LSU football is officially in the midst of its 2023 BYE week, and coach Brian Kelly has some very specific plans on how to handle it. Earlier this week, Kelly spoke about the week of practices, as well as what he hopes to see improvement in.
Coach Brian Kelly outlines his hopes and plans for the 2023 BYE week
When it comes to a BYE week in college football, everyone has an opinion. For some, it means time for rest and recovery. For others, it means an opportunity to get better.
In a way, the 2023 LSU football team could have the flexibility to take either route. The program currently has a record of 6-2, including just one conference loss.
The challenge is that the team has plenty of areas of concern. Namely, the defense has been hit-and-miss all year – particularly in the secondary.
However, if anyone knows how to work his way through a BYE week, it’s coach Brian Kelly. With over 30 years of head coaching experience, he’s dealt with plenty and can get the roster in and out without missing a step.
“We’re very intentional about our work,” coach Brian Kelly said on Tuesday. “As you know, we’re certainly a football team that needs to improve. We’ve identified a number of areas that we have to get better at.”
“We’re young in some areas, we’re trying to develop depth, there are some players that are gonna get an opportunity to compete but have not played a lot of football,” Kelly continued. “So, there’s a lot of work over these next couple of days. Our team needs these practice days, and we’re taking full advantage.”
When you consider the injuries the roster faces right now, depth and getting consistent will likely be a major priority this week.
It won’t be all gas, no brakes
While it’s important to get better, it’s also essential to remember what the rest of the schedule looks like.
While the Tigers have already made it through eight of their 12 regular season games, many of their biggest challenges still await them. Namely, Alabama, Florida and Texas A&M are all still on the calendar.
Because of those remaining challenges, it wouldn’t be surprising to see coach Brian Kelly and his team spend some time recovering and getting healthy during the BYE week.
When asked about his plans for the team, he made it clear that he not only understands the importance of rest, but also that the team has some work to do.
“Now we understand that you need some active recovery as well, and like everybody else in the country, we’ll get out and do some evaluations – use some of our evaluation days,” coach Kelly said. “But, clearly, this is not a check-the-box, run around, camp 7-on-7. We need to get better.”
In college football, BYE weeks are generally a very good or a very bad thing. Sometimes, a little extra rest and preparation makes a massive difference for the team. In contrast, it’s not uncommon for teams to lose their rhythm and stumble out of the gates following the extra rest.
We’ll see how LSU football reacts in a bit over a week, as the Tigers will face Alabama next Saturday, November 4, 2023, in Tuscaloosa.
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