It was one of the stranger days in Tiger Stadium, featuring the home team in garnet and black with only 42,058 watching the rare phenomenon.
The visiting No. 7 LSU football team defeated the “home” South Carolina Gamecocks, 45-24, on Saturday in an underpopulated Death Valley after the game was relocated to Baton Rouge because of devastating floods in Columbia, South Carolina.
The LSU running game looked like the solid foundation the Tigers have used as a crutch when their weaknesses — special teams and pass defense — are exploited.
On Saturday, the rushing-game crutch was used again, camouflaging its frailties.
The Tigers (5-0, 3-0 Southeastern Conference) ran for 396 yards on 54 attempts split between four rushers. LSU finished with 624 yards of total offense — the second-most in the SEC since 1987.
Sophomore running back Leonard Fournette ended the first half with 49 of the team-total 396 yards game. Fournette, along with sophomore and freshman tailbacks Darrel Williams and Derrius Guice, had to figure something out, especially because of sophomore fullback John David Moore’s leg injury in the first quarter. The injury sidelined Moore for the remainder of the game.
Two plays into the second half, Fournette found a gap and charged for an 87-yard touchdown — the second longest run of his career.
He figured it out, and he’s figuring out defensive schemes this season thus far.
Fournette finished with 158 rushing yards on 20 carries, becoming the fastest player in school history to reach 1,000 (1,022 total) yards in five games.
“I did that?” he asked. “I didn’t even know. If I did, it’s not up to me. That is because of the offensive line and J.D. Moore.”
Fournette eclipsed 1,000 yards faster than LSU career-rushing leader Charles Alexander, who hit the mark during the third quarter of his seventh game in 1977.
Fournette was limited in the third quarter and did not get a snap in the final period, leaving Guice and Williams to finish off the Gamecocks.
Williams ran for two touchdowns on 10 carriers — with Fournette’s help, of course.
“I knew his time was coming,” Fournette said. “Coach tried to put me in, and I said ‘No, it’s his.’ That’s my brother.”
Guice, a Baton Rouge and Catholic High native, rushed for a career-high 162 yards on 16 carries on Saturday.
Fournette approved of the rookie’s performance.
“He’s a wild child,” Fournette said. “He won’t be denied. I guess he’s scared of the ground.”
Guice, a 5-foot-11, 222-pound wrecking ball, has an aggressive running style, which LSU coach Les Miles simplified for the media.
“Reckless might be the best word,” Miles said. “Angry might be a better word. There’s a number of way to describe his running style. Efficient.”
Regardless of Guice’s career day and Williams’ two touchdowns on 61 yards, Miles set one mission for the LSU offense today, hoping to establish balance between the air and ground game – giving the LSU passing game plenty of opportunities.
And, sophomore quarterback Brandon Harris excelled.
Harris completed 18-of-28 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns, etching a new season and career high in passing yards.
Harris distributed the ball across the field, hitting four different receivers, which Harris expects because of the plethora of lethal offensive weapons.
“The sky is the limit,” Harris said. “Coach Miles and [LSU offensive coordinator] Cam [Cameron] have a great game plan for us. We have four great [running] backs and six great receivers. I’m just trying to do my part.”
LSU’s passing game accumulated its best game of the season on Saturday, but the Gamecocks (2-4, 0-4 SEC) did too.
And, they made it look fairly easily.
The LSU secondary, or “Defensive Back University,” is known to be one of the more talented crews in all of college football. But, South Carolina junior walk-on quarterback Perry Orth approached Saturday’s matchup without fear.
On the opening drive of his second start of the season, Orth threw the ball ten times, completing four passes.
The drive shaped the Gamecock offense for the game — a heavy passing attack, exploiting the LSU secondary when it could.
LSU allowed 200 passing yards from Orth, who completed 14 passes on 28 attempts for two touchdowns and one interception to sophomore John Battle. It was Battle’s first career interception, marking the third week in a row a different Tiger earned his first career interception.
“Perry Orth made a lot of good plays,” said South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier. “He did. He made a lot of good plays for a walk-on kid. He made some good passes in the second half.”
But the Gamecocks’ success through the air was a product of mental lapses, junior cornerback Tre’Davious White said.
“Our focus,” White said. “Being disciplined with our eyes. Our eyes get us in trouble a lot of times. It’s something we’ve been practicing every week. We will try to limit it again next week.”
White, LSU’s punt returner, found himself in another woeful aspect of LSU’s 21-point victory on Saturday — special teams.
LSU allowed a 96-yard kickoff return for the touchdown from South Carolina’s freshman return man Rashad Fenton, which was the most memorable error throughout a day filled with special team mistakes.
Saturday’s game was moved to Baton Rouge on Wednesday, relieving South Carolina’s football team from the flood that killed 17 natives to its state.
All of this is a situation LSU finds relatable.
In 2005, LSU was the home team in Arizona State’s stadium after relocating an originally scheduled home game because of Hurricane Katrina and Rita.
“I recognize the difficulty of the time South Carolina is going through,” Miles said. “It’s not easy in any way to think of practice plans and game plans. It’s very similar to the experiences we had when Katrina and Rita hit.”
After the game, Fournette received consent from the NCAA to auction his game jersey, giving the profit to the victims of the natural disaster.
“That’s what I wanted to do,” Fournette said. “That’s what I wanted to do. I just wanted to help out the families and people out there. That’s all.”
You can reach Christian Boutwell on Twitter @CBoutwell_TDR.