Brian Kelly Talks In Detail About LSU's Special Teams Issues That Need To Be Fixed

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Q. After looking at the film what were your thoughts on some of the special teams that you had, the decisions to catch punts, the punt return coverage, the kick return coverage late in the game? I know there was a hold called on that late kick off, but did you still see a breakdown there?

BRIAN KELLY: Yeah, so a couple things: The kickoffs are a direct result of the kicks. The kicks that have been returned have been line drives down the middle of the field. That is going to compromise your coverage. We don't have a chance to get off blocks and get properly covered.

Now can we get off some blocks and make some plays? Absolutely. We've got to be better there. So this is not all on the kicker. However, it does expose you with those types of kicks.

As it relates to the fielding of the punts, we got to coach better and I've got to be involved in that and make sure that those guys are absolutely clear in terms of they cannot move their heels pass the 10-yard line. Greg obviously lost track of where he was. He's a young player. We've got to do a better job coaching him there.

The one that he tried to field, he felt like it hit one of our players. Look, when you're looking at it, it's close, but again, that goes to awareness and maybe we could have coached him better. If he saw some Mississippi State players moving towards the ball, maybe that's the cue that you fall on it. If he doesn't see a Mississippi State player going to it, maybe he stays away from it. And I think we can do a better job coaching that too.

Q. Circling back to the special teams question. Maybe it was an effort. He thought that something happened so he was trying to jump on the ball. Players fields the punt maybe trying not to let them get the good field position. Can you live with or accept errors that involve effort?

BRIAN KELLY: Absolutely.

Q. Does that make you feel a little better?

BRIAN KELLY: Yeah. My first reaction is, as he came off is, What are you doing? Right. And as he explained his position on it. You really can't come back with anything else, other than, Okay, let's take a look at it on film. Maybe we can help you with that decision making in the future. But he's trying to make the right play. And those are about as gray as they come within special teams.

Moving off your spot at the 10-yard line, that's a little bit different. That has to be coached and there's got to be more discipline in those situations. So there are going to be some of those gray areas. We just need to be better all over the place. That falls on Brian, that falls on me. We all have to do a better job then. And our players have to commit themselves and understand how important special teams is.

Q. Can you talk about the recovery by Slade Roy on Mississippi State's muffed punt?

BRIAN KELLY: It was a great play by Slade and the hang time was terrific. It was 4.5 plus. Gave us the opportunity to be in position to make the play necessary to obviously get a big play.

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