Two days after LSU’s 36-33 comeback victory over South Carolina, the officiating in the game was still a hot topic.

Both LSU head coach Brian Kelly and USC’s Sean Beamer said they had sent clips into Southeastern Conference office seeking further clarification.

Kelly said at his weekly news conference at noon Monday that he was expecting to hear back from the league office within an hour.

It’s not unusual for coaches to complain or seek explanations about calls, but that’s usually as far as it goes. They almost never comment on or relay what the league office says about their complaints, particularly if it would paint the conference in a bad light.

Beamer and the Gamecocks, who were penalized 13 times for 123 yards, were most upset about a pair of personal fouls that negated interception returns for touchdowns.

On one, the interception was nullified by a horse-collar tackle on quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. On the other, the interception stood but the return was wiped out by a personal foul called when Nussmeier was blocked behind the play.

“There’s calls in every game,” Kelly said, mentioning that he had been upset by a late offensive push-off by a Southern Cal player in LSU’s 27-20 loss to open the season. “I didn’t stand here and complain about that call … we can micromanage every call that was or was not called.”

 Kelly, however, did mention after the win over South Carolina that he thought the Gamecocks’ blocked punt that set up a touchdown was an illegal play that should have been flagged.

He didn’t elaborate, but apparently it was related to how the rusher leaped over the punt protectors.

Kelly said of the two penalties that saved LSU from giving up pick-sixes, “They looked like fouls to me, but I’m not up here complaining every week. Games are won by players and lost by players and coaches.”

Kelly said he received clarification about the confusing “defensive delay-of-game” penalties that the Tigers have been flagged for in every game this season, including twice against the Gamecocks when defensive linemen were shifting.

“They were valid,” Kelly admitted.

It wasn’t the shift itself, Kelly explained.

The first was called because a defensive lineman clapped when the offensive cadence was a clap. On the other, a defensive end waved his arms as the alignment shift began, which from a two-point stance is deemed an “unnatural movement.

“It has to be natural movement,” Kelly said, “you can’t have something unnatural relative to the movement of your front.

“So we agree with the (penalties) on that. We’ve got to coach our guys up on that.”

a HONORS: LSU DE Bradyn Swinson was named the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against South Carolina.

Swinson, a senior transfer from Oregon, had three sacks among his five tackles and also forced a fumble.

a HOME AT LAST? Kelly said he thinks the Tigers might have found the right spot for talented defensive player Harold Perkins — strong-side linebacker.

It’s the same position he played most of last year, but Kelly said, “It’s not the same. We’re asking him to fit in the box (inside) a little bit more than he did last year. He was strictly an edge player last year.”

The position shift was in effect for the South Carolina game and, after a slow start, Perkins ended up with three tackles, including one for a loss.

Kelly said it’s been a struggle for the staff to find a productive role for Perkins that would allow him to wreak the havoc he did two years ago as a freshman all-American.

“There were some good things, things to build on,” Kelly said. “I thought he started to feel a little more comfortable and making some plays and playing with energy.

“We walked away feeling like we made some progress there.”

a WOUNDED TIGERS: LSU came out of Saturday without significant injuries, Kelly said.

He did not offer an update on No. 2 receiver Chris Hilton, who has yet to play this season while recuperating from a deep bone bruise.