Tigers Defeat Gamecocks, 23-21

The ninth-ranked LSU Tigers captured a big SEC win on Saturday night, defeating the third-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks, 23-21, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.

LSU scored first, as Drew Alleman capped off a 16-play, 68-yard drive, that took 7:47 off the clock, with a 23-yard field goal, to make it 3-0, at the 5:32 mark of the first quarter.

South Carolina took the lead at the 14:54 mark of the second period, thanks in large part to Jimmy Legree, who intercepted a Zach Mettenberger pass, and returned it 70 yards, to the LSU 1-yard line on the second to last play of the opening quarter. Two plays later quarterback Connor Shaw hit Ace Sanders on a 2-yard touchdown pass, giving the Gamecocks a 7-3 advantage.

That lead held up throughout the remainder of the first half, and despite being out-gained in terms of total yards in the first half, 178-69, South Carolina took a 7-3 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Tigers regained the lead on their first possession of the second half, as Jeremy Hill capped off a 9-play, 69-yard drive, that took 3:47 off the clock, with a 7-yard run, making the score 10-7, LSU, at the 11:13 mark of the third quarter. It was was the first touchdown for the Tigers in more than nine quarters of SEC action.

The Gamecocks grabbed the lead back, 14-10, later in the third quarter when running back Marcus Lattimore scored on a 2-yard run, capping off a 5-play, 54-yard drive, at the 5:11 mark of the third quarter.

LSU cut the South Carolina lead to 14-13, at the 10:17 mark of the fourth quarter, when Alleman hit his second field goal of the game, this one from 20 yards out, capping off a 15-play, 76 yard drive.

On South Carolina's very next possession, LSU safety Eric Reid intercepted a Shaw pass attempt, giving the Tigers the football at the Gamecocks' 22-yard line.

The Tigers took advantage, when five plays later, Alleman hit a 22-yard field goal, his third of the game, giving them a 16-14 lead at the 6:37 mark of the game.

LSU put the game away at the 5:03 mark, when Hill, the freshman running back, sprinted in from 50 yards out, making the score 23-14.

South Carolina scored the final points of the game at the 1:41 mark of the game, as Shaw hit Bruce Ellington with a 1-yard pass, to cut the LSU lead to 23-21.

The Gamecocks failed to recover an attempted on-side kick, and the Tigers went on to hold on for the two-point win, extending the nation's longest home win streak to 22 games.

LSU out-gained South Carolina, in terms of total yardage, 406-211, including a 258-34 advantage on the ground.

Leading the way for the Tigers was Hill, who rushed for 124 yards, and two touchdowns, on 17 carries.

With the win, LSU improved to 6-1 overall, and 2-1 in SEC play, while South Carolina fell from the ranks of the unbeaten, dropping to 6-1, and 4-1, respectively.

View the game box score.