Malik Orsan kicked a 48-yard field goal on the game’s final play as South Carolina rallied to win its second straight conference game by edging No. 11 Tennessee 27-24 on Saturday afternoon in Columbia, S.C.
Tomiwa Durojaiye recovered a fumble following a sack in the final minute, setting up Orsan’s winning kick as the Gamecocks (4-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) overcame a seven-point fourth-quarter deficit.
LaNorris Sellers was 18 of 32 for 210 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also rushed for 96 yards on 18 attempts with two more scores. Mazeo Bennett Jr. had six catches for 88 yards and a touchdown.
Blasted 63-38 in its last visit to the South Carolina capital in 2022, Tennessee (6-2, 3-2) had 120 yards on 32 carries and a score from DeSean Bishop, who had his fourth straight 100-yard outing. Tight end DaSaahn Brame and wide receiver Mike Matthews rushed for scores. George MacIntyre was 16 of 23 passing for 136 yards.
Sellers was sharp right away, completing 6 of 7 throws on the opening series and finishing with a 17-yard score to Bennett in the first five minutes.
The quarterback tacked on a fabulous touchdown run on the home side’s next possession, breaking the pocket and dashing away from defenders over 31 yards for a 14-0 lead at 8:17.
MacIntyre put his squad on the board by engineering a 75-yard, 18-play drive that took 9:05. Bishop’s 11th touchdown, a short run at 14:12 of the second quarter, capped the possession.
TJ Metcalf’s interception of Sellers set Tennessee up for its second score, and Brame rushed in from the 1 on fourth down to knot it 14-all with 8:06 left in the half.
Orsan’s 22-yard field goal gave South Carolina a 17-14 lead with 1:44 remaining in the half, but Matthews scored on an 8-yard run off a direct snap to put Tennessee ahead 21-17 at halftime.
After Tennessee had a second touchdown called back on the day, Cooper Ranvier hit a 37-yard field goal at 11:46 of the fourth on the subsequent series for a seven-point lead.
Following a defensive stand by the Gamecocks with 3:35 left, Sellers scored from four yards on a keeper to tie it 24-all with 1:17 to go.