South Carolina Scores First to Lead No. 11 Tennessee 7-0 in Opening Quarter

South Carolina struck first on Saturday afternoon at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, taking a 7-0 lead over No. 11 Tennessee in the first quarter. The Gamecocks won the coin toss and chose to receive, then marched 75 yards on the opening possession. LaNorris Sellers finished the drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Mazeo Bennett, giving the home team the early advantage with 10:02 left in the quarter after a drive that produced six first downs.

The game kicked off at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN, with streaming on ESPN+ and radio coverage on the Vol Network. Tennessee arrived at 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the SEC, coming off a 26-10 win over Alabama the previous week and looking to continue its College Football Playoff push. South Carolina entered at 3-3 and 1-3 in league play after a bye week.

The matchup renewed a series Tennessee leads 27-11-2 dating back to 1903. The Volunteers have won four of the last five meetings since 2019, including a 41-20 victory at Neyland Stadium in 2023, the most recent game between the schools. South Carolina, however, won the last meeting in Columbia, 63-38 in 2022, and its fast start put Tennessee in position to have to answer on the road.

For Tennessee, the early deficit sharpened the test ahead with a bye week next on the schedule before November closes the regular season. The Volunteers still face home games against Kentucky and LSU and road trips to Texas A&M and Vanderbilt, making a response in Columbia important to protect both their SEC standing and their playoff hopes.