By Hunt Palmer
Saturday’s showdown between LSU and South Carolina features a pair of quarterbacks searching for a rhythm.
Garrett Nussmeier and LSU haven’t found the groove that made them one of the nation’s best passing attacks in 2024. LaNorris Sellers and South Carolina have struggled more mightily trying to rekindle the offense that helped them to a nine-win season.
At just 308.6 yards per game, the Gamecocks are dead last in the SEC in total offense, 23 yards behind 15th place Kentucky. The Gamecocks and Wildcats rank 92nd and 93 respectively in scoring offense nationwide.
Both LSU and South Carolina rank 87th in the country in touchdowns scored with just 16 through five games.
Still, LSU’s defense is plenty aware of the challenges Sellers and Co. present.
“Really trying to contain him because if he gets out into open space, he’s fast,” said senior edge Jimari Butler. “The big arm, really just trying to change coverages and get him confused so he holds the ball, and then the pass rush gets there.”
That has become the blueprint for defenses against the 6-foot-3, 240 pound, dynamo of a quarterback. Sellers became the SEC Freshman of the Year and set the South Carolina record for rushing yards by a quarterback last season.
He loves to get loose.
However, when contained, the sacks come. Only an anemic Oklahoma offense allowed more sacks than South Carolina last season, and the Gamecocks have allowed the most sack yardage in the SEC early on in 2025.
LSU’s pass rush hasn’t been exceptional this season, but the ingredients are there for more production. That obviously includes the front seven, but LSU’s sticky secondary plays its role, as well.
“It all plays hand in hand,” Bulter said. “On the back end, if they hold up, we can get home. Rushing, as a group, not leaving those big lanes. Because if he steps up, he’s athletic, so it’s going to be big.”
The Tiger secondary has worked for two weeks on covering wide receivers for longer periods of time down the field because of Sellers’s ability to extend plays by moving around behind the line of scrimmage with his eyes on the field.
“You’ll hear when the quarterback scrambles the coaches say ‘plaster’, so just making sure you stay with you guys if it does break down,” said senior safety AJ Haulcy. “On the back end, I don’t really know how to prevent (the scrambles) from happening, but when it does happen, just stay with your guy. Plaster him, and just know that whatever way (the quarterback) is scrambling, nine times out of 10 (the wide receiver) is going to go the way the quarterback is scrambling.”
LSU has experience with mobile quarterbacks this year. Clemson’s Cade Klubnik can move. Trinidad Chambliss at Ole Miss ran for 71 yards two weeks ago in a Rebel win.
Plus, Blake Baker has the film from a season ago when Sellers torched LSU for 88 yards and a pair of scores on the ground. He broke free for a 75-yard score on a designed run up the middle as the Tiger defense parted.
“Last year Sellers, when he was in, hurt us running the football,” said LSU head coach Brian Kelly. “First and foremost, we have to have a plan in place to stop the quarterback run, and then you’ve got to keep him in the pocket. He operates best when he’s outside the pocket. So, discipline in our pass rush lanes, having a solid scheme up front to take away the quarterback run and then let him be who he is. He’s a quarterback with great talent. He makes plays outside the pocket down the field. We’ve got to avoid the big chunk plays that are not scripted. So, he’s a major focus this week of what we’re doing.”
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