USC quarterback Miller Moss threw an incomplete pass to Ja’Kobi Lane on first and 10 from LSU’s 17-yard line.

But a flag was thrown. Pass interference on Sage Ryan: 15-yard penalty, first and goal for the Trojans at the LSU two-yard line.

USC went on to score on the next play thanks to a two-yard run from Woody Marks, giving the Trojans a 7-0 lead to start the second quarter.

Flags being thrown against LSU was a common occurrence Sunday night in Las Vegas, so much so that 10 penalties cost the team 99 yards. Those unthinkable 10 penalties included three personal fouls.

The fact that the Tigers stayed in the game despite giving away almost the length of the field to USC spoke volumes about what LSU could’ve accomplished in a perfect scenario. 

But it also spoke volumes about how far LSU still has to go and the internal strides it would take to get there.

That starts with leadership, which appeared minimally on Sunday.

LSU tied the game at 10 with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Garrett Nussmeier to Kyren Lacy in the second quarter. However, Lacy was called for unsportsmanlike conduct because of his touchdown celebration.

Celebrations can be good for the game; they can look good on social media. But that can’t be the focal point of a team. There’s a time and a place for it, and Sunday in Las Vegas was not the time, nor the place. 

The self-inflicted damage stayed true in the fourth quarter, when LSU came up with a stop on fourth and nine to force a turnover on downs. 

After the play, though, Major Burns was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, and that put the Tigers at their own 21-yard line.

In addition to the unsportsmanlike penalties, Will Campbell was called for false starts twice, including one with just under six minutes left in the game.

PJ Woodland was also called for pass interference early in the third quarter, putting USC inside LSU’s 20-yard line. 

While Woodland made up for the error by forcing an incompletion on the next play, the Trojans still capitalized with a field goal, taking a 13-10 lead.

But the straw that broke the camels back came with 18 seconds left in the game, when Jardin Gilbert was penalized for targeting.

READ MORE: The good, the bad and the ugly: What went wrong in LSU’s season-opening loss to USC?

The call put USC inside LSU’s 15-yard line, and Marks capitalized with a 13-yard score for the Trojans. USC took a 27-20 lead and didn’t look back.

Targeting rulings can be fluid and controversial. However, it was nonetheless one of the biggest difference makers on Sunday night. 

But LSU allowed it to be. 

Without prior mistakes, mistakes that proved to be costly, and mistakes that could have been avoided, one call may not have had the value it did. One call may not have given USC the perfect window of opportunity to strike.

What went wrong wasn’t just flaws in the secondary or an inconsistent run game. 

It was something that can define a team, something that can slowly bring a team down if it continues to spread and something that can hinder a team from its full potential.

It was lack of discipline.

The way to fix that is not to play lesser teams to start the season. LSU was plenty capable of winning over USC in Las Vegas, but it allowed itself not to.

Something has got to give if LSU wants change.

Beyond Week 2, LSU will have an uphill battle to be a contender in the SEC, and Week 1 will be a time looked at as a reason why.