LSU Head Coach Brian Kelly Talks Florida State Ahead of High-Profile Rematch

Kelly is looking forward to the challenge that the Tigers will have to overcome to defeat the Seminoles on Sunday night.

It’s officially game week for the Florida State Seminoles, and as the team is preparing for a rematch against LSU, the Tigers are hard at work wanting to get revenge on the Noles after last year’s thrilling win which came down to a blocked extra point with no time on the clock.

While the rivalry is nowhere near the level of some of the other schools FSU has battled in the past, the two schools have met ten times, with the Seminoles having won eight of those games, being played between 1968 and 2022. This 11th matchup comes after a turnaround year for both programs, as neither school was in the preseason rankings last year, however, both squads are ranked in the top 10 this year with LSU sitting at No. 5 and FSU not far behind at No. 8.

READ MORE: Florida State Seminoles Release Depth Chart For Top-10 Matchup Against LSU Tigers

In the first weekly press conference of the season, LSU head coach Brian Kelly, who is in his second year as coach of the Tigers, took to the podium and discussed a variety of topics, but most notably was how his team has been preparing for the game on September 3rd.

“We’re gonna go against a great opponent in Florida State, Coach Norvell has done a great job of bringing his program to elite status,” Kelly said. “It’ll be a great challenge and an exciting challenge for our football team.”

Coach Kelly also mentioned that the matchup between the quarterbacks will be a special one, as both players are Heisman contenders this preseason.

“Jordan Travis and Jayden Daniels, I mean, two great quarterbacks and two elite quarterbacks that can make things happen," said Kelly.

As for the status of the Tigers, three players are on the injured list with junior running back Armoni Goodwin listed as doubtful, redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Kimo Makane’ole listed as questionable, and redshirt senior running back Josh Williams listed as probable.

Additionally, redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Maason Smith will sit out for the game as the NCAA has suspended him for the matchup due to NIL violations that took place prior to the NCAA allowing players to profit off of their Name, Image, and Likeness. Smith would have served the one-game suspension last year had he not been injured.

One player the Tigers have specifically been preparing for is Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse, who decided to not declare for the draft last season where he was expected to be a first-round selection. Kelly referred to Verse as a “game wrecker” while adding that “you have to game plan for a player like that.” Kelly made it very clear that Verse is a beast on the field and is a player they have been preparing for.

Kelly ended his opening statement with some more praise for the Seminoles, acknowledging the program's success last year and what a matchup like this means to open up the season.

“Our guys are familiar with Florida state, we have a great deal of respect for the program.” Said Kelly. “This is a team that’s won six in a row and we’re excited to get the college football season going.”

The two teams will face off in Orlando’s Camping World Stadium on September 3rd at 7:30 pm ET. The stadium was host to last year's Cheez-It and Citrus Bowls, which were won by FSU and LSU respectively.

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