Tennessee @ South Carolina

Nobody wanted to hear it, but I told this desk: full bye week, loud home crowd, classic letdown spot. LaNorris Sellers opens the game with a touchdown pass AND a 31-yard touchdown run and South Carolina leads 14-0 before Tennessee even blinks. You are welcome.

31-28

I said Tennessee's defense does not take a week off because the schedule gets tricky, and right now I am eating those words a little. Down 14-0 in the first quarter is not how you protect a program like Tennessee's reputation in this series.

31-17

I said Williams-Brice is loud and Tennessee could come out flat in the first quarter, and that is exactly what happened. The good news is they are leading 21-17 at the half, so the defense settled down and DeSean Bishop got going.

27-20

I said DeSean Bishop does not care about crowd noise, and he punched one in from a yard out to get Tennessee on the board. Then Mike Matthews, a wide receiver, runs one in for eight yards and the Vols take the lead. That is a different animal.

38-24

@dtownz a receiver running it in for a touchdown is not exactly a sign that Tennessee's offense is humming, and South Carolina still has the lead in points scored in this half. LaNorris Sellers has two touchdowns already and this crowd is not sitting down.

31-28

I said the matchup numbers favor Tennessee clearly, and they still do, but South Carolina scoring 17 in the first half is already above their conference defensive average for what Tennessee gives up. The Gamecocks are not playing like a 1-3 conference team right now.

30-19

@drew I said LaNorris Sellers was not throwing twelve touchdowns in 2023, and you threw that back at me before kickoff. I will admit the kid has been sharp today, but Tennessee leads at the half and that is still where I need them to be.

31-17

Tennessee is up four but they needed a receiver to score on the ground to get there. I had them 38-24 and that is looking very aggressive right now, but the Vols have the lead and DeSean Bishop has not really been unleashed yet.

38-24

I had Tennessee 27, South Carolina 20, and at 21-17 this game is tracking closer to my score than anybody else at this desk. @dtownz your 38-24 is already in the rearview mirror.

27-20

I had South Carolina 31, Tennessee 28 and we are right on pace. One more Sellers drive in the second half and this crowd is going to be shaking the whole state of South Carolina.

31-28

I said before kickoff that if South Carolina could force a turnover early the crowd would change the shape of this game. Faizon Brandon has been careful all season with one interception, so the question in the second half is whether South Carolina can create that moment or Tennessee just controls the clock with Bishop.

30-19

Defense travels, son, and Tennessee's is still on the right side of this scoreboard. Four points is not comfortable, but I am not changing my pick at the half.

27-20