After Ole Miss beat LSU in a historic thriller on Saturday night, Tigers coach Brian Kelly should be sleeping with one eye open.
In all fairness, Kelly wasn't singlehandedly responsible for LSU's demise that saw the team give up 711 total yards. The Ole Miss Rebels put up 21 points alone in the fourth quarter to clinch the victory, leaving Kelly and his disheartened team to go back to the drawing board and try to salvage their 2023-24 season.
With Jayden Daniels under center, LSU's offense came out to play against in the Magnolia Bowl, torching the Rebels for 400-plus passing yards and 200-plus rushing yards and averaging 8.5 yards per play. The only problem was Ole Miss looked defensively stouter and better coached, especially in the final ten minutes of the game.
LSU held an eight-point lead with three minutes left in the third quarter. Plus, they had a controversial touchdown that shouldn't have been counted. For them to then blow that lead and forgo all their defensive fundamentals -- in these cases, usually the head coach shoulders the brunt of the blame. Brian Kelly may never wake up from this nightmarish LSU season debut.
Following LSU's loss, the SEC West looks as chaotic as that 104-point thriller felt. Both LSU and Alabama recorded early nonconference losses. The Tigers had a chance to right the ship against Ole Miss, a matchup in which recent history has favored LSU; LSU has beaten their divisional rivals in six of the last seven matchups. Not this time, not under Brian Kelly. The Tigers are now 3-2 staring down a missed CFP appearance.
Here are some fiery fan reactions to LSU losing to Ole Miss this weekend.
LSU fans scream at Brian Kelly after upset to Ole Miss
It's not the first time fans are calling for Brian Kelly's head, and it likely won't be the last.