Brian Kelly has no interest in bulletin board material, but he would be fine with an end to a flu virus that's disrupted his locker room the last several weeks.
It's been fast-moving and typically players have been clear of it after 24 hours, but it's had a clear impact. QB Jayden Daniels dealt with it during the week leading up to the game against Arkansas, and his preparation and performance suffered. Freshman LB Harold Perkins had it as he played the Razorbacks and his performance did not.
It lingered throughout the week and was still affecting the Tigers when they faced UAB. WR Kayshon Boutte got an IV and tried to play but ultimately could not. The previous evening LB Demario Tolan was battling a 102-degree fever.
"Everybody's individually different in terms of how they get through it," Kelly said. "But they all want to play. They all want to fight through it. And generally we've been very lucky. ... Once they get through it they've been able to bounce back and play for us."
Kelly didn't sound concerned at how the bug might affect his team in a pivotal finale on the road against Texas A&M, a highly talented team that would like nothing other than to ruin LSU's chances at a CFP bid when they reach the SEC Championship game in December.
Aggies WR Jalen Preston had his own way of phrasing that, with the goal that A&M could "piss in their cornflakes" with a win on Saturday. Gross, but sure.
Related
But Kelly isn't the type of coach that believes in bulletin board material, and he won't be using that comment or anything else to motivate his team to go out and finish off the season. That'll take care of itself.
"If he was ... one of my players, right now I'd probably discipline him. But for us it's really about our preparation and how we prepare is going to make a bigger difference than what anybody says about us," Kelly said. "So, you know, I kind of got through that a long time ago that what people say really has little to do on how you play. Look, we know it's a rivalry game, we know it's A&M, our guys know that. They don't need any more motivation to play this game. So that's a distraction."
MORE FROM BRIAN KELLY
INJURY UPDATES
- Offensive lineman began to be worked back into the rotation at guard against UAB and that will continue
- RB Josh Williams is dealing with a knee issue but has been improving and the team is hopeful he'll be able to play against A&M
HOW WILL THINGS CHANGE THIS WEEK FOR THANKSGIVING?
Not a ton, Brian Kelly said, until Thursday. The team will practice in the morning, then they'll have Thanksgiving dinner together, with the families of the coaching staff joining. Any non-travel players will be released in the morning so they can spend the day with their families. From there it's business as usual. The team will have noon meetings on Friday, then board the plane around 3-4 p.m. to head to College Station.
Related
WHY DO YOU THINK A&M HAS STRUGGLED THIS SEASON?
It's a young football team. You know, it's a very talented football team but it's young, and so you can see at times it is really scary and then sometimes there's a loss there of maybe some focus. But ... if they put it all together, it's not a team you want to be around when when they put it all together. It's a very talented football team.
HOW CAN JAYDEN DANIELS CONTINUE TO THRIVE WITH PREPARATION?
"I think more than anything else, it's about him continuing to prepare the right way that allows him to play assertive and aggressively, and that, I think, is where we are with our quarterback. I felt really good -- I know, he felt good about his preparation. He'll need to do that again this week. I'm not gonna give him any excuses as to why he didn't prepare as well, couldn't prepare as well.
"But that Arkansas week he had the flu, he was sick and it just wasn't the kind of preparation necessary. It was great this week, and we're going to have to stay on top of it again. Because we can clearly see when he prepares well, he plays well."
Related
