South Carolina Falls Short at LSU, 24-10: Costly Penalties, Missed Chances, and Turnovers Define Tough Road Loss
South Carolina’s return from its bye week didn’t go as planned, as the Gamecocks fell 24–10 to No. 11 LSU in Baton Rouge. Despite being within striking distance for most of the night, missed opportunities and critical penalties proved costly once again for Shane Beamer’s squad.
The defeat marked South Carolina’s eighth straight loss to LSU, a drought dating back to 1994 when the Gamecocks last beat the Tigers, 18–17. Though LSU’s 2012 and 2015 wins were later vacated by the NCAA, the dominance has remained intact since a 20–20 tie in 1995.
“We’re a good, really good team,” defensive back Peyton Williams said. “We’ve got to go out there and continue to put the ball down.”
Early Momentum and Missed Chances
South Carolina’s defense opened strong, forcing another LSU three-and-out — continuing the Tigers’ season-long trend of failing to score on opening drives. But disaster struck immediately for the Gamecocks’ offense when center Rodney Newsom Jr. fumbled the first snap, gifting LSU prime field position. The Tigers capitalized with a 27-yard field goal to go up 3–0.
By late in the first quarter, South Carolina trailed 10–0 — but a wild sequence flipped the script. LSU fumbled at its own goal line, giving the Gamecocks new life. Just two plays later, Matthew Fuller broke loose for a 72-yard touchdown run, electrifying the sideline and cutting the deficit to 7–3.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a gift,” Beamer said of the defensive takeaways. “We worked the hell out of it. We showed our players those exact plays. Arkansas lost a game to Memphis two weeks ago in a similar scenario. We showed them that the other night.”
Penalties and Pressure Mount
While the defense continued to force turnovers, penalties again haunted South Carolina. The Gamecocks were flagged six times for 40 yards in the first half, with four of those coming on offensive formation errors.
“It’s super frustrating,” quarterback LaNorris Sellers said. “We’d be driving the ball, get to the red zone or get a chance to score, then somebody gets a penalty. It’s just something we’ve got to continue to work on and get better at.”
LSU regained the lead in the second quarter when Garrett Nussmeier found Trey’Dez Green for a six-yard touchdown, putting the Tigers up 10–7. From there, both teams traded punts and turnovers until halftime.
Second Half Struggles
South Carolina briefly tied things at 10 with a 47-yard field goal from Alex Joyce, who redeemed an earlier miss. However, LSU answered almost immediately as Nussmeier connected with Kyle Parker for a 43-yard touchdown to reclaim the lead.
Green continued to dominate the Gamecocks’ secondary, finishing with eight receptions for 119 yards. Despite multiple red-zone turnovers forced by the defense, South Carolina’s offense failed to capitalize, including a 13-play drive that ended with a punt deep in its own territory.
Beamer Backs Sellers Amid Challenges
Sellers finished 15-of-27 for 124 yards with one interception. Beamer praised his quarterback’s toughness despite heavy pressure and multiple injuries along the offensive line.
“He battled his rear end off,” Beamer said. “We had some injuries, and he was under pressure. But he gave us an opportunity to win.”
Still, Beamer admitted Sellers must improve in avoiding intentional grounding penalties — both of which killed third-down opportunities. “If we’re going to throw it away, we’ve got to get out of the pocket,” Beamer said.
Sellers acknowledged LSU’s defensive strategy caused confusion. “It’s just a mix of everything,” he said. “They may bring a pressure we didn’t see — kudos to them, they dialed some stuff up.”
Late Collapse
With just over five minutes left, South Carolina turned the ball over on downs inside LSU territory, missing its final chance to rally. The Tigers added a field goal on the next drive to make it a two-score game, sealing the 24–10 win.
“We always prepare to come out here to win,” DQ Smith said postgame. “It’s a team game. We’ve got to be better on offense.”
Despite flashes of resilience and multiple defensive takeaways, the Gamecocks left Death Valley still searching for consistency — and their first win over LSU in more than three decades.
