“We played well early and finished strong.” – Josh Heupel

The Tennessee Volunteers bounced back in a big way routing UTSA 45-14 after a tough loss against Florida the week prior. The Vols improve to 3-1 on the season. Now, it’s time to activate dark mode in Neyland Stadium as the Volunteers host the South Carolina Gamecocks in primetime. 

Last Time Out

Tennessee

The Tennessee offense was on full display Saturday and it started on the first play from scrimmage as quarterback Joe Milton ran 81 yards for a touchdown. Milton finished the game 18/31 for 209 yards and two touchdowns as well as his rushing touchdown. Wide receivers Ramel Keyton and Kaleb Webb had the two receiving touchdowns. Much of Tennessee’s success, though, came in the first half. All three of Milton’s touchdowns were before the half as Tennessee went to the locker room at half-time with a 31-0 lead over the Roadrunners. Sophomore running back Dylan Sampson showed how potent the Tennessee run game can be. Sampson totaled 139 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 carries. Senior running back Jabari Small also contributed a rushing touchdown and carried the ball 9 times for 61 yards. 

While Milton’s stat line does not scream perfect, he did what he needed to do to get the Vols the win. The second half, also did not scream perfect. The Vols came out of halftime slow and allowed UTSA to get 14 unanswered points on the board. If you ask head coach Josh Heupel, a slow start to the second half is something he was afraid of. 

“It’s, again, a reminder for the competitive edge that you’ve got to have and continue to keep during the course of a ball game.”

A slow second half start against any SEC could spell doom for the Volunteers, but Tennessee kicked it back into gear in the fourth quarter scoring the final 14 points.

South Carolina

The Gamecocks bounced back after a close loss in Georgia in week 3 to beat Mississippi State at home 37-30 to improve to 2-2 on the season. South Carolina, behind senior quarterback Spencer Rattler, proved that they can compete with almost any team. Rattler has been the most consistent quarterback in the SEC in 2023 and did it yet again Saturday against the Bulldogs. Rattler went 18/20 for 288 yards and three touchdowns. The Gamecocks used a well-balanced offensive attack to take some of the pressure off of Rattler. South Carolina rushed for 144 yards led by senior running Mario Anderson who had 88 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. Rattler has a sure-fire favorite target to throw to in senior wide receiver Xavier Legette who had 189 yards on five receptions. 

The Gamecocks defense intercepted Bulldogs quarterback Will Rodgers in the second quarter and also forced a fumble in the fourth quarter. However, Rodgers threw for a career best 487 yards on 30-48 passing with a touchdown as well as his interception. The South Carolina defense can be broken open as Mississippi State showed. 

The Matchup

All-time, Tennessee leads South Carolina 28-11-2 head-to-head. The last time these two sides met, South Carolina pulled off a massive upset beating Tennessee, the number one overall in CFP ranking, in Columbia 68-33. The Vols lost starting quarterback Hendon Hooker to a torn ACL and Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler went 30/37 for 438 yards and six touchdowns. 

This time, the game is played in Knoxville and the Vols are wearing all black, including their helmet. The revenge game is on. 

The Vols enter the game with an inconsistent team across the board. Each week has seen a different quarterback in Joe Milton, the offensive line has not blocked well with senior center Cooper Mays continuing to miss time, and the secondary has been less than stellar. 

The Gamecocks enter the game with a similar team except for having a quarterback with a hot hand in Spencer Rattler. Their offensive line does not hold up well and the Tennessee defensive front should find their way to Rattler often. On the defensive side, their secondary has holes and will allow the deep ball and chunk plays. Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton, if accurate, can exploit the back end of the secondary and find Ramel Keyton, Bru McCoy, and Squirrel White for chunk plays and long touchdowns. 

This will truly be a battle, but, on paper, Tennessee sports the better talent, but South Carolina knows how to fight. Just ask Georgia. 

Game Information

South Carolina Gamecocks vs. #21 Tennessee Volunteers

Game Time: September 30th @ 6:30 PM CT 

Location: Knoxville, TN (Neyland Stadium)

TV Broadcast: SEC Network 

TV Broadcast Crew: Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Holly Rowe

Radio: Vol-Network (104-5 The Zone)

Radio Broadcast Crew: Bob Keeling, Pat Ryan

Line: TENN -12

Over/Under: 63.5

Things To Watch

Vols On Upset Watch?

A Tennessee team who has not put it all together through four weeks of play find themselves against a team trying to make it a repeat. The Vols were upset a season ago, and the fight in this Carolina team could make it difficult for Tennessee. If the Vols defense can manage Spencer Rattler and Xavier Legette, then Tennessee should find their way to victory.

Rattling Rattler

The Tennessee Vols defensive front led by senior defensive lineman Tyler Baron, who has four sacks on the season, and senior linebacker Aaron Beasley, who already has 29 tackles this season, are on a terror. The threat is there, and the Gamecocks have a weak offensive line. The Vols need to put pressure on Spencer Rattler early and often. The more Rattler is flustered, the better chance Tennessee has of taking away their best weapon. When South Carolina played Georgia two weeks ago, the Bulldogs were constantly in the face of Rattler forcing him to throw it away or force the ball to its location. Rattler finished with 20 incompletions going 22/42 for 256 yards a touchdown and an interception. Put the pressure on Spencer Rattler and South Carolina is limited.

Balanced Offense

Joe Milton has been anything but consistent through four weeks, but last week against UTSA was a positive step. He took care of the football and showed he can run the ball as well as pass. A balanced offense that can have success on the ground as well as through the air will take the pressure off of Milton. Dylan Sampson should be featured this week yet again and look for him to get close to 100 yards as well. 

Cooper Mays Sighting?

Vols senior center Cooper Mays has yet to play this season due to offseason abdominal surgery. Mays has been rumored to enter the lineup since the Florida game in week 3, but has been ruled out the last two weeks. After this weeks game, Tennessee will enter the bye week. While the Vols may rule him out yet again to ensure he is healthy after the bye week when they play Texas A&M, this is a big game with obvious SEC East implications. The offensive line and Tennessee needs Mays on the field for his leadership, experience, strength, and to get senior Ollie Lane out of the starting lineup. Mays, to this point, is still questionable to play, so a Cooper Mays sighting continues to be unknown. 

Tennessee Vols and 104-5 The Zone

Join 104-5 The Zone’s 3HL as we broadcast live from Scoreboard Bar & Grill on Music Valley Drive this Friday September 29th! Stop by as we officially kickoff the football weekend at Scoreboard Bar and Grill and while you are there, sign up to win Tennessee tickets and try to beat Brent and Slay’s picks of the week for your chance to win $250 in tickets and prizes from Scoreboard Bar & Grill!

Follow along with 104-5 The Zone for all the latest news and info on Twitter/X @1045TheZone.  

Vol Network coverage of Tennessee vs South Carolina begins at 4:30 PM CDT on 104-5 The Zone!