GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
Winner, winner, chicken dinner for LSU, but not after some serious indigestion.
LSU football season has now officially begun in style … after near disaster.
The No. 16 Tigers fought back from a 17-0 deficit in the second quarter and pulled out a heart-throbbing, 36-33 victory over the Fighting Chickens, aka the Gamecocks, at South Carolina Saturday afternoon at Williams-Brice Stadium.
The thriller saw three lead changes in the fourth quarter – 29-24 LSU, 30-29 South Carolina, 36-33 LSU.
“We’ve had two leads in the fourth quarter,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said, though it was actually three. “One, we let slip away (against USC in Las Vegas two weeks ago). This one, we finished off.”
LSU (2-1) scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:12 to play on an excellent call by offensive coordinator Joe Sloan. On 3rd-and-Goal from the South Carolina 2-yard line, LSU motioned right, and tailback Josh Williams ran left through a huge hole provided by left tackle Will Campbell and left guard Garrett Dellinger for the touchdown and 36-33 lead.
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier took LSU 55 yards in eight plays for the winning touchdown. He set up the score with a 29-yard completion to wide receiver Kyren Lacy, who made a great catch just before going out of bounds at the Gamecocks’ 4-yard line. A review reversed an original incomplete call to complete, and LSU was in business. The Tigers previously converted a 4th-and-3 pass from the Gamecocks’ 38-yard line after a 5-yard offsides penalty against the Gamecocks.
Nussmeier finished 24-of-40 passing for 285 yards and two touchdowns. Lacy caught five passes for 63 yards.
The Tigers unveiled their tailback of the future perhaps as true freshman Caden Durham gained 98 yards on 11 carries with two touchdowns as LSU ran the ball effectively for the first time this season.
“You’ve got to make people miss,” Kelly said after saying that’s what his team needed last week. “You’ve got to break through tackles. Caden did a great job of that today.”
So did LSU’s defense in spots as it sacked South Carolina quarterbacks five times with three by defensive end Badyn Swinson.
South Carolina backup quarterback Robby Ashford – playing for starter LaNorris Sellers after an injury to his ankle just before halftime – drove his team into field goal range in the final seconds, but LSU’s defense kept the Gamecocks just far enough away. But Alex Herrara missed a 49-yard yard field goal just left barely as time expired, and the Gamecocks fell to 2-1.
“We spotted them 17 points, but our guys never let go of the rope,” Kelly said, borrowing the famous phrase from former LSU baseball coach Skip Bertman.
LSU fought back from a 17-0 deficit early in the second quarter and took its first lead of the game at 29-24 with 14:50 to play on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Nussmeier to wide open tight end Mason Taylor. Taylor set the record for most catches by a tight end in LSU history on the play with his 92nd. Nussmeier took LSU 80 yards in 10 plays for that go-ahead touchdown.
LSU could have led by more, but it could not score on its previous drive after reaching a 1st-and-Goal at the 2-yard-line. Three straight runs and a pressured incomplete pass turned the ball over to South Carolina.
But LSU’s defense could not handle the offensive prosperity for the second time on this afternoon after taking the 29-24 lead. Three plays later, South Carolina tailback Raheim Sanders busted a 66-yard touchdown run untouched for a 30-29 lead. A two-point conversion play failed for the Gamecocks. Sanders finished with a game-high 143 yards on 19 carries.
South Carolina extended that lead to 33-29 on a 42-yard field goal by Herrara with 10:34 remaining in the game.
LSU received a golden opportunity with 7:02 remaining when Swinson knocked the ball out of Ashford’s hands on a rush, and safety Major Burns recovered it at the South Carolina 12-yard line. But on 3rd-and-11 from the 13-yard line, Nussmeier threw it right to Gamecocks’ safety Nick Emmanwori, who returned it the length of the field for a touchdown.
But it was called back and changed to a 20-yard return as South Carolina defensive end Kyle Kennard roughed Nussmeier after his errant pass. Without Kennard’s penalty, South Carolina would have had a 40-29 lead with the extra point.
It was Nussmeier’s second pick six of the day nullified by penalty as he also had one in the first half. And in the end, LSU’s defense forced a punt on the latter one.
Things looked disastrous for the Tigers as well early in the second quarter. The Gamecocks took a 17-0 lead on a 10-yard run by Sanders with 12:19 to go before halftime, following a blocked punt that set South Carolina up at the 10-yard line.
South Carolina dominated the first quarter with a 75-yard drive in 10 plays on its first possession to take a 7-0 lead. The Gamecocks went up 10-0 on a 65-yard drive in 13 plays for a 28-yard field goal by Alex Herrara at the 13:49 mark of the second period.
LSU finally got on the board on Durham’s 26-yard touchdown run to cut South Carolina’s lead to 17-7 midway through the second quarter. Damian Ramos’ 28-yard field goal with 4:28 left before the half got the Tigers within one score at 17-10.
But the Tigers immediately allowed basically an inexplicable, 75-yard touchdown on a quarterback sneak by Sellers on the very next play from scrimmage for a 24-10 South Carolina lead. Tiger defenders bit hard on a fake play to the right, opening up an entire middle of the field for Sellers, who scored virtually untouched. Safety Sage Ryan had a chance at Sellers a few yards beyond the line of scrimmage, but took a bad angle and missed.
LSU cut that to 24-16 on its ensuing possession as Nussmeier threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Lacy with 1:20 to go. A bad snap ruined the extra point attempt.
South Carolina threatened to score again in the final moments of the first half after reaching the LSU 35-yard line with 22 seconds left. But LSU’s defense rose to the occasion as defensive end Swinson and Sai’vion Jones sacked Sellers on back-to-back players back to the LSU 42-yard line. And the half ended.
South Carolina coach Shane Beamer knew an opportunity had been blown.
“We’re trying to screw this thing up,” he said at halftime. “Self-inflicted mistakes – taking sacks, missing tackles. Not getting points at the end of the half is a shame.”
Sellers hurt his ankle in the process and did not start the second half as Ashford replaced him. Sellers returned, but was not as effective as he was in the first half when he completed 8 of 15 passes for 112 yards and rushed 10 times for 88 yards. He finished 9 of 16 for 113 yards.
LSU is now looking at a 4-1 start should it get by UCLA and South Alabama over the next two weeks at home before hosting No. 5 Ole Miss.
“They fought like Tigers,” Kelly said. “And that’s what you’re proud of.”
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