Unbelievable: Last week, Tennessee scored 66. This time, it gave up 63 in a really poor performance with devastating results.
The high-flying Volunteers, hoping to reach the football moon, crashed at South Carolina. Wiped out was a likely opportunity in the national playoffs.
Hendon Hooker, trying to run an option play, suffered a leg injury without being hit, fell, fumbled and undoubtedly lost his chance at the Heisman Trophy.
South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler upstaged the star, threw six touchdown passes and directed an overwhelming 63-38 triumph.
Rattler finished with hall-of-fame numbers, 30-of-37 for 438 yards. He came into the game with more interceptions (nine) than TD passes (eight).
Wide receiver Antwane Wells embarrassed some Tennessee defensive backs with 11 catches for 177 yards. Jaheim Bell and Josh Vann each caught two scoring passes.
Tennessee’s defense, said to be improving, was at least awful. The Gamecocks scored on nine of 10 possessions. Rattler was unstoppable. He was rarely pressured.
Earlier in November, Georgia gained 387 total yards against the Volunteers. South Carolina piled up 355 in the first half.
How big was this upset? Historical. The Gamecocks were three-touchdown underdogs coming off a 32-point loss at Florida. This was the worst-looking defeat of Josh Heupel’s relatively young coaching career but it counts only as one. Tennessee is now 9-2 and facing a Saturday night finale at Vanderbilt. The Commodores have just learned to win.
Heupel was undoubtedly aware that Tennessee was outplayed on both sides of the ball and outcoached throughout, but he kept his poise.
“Obviously extremely disappointed with the performance and the outcome. It’s everybody involved. From myself, to the assistant coaches, to the players. We had an opportunity here and didn’t take advantage of it. Didn’t play well. Credit to South Carolina. They did play well. Disappointed that we didn’t perform better.
Asked about defensive effort, Heupel said, “I didn’t question their want to but obviously we didn’t play together defensively and offensively, we didn’t cover. We didn’t create pressure up front. We just didn’t get it done.
“We played man. We played zone. Tim (Banks, defensive coordinator) tried to find an answer and we didn’t. The run game at the beginning hit us with a bit of a wildcat, but we anticipated some of those things. The power read got us a couple of times. At the end of the day, we didn’t defend anything the way that you need to and you can’t play in this league that way.”
Heupel promised to evaluate everything.
“We tried multiple guys out on the edge and some on the inside. We didn’t coach or play well. Anybody involved.
“For us to grow as a program, you have to look at this opportunity and understand what happened. Let it hurt and remember that as you move forward.”
The coach conceded that intensity and focus were not where they needed to be.
Hooker was not sharp. He completed 25 of 42 for 247 and three touchdowns but missed a surprising number of open receivers. Joe Milton hit four of eight for 108 and one score after Hooker was injured.
Cedric Tillman had nine receptions for 81 yards and two TDs. Princeton Fant caught a touchdown pass. A Bru McCoy high jump produced a TD off a deflection. Jabari Small rushed for 80 and one score.
Injuries depleted the supply of defensive backs. Jeremy Banks didn’t make the trip, supposedly because of an injury.
SC – Jaheim Bell 19 pass from Spencer Rattler (Mitch Jeter kick); TEN – Jabari Small 31 run (Chase McGrath kick); SC – Josh Vann 60 pass from Rattler (Jeter kick); SC – Juju McDowell 11 pass from Rattler (Jeter kick); TEN – Cedric Tillman 3 pass from Hendon Hooker (McGrath kick); SC – Dakeron Joyner 1 run (Jeter kick); TEN – McGrath 27 field goal; USC – Vann 18 pass from Rattler (Jeter kick); TEN – Bru McCoy 7 pass from Hooker (McGrath kick); TEN – Princeton Fant 41 pass from Hooker (McGrath kick); SC – Antwane Wells 3 run (Jeter kick); SC – Bell 2 pass from Rattler (Jeter kick); SC – Joyner 3 run (Jeter kick); SC – Jalen Brooks 20 pass from Rattler (Jeter kick); TEN – Tillman 21 pass from Joe Milton (McGrath kick).