Brian Kelly won the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference in his first season as head coach of Louisiana State University.
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He guided the Tigers to 10 wins in 2022, including a crucial one at home against Alabama. Kelly lost his first two attempts versus Saban as Notre Dame’s head coach in the postseason. He had his team ready to play the Crimson Tide at Tiger Stadium, and a two-point conversion decided the outcome.
Alabama held a 31-30 lead in overtime when LSU decided to go for two and a victory. Jayden Daniels found tight end Mason Taylor in the flat for the score, and Death Valley erupted with excitement.
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The Tigers earned a 32-31 victory, getting its first win over Alabama at home since 2010. On Monday, Kelly recalled the risky two-point try at SEC Football Media Days via SEC Network.
Brian Kelly recalls going for 2 to beat No. 6 Alabama in Death Valley 😤@LSUfootball | #SECMD23 pic.twitter.com/9ni8kbDvoT
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) July 18, 2023
“We have a 48-hour meeting, which is 48 hours before the game with the staff, Kelly said. “We decided that if we have an opportunity to tie or win the game, how do we feel about this? That opportunity presented itself, and we talked about in the meeting that we were going for it. There was no hesitation there, and it allows you to work on that play Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in walk-through. We have run that play. I ran that play versus Florida State in 2015. It was not a risk in that sense, it was did we feel like we were going to execute at the level necessary. The way I felt our team played, I wanted to see them execute one more time.”
Kelly said he enjoyed the atmosphere of the game and the energy the fans gave LSU. He now feels that beating Alabama consistently is now a reality for the Tigers. LSU has to travel to Bryant-Denny Stadium this fall, so we shall see what happens on the field.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
