Watching the second half, it was noticeable how much Texas A&M was able to physically assert themselves Vs LSU. After the game, I went online to scroll through the traffic of reactions. Quickly learned from a number of LSU fan reactions that after LSU hired Brian Kelly, he fired LSU's longtime strength/conditioning coach Tommy Moffitt after two decades in Baton Rouge. Elko hired Moffitt onto his staff last year, and look at the result last night.
From CBS Sports: "LSU coach Brian Kelly began his time with the Tigers firing Moffitt in 2021, ending his indelible run with the program at 21 years with three national championships. Moffitt considered himself retired until 2024, when then-new A&M coach Mike Elko hired him."
Moffitt has had the Aggies roster not only physically ready this season, but motivated, at least Vs LSU - more from CBS Sports: "If the Aggies needed any extra motivation going into Tiger Stadium, Moffitt was there to provide it. A&M quarterback Marcel Reed gave reporters insight into the week leading up to the game, including one particular detail: Moffitt brought in a tackling dummy with Kelly's face on it for Thursday's practice."
I generally stay away from talking LSU football here because there are no other LSU fans and I doubt anyone cares about details, but since you occasionally dig into the program a bit, I'll loosen my lips here and say this is an underrated point that I only see a few in the base talk about.
Tommy Moffit--no other way to put it--is a legend in the Strength & Conditioning business. So many out there who do what he does learned from him, and he was the gold standard for literally decades. Every S&C coach I've ever heard talk, if I'm able to listen to them long enough, they'll get around to mentioning him and the standard he brought to the field. I can't remember if he was around for the DiNardo years, but I think so, and iirc Saban made a point of retaining him and gave him more leeway in the program. When Saban returned to the SEC at Alabama, Moffit was the first guy he tried to add to his staff, though Moffit ultimately decided not to leave LSU. He was there through all the Les Miles and the Ed O. years. Saban ultimately got Scott Cochran for his S&C coach at Alabama, who made a name for himself in his own right, but he learned directly from Moffit at LSU, and again, Cochran is quick to say who taught him everything he knew about making Alabama tough, mean, SOBs. Indeed, Cochran coming from under Moffit is a key reason why Saban wanted him.
Some fans note that LSU appeared to be getting soft in Ed O's last couple of years and there was lots of talk about how Moffit was past his prime, his methods were outdated, etc. I don't know anything about that, but I know that for years, win or lose (usually win), LSU was tough as nails and if you were one of the teams that occasionally beat them, you damn sure didn't bully them, and you paid with blood for every inch you gained. The reason the 2008 Florida game or the 2015 Arkansas games are so memorable in fans' minds as supposed strikes against Les Miles is precisely because they were so rare. They were the exceptions that proved the rule. You did not manhandle, out-physical, or punch LSU in the mouth (without nuclear retribution). I also know the rules have changed a lot in the past decade and that the brand of defense in particular which LSU played between, notably, 2003 and 2012, is more or less against the rules today. However, the way linemen play hasn't really changed much, and the difference between now and a few years ago is obvious. Our lines are just.....soft. It could be that Moffit was slipping, but it's inarguable that the players have slid much further into Charmin softness without him. That was Brian Kelly's decision. He let Moffit go, day 1.
Meanwhile, A&M picked him up, much to the dismay of literally dozens of former Tigers, who lamented that the best coach they ever had was going to be in College Station now. Maybe it's reading too much into it, but A&M certainly showed last night the same brand of play LSU used to have. "You may be talented, and you may swing hard, but we will swing harder and we will swing last, and in the end, you will be our bitch."
All that said, the vaginal softness of our players is not the only thing that hampers the team, or why A&M won. In all the NIL $ spent this year on building a mercenary roster, they forgot to buy an an offensive line, and.....here we are. Also, Blake Baker should have criminal charges filed on him for having this defensive roster at his disposal and running the schemes he chooses to run against dual-threat QBs. The OC is in over his head and has no business holding such a position at a place like LSU. Lastly, Brian Kelly himself is just not that great of a coach, in more areas than I have time to write about. He's got a high-ish floor, and LSU will probably never worry about 6-6 seasons under him. But he's a 9-3 max coach in the SEC, and I think even his 9-3 days are numbered. I asked on this board once why the narrative on him was that he'd have better talent in BR than at ND, because I'd looked at the recruiting rankings for about a decade, and ND had recruited pretty equally to LSU. Various responses, ranging from "Don't trust rankings" to "Rankings are just averages which don't adequately describe roster nuances" (fair enough) to "Don't worry about it, he's a good coach and anybody halfway decent can win at LSU." I think my early suspicions have been more than confirmed by now. Kelly had talent at Notre Dame, and they got their butts whipped every time they ran into a competent, ranked team. He is who I thought he was. I don't necessarily advocate for firing him, because I have no control over that and I'm not even convinced there's anybody better available, or that LSU can have the kind of success we want in this new era. I'm just noting Kelly's ceiling is mediocre, and that's where we max out now.
