South Carolina vs. LSU grades: One failing mark, plenty of poor ones for Gamecocks
South Carolina football dropped a one-sided affair on the road Saturday, losing 52-24 to LSU. That’s the most points South Carolina has given up in an SEC game since 2015. So how did the Gamecocks grade out?
PASSING OFFENSE
When quarterback Collin Hill completed passes, they went for major yardage — nearly 20 per completion, in fact.
But those completions were few and far between. After three quarters, when the game was all but over, he was 8-for-16 passing. He also took five sacks in that span, and it’s hard to blame the offensive line, which gave him time on many occasions. Hill simply held onto the ball too long too often.
Senior receiver Shi Smith entered the game averaging 8.5 receptions per contest. He had just one catch on USC’s first possession and nothing after that until midway through the fourth quarter, when it was too late. And transfer receiver Jalen Brooks, who was cleared by the NCAA to play this week, didn’t make a catch until the third quarter but was the target on Hill’s pick six. Analysts were quick to note that Brooks gave up on the slant route, setting up the interception.
GRADE: D
RUSHING OFFENSE
Arguably the only bright spot on a dismal evening, the ground game averaged a sack-adjusted 8.3 yards per rush. Sophomore Kevin Harris took first touch of the game 45 yards for a touchdown, then added a 49-yard burst in the second half to set up his second score of the game.
Outside of those two big gains, he averaged 3.2 yards per rush, but it’s hard to fault Harris’ effort on the whole. And behind him, redshirt sophomore Deshaun Fenwick ripped off a pair of big runs of his own, for 19 and 21 yards. Even freshman quarterback Luke Doty got a run in, going six yards in the red zone on his lone attempt.
GRADE: B+
PASSING DEFENSE
South Carolina’s defensive line was swallowed up by LSU’s front, giving TJ Finley all sorts of time to throw early and letting the true freshman quarterback get settled in. They didn’t record a single sack, the first time that’s happened in a USC game since 2014.
On the back end, some missed tackles allowed Terrace Marshall to spring free for a 51-yard score in the second quarter. Israel Mukuamu did get one interception, returning it more than 50 yards to give USC good field position. But all told, Finley’s passing total of 17-for-21 for 265 yards was far too good for a guy playing his first collegiate snaps, and there were far too many instances when LSU receivers found themselves open in the middle of the field.
GRADE: D
RUSHING DEFENSE
Just as USC’s defensive line couldn’t get pressure on the quarterback, it couldn’t prevent the LSU ground game from moving the ball efficiently. The Tigers clearly wanted to run the ball to ease Finley into the game, something the Gamecocks were well aware of, coach Will Muschamp said.
And yet, they couldn’t prevent John Emery and Ty Davis-Price from both putting up more than 80 yards each, helping the unit average more than five yards per carry when adjusted for sacks. We’ll cut the unit a little slack as the disparity in time of possession put a lot of pressure on them.
GRADE: D+
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker Parker White endured arguably the worst game of his career, going 1-for-4 on field goals. One of those three misses, a career high, was from more than 50 yards out and was somewhat understandable. The other two, however, were from 34 and 40 yards out, distances he normally makes.
And when the Gamecocks got just a little bit of momentum going, scoring on their first drive after halftime, they gave it all away with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Returner Trey Palmer fumbled the kick at first, then collected the ball and took advantage of a USC special teams unit over-pursuing for the fumble and abandoning its lanes.
GRADE: F
COACHING
In the first quarter alone, South Carolina picked up five penalties, more than it was averaging per game heading into Saturday. Miscues like that can’t be fully put on the coaching staff, but the Gamecocks simply looked unprepared for a big game against a vulnerable opponent. LSU’s offense is loaded with talent, to be sure, but to put up 52 points with a true freshman at QB is a shot to Will Muschamp’s reputation as a defensive guru.
And when USC was trailing big in the second and third quarters, Muschamp played it conservative, attempting field goals when the Gamecocks needed touchdowns to have any hope of rallying.
GRADE: D-
This story was originally published October 24, 2020 at 10:34 PM with the headline "South Carolina vs. LSU grades: One failing mark, plenty of poor ones for Gamecocks."
