Three Observations From LSU Football's Week 7 Victory Over South Carolina

No. 11 LSU (5-1, 2-1 SEC) survived at home on Saturday night after taking down the South Carolina Gamecocks 20-10 at Tiger Stadium.

Behind a strong performance from tight end Trey'Dez Green, the Bayou Bengals are back in the win column after advancing to 5-1 across the first six games of the season.

"I was pleased with some things that we did that we have not been doing. We ran the ball with more effectiveness and got the ball to Trey’Dez Green," Brian Kelly said. "I was pleased about that.”

“But, certainly, you can’t get down on the one-yard line three times and come up with three points. And I think we all know that. But what I loved was our compete. I loved the way our guys competed for four quarters; our fans stayed in there with us.

"Look, it is what it is. Find a way to win, and tonight we found a way to win, even though we had some mistakes out there that could, at some time, be catastrophic, and we’re going to have to eliminate them. But, the bottom line is, I’m glad the way the kids competed today.”

What were the takeaways from Saturday night in Tiger Stadium?

No. 1: Trey'Dez Green Has Arrived

LSU tight end Trey'Dez Green entered the 2025 season with significant hype after capping off his true freshman campaign in 2024 with a big-time performance against Baylor in the bowl game.

Green was limited to open the season with the play-calling not working in his favor after having his number called on limited occasions along with an MCL sprain in his knee.

Now, with the former five-star tight end back to 100 percent, he's arrived for the Bayou Bengals with his "coming out party" occurring on Saturday night in Baton Rouge.

There's rapport being developed between Green and LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier where the two put it on full display in Week 7.

The 6-foot-7, 245-pounder logged eight receptions for 119 yards and one touchdown to lift the Tigers to a win.

"He's a mismatch, right? You can throw fade balls to him. He can catch the ball in quick game. He's just a unique talent, and we need to continue to feature him in our offense. He’s got to be part of it,” Kelly said on Saturday.

No. 2: Self-Inflicted Wounds

With an opportunity to make a statement and reignite the program's National Championship odds, it was another rollercoaster performance from No. 11 LSU in Baton Rouge.

The Tigers' self-inflicted wounds continued keeping South Carolina alive on Saturday night with the Bayou Bengals turning the ball over twice from inside the 10-yard line.

On the third drive of the game with an opportunity to extend the lead to 10-0, LSU running back Ju'Juan Johnson took a carry from the two-yard line that resulted in a fumble - shifting the momentum.

But it didn't stop there with a pair of untimely interceptions from signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier - one in the second quarter and one in the third.

After back-to-back 20-yard rushing attempts from the offense, LSU cruised inside the South Carolina 10-yard line with an opportunity to make it a two-score game in Baton Rouge, but a costly turnover once again flipped the momentum.

LSU ended the night going 2-for-4 in the red-zone with self-inflicted wounds becoming a glaring issue offensively.

LSU Tigers Football: Harold Perkins. — Courtesy of LSU Tigers Football.

No. 3: Defense Gets The Job Done

Shane Beamer and the South Carolina Gamecocks entered Saturday night's matchup sitting at No. 16 in the Southeastern Conference in rushing.

A program that sits dead last in the SEC on the ground quickly flipped the script in Tiger Stadium after getting it done in the run-game.

The Gamecocks tallied 200 rushing yards on 43 attempts [4.7 yards per carry] to keep the offense alive in Baton Rouge.

South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers went 13-for-25 through the air for 124 passing yards with the Gamecocks relying on the run-game to keep the offense afloat.

For LSU, it wasn't perfect by any means, but to limit the Gamecocks to 124 passing yards and force the unit to be one dimensional set the tone.

This was a straightforward task for defensive coordinator Blake Baker with his unit answering the call to close out the game.

Again, it wasn't pretty, but the LSU defense is an elite unit that played their best down the stretch to keep the Bayou Bengals out front.

No. 11 LSU will return to action on Saturday against the Vanderbilt Commodores with kickoff set for 11 a.m. CT in Nashville.

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