.m. CT. The Tigers then close out the regular season at Texas A&M on November 26.
