LSU Football vs. South Carolina: Brian Kelly Preparing for Gamecocks Pass Rush

Kelly and Co. presented with a tough task this weekend in Columbia, bracing for effective South Carolina pass rush.

Sep 30, 2023; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; LSU Tigers offensive linemen Emery Jones Jr. (50) lines up prior to the snap during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers will hit the road to Columbia later this week to take on a fiery South Carolina squad in a highly anticipated Week 3 matchup.

With ESPN's College GameDay in attendance, all eyes will be on the Bayou Bengals against an SEC fe coming off of a criticial win over Kentucky on Saturday.

For the Gamecocks, their bread and butter is on the defensive line headlined by true freshman Dylan Stewart. A group that leads the conference in sacks through two weeks, South Carolina will have have LSU's offensive line put to the test.

"The defensive end, Stewart, is a pure pass rusher," Kelly said Monday. "It doesn't mean he can't defend the run, I'm not saying that. He's a guy that they want in there to get after the quarterback. We're gonna have to do a really good job, we're gonna have to be disciplined in our drops. We're gonna have to get the ball out on time, because those edge guys can certainly — this is an SEC defensive front. They can get to the quarterback and particularly he can."

Kelly spoke at length of the challenges the Gamecocks present and how the Tigers must game plan for a fiery opponent in Week 3.

What Brian Kelly Said:

The South Carolina Offense

"Playing South Carolina, you look at what Shane (Beamer's) done, he really gets his team to play well, and particularly at home. They come off a really great road win against Kentucky, 31-6. And a lot of it is the type of offense they're running now with (LaNorris) Sellers at quarterback, (Raheim) Sanders, the transfer from Arkansas, (Joshua) Simon, the tight end. This is a big, physical quarterback. Reminds me of the kid at Florida, (Anthony) Richardson. The quarterback at Arkansas, (KJ) Jefferson. Big, physical, 6-3, 242 (pounds). You know, we're gonna have to be prepared for a similar offense in a sense, but a guy with a strong arm that can certainly get the ball down the field. (Dalevon) Campbell, (Nyck) Harbor is a freak of an athlete. So they've got some weapons from an offensive standpoint.

The South Carolina Defense

"Defensively, they lead the SEC in sacks. So this is a defense with an outstanding front. Freshman edge player in Stewart, (Kyle) Kennard is an outstanding player. Really love (Nick) Emmanwori, the defensive back, No. 7. Very active. He was a freshman All-American in 2022. Just a really good defense, and they ran both three-down and four-down and made it really difficult for Kentucky last week. And then, very innovative and do a lot of things in the special teams game.

The LaNorris Sellers Effect

"Well, (LaNorris) Sellers the quarterback is a physical presence and a lot like (Anthony) Richardson, the quarterback that played at Florida — big, physical, strong. Got a cannon for an arm. The kid can throw it 65, 70 yards. He just kind of reminds me of that physical presence. But he's a new starter. But you're gonna have to do some really good things to defend the quarterback and the quarterback run game. Because they've got the transfer from Auburn (Robby Ashford) as well. So, that's going to be important for us. That's going to give us a great understanding after playing Nicholls of the quarterback run game.

Impact of True Freshman Dylan Stewart

"The defensive end, Stewart, is a pure pass rusher. It doesn't mean he can't defend the run, I'm not saying that. He's a guy that they want in there to get after the quarterback. We're gonna have to do a really good job, we're gonna have to be disciplined in our drops. We're gonna have to get the ball out on time, because those edge guys can certainly — this is an SEC defensive front. They can get to the quarterback and particularly he can."

The South Carolina Atmosphere

"I just think there's a lot of guys that have played on the road, understand what it takes to win on the road, whether it was Mississippi State last year, Missouri at homecoming. There's a lot of guys that have played in that atmosphere. It just requires a focus, it requires an understanding that you're in it every single play. An incredible sense of urgency and I'm certain that they're aware of what is going to be necessary for them to be successful. I'm not dealing with a group of guys that will be surprised by what 'GameDay' and South Carolina and all that will be about. And we'll prepare for it with crowed noise and things of that nature this week to get them ready. It'll take a great effort, a team that's locked in and playing their best when their best is needed."

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