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Matchups to Watch: LSU at South Carolina

Sep 11, 2024 | 4:49 PM

By Hunt Palmer

The Tigers fire up Southeastern Conference play Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium.

It’s a huge game for both teams. Shane Beamer’s program is looking to rebound from a grossly disappointing 5-7 year in 2023. The Gamecocks looked as though they might have been turning a corner late in 2022 with wins over Top 10 Tennessee and Clemson. With Spencer Rattler coming back, expectations were high in 2023. They weren’t met.

After an uninspiring effort against Old Dominion, the Gamecocks came alive in Lexington last week, crushing Kentucky in every phase. Now ESPN’s College Gameday is coming to town for the first time in a decade. LSU hasn’t been to Columbia since 2008. Sandstorm will be played, and a win would create some serious momentum for Beamer’s boys.

For LSU, it’s less about building momentum and more about avoiding crushing disappointment. A second loss in September really sullies the last 10 weeks of the year. A win likely allows the Tigers to get to the first open date with all goals on the table and Ole Miss coming in for a Saturday Night in Death Valley.

So, what decides the game? Here are three matchups that just might.

South Carolina Punter Kai Kroeger vs. LSU Returner Zavion Thomas

Where else would we start with a Beamer-coached team? Punting! Kai Kroeger was a First-Team All-American in 2022. He led the SEC in punting average and ranked fifth in the country at 46.1 yards per punt. He’s got a rocket of a leg. Entering the game, he’s the reigning SEC Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts at….wait for it…Kroger Field. Of course. He had four kicks fly over 50 yards. That’s a really good thing as long as your coverage team can pay it off. That was the case against Kentucky. The ‘Cats only managed 20 return yards on 3 tries.

Enter Zavion Thomas. Thomas housed a kick return and a punt return while at Mississippi State. He came close to doing it against Southern Cal in the opener. At some point, Thomas is going to bust one. One of those 55+ yard bombs may give him an opportunity at a game-changing play. Last year the Tigers only returned seven punts on the season. This year, Thomas’s play-making ability should elevate that number quite a bit.

South Carolina Defensive Ends Dylan Stewart and Kyle Kennard vs. LSU’s Tackles Will Campbell and Emery Jones

These four dudes can really play. Stewart and Kennard have combined for six sacks in two games. They’re the reason South Carolina is second in the country in sacks.

Stewart, a true freshman, is the best edge recruit South Carolina has inked since Jadeveon Clowney. He’s 6-foot-6  and bends exceptionally well. At one point Kentucky tried to block him with three linemen, and he still forced a tackle for loss. His future is exceptionally bright.

Kennard is no true freshman. He spent for years at Georgia Tech, and he’ll finish his collegiate career a Gamecock. He led Georgia Tech in sacks (6.0) and tackles for loss (11) last season. He leads Carolina in both stats this year.

Campbell and Jones are the best pass blocking tackle duo in the country. LSU has thrown the ball all over the place for two weeks, and Garrett Nussmeier hasn’t been sacked.

If the past two seasons are any indication, LSU will trust Campbell and Jones to play this game one-on-one. That’s probably just how South Carolina likes it. If the Gamecock pass rush isn’t effective, the Tiger receivers will probably tear it up in space down the field. If Carolina is able to create pressures, LSU might not have a running game to fall back on to keep the defense honest.

Both coaching staffs likely feel confident about their side of things here, and it could swing the pendulum one way or another.

South Carolina’s Backfield of LaNorris Sellers and Raheim Sanders vs. LSU Linebackers Greg Penn, Whit Weeks and Harold Perkins

South Carolina wants to run the football. In two games, quarterback LaNorris Sellers has 30 rushes and 37 pass attempts. Sellers ran the ball 22 times against Old Dominion. He’s 6-foot-3, 242lbs. and can move.

Rocket Sanders has been a force in the SEC for four years. This year he leads the SEC in missed tackles forced with 17. He’s not a top end speed back, but he’s tough to get on the ground.

All indications are that LSU is going to play three linebackers a lot in this game. Greg Penn, Whit Weeks and Harold Perkins will have the task of keeping this backfield in check.

Brian Kelly called Weeks LSU’s “top performer” through two games. He and Penn may man the middle to allow Perkins to rush off the edge and spy sellers like he did Bryce Young (Alabama) and Malik Hornsby (Arkansas) in 2022. Hornsby’s running back that day? Rocket Sanders.

Although LSU’s secondary has its issues, it’s unlikely Sellers can win the game relying heavily on the passing game. If the LSU linebackers can read the Gamecock option game and create some negative plays, the Tigers will be in business. If not, cue the Sandstorm.

 

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