Position-by-position edge: LSU at South Carolina
Taking a position-by-position look at No. 7 LSU at South Carolina, here’s what to watch for in Saturday’s showdown between the Tigers and the Gamecocks:
QUARTERBACK — Push: We’ve glimpses both good and bad from both quarterbacks, which is to be expected for a pair of highly recruited athletes still very early in their collegiate careers. And we probably haven’t seen enough of either to know their true capabilities and limitations. For South Carolina’s Lorenzo Nunez, that makes sense. The true freshman has started just two games. Though a year ahead, LSU’s Brandon Harris is also something of an unknown quantity. The Tigers coaching staff has opted to keep his responsibilities to a minimum this season and lean heavily on Leonard Fournette and the running game. When called upon, Harris has shown a strong arm, but erratic accuracy — though the receivers share much of the blame for last week’s poor numbers.
Nunez is dealing with a shoulder injury, but is expected to play Saturday.
RUNNING BACKS — LSU: Fournette is the obvious headliner, but the Tigers have depth behind the nation’s leading rusher, as well. Sophomore Darrel Williams is a solid backup, averaging more than 5 yards per carry, and true freshman Derrius Guice has shown big-time ability in his limited chances.
South Carolina’s top back, Brandon Wilds, has missed the last two games due to a rib injury, but is expected to play Saturday. David Williams and Shon Carson have split the running back carries in his absence, but Nunez has been the team’s most effective rusher.
WIDE RECEIVERS, TIGHT END — South Carolina: A week ago, the Tigers might get the nod here, but that was before a poor showing against Eastern Michigan that has Les Miles considering shuffling the lineup to get more production from the position. Meanwhile, the Gamecocks can rely on Pharoh Cooper, one of the conference’s most dynamic and established playmakers. Tight end Jerell Adams has also been a consistent target for South Carolina with three receptions in three of the last four games.
OFFENSIVE LINE — LSU: Fournette could make lesser lines look pretty good, but he’s not racking up all those yards on his own. Led by senior right tackle Vadal Alexander, the Tigers are talented up front, but have had some issues with consistency in the last two weeks. South Carolina ranks fifth in the SEC in rushing yards per game — thanks largely to Nunez — but the Gamecocks struggled up front last week against Missouri. The Tigers had four sacks and four quarterback hurries and tallied a total of seven tackles in the South Carolina backfield.
DEFENSIVE LINE — LSU: The Tigers already have shown vast improvement over last year when it comes to pressuring opposing quarterbacks, one of the team’s biggest offseason concerns. Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux and end Lewis Neal lead the team with three sacks each, and LSU has 11 through four games — more than half of last year’s 13-game total.
South Carolina hasn’t gotten the production it needs from its front four. The Gamecocks had four sacks in a season-opening win against North Carolina, but have added just five more in the four games since then. Against the run, South Carolina is giving up nearly 5 yards per carry, putting it 13th in the conference
LINEBACKERS — Push: Skai Moore has been stellar since arriving at South Carolina. Just midway through his junior year, he has 10 career interceptions, including three this season. He’s slightly undersized for a traditional linebacker, but had 93 tackles last season and leads the team with 51 this year. T.J. Holloman missed the first two games but has since taken over a middle linebacker and adds valuable experience there.
Middle linebacker Kendell Beckwith is LSU’s leader at the position, and Deion Jones appears to be making big strides in his senior season. He leads the team in tackles with 29 — one more than Beckwith— and has a pair of interceptions.
SECONDARY — LSU: The Tigers have one of the best collections of defensive backs in the country, even if they haven’t been tested much this year. Led by safety Jamal Adams and cornerback Tre’Davious White, LSU ranks third in the conference in passing yards allowed per game.
Meanwhile, South Carolina has struggled against the pass. Some of that blame is borne by the lack of a pass rush, but the Gamecocks’ secondary has also seen better days. In three SEC games this year, opposing quarterbacks have completed 66 of 82 passes (80 percent) against South Carolina.