South Carolina Football: 3 quick thoughts from Week 8 LSU beatdown

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Oct 24, 2020; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Collin Hill (15) throws against the LSU Tigers during the second half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

2. The offense regressed

The offensive line struggled in the first two games of the season but showed improvement and growth in the next two weeks, so it was a safe presumption the Gamecocks would keep improving and put up the best offensive numbers to this point.

I predicted the offense would have its best game of the season due to many factors. Collin Hill’s consistency, pass protection keeping him from getting sacked, Kevin Harris being a reliable go-to for rushes and Jaylen Brooks finally being cleared for immediate eligibility. I was wrong.

Hill recorded 12-of-22 completions for 234 yards, one touchdown, and one interception for a 149.8 rating, but this was the worst performance in his time with the Gamecocks. He recorded a 54.5 percent completion rate, which was his lowest of the year. He was also sacked five times. Hill had been sacked four times the first two games, two the next week, and just one-time last week, but this week he couldn’t and didn’t get the ball off before he was sacked time after time.

Harris was the team’s saving grace when it came to putting touchdowns on the books. Of the three touchdowns scored, Harris scored two on the ground and led the team with 12 carries for 126 yards. The third touchdown came from a completed pass between Hill and Josh Vann, his first of the season.

Both teams put up great offensive numbers for the game. South Carolina put up 403 total yards, 234 passing yards, and 169 rushing yards while LSU posted 541 total yards, pretty evenly split up between the passing and rushing — 265 and 276, respectively.

Yet, as the score reflects, only one team capitalized on the offensive yards, LSU.