Three Observations from LSU Football's Week 3 Victory Over South Carolina

True freshman running back Caden Durham provides the spark needed, Tigers come out on top in Columbia.

Louisiana State University running back Caden Durham (29) runs near South Carolina defensive back Judge Collier (20) during the fourth quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. Saturday, September 14, 2024. / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No. 16 LSU battled back after falling behind 17-0 at the 12:19 mark in the second quarter with the Tigers battling until final whistle to defeat South Carolina 36-33 on Saturday in Columbia.

After capturing the critical SEC victory, the Bayou Bengals are above .500 with a 2-1 record as the schedule gets ready to ramp up in the coming weeks.

How did LSU come away with a win in the conference opener? Who stole the show for the Bayou Bengals in Williams-Brice Stadium?

Three Observations: Week 3 Against South Carolina

No. 1: Red Zone Inefficiency, Missed Opportunities

The glaring takeaway in Week 3 was the missed opportunities in the red zone for the Bayou Bengals. It was the defense who handled business in the second half after presenting scoring chances for the offense, but inefficiency plagued the unit.

It’s been a thorn in the program’s side throughout the first three weeks of the season. LSU has simply been unable to convert inside the red zone and it was on full display against the Gamecocks in Week 3.

Time and time again, it was the Tigers’ defense providing opportunities via turnovers for the offense to punch in easy scores. After forcing a pair of fumbles in the second half, LSU came up with just three points on those opportunities.

LSU ultimately went a respectable 5-for-7 on red zone trips, but the gifted opportunities inside the 15-yard line after the defensive forced two fumbles quickly plagued any chances to break open a sizable lead. 

For the Tigers, it was edge rusher Bradyn Swinson who paved the way on Saturday afternoon in Columbia after tallying a handful of tackles with three sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble. He was phenomenal for the Tigers in Week 3 to lift LSU to a pivotal SEC victory.

Now, LSU gets above .500 after the victory to reach 2-1 on the season. The Tigers will gear up for the UCLA Bruins in Week 4 in Tiger Stadium with an afternoon kickoff slated for next Saturday.

No. 2: Bradyn Swinson's Breakout Game

LSU defensive end Bradyn Swinson did it all for the Tigers against South Carolina. When the Bayou Bengals were in need of a big play, it was Swinson who answered the call and stepped up when the defense needed him most.

The veteran edge rusher ended the SEC opener with five total tackles, three tackles for loss and three sacks to go along with a forced fumble.

When the LSU offense was struggling and the Tigers needed a momentum shift, it was Swinson who made the most of his opportunities against the South Carolina offensive line.

Swinson is due for a breakout season for LSU and showcased what's in store for the remainder of the year in Baton Rouge.

After putting the defense on his back and giving Gamecocks signal-callers LaNorris Sellers and Robbie Ashford problems all day, he's earned the Week 3 MVP on Defense.

#LSU RB Caden Durham had a breakout performance against South Carolina in his SEC debut.

- 11 carries
- 98 yards
- 2 TDs
- 8.9 YPC

Now, the true freshman looks poised to take on an expanded role in Year 1.

Durham walks out of Columbia with the game ball.

(🎥: @LSUfootball) pic.twitter.com/nI8Pm0vW61

— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) September 14, 2024

No. 3: The Caden Durham Show

True freshman running back Caden Durham stole the show on Saturday afternoon in Columbia after doing the heavy lifting for the Bayou Bengals on the ground.

With veteran John Emery out for the season with a torn ACL, the program was in need of a youngster to step up and take on an expanded role alongside Kaleb Jackson and Josh Williams.

Defensive back turned running back Ju’Juan Johnson shined in Week 2, but it’s clear Durham is going to be an integral piece to the offense moving forward.

The youngster tallied 98 rushing yards with a pair of scores on just 11 rushing attempts with a whopping 8.9 yards per carry against the Gamecocks.

The former four-star, Top 10 running back in America lived up to the hype versus South Carolina after giving the program life in the run-game.

Durham did it all for the Tigers in the rushing attack. With Josh Williams and Kaleb Jackson unable to get things going after totaling just 47 yards between the two, it was the first-year Tiger who picked up the slack.

More LSU News:

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