No. 16 LSU was able to score a touchdown with 1:12 remaining in the game to take a 36-33 lead. Then South Carolina missed a 49-yard game-tying field on the final play of the game, to secure the Tigers’ first SEC win of the season.
The Gamecocks jumped out to a quick 17-0 lead and had a chance to extend the lead on a defensive pick-six score, but the play was called back due to a controversial horse collar tackle. USC led 24-16 at halftime. LSU came out of the locker and dominated the third quarter holding Carolina to only one yard of total offense on five plays to cut the lead to 24-22 at the end of the quarter.
The Tigers took their first lead on a two-yard TD pass early in the fourth quarter, but Carolina retook the lead on the next series on a 65-yard run by running back Rocket Sanders. Alex Herrera connected on a 42-yard to extend the South Carolina lead to 33-29 with 10:34 remaining in the game. The Gamecocks looked to have iced the game with an 87-yard pick-6 touchdown, but a conversational penalty once again called the touchdown back.
With under two minutes remaining in the game, Carolina stopped LSU on a fourth down and three yards to go incomplete pass, but the Gamecocks were called for offsides to extend the drive. Four plays later the Tigers scored what turned out to be the winning touchdown.
South Carolina had a final chance as they drove down to the Tigers’ 31-yard line, but Herrera’s 49-yard field goal attempt to tie the game was wide left by a foot.
The story of the game was the SEC officials, who threw 22 penalty flags for 198 yards. They threw more flags than the two South Carolina quarterbacks combined, who threw passes 20 times for 155 yards. South Carolina was penalized 13 times for 123 yards, including the two Carolina defensive touchdowns that were taken away. LSU was penalized nine times for 75 yards. Both head coaches said after the game they would be sending film clips to the SEC league office for explanation.
South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers set a school record with a 75-yard touchdown run which was the longest TD run by a quarterback in program history. Sellars was injured late in the first half and did not play in the second half.
After the game South Carolina Coach Shane Beamer said, “I am proud as heck of them. We put our defense in some tough situations today. Our offense got put in some tough situations obviously with some injuries. We made a lot of really good plays today. We are going to go back and look at this tape and there are a lot of good plays today. Offense, defense, and special teams.
“I just told them that there are five things we talking about how we win football games around here and one of them is playing smart football, and we didn’t do a great job of that today. In this league it is a fine line between winning and losing, and when you have 13 penalties, more often than not, you are going to be on the wrong side of that.
“I thought we got better this week and we were more dominant this week in some ways than we were in Lexington last week…We got to go right back to work and I am going to do a better job for them…We were a very confident team going into this game and we are a very confident team coming out of this game.”
Next week South Carolina hosts Akron. LSU hosts UCLA.
