LaNorris Sellers’ finishing effort at the goal line helped turn a South Carolina game that was slipping away into one of the season’s sharpest swings.
With just over a minute left Saturday, Sellers powered through a Tennessee defender and stretched the ball across the plane to tie the game. It was the kind of scramble that looked almost impossible from the start, with Sellers fighting to stay upright as a 200-pound Tennessee defensive back jumped on his back. He still managed to twist forward and get the touchdown.
That set the stage for another big play from the South Carolina defense. Dylan Stewart forced a fumble, and Malik Orsan drilled a 48-yard field goal as time expired to give the Gamecocks a 27-24 win over No. 11 Tennessee.
South Carolina moved to 4-3 overall and 2-3 in the SEC, and the win gave the Gamecocks back-to-back victories over Top 25 teams.
It did not start as a close game. South Carolina jumped ahead 14-0 in a hurry, scoring on its opening drive and then striking again two minutes later when Sellers ran for a 31-yard touchdown. The start brought back memories of the 2024 Clemson game.
Less than seven minutes into the night, South Carolina had the two-touchdown cushion. Not long after, ESPN cut to a montage of recent South Carolina collapses under Shane Beamer, including the 27-point loss to Texas A&M in 2025 and the blown leads against Mississippi State and Kentucky.
Tennessee answered with the longest drive of the Josh Heupel era, an 18-play march that ended in a score after a 10-minute possession. The Volunteers then tied it on a 10-play drive after their defense intercepted Sellers.
For a stretch, it looked like Saturday could become another entry in South Carolina’s painful list of squandered leads. Instead, it ended with Sellers’ wild touchdown, Stewart’s forced fumble and Orsan’s winning kick.
In Other News...
South Carolinas Biggest Pre-Paris Takeaway Is Hard To Ignore
No. 1 South Carolina got a first look at its new-look group in an exhibition win over Benedict, rolling 113-34 while easing back into game action ahead of a demanding opener. The biggest development for Dawn Staleys team was the return of Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins, both back after missing last season with injuries, while freshman Jerzy Robinson added a double-double in her debut.
Jerzy Robinsons immediate impact only added to the sense that the Gamecocks have plenty of depth to sort through before they head to Paris for the season opener against No. 20 Maryland on Nov. 2. With key pieces healthy again and a promising freshman already pushing for minutes, South Carolinas early depth chart figures to be one of the more interesting storylines in the days leading up to that trip. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Faces A Huge SEC Test After Its Florida Breakthrough
South Carolina gets right back into the spotlight October 24, when Tennessee comes to Williams-Brice Stadium for a nationally televised SEC matchup on ESPN at 3:30 p.m. The Gamecocks are trying to turn the page after snapping a three-game losing streak with their win over Florida, a result that gave the season a needed jolt and kept the home crowd engaged in the kind of game that can reset a teams trajectory in a hurry.
Tennessee brings a very different kind of challenge into Columbia after beating Alabama and keeping its College Football Playoff hopes alive. For South Carolina, this is the sort of measuring-stick game that can say plenty about whether the Florida breakthrough was a one-off or the start of something steadier, and with the league race still taking shape, the stage at Williams-Brice should be as loud as it is revealing. [Read more 🡒]
Lamont Paris Finally Has What South Carolina Fans Wanted To See
For the first time in Lamont Paris South Carolina tenure, the backing behind him looks like it matches the job he is trying to do. ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg said Paris had been trying to build a competitive roster without the kind of financial support needed to keep pace, but that has changed with a reported budget range of $15.1 million to $17.45 million, giving the Gamecocks a much stronger foundation heading into the season.
South Carolina has already used that lift to remake the roster, bringing in 12 new players and leaning on several international transfers in the process. Greenberg praised Paris for the coaching job he has done and said the new group has enough potential to make the Gamecocks more competitive in the SEC, which is exactly the kind of development fans have been waiting to see. [Read more 🡒]