Tennessee loses 27-24 at South Carolina after walk-off field goal and costly penalties

Tennessee lost 27-24 at South Carolina on Saturday evening in Columbia when Malik Orsan made a 48-yard field goal as time expired. The finish capped a night when the Volunteers recovered from an early deficit, took a lead into the second half, and still could not close out the game in the final minutes.

The Volunteers fell behind 14-0 quickly before settling in on both sides of the ball. DeSean Bishop carried the offense with 32 runs for 130 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown that finished an 18-play drive lasting more than nine minutes. DaSaahn Brame added a 1-yard touchdown on fourth and goal after an interception to tie the game, and Mike Matthews scored on an 8-yard run out of the wildcat late in the first half to put Tennessee ahead 21-17. George MacIntyre finished 16 of 23 passing for 136 yards, Braylon Staley had six catches for 56 yards, and Dejuan Lane led the defense with eight tackles.

Penalties shaped the outcome as much as any play. Tennessee was flagged 12 times for 90 yards and had three touchdowns wiped out, including two for illegal formation and another in the second half when an 18-yard scoring pass to Staley was erased by a holding call against David Sanders Jr. The Volunteers settled for a 37-yard field goal on that possession to lead 24-17, after the defense had stopped LaNorris Sellers on fourth down during a scoreless stretch in the third quarter.

Tennessee still had a chance to seal the win late, driving from its own 3-yard line to the South Carolina 38 before a fourth-and-1 attempt failed with Bishop sidelined after being shaken up and MacIntyre tackled for a loss. South Carolina then drove 60 yards to tie the game with under two minutes remaining, recovered a MacIntyre fumble at the Tennessee 35 two plays later after he was hit, and set up Orsan's winning kick with two seconds left.