Lane Kiffin Responds To Questions About LSU Playing Too Soft On Defense

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin addressed questions about the Tigers' defensive approach during Monday's press conference following Saturday's overtime loss to Kentucky.

Kiffin was asked whether LSU played too conservatively on defense, particularly late in the game, and if injuries have limited the team's ability to bring pressure.

Kiffin explained that there's a balance between being aggressive and preventing big plays, especially in late-game situations when giving up a field goal is better than allowing a touchdown.

Here's what Kiffin had to say:

Question: Coach, I've heard some people wonder if you're playing too soft defensively. Are you compromised by your injuries, and is there a balance between trying to pressure the quarterback and keeping the ball in front of you?

Lane Kiffin: "Yeah, I mean, there's always a balance of that, trying to figure it out. And a big part is figuring it out in the game, how things are going, and getting a feel for it.

"You have a plan going in, and then you need to figure out how things are going within the game and what the situations are. And like I said, maybe with injuries, you don't run certain types of pressures and things like that.

"So it's like anything. When it doesn't go well, they have a drive like the two-minute drive, then we should have done the other.

"But at the same time, you can be really aggressive and give up an explosive play on the last drive or a touchdown, and then you lose the game in regulation.

"So a lot of that has to do with three versus seven points and what's needed by the opponent. A lot of thought goes into those things and the fourth downs and all those things.

"Like I said in our press conference yesterday, I get it because a lot of times it's like, 'Okay, why don't we do this?' I do the same thing afterwards.

"But all those things are talked about before. There's a lot of time spent thinking about things like that, which I think sometimes, if you're just watching on the fly, you don't realize.

"Like, 'Okay, well, why don't we just blitz here?' That sounds great until you give up a touchdown and lose the game in regulation.

"Hopefully, you stop them. Obviously, you're playing to stop them. But if you do give up a field goal into the wind, what are the percentages of making it?

"And even if they do, you've still got a 50 percent chance of winning going into overtime.

"So all those things go into those decisions at the time."