Garrett Nussmeier and Brian Kelly discuss LSU’s QB’s “tough” performance

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier went to the locker room with an apparent shoulder injury in the first quarter of Saturday’s game against Oklahoma.

It seemed unlikely that he would return to the game, but the redshirt junior gunslinger found his way back onto the field and finished the game with 277 yards and three touchdowns.

Two of those touchdown passes went to junior wide receiver Chris Hilton for big plays, eventually allowing the pair to establish a deep-ball connection.

Head coach Brian Kelly praised Nussmeier for his “courage and toughness” against the Sooners.

“For most people, this is an easy way out,” Kelly said. “It’s easy to say, ‘I’m not coming back’, but that’s the type of player he is. That’s the type of competitor he is.”

After the game, Kelly and Nussmeier acknowledged the noise surrounding the program, from LSU’s three-game midseason loss to recruiting.

Despite the chaos, the Tigers stayed the course, finishing the 2024 regular season with two wins in Death Valley and awaiting their bowl game selection.

“When she’s talked about in a way like she has been in the last two to three weeks, you want them to buckle up but put their face mask on and go out and play,” Kelly said. “That’s what they did and that’s what he (Nussmeier) did.”

Saturday marked the final home game for several LSU seniors, prompting Nussmeier to push even harder for a return to “set the right tone for these seniors.”

“I wanted to be out there for these guys,” Nussmeier said. “I’m going to miss these seniors. LSU means so much to me, these colors mean so much to me. I couldn’t imagine sitting there and watching some of my teammates play their last game without me.”

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Garrett Nussmeier and Brian Kelly discuss LSU’s QB’s ‘tough’ performance