| Lafayette Daily Advertiser
BATON ROUGE – LSU has a new quarterback – for now – and a new season.
The Tigers played their best game of the season behind true defender TJ Finley and a newborn defense to beat South Carolina 52-24, ahead of 21,855 on a wild Saturday night at Tiger Stadium.
LSU (2-2) now has hope for a good season after all. The Tigers will be in Auburn (3-2) at 2:30 pm Saturday on CBS, then they will have an open date before hosting No. 2 Alabama (5-0) on November 14 at 5 pm on CBS. Auburn defeated Ole Miss, 35-28, on Saturday.
LSU avoided its first 1-3 game since 1994.
Finley, throwing the ball with alarming accuracy and ease, completed 17 of 21 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns for the Tigers with an interception. He played his first game in college because regular junior quarterback Myles Brennan was left out with an abdominal injury.
The LSU defense, which entered game No. 12 at the Southeast Conference and No. 73 in the country with 494.7 yards allowed a game, limited South Carolina to 403 yards with 169 on the ground.
And the Tigers did it with skill, as Trey Palmer returned a 93-yard kickoff for a touchdown in the third quarter with a 38-17 lead. Before that, true freshman cornerback Elias Ricks returned a 45-yard interception for a touchdown and a 31-10 lead at the end of the second quarter.
The Tigers also won a regular season game with a real starter as a defender for the first time since Herb Tyler completed 13 of 23 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-9 victory over Ole Miss on November 11, 1995, at Tiger Stadium.
LSU improved to 4-3 all the time, with real first year defenders. The previous six follow with approval statistics:
- Brandon Harris, 3 from 14 to 58 yards, losing 41-7 at Auburn, October 5, 2014.
- Anthony Jennings, 7 from 19 to 82 yards with an interception in a 21-14 victory over Iowa at the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida on January 1, 2014.
- Jordan Jefferson, 9 of 21 for 143 yards and two touchdowns on 31-30 defeat in Arkansas at Little Rock on November 28, 2008.
- Herb Tyler, 13 from 23 to 190 yards and two touchdowns in the 38-9 victory over Ole Miss at Tiger Stadium on November 11, 1995.
- Jamie Howard, 7 of 17 to 86 yards in the 17-14 loss to Colorado State at Tiger Stadium on September 26, 1992.
- Steve Ensminger (now LSU’s offensive coordinator), 5 from 8 to 56 yards in the 17-7 victory over Tulane at Tiger Stadium on 20 November 1976.
Here are five lessons from LSU’s victory over South Carolina:
LSU freshman flinger
Tyler Jamal Finley completed five of his first seven passes for 60 yards, directing the Tigers to a 10-7 lead in the first quarter and went 14 out of 18 in the first half to 216 yards and two touchdowns, while LSU led by 31-10. He intercepted, but wide receiver Jaray Jenkins may have interrupted his route too early in the play.
Finley throws him effortlessly and usually has surgical precision. He also has an extremely quick release because his arm is strong enough that he doesn’t always need to prepare and wind up.
Brennan was dressed, but he didn’t warm up before the game or the game. He should be ready for Auburn next week, but given Finley’s appearance, coach Ed Orgeron won’t have to rush Brennan back. Unless Brennan decides to run back.
LSU Defense arrives for 2020 season
First-year defensive coordinator Bo Pelini can breathe easy. His defense played well for the first time in the entire season – excluding Vanderbilt’s game – and even forced a three and three punt in the first half.
There is hope.
Old School ruled
LSU ran the ball in 13 of his initial 16-game campaign that covered 75 yards for a 7-0 lead with 7:34 for the first quarter. Of the 75 yards, 56 reached the ground. Tailback John Emery ran four times for 35 yards, cutting Gamecocks in a 14-yard run in the middle and a 9-yard run.
The 75-yard trip took half the quarter at 7:26. This can help a true freshman defender and a defender who played as if he had never played in college before.
Emery finished 88 yards on 18 loads, while Tyrion Davis-Price led LSU with 135 yards on 22 loads.
Terrace Marshall Jr.
Wide receivers like Terrace Marshall Jr. can help a true freshman quarterback. Marshall took Finley’s short pass in the middle and turned it into a 51-yard touchdown for a 24-10 lead with 3:43 to play in the second quarter. Marshall also took a 7-yard touchdown pass and ended up with six receptions for 88 yards.
Finally, a happy return home
Trey Palmer’s 93-yard early comeback for a touchdown and a 38-17 LSU lead in the third quarter was LSU’s first initial comeback for a touchdown at Tiger Stadium in nearly 40 years. Eric Martin returned the previous one for a touchdown – 100 yards in a 24-10 victory over Kentucky on October 17, 1981.