Malik Orsan kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired and South Carolina beat Tennessee 27-24 on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium, erasing a 21-17 halftime deficit against the No. 11 Volunteers. LaNorris Sellers accounted for three touchdowns, two on the ground and one through the air, to lift the Gamecocks to 4-3.
Tennessee controlled much of the middle two quarters behind DeSean Bishop, who ran for 120 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries. The Volunteers scored 21 unanswered points in the second quarter to take a 21-17 lead into the half, but South Carolina outscored them 10-3 in the fourth quarter to close it out. Bishop’s workload and a late Cooper Ranvier field goal kept Tennessee in front until the final 77 seconds, when Sellers scored on a 4-yard run to tie the game before Orsan’s kick won it.
Takeaways From South Carolina’s Win Over Tennessee
Sellers delivered when it mattered most
Sellers finished 18 of 32 passing for 210 yards with a touchdown and an interception, adding 96 yards and two scores on 18 carries. His 31-yard touchdown run in the first quarter put South Carolina up 14-0, and his 4-yard scramble with 1:17 left tied the game at 24 before the winning kick. The Gamecocks leaned on his legs down the stretch, calling his number on the decisive drive.
Tennessee’s second-quarter surge wasn’t enough
The Volunteers scored three touchdowns in a span of 13:48 during the second quarter, getting a 1-yard run from Bishop, a 1-yard run from DaSaahn Brame and an 8-yard run from Mike Matthews to take a 21-17 lead. Tennessee held the ball for 34:12 compared to South Carolina’s 25:48 and converted 3 of 4 fourth-down attempts, but the Volunteers were outscored 10-3 after halftime.
South Carolina’s defense forced the turning point
TJ Metcalf was not the only player to make a key defensive play for Tennessee, but the Volunteers managed just one takeaway in the game while South Carolina’s defense held Tennessee to 3 points in the fourth quarter. South Carolina’s lone turnover came on a Sellers interception, yet the Gamecocks’ defense limited Tennessee to 3-of-15 on third down for the game, a number that proved decisive as the Volunteers tried to run clock in the second half.
Player Of The Game: LaNorris Sellers
Sellers went 18 of 32 for 210 yards and a touchdown through the air while rushing 18 times for 96 yards and two more scores. His fourth-quarter touchdown run tied the game before Orsan’s field goal sealed it, giving him a hand in all three of South Carolina’s touchdowns.
South Carolina Vs Tennessee By The Numbers
South Carolina outgained Tennessee 344 yards to 320 despite running 19 fewer plays, finishing 31 rushes for 134 yards against Tennessee’s 50 carries for 184 yards. The Gamecocks won the fourth quarter 10-3 after trailing by four points at halftime. Tennessee out-possessed South Carolina by more than eight minutes, 34:12 to 25:48, but was outscored 24-13 across the first and fourth quarters.
Each team finished with one turnover, with Tennessee losing a fumble and South Carolina throwing an interception. Orsan made both of his field goal attempts, including the game-winning 48-yarder, while Ranvier hit his only attempt from 37 yards for Tennessee.
What It Means
South Carolina moves to 4-3 on the season with a win over a ranked opponent, while Tennessee falls to 6-8 overall at 6-2. The loss snaps momentum the Volunteers had built with recent wins, a stretch covered in Jim Knowles Tennessee defense analysis and in the matchup preview published ahead of Saturday’s game.
What’s Next
Neither team’s next opponent or date was included in the available game data. South Carolina will look to build on its win over a ranked opponent, while Tennessee will aim to regroup after a game in which it led by seven points in the second quarter. For more on Tennessee’s season, including quarterback George MacIntyre’s recent starts, see the report on MacIntyre’s starts and the Tennessee vs Arkansas preview from earlier this season.
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