Bold Move: LSU WR Kyren Lacy got a penalty after pretending to shoot his opponent following touchdown in 27-20 loss to USC

LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy started the season off with a bang, scoring the Tigers’ first touchdown on Sunday night against USC.

Instead of your typical football end zone celebration he ended up with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that had everyone talking on social media.

Kyren Lacy snagged a 19-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Garrett Nussmeier midway through the second quarter in LSU’s 27-20 loss to USC at Allegiant Stadium in Vegas.

LSU WR Kyren Lacy with the TD and questionable celebration:

Kyren Lacy got caught for too many pumps pic.twitter.com/kBWTHQL6sc

— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) September 2, 2024

At first, it appeared like Lacy got flagged for some hip thrusts during his celebration—a classic move, right? But after a closer look, it turned out the penalty was for something that the NCAA takes a bit more serious.

Kyren Lacy receives penalty for gun celly:

Kyren Lacy's penalty, they are generally not gonna allow that pic.twitter.com/7t8bT9CDZE

— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) September 2, 2024

Apparently, Lacy mimicked shooting a USC player as he was heading back to the bench. Directly taunting an opponent is usually going to get you flagged. Add a gun-related celly into the mix and unfortunately for Kyren Lacy, an easy call for the officials.

Lacy had a solid game with 7 catches for 94 yards and that one touchdown, but it wasn’t enough to carry LSU. USC’s junior quarterback Miller Moss was on fire, going 27/36 for 378 yards and a touchdown, leading the Trojans to an upset victory in their debut Big Ten game.

Tough loss for the Tigers and head coach Brian Kelly let his emotions fly in his post game press conference, sharing his frustration with the result. He pounded his fist on the table and raised his voice after his LSU team dropped its third straight opener with him as the coach.

Brian Kelly loses third straight season opener as LSU head coach

"I'm not doing a good enough job as a coach … it's unacceptable for us not to have found a way to win this football game."

Brian Kelly says he's "angry" with his team after the loss to USC. pic.twitter.com/vloYGyKDh2

— ESPN (@espn) September 2, 2024

“We’re sitting here again,” said a disgruntled Kelly. “We’re sitting here again! Talking about the same things! About not finishing when you have an opponent in a position to put them away!”

“But what we’re doing on the sideline is feeling like the game’s over and I’m so angry about it that I’ve got to do something about it.”

The Tigers were ranked No. 13 heading into lasts night’s game against the No. 23 USC Trojans. Kelly took accountability for the loss, saying he’s not doing a good enough job as head coach.

I doubt that will stop LSU fans from putting him on the hot seat for the remainder of the 2024 season – assuming he still has his job.

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