With Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr off the NFL, LSU had big shoes to fill but also a ton of talent waiting in the wings to replace them.
As a result, expectations remained high in Baton Rouge as Brian Kelly entered his third season.
Thus far, the Tigers have gotten off to an uneven start. They lost a 27-20 thriller to USC in Las Vegas before needing a 21-0 run to pull away for a 44-21 victory over Nicholls last week.
The Tigers enter SEC play 0-2 against the spread.
South Carolina also did failed to cover in its season opener and actually needed to rally in the fourth quarter to defeat Old Dominion, 23-19. However, the Gamecocks dominated Kentucky last week, forcing two turnovers and limiting Kentucky to 183 total yards in a 31-6 victory.
South Carolina's season win total was just 5.5 entering the season, and it will have a chance to get halfway there with an upset of the Tigers on Saturday.
In the SEC's division format, LSU and South Carolina didn't see much of each other, meeting only seven times since the turn of the century. LSU has won each of those seven meetings, most recently in 2020, and leads the series 19-2-1 all-time.
This time, LSU is a -6.5 road favorite. I'll be backing a pair of pass-catchers to lead the way for the Tigers.
Let's dive into my South Carolina vs. LSU parlay for Sept. 14.
South Carolina vs. LSU Parlay
- Kyren Lacy 70+ Alt Receiving Yards (-112)
- Mason Taylor 40+ Alt Receiving Yards (-145)
- Raheim Sanders 50+ Alt Rushing Yards (-300)
- LSU -6.5 (-112)
Parlay Odds: +750 via DraftKings
Please always remember to bet responsibly. SGPs are long shots for a reason.
Kyren Lacy 70+ Rec. Yards & Mason Taylor 40+ Rec. Yards
Garrett Nussmeier had to wait his turn behind Daniels, but he has been extremely productive when given the opportunity. Dating back to the 2022 SEC Championship, Nussmeier has thrown for 290 yards or more in his last four games with 25 or more pass attempts.
That includes 308 and 302 yards passing in his first two games this season.
Nussmeier's passing yards line sits at 298.5 on FanDuel and over 300 yards elsewhere. While Nussmeier has gone over that line in his first two games, there's not much margin for error this week.
With less-than-ideal weather conditions, I don't see a ton of value in his passing yards this week. After throwing significantly more than handing it off in its first two games, it's clear LSU will still put the ball in the air.
So, I'm going to target two of the Tigers' top pass-catchers.
With Nabers and Thomas moving on, Kyren Lacy is the new WR1 for LSU. Even with the NFL duo on the field, he racked up 558 receiving yards last season, including two 100-yard games and another 95-yard outing.
Lacy began this season with seven receptions for 94 receiving yards in the opener and five receptions for 65 yards last week. Nussmeier has spread the ball around thus far, but he has clearly established a rapport with Lacy, who leads the team with four touchdown receptions.
Tight end Mason Taylor ranks second on the team behind Lacy with 11 receptions. He has at least four receptions and 40 yards in both of the first two games.
Dating back to the bowl game against Wisconsin, Taylor has averaged 63.3 receiving yards over his last three games, which coincides with Nussmeier becoming LSU's starting quarterback.
While Nussmeier may have another 300-yard passing game, adding his yards won't improve the odds much here.
Raheim Sanders 50+ Rushing Yards
As a sophomore at Arkansas, Raheim Sanders burst onto the scene with 1,443 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 6.5 yards per carry.
With a combination of size and speed that earned him the nickname "Rocket," many expected Sanders to be debuting in the NFL this season. However, he struggled on the field last season, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry before battling injuries.
Instead, Sanders transferred to South Carolina for his senior season. Through his first two games, he's still averaging just 3.8 yards per carry, but he has run for 142 yards on 37 carries. He has put up 50 yards in each of his two games, scoring in each as well.
Last season, LSU allowed 161 rushing yards, which led to a change in defensive coordinator. Under Blake Baker, the Tigers have reduced that number to 109.5, but they've allowed running backs to rush for 60 yards in their first two games.
Last week, LSU allowed Nicholls running back Collin Guggenheim to run for 145 yards and two touchdowns.
It's also worth noting that the Tigers will be without defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory for the rest of the season.
South Carolina has run on 70% of its offensive snaps thus far. I expect it to pass more this week, but with a rainy forecast, it will likely try to keep the ball on the ground and keep LSU's offense off the field.
If Sanders takes 12-15 carries, I like his chances of running for 50 yards this week.
LSU -6.5
South Carolina enters this game with the better record and will be playing at home. However, it trailed Old Dominion in the fourth quarter and then played a Kentucky team that went 6-for-17 through the air with 44 yards. That's a number Nussmeier might hit on the opening drive this week.
South Carolina's defense has played well thus far, allowing 244 total yards, 3.6 yards per play and 12.5 points per game. However, its own offense is averaging 270 yards on 4.2 yards per play and has struggled to create explosive plays.
Now, Nussmeier will be making his first true road start in a hostile environment. He may have some nerves, but if he can lead the Tigers offense to 28 points or more, I don't believe South Carolina can score enough to hang around here.
Additionally, LSU is 5-3 in SEC road games under Kelly, winning three of those games by 10 points or more.
This spot reminds me of LSU's game at Mississippi State last season. It entered as a 9.5-point favorite and won, 41-14. This week, a touchdown victory will suffice.
