Tennessee’s trip to South Carolina comes with plenty of buzz, and not just because the Volunteers are fresh off a home win over Alabama. It’s also being framed as one of the biggest games left on Tennessee’s schedule, with Williams-Brice Stadium shaping up as what feels like the toughest road assignment the Vols will face this season.
To get a read on South Carolina, Vols on SI spoke with Gamecocks on SI publisher Alex Joyce, who laid out the state of the matchup from the other side. Joyce pointed first to the timing of the break for South Carolina, saying, "From a health and rest standpoint, it came at a great time.
From a schedule standpoint, it came at the perfect time. That win over Florida rejuvenated this team and fanbase.
While the game against Tennessee is a very tough matchup, this break gives the Gamecocks lots of time to prepare," Joyce said.
For South Carolina, Joyce said the cleanest path starts with taking care of the football. "For South Carolina it’s limiting turnovers.
The offense has been pretty good this season when they don’t turn the ball over. Once they do it begins to unravel.
So it’s paramount LaNorris Sellers protects the ball in a game that may be low scoring," Joyce said.
He also highlighted the ground game as a major swing factor, and his pick there wasn’t the obvious one. "The easy answer is Sellers, but I’m going to go with Matt Fuller for this one.
South Carolina has to run the ball well if they want to come away with a win. That starts with leading tailback Matt Fuller," Joyce said.
Asked what a win would mean for the Gamecocks, Joyce said it would matter, but it would not decide everything. "Since the schedule is lighter after this week (aside from the Georgia game), it would certainly be a big boost but the Gamecocks can still get to bowl eligibility without it.
The margins would be super slim. It would do a lot of the fanbase’s confidence in Beamer, but his job security won’t live or die on Saturday," Joyce said.
As for how he sees it going, Joyce leaned toward the home team in a tight one. "I’m going with something in the realm of 24-21 South Carolina.
With this being a later kickoff and inside Williams-Brice Stadium, I’m leaning toward the Gamecocks based mostly on the home-field advantage. The turnover battle will be huge in this game.
Whoever wins that is likely the victor on Saturday," Joyce said.
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Tennessee Just Lost Another Key Piece Up Front
Tennessees offensive line had been trending in the right direction before Donovan Haslam went down in the first half against South Carolina, giving the unit a little more stability after recent games with fewer sacks allowed. Haslam had settled in at right guard, and his presence helped the Volunteers keep building around an up-front group that had started to look more settled.
His upper-body injury forced another in-game shuffle, with Shamurad Umarov stepping in as Tennessee had to adjust on the fly. For a line that had finally found some traction, losing a key interior piece in the middle of a game is the kind of setback that can quickly change the feel of the entire offense. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Fans Will Not Like One Detail About This South Carolina Game
Tennessee heads into its trip to South Carolina with a little extra baggage from the recent history between these teams. The Volunteers have not forgotten the 2022 loss in Columbia, and the setup for this one already has a familiar edge to it, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and the matchup carrying more weight than a standard SEC date on the calendar.
The line has only added to the frustration for Tennessee fans, since South Carolina is favored by 2.5 points despite the Vols being ranked higher. There is also a layer of unease attached to the officiating after referee David Smith, a former Alabama quarterback, was on the crew for that 2022 game in Columbia, which makes this weekends meeting feel like more than just another road test. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Matthews Gave Tennessee The Jolt It Desperately Needed
A change of pace from the usual script gave Tennessee exactly the spark it needed in the first half against South Carolina. Mike Matthews, already an important part of the passing game as a junior wide receiver, took a Wildcat snap and turned it into a rushing touchdown, helping the Volunteers grab their first lead of the afternoon by halftime.
Matthews had already shown this season that he can finish drives as a receiver, with three touchdown catches to his name, but this one added a different layer to his value. For a Tennessee offense that needed a jolt, the play was a reminder that Matthews can impact the game in more than one way, and that kind of versatility can matter as the Vols try to steady themselves in a tight spot. [Read more 🡒]