Sports
Why is Brian Kelly so ‘angry’? Because LSU’s Week 1 woes are now an existential crisis
LAS VEGAS — For most coaches, Week 1 is about shaking off the rust, seeing some young guys get their first game reps and hopefully taking care of business to start 1-0.
For LSU’s Brian Kelly, on the other hand, Week 1 has become an annual existential crisis.
Late Sunday night at Allegiant Stadium, Kelly fielded questions from the media following his third consecutive season-opening neutral-site loss, this one a last-second 27-20 heartbreaker to No. 23 USC. It did not take long for him to let the assembled room know how angry he was with the result.
In fact, his very first words were, “This is the first time since I’ve been here (at LSU) that I’m angry at my football team.” He went on to cite a pair of costly late-game unsportsmanlike penalties by his players and the Tigers’ inability to close out the game.
A few minutes later while answering a follow-up question, Kelly pounded his first on the table, shocking a few sleepy-eyed sportswriters back to peak alertness as his voice rose abruptly.
“We’re sitting here AGAIN, talking about the same things, about not finishing when you have an opponent in a position to put ’em away,” Kelly said. “What we’re doing on the sideline is feeling like the game is over. And I’m so angry about it, that I’ve got to do something about it. I’m not doing a good enough job as a coach. I’ve got to coach them better, because it’s unacceptable for us not to have found a way to win this football game.
“It’s ridiculous.”
To repeat: This was after the first game of the season.
Kelly’s team actually played fairly well Sunday night. This was not the disastrous 2022 Florida State game in New Orleans, Kelly’s LSU debut, when the Tigers committed every special teams snafu imaginable and lost 24-23 on a blocked extra point. Nor was this the ugly 2023 rematch with FSU in Orlando, when the Noles ran away in the second half of a 45-24 rout.
This was a down-to-the-wire barnburner between two teams trying to find themselves after losing their respective Heisman-winning quarterbacks (USC’s Caleb Williams and LSU’s Jayden Daniels). Lincoln Riley’s Trojans showed off a much-improved defense, one that actually wraps up ball carriers and limits explosive plays. Kelly’s defense, itself a trainwreck for most of last season, allowed a not-great 7.5 yards per play but was improved enough for the Tigers to hold a 17-13 lead late into the fourth quarter.
Then the dam broke.
After stopping a USC fourth down in LSU territory with 8:38 left, LSU safety Major Burns committed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that backed up the Tigers to their own 21. Kelly could be seen having a long talk with Burns on the sideline afterward. LSU went three-and-out and punted back to USC. Three plays later, Trojans quarterback Miller Moss threw a beautiful 28-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Kobi Lane to put USC up 20-17 with 5:44 left.
Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who finished 29 of 38 for 304 yards, led his team from its own 20 to the USC 14 but missed a wide-open Aaron Anderson for what would have been at least another first down. The Tigers settled for a game-tying 31-yard field goal with 1:47 left.
You likely know how things ended.
USC looked content to settle for a game-winning field goal try until Moss found receiver Kyron Hudson for a spectacular 20-yard catch down the sideline, which, coupled with a targeting call on LSU’s Jardin Gilbert, took the Trojans down to the LSU 13 with 18 seconds left.
At which point USC tailback Woody Marks took a handoff up the middle for the winning score, and Kelly got that familiar scrunched-up expression on his face that always seems like half-bewilderment, half-resignation.
yearly tweet pic.twitter.com/5qCSxnHTAa
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) September 2, 2024
“It’s clear that when we get up in a game, we do not know how to handle ourselves,” Kelly said afterward. “You’ve got to have that killer instinct in this game. You’ve got to put teams away. We had an opportunity to put this team away, and we got complacent.”
Normally in these moments, the coach reminds us it’s a long season ahead, they’ve got plenty of time to fix their issues, etc., etc. Having heard none of that from Kelly, I feel compelled to personally remind LSU’s coach: Hey man, it’s a long season ahead. You’ve got plenty of time to fix these issues. Don’t freak out too much.
Unfortunately, he already did.
“To be the kind of football team I want, we have to eliminate the foolish mistakes,” he said. “We have to have a mindset of, when we have an opponent down, have that killer instinct. And we have to play off each other much better.”
Did we mention his team has only played one game?
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Kelly made an interesting comment while lamenting that the Tigers did not play complementary football. He said, “We put way too much pressure on our defense to be something that they’re not ready to be. They battled, but we have warts, and they’re not going away overnight.”
It brought back memories of Kelly’s surprisingly candid comments after the spring transfer portal closed without LSU adding any defensive tackles as many expected. “We’re not in the market of buying players,” Kelly told WAFB-TV, which sounded to some like a preemptive excuse if the Tigers’ defense, which finished 109th in the FBS last season, wasn’t markedly better.
His remarks Sunday night felt as if he was pleasantly surprised said defense held a Lincoln Riley offense, with Moss and ridiculous receivers Zachariah Branch, Hudson and Lane, to “only” three touchdowns, yet that still wasn’t enough.
“I thought our defense took a step forward from last year,” he said. “But we have to help them out as well. We can’t be three-and-out and then put them back on the field.”
This moment occurred in 2024, but it could have just as easily been 2014, or almost any year since. Kelly has won at least 10 games in each of the past seven seasons as head coach (five with the Irish, two with LSU), yet these big-game letdowns feel less like exceptions and more like the norm.
Notre Dame fans mostly made peace with it because the Irish hadn’t enjoyed even that level of success in decades. LSU, on the other hand, has seen its past three coaches win national championships (and it still fired the past two). Tigers fans, which took over Las Vegas only to be let down again, will not exhibit similar patience if this continues.
No fist-pounding or tough words will reassure them.
(Photo: Candice Ward / Getty Images)
Sports
Jaxon Smith-Njigba breaks Seahawks franchise record in victory over Titans
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The Seattle Seahawks came away with their eighth win of the season on Sunday, and once again, it was star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba playing a large role in the victory.
This time, though, Smith-Njigba, the NFL’s leader in receiving yards, made some Seahawks history in the process.
The second-year receiver out of Ohio State set the single-season franchise record for receiving yards after totaling 167 in the 30-24 victory.
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates after defeating the Tennessee Titans in the game at Nissan Stadium on Nov. 23, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
Coming into the game, Smith-Njigba needed 150 yards to break D.K. Metcalf’s record of 1,303, which he set in 2020. After Sam Darnold found his favorite target for a 63-yard touchdown in the second quarter, it was not only another deep touchdown connection between the two, but it made it quite possible that Smith-Njigba would break Metcalf’s record in just his 11th game of the season.
Smith-Njigba later reached the yardage needed in the third quarter, and that total is only expected to grow with six games left in the regular season.
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It was clear that Smith-Njigba was going to be a great receiver in the league when he tallied 100 receptions for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns during his rookie campaign in 2024. But with a new quarterback in Darnold — Geno Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason — there were questions entering the year about whether the offense would look the same.
Darnold has proven to be the right fit for Klint Kubiak’s offense, and Smith-Njigba has set a new career high in touchdowns and appears poised to shatter his receptions total as well.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates after catching a pass for a touchdown in the second quarter of the game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on Nov. 23, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
It’s worth noting that Metcalf was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, partly due to Smith-Njigba’s emergence as a top pass-catching option during his rookie season.
The Seahawks also announced that Smith-Njigba has moved into the league record books. He now has the fifth-most receiving yards through the first 11 games of a season in the Super Bowl era, passing the great Julio Jones on that list.
No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans’ offense made things interesting late, as Chimere Dike caught a touchdown to bring them within six points in the fourth quarter. But Seattle’s defense, which has been a solid unit all season, came through in the end.
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Smith-Njigba finished the game with two touchdowns for Seattle, while Zach Charbonnet added a rushing score for the Seahawks.
Smith-Njigba will look to add to his single-season total next Sunday when the Seahawks return home to host the Minnesota Vikings.
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Sports
Angela Dugalic responds to her coach’s challenge, leading No. 3 UCLA past Southern
During practice Friday, UCLA women’s basketball coach Cori Close made it clear she wanted to see more from forward Angela Dugalic.
“You’re not using what you’ve earned,” Close recalled telling her while speaking with reporters Friday.
Dugalic is going to face some of the best players in the country this week. Close thinks she can match up with them, but she needs Dugalic to play like it. With all the work Dugalic has done on her low-post game over the offseason, she can’t settle for floating around the perimeter.
Close won’t let her.
“I just want her to be all she can be,” Close said. “She’s been an animal down there in the low post, and I want her to hunt for that. I don’t want her to settle for playing on the perimeter when she’s got a whole lot more tools in her toolbox that she’s not accessing.”
Close got that version of Dugalic in Sunday’s 88-37 rout of Southern at Pauley Pavilion. The third-ranked Bruins were in full control from whistle to whistle, even pitching a second-quarter shutout, and Dugalic led the way with 20 points, five rebounds and an assist. She shot eight for 15 from the floor with a trio of three-pointers.
It was pure dominance by UCLA. The Bruins shot 51% from the field while holding the Jaguars to 29%. They outrebounded Southern by 30. They forced 13 turnovers, nine in the first half, and scored 28 points off them. And on the offensive end, UCLA was flowing with 24 assists to Southern’s nine.
Gabriela Jaquez added eight rebounds, six points and five assists. Her first basket, a layup after cutting through the paint in the second quarter, gave the senior guard her 1,000th career point. Kiki Rice had 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists and Lauren Betts finished with 15 points and six rebounds.
Dugalic opened the scoring for UCLA with a midrange jumper followed by a fast-break layup. She finished the first half with 12 points, tied for the team lead with freshman forward Lena Bilic, who finished the game with 14 points.
Despite Dugalic’s strong start, Close issued her another challenge at halftime.
“I just want you to focus on making the right basketball play,” Close said. “What’s the defense doing? I didn’t think she was reading the defense. I thought she shot it well, and I thought she got some great rebounds, but I didn’t think she was in the flow that we’ve been seeing from her the last few days and our last few games.”
Close added that she thinks Dugalic is playing some of the best basketball of her career, and she’s continuously fighting to raise her standard. It’s not about how many points Dugalic scores, it’s about her decision-making, her defense, her consistency.
The Bruins entered the second quarter with a 22-9 lead thanks to a 14-2 run over the final six minutes of the first quarter after holding Southern (1-4) scoreless during the final three minutes. UCLA then exploded for a 27-0 run in the second quarter while holding the Jaguars scoreless for the entire period. It was the first time the Bruins held an opponent scoreless for an entire quarter since Dec. 5, 2021 against San José State.
Still, Close wasn’t satisfied.
During halftime, Close said she reminded the Bruins of what they want to accomplish. Close wrote down a list of “passion plays,” or goals for every player for the second half.
UCLA guard Kiki Rice controls the ball in front of Southern forward DeMya Porter during the first half of the Bruins’ win Sunday at Pauley Pavilion.
(Ethan Swope / Associated Press)
It’s part of a mentality Close is trying to instill in her players. They know a 51-point win against an unranked Southern team isn’t going to give them the feedback they need.
“Outcomes are actually a distraction,” Close said, referencing legendary Alabama football coach Nick Saban. “What are the processes that we’re going to be committed to that are going to actually lead us to where we want to go?”
UCLA (6-0) will face No. 4 Texas on Wednesday in the Players Era Women’s Championship in Las Vegas, followed by either No. 2 South Carolina or Duke on Thanksgiving. The Bruins then will host No. 15 Tennessee on Nov. 30.
Sports
UAB players take field hours after stabbing incident leaves two hospitalized
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University of Alabama at Birmingham football players took the field in Birmingham, Alabama, Saturday just hours after tragedy struck.
Two players from UAB were allegedly stabbed by a teammate at the team’s training center ahead of a game against South Florida, a university official confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Both were reported to be in stable condition at a hospital. The names of the victims and the player in custody were not released.
Saturday’s game kicked off at 3 p.m. ET, and USF cruised to a 48-18 victory.
Two UAB football players were stabbed hours before their game Saturday in Birmingham, Ala. (Wes Hale/Getty Images)
An online inmate inquiry from the Jefferson County Jail showed that Daniel Israel Mincey, 20, was arrested by the UAB Campus Police just after noon Saturday and is facing charges of “aggravated assault — A to M — attempted murder.” The university would not confirm whether Mincey was a player involved.
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Mincey is a redshirt freshman who joined the team after one season at Kentucky, according to the UAB football roster.
The two players were attacked Saturday morning at the Football Operations Center, the training center for the Blazers’ football program. (Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
There appeared to be concerns about whether the game would proceed as scheduled given the incident, but a spokesperson confirmed that the university elected to play.
“We’re grateful to report that two players injured in an incident this morning at the Football Operations Building are in stable condition. Our thoughts are with them and their families as they recover. The suspect — another player — remains in custody, and an investigation is taking place,” a spokesperson said.
USF quarterback Byrum Brown threw for 353 yards and accounted for five touchdowns in the blowout win. UAB held a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, but USF scored 27 unanswered points.
A South Florida Bulls helmet near the sideline during a game between the South Florida Bulls and the Miami Hurricanes Sept. 13, 2025, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The highlight of Brown’s day was a 60-yard touchdown pass to Mudia Reuben, which gave USF a 24-10 lead on the first play of the third quarter. Nykahi Davenport added 117 rushing yards and a touchdown run for USF.
UAB quarterback Jalen Kitna had 230 passing yards but was also responsible for three costly interceptions.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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