LSU football has lost to a formidable Week 1 opponent for the third consecutive season, this time as a result of a harsh targeting penalty against the Tigers.

Under third-year coach Brian Kelly, LSU had lost its previous two season openers against Florida State. At Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, No. 12 LSU lost a 27–20 match against No. 23 USC, despite a solid performance from Garrett Nussmeier.

In a back-and-forth game that saw three ties and two lead changes, both in the fourth quarter, USC’s Woody Marks scored the game-winning touchdown on a 13-yard rush with eight seconds left to give the Trojans a permanent lead. With 1:47 left, LSU kicker Damian Ramos tied the score at 20-20 with a 31-yard field goal.

REQUIRED READING: LSU football loses to USC in their season opener because their defense is unable to hold on.

Mason Miller, the quarterback for USC, pushed the ball down the field methodically with just 1:47 remaining. However, he was helped by a targeting call against Jardin Gilbert, the defensive back for LSU, which moved the ball inside the 15-yard line and set up the game-winning touchdown.

Caleb Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner and the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, was starting Miller’s second game of the season. After dethroning 2023 Heisman Trophy winner and second overall pick Jayden Daniels, who was present at the game, Nussmeier was making his first start.

Kyren Lacy led the club with seven receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown, while Nussmeier concluded with a 29-for-38 passing performance for 304 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Emery Jones Jr. scored 61 yards on 10 rushes, leading the team.

Miller gained 378 yards and a touchdown on 27 of 36 throws completed. Marks finished with two touchdowns and 68 yards gained on 16 rushes. LSU ended with 421 total yards of offense compared to USC’s 447 yards in a closely contested game.

The Trojans currently have a 2-1 advantage over the Tigers in the all-time series. Here is a recap of the highlights, results, and updates from Sunday’s LSU football vs. USC season opening in Las Vegas:

Updates on LSU vs. USC scores
As soon as the game starts, this section will be revised.

Teams 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q F
USC 0–10–3–14–27
LSU 0–10–7–3–20
Final: 10:19 p.m.: USC 27, LSU 20 In both teams’ season-opening game on Sunday in Las Vegas, No. 23 USC beat No. 12 LSU 27–20. With a few seconds left in the game, Woody Marks scored a 13-yard touchdown to seal the victory. The Trojans win is sealed on the following drive when Mason Cobb intercepts a ball from LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.

After a costly targeting call on LSU defensive back Jardin Gilbert, who led with the crown of his helmet while attempting to tackle USC receiver Kyron Hudson, USC found itself in a winning position. The Trojans entered the red zone as a result of the penalty, and Marks scored on the very next play.

With less than two minutes left, LSU ties the game at 20-20. 10 p.m. With 1:47 left in the game, Damian Ramos makes a 31-yard field goal to tie the score at 20-20. With one timeout remaining, the Trojans will have the ball and the opportunity to win. LSU still has three timeouts available to them.

9:54 p.m.: LSU is driving and has an opportunity to tie or take the lead. LSU is behind 20-17 and faced with a second-and-7 at the 2-minute timeout. In order to put the Tigers in position to tie or take the lead in the closing seconds, Garrett Nussmeier found Aaron Anderson for a 41-yard catch and run.

Fourth-quarter lead retaken by Mason Miller and USC 9:45 p.m. With 5:44 left in the game, a 28-yard pass from Miller Moss to Ja’Kobi Lane gives USC a 20-17 lead again in just three plays. It only takes 1:13 to complete the drive, but a field goal puts the Trojans up.

9:39 p.m.: Emery Jones Jr. is stuffed on third-and-short as USC forces a three-and-out. With 6:57 left, the Trojans will get off to their own 36.

Mason Miller of USC is forced into a turnover on downs by LSU 9:34 p.m. On a fourth-and-nine, LSU’s defense forced a turnover on downs. After batting the ball down, Sai’vion Jones almost picked it off. LSU wins on its own 21 after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of 15 yards. There are 8:38 left in the game, and the Tigers lead 17–13. During the drive, USC uses up two timeouts and has only one remaining.

9:21 p.m.: To start the fourth quarter, LSU is forced to punt after three plays. Following the punt, USC will get the ball on its own 15.

Third-quarter finish: LSU 17.

9:12 p.m.: The Trojans are forced into a three-and-out after a botched play on first down and a false start penalty ruin their drive. After the punt, LSU will start its drive on its own 23-yard line.

9:06 p.m.: Garrett Nussmeier connects Aaron Anderson for the game-winning touchdown. With 3:42 remaining in the third quarter, Garrett Nussmeier finds Aaron Anderson for a 13-yard touchdown, giving LSU their first lead at 17-13. The largest play of the drive is a 39-yard gain by running back John Emery Jr. During the drive, LSU had 55 rushing yards. The score drive took 3:25 off the clock and covered 78 yards on seven plays.

8:56 p.m.: Sai’vion Jones’ sack on third-and-5 forces USC to settle for a Michael Lantz field goal from 35 yards out, giving the Trojans a 13–10 lead. The biggest play of the drive came on a third-and-10 when Miller Moss found Kyle Ford on a 41-yard throw. On a third-and-eight, PJ Woodland’s pass interference helped the Trojans get into the red zone. The scoring drive took 4:14 off the clock and covered 59 yards on nine plays.

8:44 p.m.: The Tigers are forced into a three-and-out and a punt back to USC after LSU’s CJ Daniels is tackled one yard short of the first down marker. After the punt, the Trojans will get the ball on their own 23.

8:37 p.m.: During its first drive of the second half, USC goes three and out. LSU will take the punt and get going on its own 27.

8:35 p.m.: After an LSU touchback, the second half is under way. USC embarks on its own 25-mile journey.

USC10, LSU10, LSU-USC halftime statistics
Here’s a look at the halftime quarterback comparison:

Garrett Nussmeier: 191 yards and a touchdown on 20 of 24 throws completed.
Miller Moss: 176 yards on 13 of 16 passes completed.
Notable stats at the half:

USC 207 yards, LSU 237 total yards
USC had 31 rush yards, LSU had 46.
Yards passed: USC 176, LSU 191
LSU 14 vs. USC 10 in first downs
USC held the ball for 10:57, LSU for 19:03.
Before the half, Michael Lantz misses a field goal at 8:15 p.m. Michael Lantz of USC fails to convert a 29-yard field goal to close out the first half. The kick missed to the right, leaving the score tied at ten points apiece at halftime. After a scoreless first quarter, both offenses found their footing in the second quarter.

8:06 p.m.: With 1:08 remaining in the first half, Damian Ross makes a 45-yard field goal to tie the score. After a few more catches during the drive, Kyren Lacey now has six catches for 97 yards.

7:54 p.m.: With 4:21 remaining in the first half, USC is forced to convert a field goal to take a 10-7 lead after a costly block in the back on first-and-goal from the 5. The 37-yard, six-play touchdown drive took 2:35 to complete. The drive began with a 38-yard gain from Miller Moss to Duce Robinson.

7:44 p.m.: LSU had to kickoff from 15 yards further back due to Kyren Lacy’s unsportsmanlike penalty after his score. Zachariah Branch of USC has plenty of space to return the kickoff 46 yards to the LSU 43.

LSU’s Kyren Lacey and Garrett Nussmeier connect for a game-tying touchdown.
7:37 p.m. With 7:04 remaining in the first half, LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier finds receiver Kyren Lacey for a 19-yard touchdown throw to tie the game at 7-7. The Tigers used nine plays and 3:56 of time to get 75 yards on their drive. Five receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown have already been made by Lacey.

Woody Marks starts the USC 7:26 p.m. scoring: With a 2-yard touchdown rush in the second quarter, USC’s Woody Marks gives his team a 7-0 lead over LSU. The Trojans’ eight-play, 87-yard possession took 3:49 off the clock. For the scoring drive, Kyron Hudson’s one-handed catch turned out to be the most important play.

At 7:25 p.m., Kyron Hudson makes a one-handed grab for USC. Kyron Hudson, a wide receiver for USC, may have made the play of the year when he used one hand to collect a pass behind him for a 24-yard gain to the LSU 17. Despite a review of the play, the decision made on the field is still in effect, and the Trojans are well-positioned to take the lead.

7:16 p.m.: To start the second quarter, tight end Lake McRee was the recipient of a 17-yard throw from Miller Moss. Two plays later, Moss found Zachariah Branch for a 19-yard pass close to midfield.

First-quarter finish: LSU 0, USC 0. 7:11 p.m. The first quarter ends with no points scored in the game. But to start the second quarter, LSU will punt while facing a fourth-and-5 from its own 47. The Tigers have already outscored the Trojans by 110 yards on offense. Passing for 81 yards on 10 of 12 attempts is Garrett Nussmeier.

7:05 p.m.: On LSU’s first drive, quarterback Garrett Nussmeier guided his team into the red zone of USC but stumbled and gave up a touchdown on a down. During the drive, Kyren Lacey had two catches. On a fourth-and-goal from the USC 3, the Trojans applied pressure to Nussmeier in order to force a turnover on downs.

It took two plays for Miller Moss and USC to record the Trojans’ first down of the year;

DirecTV blacked out during LSU-USC.
6:33 p.m.: Due to a disagreement between the TV network and Disney, DirecTV customers will not be able to watch the LSU-USC game on ABC. ESPN+ is where fans can watch the game.

No. 2 overall choice Jayden Daniels at the LSU-USC game at 6:00 p.m.: Daniels, a former Heisman Trophy winner from LSU, is present for the top-25 matchup.