LSU Football: Brian Kelly Says the Tigers Must Get Kyren Lacy More Involved

Kelly admits the coaching staff must do a better job at involving Lacy through four quarters, get playmakers the ball.

Sep 1, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; LSU Tigers wide receiver Kyren Lacy (2) attempts to catch the ball against Southern California Trojans cornerback Jacobe Covington (14) at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy was shot out of a cannon on Sunday night to start the Bayou Bengals' Week 1 showdown against the USC Trojans.

He ended the first half with a career-high seven receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown, but heading into the final two quarters, the script was flipped.

Lacy was only targeted two times where he came up with zero catches.

Brian Kelly addressed the lack of involvement from Lacy in the offense and how the coaching staff must get him the ball through all four quarters.

"Kyren Lacy is our best player and he didn’t get a touch in the second half," Kelly said on Tuesday. "We need to get our best players the ball when it means the most. If that means pushing it down the field then that’s what we need to do.”

Kelly admitted that for the first time in his tenure with the Tigers, he was angry with the team on Sunday night. In a winnable game, LSU let the game slip away from their fingertips in the final frame with the program dropping its fifth consecutive season opener.

When it comes to Lacy, Kelly understands he's working on his emotions. He received a personal foul penalty after his touchdown that he admitted was unacceptable.

“It was a matter of frustration,” Kelly said. “I’m frustrated and angry that we’re not getting the kinds of things happening for our guys. Our guys are working so hard. I’ll give you an example, Kyren Lacy. He gets a personal foul penalty. He pointed his finger at a friend of his, and Kyren’s been working on emotional control. He talks about it all the time.

"So, it’s not something that he doesn’t work on and yet it goes against him. Major Burns is a young man that every single day he’s trying to work hard at these things but they come and bite them at the worst times.”

Now, heading into the rest of the season, it's about finishing strong. Kelly detailed that the preparation has been "outstanding" for the Tigers, but it's about playing hard through all four quarters.

“Our preparation is outstanding, but preparation does not win you games, you still have to play to win. At times, we did things we needed to do to win, but you have to do them consistently," Kelly said. "We need to finish. We have to make a couple of more plays to win the game. We started well, our attention was good, but you have to finish these games off.”

Kelly and the Bayou Bengals are roughly 48 hours away from their Week 2 contest against the Nicholls State Colonels in the home opener.

Kelly and Co. will take the field in Tiger Stadium for the first time since the season opening loss with the program heading into the matchup with something to prove.

“All I will tell you is that I want these kids to win,” Kelly said. “We put our heart and soul into it and I know how hard they’re working. I don’t want them to be perceived as kids that don’t care. They care so much and I know what the perception is, that they’re undisciplined and they don’t care and there’s this narrative out there, it’s not true. I’m just so angry at the comments…that’s not true. They are working on it every single day.”

More LSU News:

What He Said: Brian Kelly Irate Following LSU's Week 1 Loss to USC

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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