South Carolina beat fifth-ranked Tennessee 63-38, setting multiple school milestones in the process. Spencer Rattler passed for 438 yards and a school-record six touchdowns to beat Josh Heupel and the top-ranked offence.
National media blasted Tennessee’s defence and Heupel after the game, believing the Volunteers weren’t prepared for Williams Brice Stadium, which resulted in Shane Beamer’s largest victory. Tennessee was a 23.5-point favourite and just beat Missouri by 66 points.
Heupel noted after his team’s second setback, “To evolve as a programme, you must comprehend what occurred.” “Let it hurt, then let it grow.
South Carolina beat fifth-ranked Tennessee 63-38, setting multiple school milestones in the process. Spencer Rattler passed for 438 yards and a school-record six touchdowns to beat Josh Heupel and the top-ranked offence.
National media blasted Tennessee’s defence and Heupel after the game, believing the Volunteers weren’t prepared for Williams Brice Stadium, which resulted in Shane Beamer’s largest victory. Tennessee was a 23.5-point favourite and just beat Missouri by 66 points.
Heupel noted after his team’s second setback, “To evolve as a programme, you must comprehend what occurred.” “Let it hurt, then let it grow.
All systems failed for Tennessee’s defence, which gave up 606 yards to a bottom-ranked offence. The Volunteers allowed South Carolina OC Marcus Satterfield rip through their defence with Rattler’s brilliance because he was on the hot seat entering Week 12.
South Carolina scored on every first-half possession, shocking Tennessee with 35 points. The Volunteers lost multiple passes over the middle, appeared bewildered downfield, and gave up several third-down conversions to the Gamecocks. The Tennessee defence made many early blunders.
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit commented, “This is a terrific night for Rattler, Marcus Satterfield and company.” “You can envision Shane Beamer’s postgame interviews after victory like this. It’s a recruitment coup. He’s trying to gain momentum, and this victory helps. Knocking off No. 5 Tennessee helps you achieve your goals.”
The Gamecocks scored 35 first-half and 21 fourth-quarter points behind Rattler’s 438 yards passing.
Dick Vitale calls Tennessee’s performance “embarrassing,” considering how close they were to the playoffs. The Volunteers’ résumé was enough to earn the SEC a second trip to the final four if Georgia beat LSU in the SEC Championship Game. Tennessee lost.
Tennessee’s defence had a devastating performance that fans and coaches won’t soon forget. South Carolina’s wideouts ran free over the middle throughout the game, and a 3rd-and-20 convert in the third quarter was emblematic.
Mizzou’s coaching staff had no problem with Tennessee’s scoring last week, nor did Heupel criticise Beamer for doing so in Week 12. The Gamecocks’ offence was firing on all cylinders until the final bell.
Disappointment, astonishment. That’s how Tennessee’s locker room felt after the game. This wasn’t how Tennessee’s fairytale season was meant to finish; they might slip out of the top 10.
In last week’s 32-point defeat against Florida, South Carolina’s offence didn’t score a point. It’s mind-boggling to think how the Gamecocks have looked compared to Tennessee.
No one outside South Carolina’s programme believed the Gamecocks would beat Tennessee as a 3-touchdown underdog, much less in blowout fashion with Rattler’s aerial assault. For one night, South Carolina’s offence looked like it has all season.
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