Tennessee's Mistakes Prove Costly as South Carolina Wins at the Gun

Tennessee's own mistakes doomed the Volunteers against South Carolina, as the Gamecocks won as time expired. In a game decided on the final play, the Vols' errors across the afternoon left them vulnerable, and South Carolina was in position to take full advantage at the end.

Games this close are usually decided by which team hurts itself less, and by that measure Tennessee lost the battle with itself as much as the one with the Gamecocks. Each mistake narrowed the Vols' margin for error until, by the closing seconds, there was none left.

The ending made it sting more. South Carolina's winning score came as time expired, leaving Tennessee no chance to answer and no way to undo the mistakes that had put the game in that position in the first place.