The Preview: Game Information for LSU Football vs. South Carolina in SEC Clash

No. 16 LSU travels to South Carolina for an SEC battle, take on Gamecocks on the road.

After capturing their first win of the season, No. 16 LSU travels to Columbia on Saturday morning to open conference play against South Carolina.

Kickoff is set for 11:12 a.m. CT on ABC and the LSU Sports Radio Network. Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holy Rowe will be on the call.

The matchup will mark the Tigers’ first visit to Columbia since 2008, when quarterback Jarrett Lee orchestrated a 6-minute scoring drive late in the fourth quarter to break a 17-17 tie. Charles Scott (32) scored the game-winning points on a 2-yard run with 4:16 left in the contest.

Last Saturday, LSU secured a 44-21 victory over Nicholls, highlighted by quarterback Garrett Nussmeier’s six touchdown passes as the redshirt junior joined Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels as the only Tiger quarterback to throw six or more touchdown passes in a single game.

Junior receiver Kyren Lacy continued to flash, reeling in five catches for 63 yards and three touchdowns, making him the current FBS leader in touchdown receptions. Aaron Anderson made strides with five catches of his own for 63 yards, and Zavion Thomas gave the Tigers a boost in the return game with a 51-yard punt return in addition to a receiving touchdown.

The Tiger defense – led by linebacker Greg Penn with a team-high nine tackles – held the Colonels to just seven points in the second half after surrendering 14 in the first 30 minutes of play. Defensive end Gabe Reliford made his presence known with six tackles and linebacker Whit Weeks continued to impress with five tackles as well.

“In meeting with our staff, there were a lot more good things that happened in that game than I was able to articulate after the game,” said head coach Brian Kelly on Monday. “We had a number of first time players step up and play really good football for us.”

A key matchup in the contest will revolve around . Left tackle Will Campbell has recorded 83 pass block snaps and surrendered zero (!) pressures while right tackle Emery Jones has recorded 83 pass block snaps and given up just two pressures. For the Gamecocks, Dylan Stewart has tallied nine pressures and three sacks, while Kyle Kennard has an SEC-leading four sacks and 10 pressures. It will be best on best Saturday in Columbia.

“It’s a noon kickoff on ABC with College Gameday, so it’s obviously going to be a great environment there,” Kelly said. “It’s a great opportunity for us to take another step in the development of our football team and continue to work to get better.”

South Carolina is led by redshirt freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers, who has recorded 20 completions for 280 yards and two touchdowns with an additional 30 carries for 57 yards and a score on the ground. At receiver, Mazero Bennett Jr. and Vandrevius Jacobs lead the team with 81 yards and a touchdown and 59 yards, respectively.

Defensively, linebacker Debo Wiliams leads the unit in tackles with 10, while defensive back Nick Emmanwori is not far behind with eight, along with a pass break up.

“Shane Beamer really gets his team to play well, in particular at home” Kelly said. “They are coming off a great road win at Kentucky. A lot of it is the type of offense they are running now with Sellers and Sanders. This is a big, physical quarterback. A guy with a strong arm that can certainly get the ball down the field.” 

LSU enters the game with a 19-2-1 mark against South Carolina in a series that dates back to 1930. The last meeting between the programs came in 2020 where the Tigers defeated the Gamecocks 52-24 in front of a sparse Tiger Stadium crowd due to COVID-19 restrictions.

(Via LSU Release)

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