Brian Kelly loves his players. Over the years he's taken some flack for many things (sometimes well deserved), but Kelly loves his players. He loves to see them grow. And that's exactly what he saw out of Garrett Nussmeier this past weekend in LSU's stunning overtime victory against Ole Miss.
Following the SEC win Brian Kelly began his press conference talking about LSU's offensive struggles, making it sound like initially he was going to come off a bit harsh on his team, given how much they struggled to score for the vast majority of the game:
"It would have been easy for our offense to get frustrated, not getting touchdowns, but they just kept plodding along. Garrett [Nussmeier] would tell you there were things that he learned."
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However, it didn't take long for Kelly to get to how he really felt about Garrett Nussmeier and his gutsy performance against one of the best teams in the country:
"I thought he grew more today than at any time that he's been here. That was a growth game for him. And you may see it differently. But as a coach the growth that he was able to exhibit through that game and at the end is going to serve him well."
Kelly has been tough on Nussmeier all season long. Even in games where LSU firmly had control, it was clear that Kelly was pushing Nussmeier to continue learning, becoming the best version of himself throughout. In fact, one moment that demonstrates this perfectly, and one that actually went rather viral among the LSU fan base came against South Alabama a few short weeks ago.
Nussmeier threw an interception with LSU up 35-10, the game easily in hand, and Kelly got in his face, yelling, red in the face. Kelly emphasized that it takes a strong relationship between coach and player to be able to get a point across in that way. And that's just been part of Nussmeier's growth this year. Making mistakes and learning from them quickly.
It's easy to forget sometimes that this year is Nussmeier's first true shot at a full-time starting job for the LSU Tigers. It was always going to take some runway for him to truly take off. But if Kelly's comments following the Ole Miss game are any indication, Nussmeier might just be finally ready to skyrocket to new heights:
"I think being in a situation where--predictable passing situations with seven and eight man drops into coverage, [that] requires a great deal of patience and mobility. You have to keep the play alive. And he did that later in the game much better than just trying to throw it down the field. As the game went on he made some plays where he kept plays alive and he's capable of doing that. So we saw another version that kind of grew out of some of the things that were being thrown at him tonight. And then certainly, late in the game, the back shoulder throw which we've been working a lot on, which is part of his repertoire that hadn't been shown. And then clearly the great throw that ties it up on fourth down. [It was] just growth that is going to skyrocket him to the next level."
Nussmeier's poise in the pocket, newfound ability to extend plays, and his success even when Ole Miss knew the pass was coming all make for a deadly combination if he can repeat this kind of effort moving forward. Nussmeier is already on pace now for nearly 40 passing touchdowns and 4000 yards just through the regular season. If Kelly is right, and Nussmeier has truly taken yet another step forward, LSU might be in line to really make a push towards the first ever 12-Team College Football Playoff.
Related: Garrett Nussmeier continues to rise on 2025 NFL Draft boards as rest of QB class struggles
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