LSU Country

Steve Spurrier Addresses Brian Kelly, LSU Football WR Chris Hilton's Encounter

Spurrier voiced his opinion on the sideline encounter last Saturday, discussed his coaching methods in the past.

Zack Nagy

Nov 16, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators defensive back Dijon Johnson (27) breaks up a pass to LSU Tigers wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. (3) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Nov 16, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators defensive back Dijon Johnson (27) breaks up a pass to LSU Tigers wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr. (3) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
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Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers suffered their third consecutive loss last Saturday in Gainesville after walking out of The Swamp with a 27-16 loss to the Florida Gators.

It was a night the Bayou Bengals will put in the rearview mirror rather quickly, but during the matchup a viral clip took social media by storm.

Early in the Southeastern Conference showdown, Kelly was seen ripping into LSU wide receiver Chris Hilton after a missed reception.

Hilton, who's still working his way back after missing the first seven weeks of the season with an ankle injury, mistimed a jump where he was unable to haul in the reception.

It was a moment that remains in headlines with legendary college football coach Steve Spurrier now chiming in on the encounter.

Spurrier joined Another Dooley Noted Podcast to voice his thoughts, his coaching methods and more.

“I learned way back, if I had to get on my quarterback, ‘Come here.’ And I’d look into the ground and say, ‘You’ve gotta start playing a lot damn better or we’re going to get our ass beat’ or something like that, without getting in his face,” Steve Spurrier said. “‘Now get back in there and do it.’ And then give him a pat on the back.”

There are different methods coaches use in getting through to their players with Kelly giving Hilton a learning moment on Saturday in Gainesville.

Spurrier didn't necessarily agree with the route Kelly took.

“Even during the game, the TV, they show the head coach on the sideline. And he was over there getting on his quarterback and some other guys and blah blah blah, blah blah blah,” Spurrier said. “But he’d get in their face a little bit, which, I don’t know. Usually you don’t do that.”

On Monday during Kelly's weekly appearance The Paul Finebaum Show, he addressed the moment and what he was discussing with Hilton.

“We were having a coaching moment with one of my wide receivers, you know, who is desperately wanting to make big plays for us,” Kelly said of Hilton. “That’s all he thinks about. And he’s pressing a little bit.

“So, you know, having a conversation with him on the sideline to help him through that. But you’ve gotta understand, this is the emotion of the game that is happening at the same time.”

But Kelly's sideline encounter with Hilton wasn't the only moment that took social media by storm.

LSU wideout Kyren Lacy was also seen coming off of the field later in the game where he had some words for his head coach where he was seemingly demanding the football.

“Then we had another player that wanted the football. And I love that about our players. Any competitor wants the football,” Kelly said. “But again, you have to be able to measure it by making sure that the emotion doesn’t take over for what you’re trying to accomplish at the time.”

The Tigers are in the midst of a significant slump after dropping their third consecutive game to the Florida Gators following losses to Alabama and Texas A&M.

Now, it's about shifting focus towards the final two games of the season with the Vanderbilt Commodores up next for a Week 13 contest 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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Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics. 

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