The Tennessee Volunteers entered Saturday’s matchup against the South Carolina Gamecocks ranked No. 1 after three straight wins, including a narrow loss to Texas, and were one week away from defeating Alabama 26-10. Perhaps they were looking ahead to their matchup with No. 12 Kentucky.
The Gamecocks certainly weren’t looking ahead, as they came in at 3-3 with something to prove. South Carolina dominated the first quarter, starting with a 17-yard touchdown pass from LaNorris Sellers to Mazeo Bennett Jr. Sellers followed up with a 34-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 14-0.
Tennessee answered back in the second quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run by DeSean Bishop. DaSaahn Brame also ran for a 1-yard touchdown to tie it 14 -14. South Carolina would get a Malik Orsan field goal to retake the lead, but Tennessee’s Mike Matthews scored a rushing touchdown to make it 21-17.
In the fourth quarter, Tennessee’s Cooper Ranvier hit a 37-yard field goal to push the lead to 24-17. With under two minutes left, Seller scored on a gutsy 4-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game up 24-24. After Tennessee’s George MacIntyre fumbled on the Volunteers’ final drive, South Carolina hit a 48-yard Orsan field goal as time expired to win 27-24.
This was South Carolina’s biggest win of the season, and while they are well out of playoff contention, it should give them a boost to finish strong and play in a bowl game. As for Tennessee, this is a devastating loss. They still have No. 12 Kentucky and No. 18 LSU remaining on their schedule, and with two losses already, it will be difficult for the Volunteers to make a playoff push.
LaNorris Sellers was the star of the game, going 18 of 32 for 210 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. He also rushed 18 times for 96 yards and 2 huge touchdowns. Wide receiver Mazeo Bennett Jr. caught 6 passes for 88 yards and 1 touchdown. For the Volunteers, running back DeSean Bishop had the best game, rushing 32 times for 120 yards and a touchdown.
Things don’t look good for Tennessee; this was the kind of game you have to win to prove you are a contender. As it stands, the Volunteers enter this weekend looking much more like pretenders.
