It was ugly early for LSU fans as South Carolina went up 17-0 in the 2nd quarter. The Tigers’ defense struggled to contain the two biggest Gamecock playmakers with running back Raheim Sanders and quarterback Lanorris Sellers scoring early rushing touchdowns.
A blocked punt and stagnant LSU offense made it look as though South Carolina was on their way to a blowout win. The momentum swung towards LSU, however, when they recovered a fumble by Sellers, the first turnover of the game for the defense.
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier did not play his best game, accounting for two turnovers that would have been returned for touchdowns if not for South Carolina penalties that wiped the scores off the scoreboard. Kyren Lacy’s 12 yard TD catch with 1:20 left before halftime gave the team some confidence heading into halftime down 23-16.
Potentially the biggest moment came right before halftime when Sellers injured his ankle while being sacked. Back-up QB Robby Ashford proved to be no problem for LSU’s defense as he finished the 2nd half 2-4 passing for just 42 yards.
Nussmeier had plenty of opportunities to take control of the game, but simple mistakes all game had them playing from behind. Still, the Tigers went 55 yards on eight plays in their final possession to take the lead with just 1:12 remaining. Even then, South Carolina was able to attempt a game-tying field goal; but the kick was wide left, giving LSU the 36-33 comeback win.
Caden Durham may have earned the starting RB spot
The last two weeks the LSU offense has been lackluster rushing the football. That all changed in Columbia as the Tigers rushed for 132 yards on 32 carries. One player in particular, true freshman RB Caden Durham, gave the team a spark when they touched the ball.
Durham finished with 98 yards and two touchdowns, and his vision and ability to break tackles looked much different then the previous backs ahead of him. While Durhmam had success, the Tigers did rely on their veteran RB Josh Williams when the game was on the line. Williams was the one who scored the go-ahead touchdown o the final drive.
Williams, because of his senior leadership and experience, will likely continue to be the starter for the Tigers, but Durham has clearly passed Kaleb Jackson on the depth chart after his performance.
It was a tale of two two halves for the LSU offensive line, struggling early before making it up late. Early on, the Tigers had 1st and goal at the 2 yard line and were unable to get the ball into the endzone. They redeemed themselves on the final offensive play of the game for LSU.
LSU will win or lose in shootout fashion
Just like last season, the LSU defense gave up big plays, one after another. Defensive coordinator Blake Baker has shown some improvements through three games, but holes on the defensive line led to two big touchdown runs against the Gamecocks.
The same can be said about the LSU offense. No Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabors and Brian Thomas Jr, no problem. The trio of Nussmeier, Kyren Lacy and Aaron Anderson combined for 159 yards through the air and kept the Tigers in the game.
We saw a glimpse of this in last year’s bowl game when Nussmeier scored in the final seconds to defeat the Wisconsin Badgers. If the Tigers can show any more improvements defensively, this team can make its case for a playoff spot.
Up next for LSU, they’ll return to Baton Rouge to take on another Big Ten opponent in the UCLA Bruins. Last time the Tigers faced the Bruins, they lost 38-27 in Los Angeles as Hurricane Ida came down on Louisiana.
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