LSU went on the road in week three and squeaked out a win in South Carolina. It wasn’t a smooth ride, but playing on the road in this conference is tough. Look no further than No. 1 Georgia struggled at Kentucky for more evidence of that.
The Tigers are now 2-1 on the year and 1-0 in conference play. A loss would have all but ended LSU’s playoff hopes. Now, LSU gets to return home for a couple of weeks before the schedule heats up again.
LSU gets UCLA in Week 4 followed by South Alabama in Week 5. The Tigers should be heavy favorites in both contests. That’s a relief for a team still figuring some things out.
LSU looked to be a sinking ship early on against South Carolina. The Gamecocks led 17-0 early in the first quarter, but LSU weathered the storm and took control of momentum heading into halftime.
It was a game full of mistakes, but it’s hard to be displeased with LSU fighting to get a close win.
Here are five stats that tell the story of LSU’s win over South Carolina.
South Carolina’s -0.49 EPA/drop back
The passing game isn’t South Carolina’s strong suit. But at points over the last two years, LSU’s secondary was just what a struggling air attack wanted to see.
That wasn’t the case on Saturday as LSU took care of business on the back end. Whether it was LaNorris Sellers or Robby Ashford, neither Gamecock QB threatened with their arm.
South Carolina completed 11 passes for 114 yards on the day. Sellers and Ashford both posted negative EPA totals, according to GameOnPaper.com.
It was a win for LSU’s young secondary.
LSU’s explosive play rate: 10%
LSU’s offense was efficient the first two weeks, but it lacked an explosiveness element. The Tigers took a step forward in that department on Saturday.
LSU posted an explosive play rate of 10% against South Carolina, putting the Tigers in the 70th percentile.
It was a balanced attack with four big plays through the air and three on the ground.
LSU’s 48% success rate on passing downs
Every offense will encounter situations where the defense knows it’s a passing situation. How those downs are handled goes a long way toward determining a football game.
LSU excelled in those spots on Saturday. On passing downs, LSU posted a success rate of 48%.
That was well above the mark of 26% put up by South Carolina. This is a positive indicator for LSU’s improving passing attack.
11 havoc plays
South Carolina was ripping LSU apart on the ground. The defense needed some big plays to make up for it.
LSU got them, coming up with 11 havoc plays for a havoc rate of 18%. That put LSU in the 91st percentile.
The LSU defense generated nine tackles for loss and five sacks. LSU DE Bradyn Swinson led the charge and was a factor in the backfield all day.
Early in the game, cornerback Zy Alexander came up with a key interception that helped slow the Gamecock momentum.
Caden Durham: 7 forced missed tackles
LSU running back Caden Durham forced seven missed tackles on just 11 carries. That mark ranked third among SEC rushers in week three. The only two players with more both carried it 20+ times.
Durham injected life into a struggling LSU rushing attack. Four of those 11 carries were 10+ yards and Durham averaged 8.9 yards per carry. When giving Durham the game ball, Brian Kelly said “You gotta break some tackles.”
Durham did just that and averaged 4.55 yards after contact per carry.
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