LSU needs to look no further than this Saturday’s game against South Carolina for redemption from its loss against Florida.
The Tigers lead the overall series against the Gamecocks, 13-2-1, including last season’s 38-14 victory in Baton Rouge.
But LSU cannot afford to look past the Gamecocks either.
In the last three meetings between LSU and USC, the series is dead locked at 1-1-1. USC’s victory against the Tigers came Oct. 1, 1994, in Baton Rouge, 18-17. A year later, LSU and USC tied 20-20 in Columbia, S.C.
In last season’s victory, the Tigers used a 25-point third quarter to extinguish the Gamecocks.
South Carolina jumped out to a 14-6 lead before halftime. Troy Williamson scored on a 60-yard pass from quarterback Corey Jenkins in the first quarter. USC followed that score with a nine-yard Andrew Pinnock touchdown run in the second quarter.
Two John Corbello field goals of 42 and 48 yards capped the first half scoring for LSU.
The Tigers exploded in the third frame. Marcus Randall, making his first career start, scampered 12 yards to the endzone to open the second half scoring. Randall found Michael Clayton for the two-point conversion to tie the game at 14.
After another Corbello field goal, running back Shyrone Carey found the endzone from 13 yards out. The coup de gras came only 15 seconds later when cornerback Demetrius Hookfin intercepted Jenkins’ pass at the 10 yardline and took it in for the score, extending the Tigers’ lead to 31-14.
“The third quarter, what happened,” Jenkins said after the game, “I do not know. [Tiger Stadium] got crazy and momentum changed.
“I felt pretty good about the first half. I felt like we were taking it to them and hitting them in the mouth. I tell you what, that was the number one defense in the country and in the second half they showed why. When you don’t execute well against those guys, they make you pay for it.”
LSU held the Gamecocks to one yard of total offense in the third quarter and 63 yards of total offense in the second half, in which USC failed to put points on the board.
LSU added a five-yard touchdown run courtesy of tailback Domanick Davis in the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 38-14.
“I would say that was a nice third quarter and one of the best I have ever been around,” said LSU coach Nick Saban after the game. “I think it is a real tribute to our players because we didn’t play extremely well in the first half.
“Thank goodness that we were at home because we had a great home crowd. The momentum swung for us in the third quarter and it was a great third quarter for us.”
This will be the sixth meeting between the two schools in Columbia. The last LSU victory at South Carolina came Oct. 27, 1973, when the Tigers defeated the Gamecocks 33-29. Overall, LSU is 3-1-1 at Williams-Brice Stadium.
South Carolina coach Lou Holtz is 0-for-2 against LSU in his career. Saban is a perfect 1-0 against South Carolina.