BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — LSU coach Brian Kelly spent some time this week trying to clarify what he meant when he stated after a season-opening, lopsided loss to Florida State that his team “wasn’t the team I thought it was.”
“That had nothing to do with their physical ability. I knew who they were physically,” Kelly said. “When you play and compete at the highest level, this is about the connection between the mind and the body. There was a disconnect there.”
Kelly wants his 14th-ranked Tigers (0-1) to get their minds right Saturday night when they host Grambling State (0-1).
“The game of football requires a competitive edge that we lacked” against Florida State, Kelly said. “Understanding and recognizing how our team was thinking and what they thought about themselves and their beliefs — all those things come into question when you talk about the performance. It’s not just about talent.”
LSU came into the season ranked fifth but tumbled nine spots in the AP Top 25 poll after Sunday’s 45-24 loss to the Seminoles in Orlando.
Their home opener holds some historical significance. Grambling is a storied program in black college football, renowned for its heyday under coach Eddie Robinson, who sent numerous players on to the NFL. But never before have LSU and Grambling met.
Whether the game’s result is significant in the context of either team’s season is another question. Grambling plays in the second-tier Football Championship Subdivision. When such teams visit Tiger Stadium, they almost always lose by a lot.
LSU played its first game against an HBCU team last season when it hosted Southern. The Tigers won that game 65-17. A similar result wouldn’t be a major boost to LSU or ruin Grambling’s season. But a competitive game by Grambling could certainly boost that program.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity for us,” said Grambling coach Hugh Jackson, who had stints as an NFL head coach with the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns. “It’s so important because we’re going to get a chance to showcase our university, our football team, our student-athletes against what people say is the best in the country.”
SMITH’S RETURN
LSU defensive tackle Maason Smith, who missed nearly all of last season with a knee injury and the first game this season because of a suspension, is finally expected back in the lineup.
Smith tore his anterior cruciate ligament celebrating a teammate tackle in last season’s opener. Last week, he was barred from playing by the NCAA because he took part in a paid autograph signing just weeks before the rule changes allowed college players to be paid for their name, image, or likeness (NIL).
Kelly said the plan is for Smith to play about 30 snaps.
“We have to be realistic,” Kelly said. “When you haven’t played in over a year, he’s not going to be able to play the duration of the game.”
ANDERSON’S RETURNS
Receiver Aaron Anderson, who lost a muffed punt against Florida State, hasn’t yet lost his job as a punt returner.
“He’s a young player,” Kelly said. “We’re not kicking him out of the club. We’re gonna keep working with him.”
Anderson, a New Orleans native, transferred to LSU after one injury-plagued season at Alabama.
LSU also had trouble in the punt return game early last season, when star receiver Malik Nabers muffed two punts.
AIRING IT OUT
Grambling quarterback Myles Crawley passed for 311 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 35-31 loss to Hampton last weekend. Now he faces an LSU secondary that allowed 359 yards and four TDs against Florida State.
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels passed for 346 yards last weekend, but Kelly indicated that he’s looking for more production from running backs in the coming weeks.
PERKINS’ ADJUSTMENT
LSU defensive standout Harold Perkins is trying to adapt to playing inside linebacker this season, which initially seems to have restricted his freedom to be an offense-wrecking playmaker in opposing backfields.
Kelly said there’s bound to be a “learning curve” in a new position. The coach added that LSU also has an obligation to develop top players in ways that set them up for NFL careers.
“Player development has to be thought about,” Kelly said. “Where he goes at the next level has to be thought about. And then impacting our team.
“There’s a happy medium there that we could probably strike,” Kelly added. “And we’ve already begun to look at how we can be most effective for Harold and for LSU.”
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