LSU faces South Carolina on Saturday in a game that will reveal a lot about each team. Almost the entire football-watching country will be witness to the matchup, as College GameDay is set to visit Columbia.
The Tigers will be looking to bounce back in their first Power Five tilt since their season-opening loss, while the Gamecocks hope to stay undefeated.
The Reveille spoke with Brendan Dougherty, the assistant sports editor at South Carolina’s student newspaper, The Daily Gamecock. Here’s what he thinks about Saturday’s matchup.
What were your expectations for South Carolina at the beginning of this year, and how do you think they’ve performed relative to that?
“I think the general gist around here was the team will go as far as [freshman quarterback LaNorris] Sellers takes them… What I totally didn’t expect was the defense to be shut-down. They’ve been unbelievable. The pass-rush has been just a force, non-stop, every single down. They’ve definitely overachieved, but it hasn’t been because of the offense.”
What did South Carolina struggle with in the tight Week 1 win over Old Dominion that it fixed in its big Week 2 win over Kentucky?
“We kind of attributed it to they weren’t trying to get LaNorris Sellers going in any sort of way… Then I also felt like there wasn’t any creativity on the runs either… It was the tight ends and wide receivers on the outside that weren’t showing any effort [blocking], and they couldn’t even call plays to run outside.
“So it was a little bit of an effort [issue], maybe a little bit of an underestimation. But the thing about South Carolina is they will always show up against Kentucky. They love playing Kentucky. And they did it, they worked it out. They got Sellers going for sure. They threw a lot more than they did Week 1, and Sellers looked a lot better.”
What’s your impression of Sellers and how confident is the program in him?
“The program is, I would say, very, very confident in him… Personally, I see a lot of Anthony Richardson flashes: big arm, can make dynamic plays. He still needs to improve, incredibly raw, work on his accuracy… The defensive line always has to be prepared for the option, because when they’re not, he’ll beat you… He was a lot more under control week two. He trusted his o-line, he trusted his receivers.”
Did you expect the pass-rush to be as good as it is, especially freshman edge rusher Dylan Stewart?
“The only real idea we had about the defensive line was the interior line. We have three returning d-linemen who are all very highly touted: Tonka Hemingway, Alex “Boogie” Huntley and T.J. Sanders.
“We didn’t really know what we were getting out of the edge. Kyle Kennard is a fifth-year transfer from Georgia Tech, and, when I was first watching, I was like ‘this guy’s a stud’ … And then as the game goes on, here’s this freshman, No. 6 Dylan Stewart, who just kept fighting. He was always in the play… The best is when him and Kennard are working together. One of [Kentucky quarterback Brock] Vandagriff’s fumbles, I swear they both hit him at the same time.
“No one knew [Stewart] would get national respect as potentially the best freshman in the country… but I also want to say that the entire defensive line has been nothing short of outstanding.”
How do you feel about College GameDay coming to Columbia for the first time since 2014?
“I think it’s gonna be fun. It’s huge for the program. If you asked me on August 30, the day before the first game, if I thought we’d have GameDay by Week 3, I’d call you crazy.
“Columbia residents will really pop out for women’s basketball, as they should. I think that if the South Carolina football team can show thus much energy, bring in this much of a crowd, it’s just great for the city, and it’s great for the program.”
What’s the key for South Carolina in this game?
“I think if South Carolina wants to win, they really have to open up [Arkansas transfer running back Raheim] “Rocket” Sanders in the run game. [LSU] doesn’t really have as much strength on the interior, not as much size [without defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory].
“If LSU puts more guys in the box, more linebackers, maybe a nickel in the box, then that’s when you open up the passing game. You really just have to take what the defense gives you… I think there’s a very obvious blueprint.”
What’s your score prediction?
“I’m gonna go 24-21 South Carolina. I think there will be offense, but not a lot. I think South Carolina can steal one.”
