By Drew Lumpkin
Josh Heupel showed the Tennessee Volunteers a specific photo the morning after Tennessee beat Alabama 26-10. It wasn’t a picture of cigarette butts on the field or Jim Knowles dancing in the locker room. Instead, it showed South Carolina rushing the field four years ago after defeating the then-No. 5 Volunteers 63-28. The loss ultimately knocked Tennessee out of the 2022 College Football Playoff race.
While attention remains on the Volunteers’ performance last Saturday, Heupel is focused on the trip to Williams-Brice Stadium this weekend, where Tennessee has gone 2-8 since 2008.
“I’ve said it to our football team. I think I’ve said it in here a couple times,” Heupel said. “Every week’s a new season inside of this league. That’s whether you’re playing at home or on the road. You got to play.”
South Carolina Gamecocks (3-3, 1-3 SEC)
Coming off a bye week, the Gamecocks are looking to build on their most recent SEC victory. After an inconsistent first half of the season, South Carolina put its best foot forward in its most recent matchup, defeating No. 20 Florida in The Swamp. The win snapped an eight-game SEC losing streak. South Carolina enters the matchup against the Vols 1-3 in SEC play.
The bye week came at an opportune time for the Gamecocks. Plagued by injuries, South Carolina could see multiple starters return against the Vols on Saturday. Defensive tackle Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, edge rusher Julian Walker and center Carter Miller all missed the Gamecocks’ win over Florida.
Impact player Dylan Stewart also missed time after being suspended. The projected top-10 NFL draft pick has had a turbulent season, headlined by an incident where he punched an Alabama player. The altercation led to Stewart missing the overtime loss to Kentucky. The edge rusher will look to make up for lost time against a Tennessee offensive line that has allowed 18 sacks through the first seven games of the season and add to his 12 career sacks.
A puzzling part of the Gamecocks’ offense is 6-foot-3, 245-pound quarterback LaNorris Sellers. With flashes of athleticism, Sellers excels at throwing on the run and pushing the ball downfield. He threw for just under 300 yards and four touchdowns in the victory over Florida. Although he performed well against the SEC opponent, some of Sellers’ reads and interceptions have raised questions about his decision-making as he approaches the 2027 NFL draft.
The 3-3 Gamecocks are not without talent. In two of their three losses, South Carolina held a halftime lead. Inconsistency has kept the team from establishing a winning record, but the victory over Florida showed what the Gamecocks can accomplish when they put together four complete quarters.
At 2-3 before the decisive win over Florida, coach Shane Beamer appeared to be firmly on the hot seat. Beamer will look to continue making his case as South Carolina’s head coach against a Tennessee team that appears to be hitting its stride.
No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers (6-1, 3-1 SEC)
Coming off a historically loud weekend in Neyland Stadium, the Volunteers played some of their best football of the season in a standout performance against the Crimson Tide.
DeSean Bishop earned Doak Walker National Running Back of the Week honors after carrying the ball 32 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns. He will look to continue his standout junior season. The win over Alabama marked Bishop’s third consecutive 100-yard rushing game. He also recorded a career-high 220 rushing yards against Auburn. However, Tennessee running backs coach DeRail Sims has taken note of the Gamecocks’ defensive line. South Carolina’s defensive front held Florida running back Jadan Baugh to fewer than 60 rushing yards.
“They play extremely aggressively. You saw that against Florida. You saw that against every single team that they played against,” Sims said.
A central storyline heading into this week is the quarterback battle in Tennessee.
“George has played smart and efficiently. I like a lot of what he’s done. You guys will figure it out when we get to the game,” Heupel said.
The now 2-0 George MacIntyre has favored efficiency over explosive passing, throwing for fewer than 200 yards on 21 completions. Despite throwing an interception, MacIntyre remained composed and delivered a consistent performance against Alabama. With Bishop leading the offense on the ground, MacIntyre is doing what he needs to help the Vols succeed.
Behind MacIntyre is Faizon Brandon, who started the first five games of the season before leaving the Auburn game with an aggravated right elbow injury. Vols fans may remember Brandon’s last appearance for an interception. According to multiple reports, MacIntyre will get his third straight start leading the Vols, but Heupel has yet to confirm the sources.
While the offense is ranked No. 123 in success rate, Tennessee’s defense has been a major contributor to the team’s success. Under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, the defense ranks No. 6 in defensive success rate and No. 15 in expected points added per play.
Alabama was held to just 201 yards, a season low for an explosive offense that had scored more than 40 points in each of its first five games. Knowles will look to create confusion for South Carolina’s offense, particularly around quarterback Sellers.
Saturday’s challenge against an SEC opponent will prove daunting for the Volunteers. An opportunity arises for Tennessee to prove it can grapple with consistency while playing in an environment that has plagued the program for almost two decades.