Gamecock Central breaks down the plays, players, and burning question from the loss to LSU.

On 2nd and 15 from the LSU 36, trailing 17-7 and needing a score to keep pace, Collin Hill dropped back. He had held the ball, then tried to step up, but stepped into a sack. While Hill was being sacked, there was a pair of receivers running wide open down the field, at least one who had a clear path to the end zone. Whether Hill didn’t see them, needed another second to throw, or was hesitant to pull the trigger, the result was an explosive play that became a negative play. South Carolina had to settle for a 54-yard field goal, which Parker White missed, but the missed opportunity in the passing game was something that would plague the Gamecocks all night.

Pick Six

Jalen Brooks was running a slant, but broke it off. Hill threw it anyway. Eli Ricks picked off the pass and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown. There was plenty of blame to go around - Brooks stopping his route when it was covered, Hill never looking off Brooks and throwing the pass even though it never had a chance. Up to that point, South Carolina had been hanging around, within striking distance, but the score put LSU up 31-10 at halftime.

Palmer’s kick return

The Gamecocks scored on the opening drive of the third quarter to make it a two-score game, and there was a glimmer of hope. It vanished when Trey Palmer bobbled the ensuing kickoff. The time it took him to bobble and then pick up the football was enough to get the Gamecock coverage out of position. Palmer was able to split the bunched up defenders, and then he only had to outrun kicker Mitch Jeter to the end zone. The score put the Tigers back up 21 and deflated the Gamecocks.

Two Game Balls

Kevin Harris

Harris had 126 yards rushing on just 12 carries. He had runs of 45 and 49 yards, scored two touchdowns, and caught two passes for 13 yards. About the only bad thing you can say about Harris’ game was that he didn’t get the ball enough.

Ernest Jones

Jones finished with 19 tackles, including eight solo and a half-tackle for a loss. Granted, a lot of those tackles were due to a lack of help from other players, but to put it in perspective, one out of every four LSU plays ended with a tackle by Ernest Jones.

One Burning Question

Is Collin Hill still the quarterback?

There were a lot of issues Saturday, but Hill’s play was the most glaring. He went just 12-22 for 234 yards while taking five sacks, many of which were his fault. This was against a defense that was allowing 380 yards passing per game. It wasn’t a case of the LSU defense suddenly figuring things out or bad playcalling by South Carolina - South Carolina had receivers running open in the secondary all game and Harris and Deshaun Fenwick combined for 175 yards rushing (and 9.2 yards per carry). Hill just didn’t get the ball where it needed to be. South Carolina was able to manage Hill’s lack of a vertical passing game for four games, but it was on borrowed time.

From LSU’s perspective, the game played out exactly how you’d expect: a shootout. Hill can manage a game and get the offense into the right plays, but he can’t hold his own in a shootout. His best deep throw is underthrowing an open receiver and letting the defenders overrun the play for pass interference. In college football in 2020, you have to have to be able to stretch the field. Surprisingly, Hill played the whole game, despite it being a blowout by the fourth quarter. True freshman Luke Doty got one snap as wildcat quarterback, but neither he or Ryan Hilinski got any real playing time.

After five games, Hill has been solid but it’s clear that there is a ceiling with him. Are the Gamecocks going to continue to try to manage his limitations or is it time to give Hilinski or Doty a shot? Will Muschamp was non-committal after the game, but that isn’t surprising. With a bye week before the next game against Texas A&M, now would be the time to make a change.