The LSU Tigers are ready for a new season as they appeared at the annual SEC media days in Atlanta, Ga, on Monday, July 18.
First-year head coach Brian Kelly spoke with the media and players BJ Ojulari, Mike Jones, Jr, and Jack Bech. For LSU football, expectations are always high. Still, coming off a 6-7 record in 2021, which led to parting ways with former Ed Orgeron and bringing in Kelly, fans are starving for success in 2022 and are ready to see their “Bayou Bengals” back on top of the college football world which Kelly wants to happen.
According to https://www.wdsu.com/article/full-interview-lsu-head-coach-brian-kelly-makes-sec-media-days-debut/40644664#, Kelly states, “For me, all of my attention is focused on our LSU football team. It’s been quite an interesting six, seven months as I embarked on this journey which has been exciting for me. “So for me, it was then taking on that great opportunity in front of me to be part of restoring championship-quality football to LSU.”
Sophomore wide receiver Jack Bech is poised for a breakout year in 2022 after bursting on the scene in 2021 and is ready and all in with Kelly.
“Coach Kelly has done an awesome job the different ways he implemented different things into our culture such as mindest, accountability, and grit; it been cool to see the change in the locker room from January and February to where it is now and where it is going, ” Bech states.
Being a student-athlete means performing in the classroom and on the field, and defensive end BJ Ojulari credits Kelly for the academic shift.
According to https://news.yahoo.com/brian-kelly-lsu-football-try-201937804.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall, Ojulari states, “We take academics more seriously,” Ojulari said. “As soon as Coach Kelly came in, we raised our GPA by a certain amount of points. I don’t know the exact number, but the spring semester was a great improvement in terms of our team GPA.”
Being a linebacker, you are the “quarterback” of the defense calling the shots, and Mike Jones Jr believes the Tiger’s defense is ready to take the new season head-on.
“I believe the world in our group. The way we responding in the spring and every day, we got better. Around day eight of practice, it can get tough, but continue to see us battle and maintaining the standard of playing LSU defense. I have big expectations for us.” Jones said.
LSU opens the season on Sept. 4 versus the Flordia State Seminoles in New Orleans at the Ceasars Superdome, with the game being televised on ABC with kickoff at 6:30 p.m.
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