I had no wager on the game but I always hate those 4th down calls early in the game before the W/L situations have been fully formed. Some see it as the riverboat gambler mentality or wanting to put your opponent down while you have the chance. Usually, it tells me, that the coach believes he doesn't have the better team and needs to fully maximize early positive opportunities (which going for it on 4th & short in college generally is). When you do it twice, I think it tells your players the same thing & when you fail, they no longer believe either. The other subtle indicator would be LSU trying desperately to schedule at Week 0 game so their stud DL could play in this one, they def missed his presence. Kelly knew he would need him.
I think HC Petersen, when he was at Boise St., is the only coach I can remember approaching games like LSU did today and having consistent success with it. Coach Prime took this approach in the Colorado/TCU game on Sat as I think he knew he didn't have the better team but knew they were WAY better than others thought they were. I don't think he's going to change his approach, at least for this year when he is still at a talent deficit in most games, and we'll have to see if it works for him.