South Carolina enters this Saturday’s SEC showdown at LSU as a clear underdog, opening as a 10.5-point road underdog according to BetMGM’s early line, with the over/under set at 44.5.
Both the Gamecocks and the Tigers had a bye last week and are gearing up for a 7:45 p.m. ET kickoff in Baton Rouge, with coverage on the SEC Network.
This matchup carries extra weight for South Carolina, which is eyeing redemption after last season’s heartbreak. The Gamecocks fell 36-33 to LSU in a controversial finish at Williams-Brice Stadium. A pivotal moment came late in the fourth quarter when Nick Emmanwori’s 100-yard pick-six was wiped off the board due to an unnecessary roughness penalty on Kyle Kennard for a shove on LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.
Had the flag not been thrown, Emmanwori’s return would have given South Carolina a 10-point cushion with under six minutes left. Instead, LSU rallied for a go-ahead touchdown with just 72 seconds remaining, and South Carolina’s Alex Herrera missed a potential game-tying field goal as time expired.
Saturday’s contest will mark South Carolina’s first trip to Tiger Stadium since 2020, a game LSU dominated 52-24. The Gamecocks have only two wins in series history and haven’t beaten LSU since 1994.
The Tigers (4-1, 1-1 SEC) opened the year strong with four straight victories, highlighted by a season-opening upset over then-No. 4 Clemson, followed by wins over Louisiana Tech, Florida, and Southeastern Louisiana. Their momentum hit a snag, however, in a 24-19 road loss at Ole Miss, where the offense sputtered at key moments.
Meanwhile, South Carolina (3-2, 1-2 SEC) is coming off its first conference win of the season, a convincing 35-13 victory over Kentucky. The Gamecocks started the season 2-0 before suffering back-to-back losses to Vanderbilt and Missouri, and now aim to keep their momentum rolling into Baton Rouge.
