LSU Football: Brian Kelly Details Week 1 Matchup Against the USC Trojans

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers will head to Las Vegas for Week 1, take on a fiery USC Trojans program.

Jul 15, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; LSU head coach Brian Kelly speaking at Omni Dallas Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers enter Game Week with a challenging opponent in Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans.

Kelly and Co. continue working through game preparation for the No. 23 ranked team in college football, but will be presented with another challenge in Week 1.

The Tigers aren't shy to stealing headlines and taking on difficult opponents in season openers and the program is dialed in for Week 1 against the Trojans.

Kelly caught up with reporters on Monday to discuss the offseason, challenges when facing the Trojans and more:

Challenge of Season Openers

“[Season] openers are difficult. You practice so much from the spring till now and then you have to flip it where it’s your first performance. You have to execute at a high level in your opener.

"I think every coach has that uneasiness in the opener is because they don’t know exactly what they’re going to get when they flip that switch. We’re expecting much better execution from this group because of the experience.” 

Growth on Defense

“I know that our football team feels really good about where we’re at, but you have to go out there and test yourself to answer those questions. Then, we’ll be back here in a week to answer more questions about where we’re at.

"I know going in that we’re prepared defensively, our guys are excited to play for Blake, there’s not a lot of confusion or busts. Guys know what it takes to play LSU football. I’m excited to watch them play.”

Utilizing Experienced Veterans

“Winning and losing is such a fine line and a lot of times it can just be what the mindset of your team is with the accountability and leadership. I think we have that. If we don’t have the kind of playmakers we had last year, we have great leadership. We have guys that have experience.

"We have guys that are going to hold each other accountable and we’re going to play until the very end. That’s what this group is about. They have experience, they know what it’s like to win games. This is a team that knows what to do and how to do it.”

Slowing Down a Dynamic Zachariah Branch

“From a tactical standpoint, limiting his ability to field the football. We certainly want to stress not kicking it straight down the middle of the field. We’ve got two talented kickers that both have the ability to impact the game.

"From our standpoint, we have some things we can do that will allow both to impact the game. It has a lot to do with trying to keep the ball from being kicked down the middle and giving him the opportunity to return kicks."

More LSU News:

LSU vs. USC: The Early Betting Lines for Week 1

LSU Inching Towards No. 1 Recruiting Class in America

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

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