Garrett Nussmeier knew he had to put his mistakes behind him if No. 16 LSU was going to complete their comeback and win.
Nussmeier led a final touchdown drive that ended with Josh Williams scoring from 2 yards out with 1:12 remaining, helping the Tigers come back from a 17-0 deficit to defeat South Carolina 36-33 on Saturday.
Nussmeier had thrown an interception at the goal line on the previous drive, which was one of several errors he and his Tiger teammates made that put them behind for most of the game.
“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.”
LSU coach Brian Kelly saw this attitude from Nussmeier and his team (2-1) as they came back to win their Southeastern Conference opener and their eighth consecutive game against 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 were down 17-0 and were still behind in the final two minutes when Williams took a handoff, ran through a big opening on the left side, and scored the winning touchdown. LSU players celebrated with joy, which was likely as much about relief after trailing for most of the game.
LSU made several mistakes during the game. Nussmeier had an interception and a fumble from a bad snap. The Gamecocks blocked a punt, and the Tigers missed an extra point due to another poor snap. South Carolina also stopped LSU from scoring after they were first-and-goal just 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 ended the game with 285 yards passing and two touchdowns, while Caden Durham rushed for 98 yards and two scores.
For much of the game, it seemed like South Carolina might pull off an unexpected win.
