The LSU Tigers entered last Saturday with a five-year curse: they hadn’t won a season opener in half a decade. A controversial call in the second half nearly extended that streak, but the team ultimately managed to prevail.
“A potential LSU touchdown pass was controversially overturned during their game against Clemson on Saturday night in Death Valley. In the primetime showdown between No. 9 LSU and No. 4 Clemson with the game tied 10-10, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier appeared to complete a pass down the field to wide receiver Barion Brown on 2nd-and-11 in the third quarter. The play was initially ruled first-and-goal at the one-yard line, but went under review to see if Brown had actually gone in for a touchdown. Rather than declaring the play a touchdown, the pass was surprisingly called incomplete as Brown lost possession of the football at the end of the catch,” SI’s Eva Geitheim wrote.
Despite the controversial overturn, LSU went on the road and broke the curse — even as many fans had hoped the team would take an easier route to finally get over the hump.
“The streak had gotten to LSU fans to the point where the fanbase was begging to schedule a cupcake opponent in Week 0 to kill the bad juju. Instead, the program opted to do it the hard way and it'll only make the Tigers win over 4th-ranked Clemson that much sweeter,” Saturday Blitz’s Nicholas Rome wrote.
Leading up to the game, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum had some pointed words about Brian Kelly and the matchup against Clemson.
“Life is going to become very miserable quickly for Brian Kelly,” Finebaum said.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
However, after LSU’s big win, Kelly appeared on Finebaum’s show and took the opportunity to playfully fire back.
“You had a tough loss this weekend and you came on the show so I appreciate that,” Kelly said.
The troll was all in good fun, as Kelly smiled throughout the exchange. There’s no bad blood — just a head coach getting the last laugh after proving a prominent analyst wrong. Kelly and the Tigers still have a long season ahead and a potential national championship run to chase, but for now, they’re enjoying proving the doubters wrong.