Full Updates From Brian Kelly Monday Press Conference - Alabama Week

Head coach Brian Kelly spoke with reporters on Monday to provide team updates and look ahead to Saturday's game vs. Alabama. Here's what he had to say.

Kelly began his presser by wishing Nick Saban a Happy Birthday, "Maybe that'll soften things up."

Kelly on facing Alabama: Consistency, excellence, and arguably the greatest coach in college football history. And great players.

On what LSU needs to do Saturday: We have to think about how we got here. We've done it through our preparation. We must get off to a good start. We've shown we can play well in the second half, but we have to play well for four quarters.

On Alabama's defensive line: He says LSU will have problems on both sides with Will Anderson and Dallas Turner. You can't slide protection in one direction.

On the LSU-Alabama rivalry: This is why you come to LSU. It's not pressure, it's a privilege to play in games like this. It's certainly why I came to LSU.

Kelly on playing Alabama twice in the postseason at Notre Dame: Their 2013 team was extremely physical. The 2019 team had great players on the perimeter. Fabulous players on both sides of the ball.

Injury updates:
-Safety Major Burns (neck) is cleared to practice and will be a part of the game plan this week.

-Offensive guard Garrett Dellinger (knee) is day-to-day. He'll practice, but it's about how he responds in practice.

-Wide receiver Jack Bech (back) has improved and will practice today.

-Running back John Emery Jr. (Achilles strain) will also practice today, but no specific update on him from Kelly.

Kelly on the linebacker plan vs. Alabama: It's important that the best players play. We want to get Baskerville, Ojulari, and Perkins on the field.

Kelly on recruiting battle with Alabama: We can be elite in the state of Louisiana. You start there. There is a lot of young talent on the team, but there are positions on the roster that need to be supplanted with transfers this offseason. We're much better than where we were last year.

On pass protection: We're going to have to max protect at times. And we're going to have to have more people involved other than the offensive linemen.

Brian Kelly on Jayden Daniels: You're seeing growth and production happen at the same time. He can get the balls out of his hands now without the receiver being out of his break. That takes time. He's in the right space mentally because he enjoys being a part of the program.

Kell said he spoke with Saban about the LSU job: He didn't give up any secrets about etouffee or Louisiana or LSU.

On fixing the slow starts: We have done some self-evaluation and tried moving the 11-on-11 physical contact periods of practice to the first 20 minutes to get them going. Also tried pre-game mental quizzes.

On the team's mentality heading into the Bama game: I think this team understands the challenges and welcomes them at the same time. This group fights. They are fighting for something and not fighting against something. That's a big change from where they were. I think they're excited about the challenge.