There was no hiding the disappointment: The Tigers had much higher expectations than what occurred in a 50-30 defeat at the hands of top-ranked Georgia in the SEC Championship.
Gunslinging Garrett Nussmeier gave LSU a jolt in the second half, but it wasn't nearly enough in a result that helped add perspective on just how much ground LSU has to cover before it can go toe-to-toe with the Georgia's of the world.
"We got to continue to develop our football team, but this foundation is really strong, and we'll be able to continue to build on it," Kelly said. "But I don't believe that the gap is something that we can't continue to close and get back here again next year. That'll be our goal to get back here and to win it."
It's a tough mark to hit after such a disappointing result, but this is a team that will be seeking perspective on what is undoubtedly an ahead-of-schedule run to an SEC West title and an SEC title game appearance. LSU had fallen hard over the prior two seasons after an undefeated run to a College Football Playoff title led by Joe Burrow and Ed Orgeron.
Kelly took over a roster that was in rough shape. He retained key players. He recruited key transfers. He brought in Jayden Daniels at quarterback. It wasn't always good. This team dropped its opener to Florida State with special teams blunders and other mistakes. They were never supposed to be here. But as Kelly puts it, the foundation is strong, and this is where a young team will continue to build.
"I don't think there's anything that can take away from what this team accomplished on the field relative to winning an SEC West championship. They won that on the field. What I think it does is it brings into light, clearly, the progress that we made and the things that we have to continue to work on," Kelly said. "So I think ... for everybody, it clearly defines who we want to be and that we're not there yet. And that's okay, you know, that's okay.
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"We're not happy that we're not the SEC champs. That's not what we wanted today. We wanted to win this game. But we know where we're at and we've clearly talked about what we need to do to be the SEC champs. And that's okay, we need to go to work and get better at the things necessary for us to be better collectively, individually, and as a football program."
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MORE FROM BRIAN KELLY
WHAT HAPPENED TO JAYDEN DANIELS?
LSU's starting quarterback was declared healthy after an ankle injury suffered late in the loss to Texas A&M. He looked sharp early on as the Tigers moved the ball effectively against one of college football's top defenses. But as the first half waned, so did Daniels. He was limping around and clearly had limited mobility. Kelly said it was due to an injury suffered in the second quarter to the same ankle.
"I thought he started off really well. I mean, he was throwing the ball accurate, you know, the early drive, obviously. You know, he looked good, poised in the pocket," Kelly said. "And then it was 2nd quarter when he stepped up in the pocket he got rolled up on and just, it was a re-injury, re-injured the ankle that had been injured. But no, I think he he felt good, looked good. Our assessment was that he was moving the team in the manner that we wanted them to and it was just a matter of getting rolled up again."
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WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT BLOCKED KICK/TD RETURN?
LSU had a chance to put the first points of the game on the board, but Damian Ramos' kick was blocked. Then the unthinkable happened. As all 11 Tigers players walked dejectedly off the field, Georgia knew exactly what was going on. Bulldogs cornerback Christopher Smith plucked the ball from the ground and sprinted 96 yards for an opening touchdown that put LSU behind 7 without allowing a first down.
So what happened?
"Obviously we did a poor job coaching," Kelly said. "You know, it's our responsibility to have our guys alert in that situation. They were not alert and that falls on coaching and that falls on my shoulders. And I take full responsibility for that."
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THOUGHTS ON GARRETT NUSSMEIER'S PERFORMANCE?
The Tigers backup took over in the second half and LSU fans got a good look at the gunslinger they've heard so much about. He finished the game 15-27 for 294 yards, 2 TDs and an interception. His head coach was very complimentary of the performance, even in the loss.
"He did some really good things. He's called upon to come in and be aggressive, which he was, and, you know, for a guy that that's coming in off not playing a lot of football, really pleased," Kelly said. "Look, there's a learning experience out there. There's some throws that obviously he'd like to have back. But look, he's got a quarterback mentality that he wants to be aggressive, as Malik said, he's pushing the ball down the field and giving these guys a chance to make some plays down the field, and they did. Sometimes they're 50-50 balls, but he gives them a chance to make some plays and he did a nice job with that."
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