In a closely contested game that ended with South Carolina's 36-33 loss to LSU, a couple of controversial penalties and a no-call in the fourth quarter became the center of attention. The officiating decisions drew criticism from ESPN/ABC announcers Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit, further adding fuel to the debate surrounding the outcome.

The first of these controversial penalties occurred when Mazeo Bennett was flagged for offensive pass interference. This penalty nullified a crucial 43-yard completion by Robby Ashford to Dalevon Campbell and ultimately led to a turnover, setting the stage for the next controversial flag. Both Fowler and Herbstreit expressed confusion as they watched the replay and tried to identify the offender. They argued that the play did not typically warrant an offensive pass interference penalty.

As the replay continued, Fowler and Herbstreit remarked on the challenges faced by the officials in correctly identifying the players involved in the penalties, which had been a recurring issue throughout the game. Fowler emphasized the magnitude of the call, stating that it negated a play that could have positioned South Carolina deep in LSU territory. Instead, the team found themselves backed up on second down with a significant distance to go.

Despite these setbacks, South Carolina's Raheim Sanders displayed incredible effort, reversing fields and rushing towards the sideline for an impressive 11-yard gain. Herbstreit acknowledged the frustration of the South Carolina fans, who hoped for an additional penalty in their favor after such a remarkable play.

However, the momentum quickly shifted when Robby Ashford fumbled on the subsequent play, granting LSU first-down on South Carolina's 12-yard line. Three plays later, Garrett Nussmeier threw an interception to Nick Emmanwori, whose pick-six was called back due to an unnecessary roughness penalty on Kyle Kennard. Fowler and Herbstreit were less critical of this call, accepting that the penalty resulted in the score remaining at 33-29 in favor of South Carolina.

In total, South Carolina was penalized 13 times for a total of 123 yards, while LSU received nine penalties for 75 yards. Unsurprisingly, seven of South Carolina's penalties were incurred during the critical fourth quarter, with four of them being false starts or offsides. The Tigers, on the other hand, were only penalized twice in the final quarter, one of which was a false start.

Reflecting on the game, Fowler and Herbstreit highlighted another important penalty that had a significant impact. During the first quarter, Kyle Kennard was penalized for a horse collar tackle, which nullified a pick-six by O'Donnell Fortune. A rules analyst explained that this penalty was a result of a new rule implemented this year, where any horse collar tackle on the field is considered a foul.

In terms of player performance, South Carolina saw minimal changes in their snap counts compared to their previous game against Kentucky. However, three players who typically see action were absent from the field against LSU. Luke Doty, Payton Mangrum, and linebacker Fred Johnson did not play, while defensive tackle Nick Barrett made his season debut, participating in 14 snaps during the game.

The controversial penalties and officiating decisions undoubtedly added to the intensity of an already fiercely contested matchup between South Carolina and LSU. As debates surrounding the calls continue, both teams will regroup and prepare for their upcoming games, aiming to bounce back from this exciting but contentious encounter.