It’s been over a week since LSU football moved on from head coach Brian Kelly.
In the days following Kelly’s exit, we’ve seen a handful of autopsies diagnosing exactly what went wrong for Kelly in Baton Rouge.
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A clear throughline has emerged — Kelly struggled to connect with players, didn’t embrace Louisiana, and didn’t know the work it took to recruit in the SEC.
Kelly went 34-14 in three and a half years at LSU. Kelly led the Tigers to double-digit wins in 2022 and 2023. The highlight of Kelly’s tenure came in year one, when the Tigers upset Alabama on a game-winning two-point conversion in overtime. LSU won the SEC West, but that was as close as Kelly got to winning the SEC.
The momentum wasn’t sustained and the program became stagnant in 2024 and 2025.
Today, we’ll take a look at the losses that defined the Kelly era in Baton Rouge.
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2022 — FSU 24, LSU 23
The first game of the Kelly era.
Florida State held a 24-10 lead in the fourth quarter, but LSU scored two touchdowns in the final five minutes. It looked like the Tigers were prepared to kick an extra point and send it to overtime, but FSU blocked the kick and won the game.
I’m not blaming Kelly for losing his first game after taking over a depleted roster, but looking back, this was emblematic of Kelly’s tenure.
LSU had the more talented team and made the game harder than it needed to be. Still, LSU was in a position to win, but a special teams mistake cost LSU the game.
2022 — Texas A&M 38, LSU 23
Poor second halves vs. Texas A&M will be a theme throughout, but it started in year one.
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LSU travelled to College Station, ranked No. 5 in the country. The Tigers had punched a ticket to the SEC title, and despite having two losses, the Tigers had an outside shot at making the playoff and a good chance at a NY6 bid.
But LSU failed to handle business vs. a Texas A&M squad with a losing record. It was tied 17-17 in the third quarter, but a Texas A&M scoop n’ score gave A&M the lead and Jimbo Fisher’s squad didn’t look back. A&M poured it on and eventually went up 38-17.
LSU’s offense posted a success rate of 56%, an elite mark. But a costly turnover and poor third-down play were the difference.
2023 — FSU 45, LSU 24
Another season opener and another loss to Florida State.
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LSU began 2023 ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll. With Jayden Daniels back, expectations were high for Kelly and the Tigers. But the air was let out of the balloon in Week 1 as Florida State cruised the victory.
FSU totaled over 500 yards of offense and pulled away in the second half. LSU’s poor defensive outing was a sign of things to come.
2023 — Ole Miss 55, LSU 49
LSU’s historically bad 2023 defense surrendered 55 points at Ole Miss, and LSU took its second loss of the year before the calendar hit October. In a year where LSU had playoff hopes, the Tigers were out of the conversation early.
Despite Jayden Daniels throwing for 399 yards and running for 114 more, LSU couldn’t get it done. This was the story of the year for LSU.
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The offense was all-time good, but the defense wasn’t playoff caliber. Even an average defense would have been enough for LSU to contend for a national title.
Kelly couldn’t quite figure out how to build a complementary football team. When LSU’s offense was good, the defense was bad. And when the Tigers finally built a defense, the offense couldn’t answer the call.
More than any other loss, this one is representative of Kelly’s time at LSU.
2024 — USC 27, LSU 20
Another year and another season-opening loss for Kelly and LSU.
We didn’t know what we were going to get from LSU in 2024. The Tigers lost significant pieces from the 2023 season and had new coordinators on both sides of the ball. There was still plenty of talent, but LSU wasn’t aggressive in the transfer portal.
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From Game 1, it was clear this group wasn’t all that special. It was year three for Kelly, and the program wasn’t moving in the right direction.
2024 — Texas A&M 38, LSU 23
LSU’s 2024 loss to Texas A&M saw the same final score as the 2022 contest. Both games were close at the half, but A&M dominated the final two quarters.
This loss was even more egregious than the 2022 game, because LSU led by 10 at the half. After LSU forced two more punts to open the second half, the Tigers’ win probability was 81%. Then Garrett Nussmeir threw a pick, and it unraveled.
A&M scored touchdowns on four straight drives as LSU turned it over on three straight drives.
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LSU was in position to win a big game on the road, but failed to keep its composure in the second half. That was a theme of the Kelly era at LSU.
2025 — Texas A&M 49, LSU 25
This was the game that finally sealed Kelly’s fate at LSU.
One week after losing to Vanderbilt, LSU was embarrassed at home. Again, LSU led at the half after the defense created havoc in the first two quarters.
But the second half was all Aggies. A&M dominated LSU in every phase of the game as fans emptied the stands. The writing was on the wall for Kelly and LSU after the Vanderbilt game, but this result gave LSU no other choice. The next day, Kelly was fired.
This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Seven losses that define Brian Kelly era of LSU football
