Behind the Box Score: South Carolina

There's no denying it: it was a weird game. It was and wasn't a home game, and things just got more odd from there. This was a mismatch on paper, and only got worse as the game went on, but LSU did its level best to not pile on the points. It was a focused effort to build a nice lead, but unfocused in the second half as the teams tried to run out the clock.

42,058. The official attendance. That has to be the fewest people to attend an LSU football game in Tiger Stadium since the 1940's. Even in the depths of the Hallman era, we could still drum up 60,000 people for a game. It's hard to put on a game on short notice, and the home field advantage barely existed in this game, as LSU bent over backwards to make South Carolina feel at home everywhere but on the scoreboard.

228. Brandon Harris threw for 228 yards in an 18 for 28 night. He threw for two touchdowns and no picks, and only got sacked one time. A near perfect night for an LSU quarterback. That is exactly what Les Miles is looking for out of the position. Now, do it against a good defense.

161. Derrius Guice had 161 yards on 16 carries, making him the leader in both total rushing yards and on average. It's not often Guice gets to top Fournette in the box score, so this is a special moment for the freshman. Yes, Fournette weakened the defense up for Guice, but you don't run for 161 yards on accident. Guice gets credit here, and we all breathe a little easier because Fournette only had to carry the ball 20 times in the game. Limit those carries against the lesser teams.

109. An LSU receiver cracked 100 yards! Travin Dural caught 4 balls for 109 yards. Most of that was a 62 yard reception, but big plays count. Dural needed a big game more than just about anyone on the roster. Dupre pitched in a 6-74 effort as well, so both of the top two receivers bounced back from a miserable game last week.

7-105-1. Pharoh Cooper's line. South Carolina is not a good football team, but Cooper is legit. It's hard to be a really good player on a really bad team, as you don't want to be the guy who just cares about accumulating stats. He kept the Gamecocks in the game as long as he could and was dangerous nearly every time he touched the ball. He's going to play in the League.

624. LSU's total yards of offense. LSU simply doesn't put up yardage totals like this. LSU only cracked 500 twice last year, both in Bodybag games (563 v. NMSU and 584 v. Sam Houston). LSU hasn't gained 500 yards against a Power 5 team since 11/23/13 when they had 517 yards against A&M. That season was also the only time LSU cracked 600 in this decade, gaining 672 against Furman.

5.7. South Carolina's yard/play. LSU held the Gamecocks to 283 yards total offense, 157 of which came in the second half. Still, that average will not cut it against a good team. LSU's defense has not put forth a good, focused effort for a full game yet, and they should get their chance this coming weekend.

39:53. LSU's time of possession. LSU had nearly a two to one advantage in TOP, which is just an insane margin. LSU doesn't just run the ball down your throat, it takes its time while it does it. It's like having someone put a large boulder on your chest: it's going to eventually crush and kill you, but it's not going to happen right away. It's is an inevitability, like gravity.