Tennessee's Playoff Push Takes a Hit in 27-24 Loss at South Carolina

Tennessee entered Saturday's game at Williams-Brice Stadium looking to continue its College Football Playoff push, but South Carolina won 27-24 in Columbia. The Volunteers came in at 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the SEC after a 26-10 win over Alabama the previous week, while the Gamecocks were 3-3 and 1-3 in the league coming off a bye week.

South Carolina started fast in the 3:30 p.m. Eastern kickoff on ESPN, scoring on an 18-yard pass from LaNorris Sellers to Mazeo Bennett and then on a 31-yard run by Sellers to lead 14-0 in the first quarter. Tennessee recovered in the second quarter behind a 75-yard touchdown drive finished by DeSean Bishop, a tying 1-yard run by DaSaahn Brame, and an 8-yard wildcat touchdown run by Mike Matthews just before halftime for a 21-17 lead.

After a scoreless third quarter, Tennessee pushed the margin to 24-17 on a 37-yard field goal by Cooper Ranvier in the fourth quarter. That advantage did not hold. Tennessee failed on fourth-and-1 at the South Carolina 39, Sellers tied the game with a five-yard touchdown run with 1:17 remaining, and the Gamecocks then recovered a fumble by George MacIntyre in the final minute.

South Carolina recovered at the 38 with 33 seconds left after MacIntyre was hit by Dylan Stewart, and kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired. Tennessee now heads into a bye week before closing the regular season in November with home games against Kentucky and LSU and road games at Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.