South Carolina beat No. 11 Tennessee 27-24 on the road to nowhere but the end zone and back, closing the game with a dramatic sequence that turned a tie into a walk-off win.
With about three and a half minutes left and the Gamecocks trailing, Tennessee faced 4th and 1 at the South Carolina 38 and went for it. South Carolina’s defense stopped them cold.
Quarterback LaNorris Sellers then led a drive that ended with one of the more memorable plays of the season. On 3rd and goal from the 4, Sellers scrambled right and appeared stopped at the 3, then again near the 1. Instead of going down, he dove and stretched into the end zone for the score. The extra point tied the game at 24 with 1:17 remaining.
Tennessee’s George MacIntyre fumbled on just the third play of the ensuing drive, and South Carolina recovered at the Vols’ 34-yard line with 33 seconds left.
Four plays later, Malik Orsan kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired, sealing the 27-24 win and sending South Carolina fans onto the field.
The win is notable given South Carolina’s history under head coach Shane Beamer, who had been 1-28 when his team trailed by seven or more points in the fourth quarter. It also marks back-to-back wins over ranked opponents for the Gamecocks, following an upset of Florida in Gainesville.
Sellers led South Carolina in rushing with 96 yards on 18 carries and scored twice. The Gamecocks jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter before Tennessee clawed back into contention.
South Carolina is now 4-3 overall and 2-3 in SEC play. Tennessee falls to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in conference play, suffering its second loss of the season. The defeat likely damages Tennessee’s College Football Playoff hopes, though the first CFP rankings won’t be released until Nov. 3.
Tennessee returns to action in two weeks against No. 12 Kentucky in Knoxville. South Carolina hosts Oklahoma next week.
