Tennessee Rallies From 14 Down to Lead South Carolina 21-17 in the Fourth Quarter

No. 11 Tennessee carried a 21-17 lead over South Carolina into the fourth quarter on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, in a 3:30 p.m. Eastern kickoff televised on ESPN. The Volunteers arrived at 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the SEC, coming off a 26-10 win over Alabama and continuing a push toward the College Football Playoff, while the Gamecocks entered 3-3 and 1-3 in league play after a bye week.

The opening minutes belonged entirely to the home team. South Carolina took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards, scoring on an 18-yard touchdown pass from LaNorris Sellers to Mazeo Bennett. After Tennessee went three-and-out, Sellers struck again almost immediately, throwing for 27 yards and then running 31 yards for a touchdown on a two-play drive that put the Vols down 14-0 barely into the first quarter.

Tennessee steadied itself with a punishing answer, marching 75 yards on 18 plays over nine minutes, with DeSean Bishop carrying 11 times for 51 yards on the drive and finishing it from a yard out. The defense then gave the offense a short field, coming up with an interception that set Tennessee up at the South Carolina 28, and DaSaahn Brame scored on a 1-yard run on fourth-and-goal to tie the game at 14. South Carolina retook the lead on a 22-yard field goal after a missed chance in the end zone, but Tennessee responded before halftime, going 75 yards in seven plays and taking its first lead on an 8-yard wildcat touchdown run by Mike Matthews with 24 seconds left in the half.

Neither side scored in the third quarter, as Tennessee punted three times and South Carolina twice. The biggest play of the period came from the Vol defense, when Xavier Gilliam sacked Sellers for a loss on fourth-and-three at the Tennessee 41 to turn the Gamecocks away. That stand preserved the four-point margin heading into the final quarter, with Tennessee trying to close out a road win it had to come from well behind to earn.