One of the most thrilling games in the Saturday slate for Week 3 was the showdown between the LSU Tigers and the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Many considered this to be a must-win game for the Tigers, while also seeing it as a chance for the Gamecocks to cement their status as a true SEC contender. LSU and head coach Brian Kelly got the result they needed to hold to the Tigers’ standard, but it’s still difficult to not see South Carolina in a new light with the run it has made three games into the season, though they suffered a 36-33 loss at home.
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Here’s a look into four things we took away from the close contest:
1. LSU has issues to fix, but displays fight
At one point, it was 17-0, South Carolina as the Gamecocks held all of the momentum.
Kelly praised his team for the determination and perseverance they displayed throughout the game, despite facing several moments of adversity, including a late interception from quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. And it nearly didn’t end in LSU’s favor as the Tigers were still down with two minutes left in the game before running back Josh Williams took it in for a 2-yard touchdown. The Tigers were also able to avoid an overtime scare when Gamecocks kicker Alex Herrera’s 49-yard field goal was no good.
“So proud of the grit and the perseverance of this team,” Kelly said. “They’re not going to give up. That’s in their DNA. They’re not going to let the rope slip.”
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2. Missed opportunities and self-inflicted wounds affect both teams
Missed tackles, opportunities and unnecessary sacks allowed were all issues that affected South Carolina throughout the game. In the same first two quarters, LSU failed to capitalize on the chances it had in which the Tigers’ offense was in scoring range.
Kelly spoke on that at the half, and it’s obvious his team made the adjustments needed to finish strong through the final two quarters of action.
“We settled in on offense. Look, they knew they were in for a fight,” Kelly said. “South Carolina is salty on defense. We didn’t fit the run well on that QB run, but the guys are fighting. It’s a one-score game and we get the ball to start the 2nd half.”
The Tigers scored 20 points to the Gamecocks’ 9 points in the second half, turning the tables after walking into the locker room trailing 24-16.
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3. Gamecocks look the part of a team that didn’t receive enough national attention
It wasn’t all perfect on Saturday, but there’s no question that this undefeated Gamecocks team has started the season with a much larger sense of dominance than anyone predicted in the offseason. South Carolina ultimately did not get the outcome it was after on Saturday, but had LSU right where it wanted it out of the gate and held the momentum for a large part of the contest.
Injury issues as quarterback did not help the Gamecocks at all, forced to switch to backup Robby Ashford after the Gamecocks, altering the way the offense was run given just how different the skillsets of Ashford and LaNorris Sellers are. While South Carolina did come up just short, it’s important to realize this was a team originally picked 13th out of 16 SEC teams in the preseason. While a win over LSU would have made a huge statement, one can’t deny the Gamecocks have far surpassed the expectations and deserve more respect.
It’s also easy to argue the result at the final whistle could have been different if Sellers was able to play the entirety of the game.
4. True freshman RB Caden Durham makes a statement
The Tigers have been employing the running back by committee approach so far this season, but the true freshman certainly made a strong case for himself in this game. Durham, originally a 4-star recruit out of Duncanville (Duncanville, TX), was one of LSU’s most key players to making a comeback and winning a game that looked impossible at one point. Durham finished out the game just below the century mark, carrying the ball 11 times for 98 yards with 2 touchdowns.
Crissy Froyd covers college football for Sportsnaut.com. Follow on X @crissy_froyd