Welcome everyone to another edition of #4Downs!
1st Down: Harris got his groove back
After having less than stellar games under center the last few weeks, Brandon Harris proved that he can come through with the passing game in a big game situation. The sophomore quarterback went 18-for-28 for 228 yards and two scores, the longest of which was a 61-yard pass to Travin Dural. This is something that I’ve harped on for weeks that in order for the Tigers to be considered true contenders for the SEC Championship and part of the College Football Playoff is that Harris needs to be able to throw the ball and be efficient. This was one of those games where everything was clicking for Harris and this could be a huge confidence booster for him as they begin heading into the meat and potatoes of their conference schedule
2nd Down: Fournette didn’t lead the Tigers in rushing?
I don’t think anyone really expected this, but Fournette did not do all of the things that Fournette normally does. But he continued his road to the Heisman with a quiet performance of 158 yards on 20 carries and an 80-yard dash to the endzone on the second play of the second half. But the bigger story coming out of the game in terms of the running game was freshman Derrius Guice. Guice had a stellar performance, outperforming Fournette with 161 yards on 16 carries and a score. The freshman running back came into LSU with a lot of hype, and much like Fournette, he is living up to it.
3rd Down: Special Teams are Major Issue
It felt like the Tigers were performing extremely well on all phases, except on special teams, most glaring of which is on kickoffs. Trent Domingue in his first three kickoffs of the second half had kicks of 32,36, and 26 yards. Obviously, this gave the Gamecocks ideal field position, which is probably one of the biggest reasons why the final score was fairly close.
4th Down: Stay Classy LSU
Everything that LSU did to help accommodate South Carolina was exactly what needed to be done and should be commended. The university even went so far as to put Williams-Brice Stadium (Tiger Stadium Edition) on the press box labels. But the bigger thing that deserves a lot of props is what Fournette stating that he wants to auction his game jersey and all proceeds will go to South Carolina. At first, the NCAA stated that it would be considered an academic violation. Now I could go into a whole rant about why this was one of those rash decisions that was uncalled for considering the facts. That’s for another day. But thankfully the NCAA is allowing the auction to happen. Not only is Fournette one of the best players in the nation, but in a sports world that is dominated by stories of players being arrested, he is one of the best overall people in the world of college football.
-Clint Domingue