Brian Kelly's Thoughts: Breaking Down What Went Right for LSU Football in Week 13

Kelly and Co. get back in the win column, Bayou Bengals capture a much needed victory against Vanderbilt.

Nov 16, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA;LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly gestures prior to the game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers (7-4, 4-3) earned a much needed victory on Saturday night to snap a three game losing skid and get back in the win column.

It was an impressive passing display from signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier to lead the Bayou Bengals to a 24-17 win over the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Now, despite postseason goals out the window, LSU earns a win with the chance to end the regular season with back-to-back victories. The Tigers will host the Oklahoma Sooners next Saturday in Death Valley.

Following Saturday's win over Vanderbilt, Kelly discussed the importance of the win and more:

Brian Kelly's Thoughts: Week 13 Edition

Preparation in Practice, Blocking Out The Noise:

"I am really pleased and happy for our players and all of our coaches. They obviously had listened to the noise that is out there about LSU Football, and the indictments that are made, unfortunately, so early in this program's development, but the players did not listen to it.

"I am proud of the coaches for the way that they prepared this football team. We played a really good Vanderbilt team. They shortened the game. They hold on to the football. They play good defense."

Packed Stadium Lifts the Players:

"It was nice to see a nice crowd out there today. I think having the fan support out there today was really nice to see, and the support that we got from our fan base, so I appreciate them. I just appreciate our players and the way they came together this week and took full accountability for what they wanted to do, and they went out and did it. I am pleased for those guys, and certainly our coaches did a great job of putting our kids in a position to succeed."

Different Energy, Keeping the Program Together:

"I think I have a pretty good pulse of our team all the time because if you do not, then there is a disconnect there somewhere. I would say that we felt like we had a great week of practice. Our preparation was outstanding. Our guys really stood up and said, look, we have got to play better."

Simplicity Wins the Day, Coaches Make Key Adjustments:

"As coaches, we took our responsibility and said, listen, let's keep putting our kids in position to make plays. We would have liked to make a couple more. We made it a little bit harder than we had to. But again, I love the way they competed. And this week in particular, I knew that this football team was going to be ready. And they have been ready.

"We did not close out three games. We had three games that were in the third and fourth quarter that we had a chance to close out, or the narrative would have been much different around here. Everybody would have slept better. I would have slept better, and you guys would not have anything to talk about."

Bend, Don't Break Program

"I felt like we were going to overcome it. I felt confident in our football team that they were prepared, and that they were going to win this football game, and I felt that on the sideline. I just stayed positive with the group and kept plugging. We came back with a great drive to tie the thing up, and obviously, I thought we controlled the game from there on out."

The Tigers will return to action on Nov. 30 against the Oklahoma Sooners in the regular season finale with kickoff set for 6:00 p.m. CT in Death Valley.

More LSU News:

Paul Finebaum: LSU, Brian Kelly in a "Really Bad Spot" Moving Forward

LSU Dishes Out Offer to No. 1 Quarterback in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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