Getty Image / Kevin C. Cox
There are less than 27 days left until the LSU Tigers open up their 2023 season against the Florida State Seminoles on ‘neutral ground’ at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium.
The 2023 preseason Coaches Poll was released on Monday. LSU was ranked 5th and FSU 8th. So this will be the first Top 10 matchup of the 2023 season.
Florida State will certainly have the ‘home’ edge with the game being played in Orlando, even with LSU’s fanbase certain to travel well to the game. But a reportedly heated brawl during 11-on-11 at LSU’s practice on Monday could be a bigger cause for concern than traveling out of state to face the Seminoles.
LSU Football reporter Wilson Alexander of NOLA News was first to report the LSU practice brawl on Monday.
Fight broke out at #LSU practice during 11-on-11. Punches thrown, guys taken to the ground, multiple people involved. Malik Nabers and Kyren Lacy got sent to the locker room. Harold Perkins didn’t play another snap. Brian Kelly was not happy.
— Wilson Alexander (@whalexander_) August 7, 2023
Alexander followed that tweet up with a report that Tigers head coach Brian Kelly was angry the fight wasn’t broken up sooner:
Again, Brian Kelly was not happy. Wanted coaches to break it up sooner and talked to the players about leadership.
“We need to remember that we’ve always got to respect the brotherhood,” Sai’vion Jones said about Kelly’s message. https://t.co/Gb41JNTCcv
— Wilson Alexander (@whalexander_) August 7, 2023
Head coach Brian Kelly is looking to start the Tigers’ season on a different foot this year. In his first game as LSU’s coach after leading Notre Dame, the Florida State Seminoles handed Kelly a 23-24 loss.
LSU put up 13 points in the 4th quarter to pull within a point but a blocked extra point handed the W to FSU and Mike Norvell.
Brian Kelly’s LSU would rebound and go on to a 10-win season in the SEC West. They now come into the season ranked in the Top 5 in the Coaches Poll. The preseason AP Poll will be released a week from today.
All signs indicate the LSU Tigers will be ready to rock by the time they get to Orlando. That said, heated brawls in practice with players getting taken do the ground does not bode well for morale.