COLUMBIA, S.C. – LSU football fell into an early 17-point hole on the road inside Williams-Brice Stadium against South Carolina on Saturday.

After the initial onslaught, the No. 16 Tigers did rally to briefly take the lead in the fourth quarter but fell behind again after South Carolina running back Rocket Sanders broke a 66-yard run for a score.

But LSU's defense kept giving its offense chances in the fourth quarter and with 1:12 remaining, the Tigers went ahead for good on a 2-yard touchdown run from senior tailback Josh Williams, winning 36-33.

Offense: C+

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier spent the majority of the afternoon backpedaling and dodging defenders. Freshman Caden Durham scored on a long rush play but LSU could never get its footing on offense. And it couldn't punch it in, in four plays from the Gamecocks' 2.

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Defense: C+

It took getting a 17-point hole but defensive coordinator Blake Baker finally dialed up some Harold Perkins blitzes. LSU let up a couple huge plays that kept South Carolina in the game, including on the Gamecocks' final drive that let South Carolina within field-goal range. But, with South Carolina missing that attempt, the Tigers' defense ultimately did enough late to let its offense punch in the game-winning score.

Special Teams: D+

Shane Beamer, much like his legendary coaching father Frank, is known for diling up ways to block punts. South Carolina blocked a punt and LSU's Slade Roy had a bad snap on a PAT attempt late in the second quarter.

Coaching: C

Coaching gets a "C" grade from us because of the adjustments Baker made defensively with Perkins and others. The offense struggled early and also couldn't convert a short field into a touchdown after a Gamecock fumble. Falling behind 17-0 early meant LSU wasn't ready before the game.

Overall: C-

This was LSU's SEC opener and the team lacked a sense of urgency from the opening kickoff. Playing from behind made the path to victory at South Carolina an incredibly difficult task and the several busts were brutal for the Tigers.

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Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Grading LSU football's SEC-opening victory at South Carolina