Recap: So Carolina vs. L-S-U
Sports Network | October 18, 2008
Columbia, SC (Sports Network) - Charles Scott scored two rushing touchdowns and Andrew Hatch threw for another as the 13th-ranked LSU Tigers survived the gritty South Carolina Gamecocks with a 24-17 victory at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Scott scored the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth and racked up 61 yards on 16 carries while Keiland Williams garnered 72 yards on 15 carries. Hatch completed only 2-of-3 passes in limited action, but came up with the game-tying TD pass late in the third quarter to Richard Dickson.
Jarrett Lee started under center and hit on 16-of-26 pass attempts for 189 yards with one interception. Brandon LaFell caught four balls for 55 yards and Demetrius Byrd hauled in three balls for 65 yards for the Tigers (5-1, 3-1), who were fresh off their first loss of the season, a thorough 51-21 beating by the Florida Gators.
Stephen Garcia, the redshirt freshman, made his first start for the Gamecocks and was poised in throwing for 215 yards and a score on 14-of-26 pass attempts but did toss a costly pick late in the game after LSU took the lead.
Mike Davis scored on the ground but gained only 23 yards for a Gamecock running game that was held to 39 yards rushing. Kenny McKinley had four receptions for 77 yards and Jared Cook caught five balls for 74 yards for South Carolina (6-2, 2-3), which had won four consecutive decisions since losing two of three outings to open the season.
Garcia replaced ineffective starter Chris Smelley, who started last week's win over Kentucky but completed just 9-of-23 passes for 105 yards with two interceptions.
After the Tigers evened the score at 17-17 late in the third, LSU embarked on a game-altering 11-play, 83-yard scoring drive that ate up 6:24 of the fourth quarter clock.
Lee hit LaFell for 16 yards right out of the gate and later connected with Byrd for 36 yards to move to the Gamecock 20. Scott gained six yards on 3rd- and-1 and when faced with a 3rd-and-goal on the next series, Scott got a tough two yards to find the end zone and give LSU the 24-17 lead.
The drive left South Carolina 4:16 with which to work but on 2nd-and-15, Garcia threw into the arms of a waiting Curtis Taylor and the Tigers took over at the Gamecock 42 with less than four minutes remaining.
A ground game that gained 164 yards on the evening allowed LSU to gain four vital first downs while South Carolina burned all three of its timeouts and the clock expired on 4th-and-goal from the Gamecock six.
