There are some coaches entering the 2025 season with a ‘must-deliver’ notice. One of them will be Brian Kelly, whose series of near misses is now testing fans’ patience. Kelly has to brave one kryptonite of his Baton Rouge stint to cement his legacy as one of the Tigers’ best head coaches. He is leaving no stone unturned in his pursuit of getting over one major hump, even if that might put his players through a tough grind. And that means no excuses whatsoever.

Brian Kelly seems to be hell-bent on starting his season on a big note. And nothing is going to stop him. He was locked in on that goal from the beginning of the offseason itself. LSU went big in the transfer portal and emerged as the top squad in the cycle. Of particular interest is the new WR unit, in which Nic Anderson‘s stint will be a talking point. He will hope to have a breakout season at Baton Rouge, coming with 38 receptions and 792 yards made at Oklahoma.

However, LSU’s plans for Anderson have to make a last-minute change. Brian Kelly told the press at the SEC Media Days that Anderson, was injured in a car accident last Friday. The WR needed medical attention, but is on track to participate in fall camp practice as planned. This is after Anderson’s gradual recovery from a quadriceps injury from last year that cut his season short. Details about his car accident injury, however, are not known. But it looks like Kelly will rejoice in his hopefully quick return to the field. After all, he is in no mood to keep his best players out of the high-stakes season.

And, he’s hoping for major accomplishment this year. Like James Franklin struggles beating ranked teams in the season, Kelly struggles to start his season with a win. In his 3 years so far at LSU, the coach is yet to win the opening games of the year. Kelly has registered double-digit wins and also reached the SEC championship game with the Tigers. But he is yet to start his season with a bang, unlike his rivals. Losing two opener games to FSU and one to USC, Brian Kelly will now face ACC phenom Clemson in their first 2025 game. He has a unique strategy in place for the Tigers to triumph over the other Tigers this year.

Brian Kelly on his plans to have an opening game win this season

“We’ve made this a specific goal. And, a specific goal meaning, it’s tangible for our guys,” Kelly said. A lot of must-win goals have been pinned on the HC’s 4th year at LSU. He has to make the playoffs, a shot at the National Championship, and finally, begin his season with a win. Clemson returns as one of the most elite teams in college football, with star QB Cade Klubnik headlining their show of power. But fans can also hope for LSU to come out strong in the game, being one of the top-ranked teams entering the season. But just like the past three years, there is a lingering fear of Brian Kelly succumbing to his vice of not winning openers.

And he has an interesting measure to get the Tigers focused on beating the rival Tigers. “If you go through the weight room, we’ve got a Clemson paw print on the bags that we hit every day. It’s on every monitor in the building to go 1-0… It’s important that our kids want that. They can taste it,” he added. He’s not only putting blinders on himself. The coach is also forcing his squad to put them on. The Tigers’ clash will be a battle royale, with Garrett Nussmeier facing off against Cade Klubnik. Both are expected to go as No. 1 picks in the draft next year, making this an absolute coin-toss game for either team.

Both teams will feature some elite units, and this game will set the tone for both of their schedules. DC Blake Baker will have to stop the elite Klubnik from charging through at Death Valley. At the same time, Nussmeier will have to be focused on ensuring the LSU offense breaks through a very strong Tom Allen defense. Will Kelly be able to finally have an opening win for himself?