LSU vs. South Carolina Complete Game Preview
LSU and South Carolina are SEC teams heading in opposite directions at the moment, and now they'll square off this Saturday in a somewhat surprising destination.
Like these two programs, the location of this cross-divisional matchup could be on the move due to what has been historic flooding in Columbia, South Carolina. According to Josh Kendall of the State, South Carolina has already canceled classes for the rest of the week, and now the team's home game will now be played at the road team's stadium—Death Valley in Baton Rouge.
Through all the weather-related issues affecting their campus and their state, the Gamecocks are looking for a major upset this weekend against the undefeated and No. 7 Tigers. Struggling South Carolina has issues all over the depth chart after falling to 0-3 in the SEC last weekend against Missouri.
LSU, though, is looking for a big statement victory away from home after a couple of closer-than-expected nonconference victories against Syracuse and Eastern Michigan. The Tigers are led by their superstar rushing attack and the nation's No. 16 total defense, but they'll want a complete team win over the Gamecocks.
Before heading into the complete preview of LSU vs. South Carolina, here is all the information for this matchup.
Date: Saturday, October 10
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Tiger Stadium (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
TV: ESPN
Line: LSU -13, according to Odds Shark
LSU Keys to Victory
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Keep it simple on offense
LSU has an easy formula for success on offense right now—give the ball to Leonard Fournette and get out of his way.
Fournette is leading the entire nation in rushing yards and touchdowns this season, and he's the runaway favorite to win the Heisman Trophy after just four games of action, according to Odds Shark. Behind a strong LSU offensive line, Fournette looks unstoppable right now.
By comparison, South Carolina is 103rd nationally in yards allowed per carry, and that number might be somewhat inflated after holding winless UCF to a paltry 1.13 yards per touch two weeks ago. Georgia's Nick Chubb averaged 7.57 yards per carry against South Carolina a few weeks ago, so Fournette should be in for another monster day.
Don't force things through the air
That's not to say LSU should abandon the pass, although it kind of did at times against Eastern Michigan last weekend. Brandon Harris only completed four of his 14 passes against EMU and barely went to the air in the second half as his receivers struggled with drops.
LSU will want to prove its more than just Fournette on offense. And while South Carolina did allow Georgia's Greyson Lambert to set an all-time completion percentage record in their meeting, the Gamecocks recorded five interceptions in their two wins against wayward passers.
South Carolina's secondary is a mess, but a solid linebacking corps has five picks to its name. If Harris is off the mark again, this defense can still take advantage. The Tigers don't need to force the issue through the air, especially when they have Fournette going up against a bad run defense.
Rattle a freshman quarterback
South Carolina freshman quarterback Lorenzo Nunez will be making his third career start—if healthy—against LSU. If running back Brandon Wilds is not 100 percent for Saturday's game, that'll put more pressure on Nunez to do it all for a struggling offense.
Nunez threw interceptions on three straight drives against Missouri last weekend and was sacked four times behind a poor offensive line. The Tiger defensive front needs to continue to improve in getting pressure on the backfield, and this matchup is an ideal opportunity to really get after the passer.
The freshman is a true dual-threat, so LSU will have to stay strong in containment as well. Although Spurrier doesn't want him to run the ball as much, he can tuck it and hurt a defense.
South Carolina Keys to Victory
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Survive the early surge from LSU
As David Ching of ESPN.com noted this week, LSU starts better than anyone in the country, outscoring opponents 49-0 in the first quarter through its first four games of the season. With the way this matchup is looking, it won't surprise anyone to see LSU open up an early lead on the struggling Gamecocks.
But if South Carolina can handle an early run from LSU, things may start to open up on both sides of the ball. After all, the Tigers have let teams such as Syracuse and Eastern Michigan hang around in these last two weeks. The EMU game was a one-possession contest in the fourth quarter.
South Carolina can't get down and allow the game to get lopsided like it did against Georgia. These Tigers have been far from perfect as a whole, and the Gamecocks have several talented players who can exploit some consistent issues, such as pass coverage breakdowns and inefficient passing.
Take advantage of every miscue
When those errors happen, South Carolina must strike. LSU has the ability to make this game ugly, but those mid-game lulls Ching describes could allow the Gamecocks to snag the momentum.
If LSU receivers continue to drop passes or the offensive line gets tagged with penalties, South Carolina must pounce on the longer fields and force punting situations. Turnovers need to turn into points. Defensive breakdowns need to be exploited for big plays.
It seems like common sense, but with the way South Carolina is playing right now, the Gamecocks will have to catch some breaks in order to knock off LSU—even at home.
Get something going on the ground
Letting Nunez air it out constantly against a loaded LSU secondary looks like a recipe for disaster. South Carolina needs to bounce back in the rushing department, or else it could be another long day for the Gamecocks.
Getting Brandon Wilds back from injury would be a huge boost, as South Carolina averaged a little more than five yards per carry before he sat out last weekend's loss to Missouri. Shon Carson hasn't been able to break a big run yet, but his experience could be huge against a tough defense.
South Carolina needs to consistently move the chains by getting things going on the ground and opening things up for its young quarterback. It will also chew up some valuable time of possession and prevent Fournette from getting more opportunities to make the highlight reel.
LSU Players to Watch
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RB Leonard Fournette
Seriously, who else would lead the way here? LSU games have turned into Fournette showcases so far this season.
Fournette is most likely the best player in college football this season, and he might also be the most valuable to his offense. According to ESPN, Fournette is on pace "to be responsible for the highest percentage of a team’s yards from scrimmage of any FBS running back in the past 10 years."
With the way South Carolina has defended running backs not wearing UCF uniforms, Fournette has a good chance of breaking that 200-yard mark for the fourth straight game. That will put him well over 1,000 yards through five games, making him only the 10th player to do that in college football history.
QB Brandon Harris
After a lackluster game against Eastern Michigan, Harris will be one to watch for sure as the Tigers offense pushes toward more balance for the tougher road ahead.
"The time that this LSU team can ride to victory solely on the back of [Fournette] has ended," Scott Rabalais of the Advocate wrote. "It's a virtual certainty there will be a game or games remaining on the Tigers' schedule in which they will have to make a drive through the air or hit some key passes to win."
That first big challenge for the passing game might come against Florida next weekend, but don't overlook what the Gamecocks can do with interceptions. Harris needs a rebound effort against South Carolina.
CB Kevin Toliver II
The true freshman cornerback has been outstanding so far this season for LSU, locking down receivers and staying strong with his tackles. Toliver has broken into an already talent-filled secondary and has carved out a huge role.
"Since making his first career start in LSU’s delayed season opener against Mississippi State, Toliver has impressed his teammates with his composure and veteran approach to the game," Morgan Prewitt of the Daily Reveille wrote. "[Cornerback Tre'Davious] White routinely refers to Toliver as a 'vet.'"
Toliver recorded his first career interception against Eastern Michigan last weekend, and he'll be looking to take advantage of any wayward throws from fellow true freshman Nunez.
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South Carolina Players to Watch
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LB Skai Moore
South Carolina's defense this season has continued to disappoint, but it's not for the lack of production from top linebacker Skai Moore.
Moore currently leads the Gamecocks with 52 tackles—22 more than the next player on the list, defensive back Isaiah Johnson. He's also picked off a team-high three passes, including the two clutch ones in South Carolina's tight victory in Week 1 over North Carolina, and is tied for the lead in tackles for loss.
South Carolina will need Moore to continue to bring his A-game this weekend as it faces the likes of Fournette out of the backfield. In coverage situations, Moore is also a playmaker who could pounce on misfires from LSU.
QB Lorenzo Nunez
Nunez is coming off his first troublesome start of his young career in which he threw three straight interceptions and didn't get much help from the rest of his offense.
"Lorenzo had some freshman-like plays (Saturday)," Spurrier said, per David Caraviello of the Post and Courier. "The first game he took his steps, he looked downfield, he threw the ball. Unfortunately, yesterday at times, he didn’t look downfield and he just took off. But that’s a freshman. That’s a freshman playing in sort of a passing offense for the first time."
How much running Nunez will do against a stiff LSU defense will also be one of the main areas to watch this weekend for South Carolina. He's dangerous with his feet, but Spurrier sounds wary of giving him too many designed runs now that he's the starter.
WR Pharoh Cooper
Nunez knows he has at least one playmaker lining up with him this weekend in Pharoh Cooper. The star receiver has more than twice as many catches as any other Gamecock this season and is the only one who has found the end zone at least twice.
Although he didn't register a carry against Missouri, Cooper's athleticism makes him a weapon in the running game. He's also been known to throw the ball a couple of times a game on gadget plays.
Cooper also hasn't had much of a chance to break a big punt return this season for the Gamecocks. If the South Carolina defense can make some stops, he has the potential to change momentum on special teams too.
What They're Saying
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LSU
Head coach Les Miles on the South Carolina matchup, per Jim Kleinpeter of NOLA.com:
"So [we're] kind of in a position where we would like to be a little bit more hitting on all cylinders. But in reality, we're really close. We're going to South Carolina to see if we can play best. We recognize that Coach Spurrier does a great job coaching, and he'll have that team ready to play. They're a very talented team. They have good players. We'll have to be playing at our best to win. He's again, a very, very quality coach and prepares his team.
"
Linebacker Deion Jones on LSU's mid-game lulls, per David Ching of ESPN.com:
"We’ve got to fix that. We can’t let that happen. We’ve got to have our foot on the pedal the whole time, no breaks. That’s something we’ve got to work on.
"
Wide receiver John Diarse on how the unit needs to step up, per Scott Rabalais of the Advocate:
"We see how great the offensive line is blocking, what a great job Brandon (Harris) is doing in the pocket, what a great job Leonard and (fullback J.D. Moore) are doing in the backfield. We know we have to answer. We’ll run up against a team that will challenge us, and we’re going to have to throw the ball. We have to do a better job finishing plays.
"
South Carolina
Head coach Steve Spurrier on his team facing Leonard Fournette, per Jerit Roser of NOLA.com:
"They've gotta get pumped up. They've gotta have some fight and 'want to,' and you've gotta hit him low. You've gotta try to get his ankles together if you can. Obviously our defensive backs and linebacker-type guys and hopefully our D-linemen maybe can stop him, hitting him in the waist area and so forth. But it's called gang-tackling. That's how you stop all those guys.
"
Linebacker Skai Moore on quarterback Lorenzo Nunez, per Josh Kendall of the State:
"He’s young. He’s very young. [Last Saturday was] his second start, a road game. He can only get better from here. He’s a good talent. He just has to get more confidence and get used to the system better.
"
Wide receiver Pharoh Cooper on South Carolina's need for ball control, per David Caraviello of the Post and Courier:
"Turnovers, that’s what really lost us the [Missouri] game. We can’t have turnovers every possession we have. (Nunez) is a young guy, a freshman. He just has to relax back there. He feels like he has to throw the ball every time instead of using his legs and run. It was just a mistake he made.
"
Prediction
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Things aren't going well at all for South Carolina right now. The offense doesn't have a true identity with its true freshman quarterback, the line play has been unimpressive and the defense has struggled mightily outside of a couple of key linebackers.
Now the Gamecocks may have to play an important home SEC game outside of Columbia due to the massive flooding that has struck the Palmetto State. This already-difficult matchup is now going to look like a road game for South Carolina.
If LSU sticks to the ground game, it should be able to move the ball with ease against this South Carolina defense. Getting some chances through the air with Harris will be important heading into the next few games, but the Tigers shouldn't try to force the pass too much. South Carolina looks capable of taking advantage of miscues in that area.
The biggest mismatch might be this South Carolina offense against the LSU defense. The Tigers are stronger against the run than the pass, and Nunez doesn't look ready to exploit any mistakes in a secondary that has improved from allowing 335 yards to the veteran Dak Prescott.
Nunez and Wilds might be able to break through for a couple of touchdowns, but it won't be enough to match the production LSU can get from Fournette and his deep group of backups at running back. The Tigers take this one with ease against a downtrodden South Carolina team.
Prediction: LSU 41, South Carolina 17
Unless otherwise noted, statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com.
Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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