When the LSU Tigers won ten games in each of Brian Kelly’s first two seasons in Baton Rouge, it cemented the fact that the Tigers were once again a force to be reckoned with after just 11 total wins in the final two seasons of Ed Orgeron’s tenure.
The hype and buzz around the Tigers grew even more last season, as quarterback Jayden Daniels became the second LSU quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy, joining Joe Burrow’s 2019 win.
Replacing a Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback is no easy feat, but LSU’s 2024 starter, Garrett Nussmeier, seems ready for the challenge. Speaking to the media on Monday, Nussmeier made it clear that after back-to-back 10-win seasons, the bar has been raised.
“We’ve been talking about it since spring. We all know that the expectation has been raised. The bar’s been raised. We all know that we’re not okay with just winning ten wins,” Nussmeier said via On3.
While last season was mostly the Jayden Daniels Show at quarterback for the Tigers, Nussmeier did see action in six games, including LSU’s 35-31 ReliaQuest Bowl win over the Wisconsin Badgers. Nussmeier started the game and went 31-for-45 for 395 passing yards and three touchdowns as he showed off a potential preview of what LSU fans can expect going forward.
At Kelly’s previous head coaching stops, the third season has often been a turning point for the remainder of his time with the program. Kelly’s third season at Grand Valley State in 2001 saw the team win 13 games en route to a loss in the NCAA Division II Championship.
The coach’s third season with the Central Michigan Chippewas saw him go 9-4 and accept the head coaching position with the Cincinnati Bearcats. In Kelly’s third year with Cincinnati, the team went 11-3 and made the Orange Bowl, and his third season with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish saw the squad go a since-vacated 12-1 with a loss in the BCS National Championship.
[LSU Sports, On3]
