Marcus Randall was 12-of-24 for 183 yards, while rushing for 36 and a TD (AP Photo)

Third-Quarter Domination Lifts Tigers to 38-14 Win Over USC
10/19/02

BATON ROUGE -- LSU came out of the locker room at halftime on fire, scoring 25 third-quarter points for the first time in 25 years and opened a 31-14 lead on the way to its sixth-consecutive victory, 38-14, over South Carolina on Saturday night in an electrified Death Valley.

The Tigers improved to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the Southeastern Conference for the first time since 1987 when the 10-1-1 LSU team started 4-0 in the SEC.

South Carolina (5-3, 3-2 SEC) saw its four-game winning streak stopped.

Sophomore quarterback Marcus Randall, starting his first game as a Tiger in place of Matt Mauck, was poised and nearly flawless for the Tigers, completing 12-of-24 passes for 183 yards while mixing in a deadly option for 36 yards on six carries and a 12-yard touchdown run.

Michael Clayton and Reggie Robinson were Randall's favorite targets through the air, as Clayton finished with five receptions for 77 yards and Robinson had 55 yards on three receptions. Senior Jerel Myers had a pair of catches for 45 yards.

The ground game came alive in the second half to give the Tigers 231 yards on 45 carries and three touchdowns for the game. Domanick Davis finished with 113 yards on 26 carries and a touchdown, while Shyrone Carey added 68 yards on six carries and a touchdown.

LSU outrushed the Gamecocks, 231-148, including 164-9 in the second half. On the second-to-last play from scrimmage, a 26-yard completion from Corey Jenkins to Corey Taylor gave South Carolina a final total of 275 yards of total offense. Jenkins finished the game 5-of-12 for 65 yards with two interceptions and a touchdown. Backup Dondrial Pinkins came into the game late in the third quarter and completed 4-of-9 passes for 54 yards.

In the third quarter, LSU scored on three consecutive offensive possessions and had an interception touchdown return to complete the most productive quarter of LSU football since the Tigers put up 35 on Rice on Sept. 24, 1977.

With little more than 10 minutes remaining, Randall kept an option play for a 12-yard score around the right side, while John Corbello made his third of three field goals from 37 yards and Shyrone Carey scored from 13 yards out.

One play after Carey's rush, cornerback Demetrius Hookfin leapt to snag a screen pass at the USC 10-yard line and walked in for the score and a 31-14 lead with 2:07 to play in the pivotal quarter.

LSU won the toss and elected to defer to the second half, while South Carolina took the ball to start the game against the Tigers' No. 1-ranked defense (207.8 yards per game), which started the game must more munificent than its previous six games.

After picking up third-down conversions on a quarterback draw by Jenkins and a pass interference call against LSU, Jenkins found Williamson streaking along the right sideline past Corey Webster for a 60-yard touchdown reception. With 10:30 remaining in the first quarter, South Carolina led 7-0.

The touchdown was only the third through the air that the Tigers have allowed in the 2002 season and it was only the second first-quarter touchdown scored against LSU this season.

Randall and the Tigers responded on their first drive of the game with a 10-play, 62-yard drive that resulted in a 42-yard field goal by Corbello. On the drive, Randall didn't face a third down until the Tigers reached the South Carolina 27-yard line. LSU trailed 7-3 with 6:07 to play in the first quarter.

As the defenses tried to figure out the opposition in the first quarter, the offenses were averaging 7.6 yards per play.

A 16-yard pass from Randall to Robinson dug the Tigers out of a penalty-marred hole and set up a 56 yard punt by Donnie Jones that was muffed to the USC 4-yard line as the first quarter ended.

However, the Gamecocks drove 96 yards in 14 plays including a fake punt from the USC 47 for 8 yards, an end-around for 22 and a 9-yard touchdown run by Andrew Pinnock. South Carolina led 14-3 with 9:23 on the second-quarter clock.

After a 38-yard kickoff return by Devery Henderson, LSU earned back-to-back first downs on a 14-yard reception by Clayton and a 15-yard rush by Davis to the USC 26. However, the drive stalled at the 21 when Randall was tackled behind the line and then threw an incomplete pass under pressure on third down. Corbello's 42-yard field goal attempt bounced off the cross bar and back into the field of play with 6:49 left in the half.

With 4:56 to play in the half, LSU earned another offensive possession by stopping the Gamecocks in LSU territory. After facing a second down and 29 from its 19, Randall hit Robinson for 18 yards before Bennie Brazell was interfered with on a deep pass to give the Tigers a first down on the USC 48 with 14.7 seconds on the clock.

After an incomplete pass, Clayton reached back and stole a Randall pass from a defender and landed on the ground for a first down with one second left in the half. LSU called timeout and set up a 48-yard field goal by Corbello. This kick was true and LSU trailed 14-6 as the first half clock expired.

LSU took the ball to start the second half and didn't waste a second moving down field. After Davis started the drive with a 39-yard kickoff return to the 42, the Tigers drove the next 58 yards in 10 plays, capped by a 12-yard option keeper by Randall for a touchdown. The two-point conversion from Randall to Clayton in the right front corner of the endzone to tie the game at 14-14 with 10:07 left in the third quarter.

An play-action pass from Jenkins deep into Tiger territory was intercepted by Demetrius Hookfin at the 20 to give LSU the ball right back.

Using the option to rush for 27 yards on two plays to the South Carolina 38, Randall then connected with Robinson for 21 yards to the 17. However, the drive stalled after a penalty and an incomplete pass, as LSU settled for Corbello's third field goal of the evening from 37 yards.

The Tigers took their first lead, 17-14 with 6:31 to play in the third quarter.

LSU's defense backed South Carolina to its 11 on three plays for minus-1 yard before forcing a punt. On the short field, LSU began on USC's 49 and drove to the 27 before being stopped. Corbello made a 44-yard field goal, however, he was roughed on the play to give LSU a first down at the 13 yard line.

On the next play, sophomore Shyrone Carey ran around the right end and through one final Gamecock defender at the goalline for his first touchdown as a Tiger.

LSU led 24-14 with 2:22 left in the third quarter.

Without missing a beat, the LSU kickoff team stopped South Carolina at its 15 before Hookfin intercepted an attempted screen pass from Jenkins at the 10 and strolled in the endzone for a 31-14 lead just 15 seconds after Carey's run.

To cap the scoring for the Tigers, a 42-yard run by Carey to the USC 5 set up a touchdown run by Davis with 3:13 to play.

LSU returns to action on Oct. 26 when the Tigers visit The Plains and Auburn University at 11:30 a.m. on Jefferson Pilot Sports.