South Carolina football: LSU thumps Gamecocks in the Bayou

The South Carolina football team fell to 2-3 after losing to the defending national champs.

South Carolina entered their week five matchup with LSU on a two-game winning streak, having just defeated a ranked Auburn team to move to 2-2 on the year. LSU was playing a freshman quarterback in his first collegiate action. The Tiger defense was amongst the worst in college football. Things seemed to be aligning for another Gamecock victory.

Instead, Will Muschamp’s group limped to a 52-24 defeat, being outplayed in all three phases of the game. Collin Hill played his worst game in garnet and black, Parker White missed three-of-four field goals, and the Carolina defense failed to slow the LSU offensive attack.

The Gamecocks allowed over 500 yards of offense to a group that was without its starting signal caller. It was easily the worst outing of the year for the unit, just a week after maybe its best performance versus Auburn. They let the LSU run game get going early, and allowed TJ Finley to get comfortable in the pocket. The freshman connected on 17-of-21 passes for 265 yards and a couple of scores.

On offense, Collin Hill threw for 234 yards but completed just 12 passes and was sacked five times. He often held onto the ball too long, allowing the LSU pass rush to collapse the pocket, resulting in negative plays. Hill’s pick six, his second of the season, gave the Tigers a 21-point lead heading into the half.

Things didn’t get much better in the second half, as the Gamecocks allowed a 95-yard kickoff return that sent Gamecock fans packing early in the third quarter. It was the perfect storm for an LSU group looking for some confidence.

One positive for the Gamecocks was the performance of running back Kevin Harris, who tallied his third 100-yard game of the season. Harris rushed for 126 yards on just 12 carries, but it wasn’t enough to keep his team in the game.

The Gamecocks now fall to 2-3 on the year, and will get a week off as they try to recuperate from the stinging loss. The group will be back in action on November 7th with a home matchup against Texas A&M.