The 3-2-1: Three key plays, two game balls, one burning question from South Carolina's loss at LSU

We break down the three key plays, two game balls, and one burning question from South Carolina’s 20-10 road loss to LSU.

Three Key Plays
Goalline fumble 
LSU drove easily into the red zone and was about to take a 10-0 lead. But Monkell Goodwine punched the ball out of Ju’Juan Jennigs’ hands as he dove into the end zone, and Bryan Thomas recovered. Three plays later, Matt Fuller scored a 72-yard touchdown to make it a 14-point swing in about 90 seconds.

Interception
Up 17-10, LSU had gashed South Carolina’s defense for runs of 21 and 56 yards to get inside the Gamecock 10. On second down, Garrett Nussmeier tried to force a pass into double coverage in the end zone and was picked off by Peyton Williams. Instead of putting the Gamecocks away, Nussmeier kept South Carolina in the game. 

Another goalline fumble
Up 17-10 with less than two minutes to play and the ball on the South Carolina one-yard line, all LSU had to do was not turn the ball over. LSU called a quarterback sneak, a seemingly safe play. Goodwine forced a fumble, but Nussmeier fell on the ball and was able to recover it. That moment when the ball was loose was South Carolina’s last chance.

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Two Game Balls
Matt Fuller
Fuller had 83 yards on seven carries. His 72-yard touchdown in the first quarter is South Carolina’s longest offensive play of the season. 

Monkell Goodwine
Goodwine had three tackles, including 1.5 for loss. He also had a quarterback hurry, but his biggest contribution was two forced fumbles, both near the goalline.

One Burning Question
How can South Carolina get LaNorris Sellers out of this funk?
Before the season, this game was touted as a matchup between two quarterbacks competing to be the first pick in the NFL Draft. Instead, Garrett Nussmeier and LaNorris Sellers looked like day three picks.

Nussmeier completed just 61% of his passes, threw two brutal interceptions, and fumbled on a quarterback sneak on the goal line. Sellers completed just 57% of his passes for 124 yards and an interception.

South Carolina’s injury-depleted line struggled to protect Sellers, but he repeatedly missed receivers when he did have time, held the ball too long, or made bad decisions, like the two intentional grounding penalties or when he stopped running on a scramble out of bounds.

Everyone knew Sellers would have to be Superman again for South Carolina to win games this season. Right now, he’s not even playing like Clark Kent.

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