Little-used running back lifts LSU to win over South Carolina

Jeremy Hill didn't play in LSU's first two games, carried the ball 10 times for 61 yards in the Tigers' win over Idaho on Sept. 15 and then went back into disuse once the team broke into SEC play.

Hill, a freshman, had no touches against Auburn. He had two carries in last week's loss to Florida. Buried behind sophomore Kenny Hilliard and juniors Spencer Ware and Michael Ford, Hill seemed destined to spend the 2012 season as one of LSU's many scout-team stars.

Then came a must-win game against South Carolina, one that would determine whether LSU remained part of this year's race for the national championship, and Hill took center stage.

While Ford, Hilliard and Ware did some of the dirty work, Hill was the game's star. He led all rushers with 123 yards on 17 carries, scoring the Tigers' first touchdown on the opening drive of the second half and notching the eventual game-winning score with 5:25 left in the fourth quarter.

That 50-yard run was Hill's coming-out moment.

While the defense was outstanding, holding the Gamecocks to 31 yards on 25 carries, Hill's superb second half provided the difference in LSU's 23-21 win.

More than anything, Hill's spark helped lift LSU's offense out of its month-long malaise. While quarterback Zach Mettenberger continues to struggle (12-of-25 for 148 yards with an interception), the Tigers know that a four-deep stable of running backs can carry this team to wins during conference play.

Thanks to Hill, LSU remains firmly in control of its championship destiny. Despite the loss to the Gators, one thing hasn't changed since August: LSU can still win the SEC West with a win over Alabama on Nov. 3.

An SEC West title would set up a date in the SEC title game, perhaps a rematch against Florida, and a win in the Georgia Dome in December would send LSU back to the BCS National Championship Game.