COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Garrett Nussmeier knew he had to push aside the mistakes if No. 16 LSU was going to finish a rally and win.
Nussmeier directed a final touchdown drive that ended with Josh Williams’ 2-yard score with 1:12 left as the Tigers came back from a 17-0 deficit to beat South Carolina 36-33 on Saturday.
Nussmeier had thrown an interception at the goal line the series before, the last of several miscues he and his Tiger teammates made to trail much of this one.
“You want me to worry about the interception with three minutes, 45 seconds left trying to win the game?” Nussmeier said. “No. Let’s flush it and go win the football game.”
It’s a demeanor and attitude LSU coach Brian Kelly as seen from his Tigers (2-1) as they fought back to win their Southeastern Conference opener and their eighth in a row over South Carolina (2-1, 1-1).
“So proud of the grit and the perseverance of this team,” Kelly said. “They’re not going to give up. That’s in their DNA. They’re not going to let the rope slip.”
The Tigers trailed 17-0 and were still trailing in the final two minutes when Williams took a handoff through a big hole on the left side and into the the end zone for the winning score. LSU players jumped with joy, but it was probably as much relief after trailing most of the game.
And LSU made a bunch of mistakes. Nussmeier had an interception and fumble off a bad snap. The Gamecocks blocked a punt and the Tigers failed on an extra point with another poor snap. South Carolina held LSU without points after first-and-goal two yards from the end zone in the third quarter.
“It’s not perfect by any means. But it’s early in the season,” Kelly said.
Nussmeier finished with 285 yards passing and two touchdowns, Caden Durham ran for 98 yards and a pair of scores.
For much of this game, it looked like South Carolina would come away with an unexpected win.
Quarterback LaNorris Sellers ran for two touchdowns including a 75-yard burst that was longest by a quarterback in South Carolina history. Arkansas transfer Raheim Sanders had a 66-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that put the Gamecocks back on top.
South Carolina had a final chance to tie things, driving to the LSU 39 with :05 to play. Kicker Alex Herrera, however, pushed his 49-yard goal attempt left and LSU players ran to the sidelines to celebrate.
Sellers, who ran for 88 yards and threw for 113, came out right before halftime with an ankle injury. Sellers and coach Shane Beamer both said it was not serious.
Sanders ran for 143 yards and two scores.
THE TAKEAWAY
LSU: It was an inconsistent performance by the Tigers, but it was a much needed victory after the grumbling from losing to Southern Cal 27-20 in the opener two weeks ago.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks, picked 13th in the 16-team SEC, missed a golden opportunity to mark themselves as SEC contenders.
OPPORTUNITY LOST
Beamer apologized to fans for his team’s 13 penalties. “Obviously, we’ve got to clean up a lot, but there’s a lot to build on as well,” he said. “We’ve all got to be better, starting with me.”
WOMEN”S HOOPS
A big week for South Carolina women’s hoops and coach Dawn Staley that began with a visit to the White House on Tuesday ended with a celebration at the football game. The team was honored at halftime for their 38-0, national championship season. Staley was also the guest picker on “College GameDay.”
UP NEXT
LSU starts a three-game home stand with UCLA on Saturday.
South Carolina faces Akron at home on Saturday night.
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