Humbled LSU eyeing QB contingency against surging Carolina Gamecocks

BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU coach Ed Orgeron was grateful for an extra week to help the Tigers confront considerable challenges on both sides of the ball.

He’ll have to hope that’s enough time for the unranked Tigers (1-2, 1-2 SEC) to turn back South Carolina (2-2, 2-2), which is riding high after its first victory over Auburn in nearly a century.

“Our players were tired, our players were beat up. They needed the time off,” Orgeron said, alluding to last weekend’s postponement of a game at Florida because of a COVID-19 outbreak among the Gators. “We had two extra days on South Carolina, so we should be ahead.”

Not only did LSU’s defense look in disarray the last time it took the field in a 45-41 loss at Missouri, but starting quarterback Myles Brennan came away from the loss with an abdomen injury that would have prevented him from playing in the Swamp last weekend, Orgeron said.

As of the middle of this week, Orgeron still wasn’t sure if he’d have to start one of two freshmen who are neck-and-neck for the backup QB job: Max Johnson and TJ Finley.

Orgeron called Brennan “very questionable” on Wednesday, adding, “This could be a lingering deal.”

The Gamecocks will enter LSU’s Death Valley on the heels of a 30-22 triumph last Saturday that marked South Carolina’s first victory over Auburn since 1933.

“Auburn was a good team that happened to be ranked 15th in the country. Hadn’t beaten them in a while,” said South Carolina QB Collin Hill, a Colorado State graduate transfer who has passed for about 210.5 yards per game and helped the Gamecokcs average 30.5 points. “That definitely gave us a boost.”

LSU hardly has the look of a defending national champion through three games. But South Carolina defensive lineman Brad Johnson noted, “They are the defending national champions, so that’s a fact, whether you look at them that way or not.

“Obviously, they do have talent that can make plays,” he added. “But so do we.” QB COMPETITION Orgeron said that his two freshman signal callers both have looked “very impressive” while splitting firstteam snaps in practice.

“I believe both of those guys have NFL talent,” Orgeron said, adding that if Brennan can’t play. “I plan on giving them both a chance during the game. … I want to see what they can do.”

Orgeron said that while both QBs are even on talent, he needs to see “which one’s mature enough, which one can handle the pressure, which one can make the calls” in a game.

South Carolina coach Will Muschamp said his staff has gone through available high school footage to familiarize themselves with the two LSU freshman signal callers.

“Both guys can really spin it,” Muschamp said. “They both have athleticism to extend plays and to create some things in the run game.” OLD STYLE

Adam Prentice, a graduate transfer from Colorado State, is happy to play fullback — and to see more and more NFL teams utilizing the position in their offenses. The 6-foot, 205 Prentice had his biggest impact so far in the Gamecocks’ upset over then-No. 15 Auburn last week, named the team’s player of the week. “We’re probably one of the few places in the country where that happens,” Gamecocks coach Will Muschamp said.