No. 11 Tennessee went into Columbia and came out on the wrong side of a 27-24 result, undone by mistakes after building real momentum. The Vols dug themselves out of a 14-0 hole, but the early damage and a string of costly penalties gave South Carolina too many openings to survive.
The opening quarter belonged to the Gamecocks. LaNorris Sellers and South Carolina attacked Tennessee’s aggressive defense with quick throws, and the home team scored on its first two possessions to build the early cushion.
Tennessee did not fold, though. Once the Vols settled in, their run game and defense started to take over, and the game turned sharply.
Tennessee answered with an 18-play, 75-yard touchdown march, then got a lift from Xavier Gilliam’s pressure that led to a TJ Metcalf interception and the tying score. South Carolina briefly reclaimed a 17-14 lead, but a targeting call on Vicari Swaim helped Tennessee seize the next chance. The Vols finished the half on a 21-3 run and walked into the break with control.
DeSean Bishop drove much of that turnaround. With Tennessee staring at a two-touchdown deficit, the offense leaned hard on him, and the entire operation started to breathe. A 35-yard touchdown pass to DaSaahn Brame was erased by penalty, but Bishop kept the possession alive and capped it with a 1-yard touchdown run.
He had help, too. Javin Gordon turned his carries into useful production and gave Tennessee another threat South Carolina had to respect.
The Vols also kept finding different ways to score, with Bishop, Brame and Mike Matthews each reaching the end zone on the ground in the first half. Matthews’ wildcat touchdown put Tennessee in front before halftime.
Bishop finished with 120 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries.
On the other side of the ball, Tennessee eventually found the edge against Sellers. Mariyon Dye shut down South Carolina’s first drive of the second half with Tennessee’s first sack of the day on Sellers, and from there the Vols began to get more penetration and more pressure.
Tennessee finished with five sacks on Sellers, but the Gamecocks still had one last answer when contain broke down late in the fourth quarter. Sellers used his legs to lead the tying drive and finished with 96 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.
The penalties were the killer. Tennessee piled up 12 flags for 90 yards, and too many of them came at the worst times.
A pair of touchdowns came off the board, and pre-snap mistakes on both sides of the ball kept handing South Carolina free yards and extra chances. That was the difference in Columbia.
In Other News...
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 🡒]