LSU coach Brian Kelly to Houston Touchdown Club: ‘I love beatin’ Alabama’
When LSU hired longtime Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly last offseason, he was tasked with doing something even his two national title-winning predecessors couldn’t: consistently beating Alabama and Nick Saban.
We’re only one year into the Kelly era on the bayou, but he’s off to a good start. The Tigers beat the Tide in Baton Rouge last fall — Kelly’s first head-to-head win over Saban — en route to capturing a West division title.
If there was any doubt about whether that game remains at the forefront of Kelly’s mind despite holding a 1-0 record in it, he put those to rest while speaking to the Touchdown Club of Houston on Tuesday.
“I love the environment of a college stadium. I love coming out on that field,” Kelly said, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Brent Zwerneman. “I love beatin’ Alabama.”
Per Zwerneman, the comment understandably drew quite a bit of applause from the audience.
LSU coach Brian Kelly to a receptive LSU audience at @HoustonTDClub:
"I love the environment of a college stadium. I love coming out on that field. I love beatin' Alabama."
(requisite roar and applause).— Brent Zwerneman (@BrentZwerneman) May 2, 2023
This division has been Alabama’s domain for most of the last decade and a half, but given the questions surrounding the Crimson Tide and the talent LSU returns, the Tigers could enter the season as the favorite to win the West.
The Crimson Tide stand in their way, though, and it’s clear Kelly still has that game circled.
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