By Wes Mitchell
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team dropped a hard-fought 24-17 contest to the No. 13 LSU Tigers Saturday night in front of a capacity crowd at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Redshirt Freshman quarterback Stephen Garcia was efficient in his first collegiate start completing 14 of 26 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown. Garcia's performance led the Gamecocks to a 17-10 halftime lead.
But 14 unanswered LSU points in the second half ultimately landed the Gamecocks in a spot that had been many times before, reeling after a close SEC loss to a traditional SEC opponent.
The loss drops South Carolina to 5-3 (2-3 SEC) and snapped a four-game winning streak, while LSU moves to 5-1 (3-1 SEC).
LSU held South Carolina to just 42 yards and no points in the second half after the Gamecocks scored two touchdowns in the final 2:28 of the first half.
The South Carolina offensive line stuggled, allowing a season-high six sacks as the USC ground game also stumbled to just 39 yards on 31 attempts.
After trading field goals early, LSU scored the first touchdown of the game on on a 5-yard run by Charles Scott capping a 12-play, 78-yard drive that took 5:16 off the clock.
South Carolina wasted no time answering back with a quick-striking 4-play, 71 yard drive that took just 1:20. Tight end Weslye Saunders caught a Garcia pass over the middle and raced to the end zone from 26 yards out to tie the game at 10.
One play later, with the South Carolina fans still chanting from the previous touchdown, LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee made his first major mistake of the night, overthrowing his receiver right into the waiting hands of senior cornerback Carlos Thomas. The former receiver raced to the end zone, but stepped out at the eight yard line before diving into the end zone.
Four plays later Mike Davis dove in from the one on fourth down to put the Gamecocks up 17-10.
After most of what looked to be a scoreless third quarter, LSU finally tied the score at 17 with 44 seconds to go on a 7-yard throw-back pass to tight end Richard Dickson off the hand of quarterback Andrew Hatch.
LSU struck again with a Scott 2-yard touchdown run with 4:16 to go to put the Tigers up for good 24-17. The South Carolina offense got one more chance, but Garcia was picked off for the first time effectively ending any chance at a Gamecock comeback.
South Carolina will be back in action Nov. 1 at home against the Tennessee Volunteers.
