South Carolina’s season already has a shaky feel to it, and Sunday brought another hit to the Gamecocks’ hopes. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Shane Beamer and South Carolina have suspended edge rusher Dylan Stewart indefinitely after Saturday’s loss at Alabama. Stewart threw a punch at an Alabama player during the game and was also seen talking back to coaches on the sideline.
On3’s Pete Nakos added that Beamer is expected to decide Stewart’s future with the program “in the next day or two.”
The timing matters for Tennessee. South Carolina is scheduled to host the Volunteers on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Williams-Brice Stadium, and that matchup is still four weeks away. Whether Stewart is available by then will come down to Beamer’s discipline, and the Gamecocks will also be coming off a bye week before facing Tennessee.
Stewart has been one of South Carolina’s most gifted defenders since arriving on campus. Now in his third season, he has compiled 56 tackles, 11 sacks, six forced fumbles and three pass deflections across his freshman and sophomore years. The coaches named him a Second-Team All-SEC selection after the 2025 season.
His role this year has been limited, though. Stewart missed the first two games because of injury, then remained restricted after returning. That injury dates back to the 2025 season, and he has logged just one tackle so far this year.
South Carolina is 2-2 after two straight SEC losses, falling to Mississippi State and then Alabama. The Gamecocks are also staring at a brutal stretch ahead with three straight ranked opponents coming up.
They’ll host No. 24 Kentucky this weekend in Columbia.
Tennessee, meanwhile, is set to host Auburn this weekend in SEC play before its bye week arrives after the South Carolina game in October.
In Other News...
Tennessee Texas Finish Just Got An Official Officiating Twist
The Southeastern Conference added an officiating wrinkle to Tennessees loss to Texas, saying the Volunteers drop-kick onside attempt was handled incorrectly. The league said the kick should have drawn a five-yard penalty and a replay of the down because it was taken from behind the required 35-yard line, a violation of free-kick rules.
Even so, the correction does not change the result of Texas 20-17 win over Tennessee. For the Volunteers, it leaves one more frustrating detail attached to a game already decided by a narrow margin, even if the official ruling stops short of altering the final scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees Secondary Just Took Another Brutal Hit Before Auburn
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For a defense already managing other season-ending injuries in the back end, losing Lewis only tightens the margin for error. The Vols have had to keep adjusting their depth and rotations in the secondary, and now they head into the Auburn matchup with another important piece unavailable, leaving the coaching staff to sort out how to patch together a group that has been hit hard. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Fans Are Stuck On One Faizon Brandon Debate
Tennessees loss to Texas left plenty of fingerprints on the offense, but the loudest postgame debate has centered on Faizon Brandon and how much of the struggle was really on the quarterback. Brandon finished 17 of 29 for 145 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions, yet the bigger number was the sacks, with Tennessees protection breaking down often enough to make the whole night feel hurried and uneven.
Film analyst Brooks Austin pushed back on the idea that Brandon alone was responsible, pointing to a shaky run game and the lines problems up front as part of the picture. Josh Heupel sounded similarly measured, saying Brandon may have been sped up and stressing that the answer has to come from more than one player. For Tennessee, the uncomfortable part is that the debate is still open, and the film may only deepen it. [Read more 🡒]