The South Carolina football team is coming off its fourth-straight win against Kentucky and is heading into a match-up against the No. 11 LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The Daily Gamecock spoke with Chloe Richmond, the sports editor for The Reveille, to learn more about the upcoming match-up. The two teams are set to face off at 7:45 p.m. at Tiger Stadium. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.
The Daily Gamecock: The Tigers are ranked No. 11 coming into this game. How are you feeling about the season so far?
Richmond: “Obviously, (they) started the season on a pretty high note. Everyone had eyes on the Tigers when they went to go play Clemson. And that was definitely a big deal when (they) pulled off that win because LSU hadn't started 1-0 in four or five years. So I think everybody in the LSU community had really high expectations moving forward.”
“But now at this point, obviously (they) lost to Ole Miss last week, which was kind of a disappointing road loss. And (they) haven't been able to get over that hump. (They) haven't beaten Ole Miss on the road in a while. So that was kind of an unsettling loss. It left a pretty bad taste in a lot of our mouths over here at LSU because we know that our team is capable of more, and it just feels like (they) have all the pieces, but (they're) kind of failing to deliver in a sense, so there's definitely some things that (they're) missing out on the field that we're kind of hoping we can see against South Carolina.”
Last year, junior wide receiver Aaron Anderson had 96 yards in the game, and senior quarterback Garrett Nussmeier threw for two touchdowns as well. How does that duo and their chemistry look so far this season?
“Aaron Anderson has definitely stepped up to be (their) go-to for sure. I know within the recent games, Garrett Nussmeier has been trying to find him on the field, and he is definitely the solution that (they're) looking for in terms of run game and just in terms of being on the receiving end of the ball. (They) try to find him more often than not, and I think everybody can tell that Garrett Nussmeier likes to go for him because when in doubt, go for your good man.”
“(They've) definitely been struggling in some areas, like with the passing game. (Sophomore running back) Caden Durham was (their) lead guy. (They) would go to him a lot for the run game, but he's been out with an injury. So (they've) been relying a little bit more on those players like Aaron Anderson, so he's definitely taken a lot more responsibility as of late. And also with Garrett Nussmeier kind of being on the lower performance side of things, I can definitely tell that he's going for Aaron because Aaron is such a strong player, and he knows how to deliver in those times that (they) need him. So I'd say definitely if anything is a bright spot for LSU, it's Garrett Nussmeier and Aaron Anderson.”
Who are some other players that you think could have an impact in Saturday’s game?
"(Sophomore tight end) Trey’Dez (Green) played really well against Clemson, and we've kind of been missing him lately because he went down with an injury, I believe, in the Florida game ... He didn't play in a game or two, but he's 6 feet 7. He's a tight end that has recently stepped up, and we definitely get a bunch of different looks from him because of his presence on the field … I definitely expect Trey’Dez Green to step up and be a good option for Nussmeier on the field.”
What does LSU have to do to win this game?
“If LSU needs to do anything, it's run the ball. That has been a big thing this season. You can go look at (head coach) Brian Kelly press conferences or Joe Sloan, our offensive coordinator. Nine times out of 10, they say that (they) need to work on the run game ... We were definitely expecting to see an improvement in the run game because it's been something that they've been focusing on a lot in the offseason. And (they) struggled a lot last year with the run game, but it seems like (they've) kind of been stalling a little bit”
“Hopefully, with the people stepping up, like (freshman running back) Harlem Berry, (sophomore quarterback) Ju’Juan Johnson, and then we have Aaron Anderson and also (senior wide receiver) Barion Brown. He's been a really good receiver for (them) and has played a bunch of parts in the run game. It's definitely something (they) need to lean on because to crack a defense, you need to be able to run the ball, and that opens up a bunch of opportunities for receiving and just being able to throw the ball down the field. If (they) open that up for all of (their) receivers, I think (they) would have a much better well-balanced offense.”
What do you think the impact of playing at home will be on this game?
“It's going to be incredible. The energy in Death Valley and Tiger Stadium: it's one of a kind. I've been to other stadiums, and I've watched other games and other teams, and it's great. The environment is always great, no matter where you go to play. But at LSU, it just feels like every single fan is so dialed in, and they're riding so hard for the LSU Tigers that everyone in that stadium wants to see their Tigers perform well.”
“The energy on game day: you wake up on Saturday mornings, and you know that there's something in the air, ... with it being a later game too, like our kickoff is at night ... Brian Kelly recently said … (they) were 17-1 at night in Death Valley. It's a big deal for LSU, and it definitely contributes to (their) success, so the fans definitely will play a big role in this, and I expect it to be an electric environment for sure.”
Is there anything else you’d like to note about the game?
“To add on to the other question that you asked about ... what LSU needs to do to pull out a win here, a big thing definitely that I'll be watching during the game is how Garrett Nussmeier performs. Because Garrett Nussmeier, according to Brian Kelly, has been dealing with a torso injury, which has kind of limited his ability to push the ball down the field. So that makes it a struggle for receivers like Aaron and Barion Brown. It causes a struggle for (them) to make plays like that. And in turn, because (they) can't make plays like that, (they) can't really open up the run game or establish run routes. And it's just an all-around cause-and-effect type of thing. So it all starts with Nussmeier.”
“I know that (they're) coming off a bye week, so (they're) well-rested, and (they're) well-trained. (They) did have to sit with the loss to Ole Miss in the bye week, which, honestly, I see that as a good thing because the loss was kind of a wake-up call. I think everyone kind of knew that LSU was underwhelming, in the sense that they weren't playing as a No. 4 team because I'm pretty sure that was (their) ranking when (they) faced Ole Miss. And to be a top five team, (they) need someone leading the offense with more confidence and more agility and just more of an ability to make those plays and make those decisions.”
What’s your score prediction for the game?
“This is a tough one. So we do weekly score predictions … and I have been dead wrong so bad. I always say this, but I definitely see a low-scoring game because, although (their) offense, yes, it is struggling, (their) defense has been the brightest spot for (them). (Their) defense has been able to hold off (their) opponents, and that gives (their) offense an opportunity to get those points for (them).”
“I'll go 28-21. And 28-21 LSU winning is how I see it. So hopefully that comes to fruition, but we'll see you on the field.”