South Carolina football is riding high after defeating Kentucky on the road, but the SEC gauntlet doesn’t let up.
The Gamecocks are back home and will host “ESPN College GameDay” as LSU comes to town. The Tigers have been up and down early, but they’re plenty talented and adapting to new systems.
SOUTH CAROLINA VS. LSU GAME, TV INFO
- Who: South Carolina (2-0, 1-0 SEC) vs. LSU (1-1, 0-0 SEC)
- Where: Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.
- When: Noon Saturday
- TV: ABC
- Stream: ESPN app
VEGAS ODDS
The Gamecocks are 7.5-point underdogs against the Tigers, according to FanDuel . The over/under for points scored is 55.5.
USC VS. LSU LAST MEETING, TRENDS
South Carolina dropped the last meeting 52-24 in 2020 in Baton Rouge, which started the slide that got Will Muschamp fired. LSU has dominated the series, leading 19-2-1. The Gamecocks have two wins over LSU, both times by a point — 7-6 in 1930 and 18-17 in 1994 .
State of the USC Gamecocks
The Gamecocks are feeling great after winning a crucial game in Lexington. The easiest paths to a bowl (and more) started with winning that game, and now the victory is banked away.
They’re about to get an LSU team that hasn’t looked like a world-beater, but it’s still loaded with high-end talent. If the Gamecocks can beat their mid-major opponents and Vanderbilt, they only need one more upset against an SEC opponent or Clemson to make the postseason, something that seemed like it might be a tall task in the preseason.
The Gamecocks defense looked much more fierce than in the first game, and the offense looked better. The final numbers weren’t great, but there was more cohesion and more pop plays (against more athletic defenders than in the opener).
State of the LSU Tigers
LSU got back on the winning track against Nicholls State after losing their opener. That said, it wasn’t a free and easy experience.
The Tigers couldn’t quite pull away from the FCS Colonels until the third quarter and won 44-21. LSU opened the season with a national game against Southern Cal when a somewhat explosive day produced only 20 points and a loss.
Head coach Brian Kelly’s team is breaking in a talented new quarterback in Garrett Nussmeier, a new offensive coordinator in Joe Sloan and a new defensive coordinator in Blake Baker. The Tigers also lost talented tailback John Emery Jr. to a torn ACL.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers : In his first SEC game, Sellers showed some pop at points, despite missing a bit of time with injury. He threw for 159 yards on 11-for-15 passing with two scores, but he had one badly timed pick and multiple fumbles when pass protection broke down.
South Carolina LB Debo Williams : The former Delaware transfer is one of the key men in the middle for the Gamecocks and posted six tackles (two for loss) last week. Even with a nice passing game, LSU has some pro-style to its game, and stopping up that run game could be key.
South Carolina DE Dylan Stewart : The true freshman has been a revelation and absolute terror the first two games of the season. He’s got 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, plus a pair of hurries, and that might understate his impact. Both LSU tackles were All-SEC last year, so this will be a stiff test.
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier : The son of a longtime college coordinator, Nussmeier waited four years to finally get his turn at the job. The early returns have been good, with 610 yards and eight touchdowns , while completing 75% of his passes.
LSU LB Harold Perkins : This might be more about potential than what he is at the moment, but the junior can be a terrifying pass rusher, and is in one of the most blitz-happy schemes you’ll find. Perkins was an edge who moved to inside linebacker, and he’s got 12 tackles (1.5 for loss) this year.
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