South Carolina (3-2, 0-2 SEC) vs Tennessee (3-2, 1-1 SEC)
When: Saturday, Oct 9, 2021 - Noon ET
Where: Neyland Stadium - Knoxville, TN (102,455)
Broadcast: ESPN2 (Anish Shrof, Mike Golic Jr, Taylor McGregor)
Local Radio: Gamecock IMG Sports Network (Todd Ellis, Tommy Suggs, Jamar Nesbit)
Satellite Radio: Sirius 137/XM 201
Odds: Tennessee -10.5 (O/U 56.5)
Weather: 72 degrees, 4% chance of rain
How to watch today’s game
The Gamecocks (3-2, 0-2 SEC) and Vols (3-2, 1-1 SEC) are set to kick off at noon ET on ESPN2.
ESPN2 is available nationwide to every major cable, satellite, and streaming provider -- check your local listings for the specific channel.
There are options to stream the game, including on the ESPN app, but viewers will need to be logged in within the app with a TV provider and package that already includes ESPN2.
Anish Shrof will handle play-by-play duties from the booth where he will be joined by Mike Golic Jr., with Taylor McGregor patrolling the sidelines.
Todd Ellis and Tommy Suggs will handle the call for the Gamecock Radio Network with Jamar Nesbit on the sidelines. Check for your local radio affiliates at this link.
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Quick notes from South Carolina Athletics
CAROLINA VS. TENNESSEE: This is the 40th gridiron meeting between the Gamecocks and Volunteers in a series that dates back to 1903. Tennessee leads the all-time series, 27-10-2, including a 17-3 advantage in Knoxville and a 10-7-2 mark in Columbia. The teams have met every year since Carolina joined the SEC for the 1992 season, with the Volunteers winning 20 of the 29 meetings as conference rivals. The Gamecocks defeated Tennessee just three times in a 105-year period from 1903-2007, but have won seven times in the last 13 years from 2008-20, including three of the last five contests.
IT FIGURES TO BE CLOSE: Eight of the last nine contests (2012-20) have been decided by six points or less, with Carolina winning four games by 3, 3, 6 and 3 points and Tennessee winning four times by 2-, 3-, 3- and 4-point margins. Six of the last nine games have been decided by three points or less.
WHATEVER IT TAKES: South Carolina has played seven overtime games in its history, logging a 3-4 mark in those contests that needed more than 60 minutes to decide. Tennessee has been the opponent in three of the seven overtime games and accounted for three of the Gamecocks’ four overtime losses, all decided by a field goal.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET: The Gamecocks opened the 2020 season at home on Sept. 26 and dropped a hard-fought 31-27 decision to No. 16/21 Tennessee. Carolina drove right down the field on its first possession to take an early 7-0 lead. The Vols scored the next three touchdowns to open up a 21-7 advantage early in the third quarter, but the Gamecocks stormed back to tie the game at 21 and again at 24. Jarrett Guarantano hit Josh Palmer on a 32-yard scoring strike with 9:35 left in the contest for a 31-24 UT lead. The Gamecocks would get a Parker White 45-yard field goal with 3:16 to play, but after the defense got a late stop, a special teams miscue cost Carolina a final chance to score. The yards gained was pretty even, with UT outgaining the Gamecocks, 394-379, but the Vols won the turnover battle 2-0. Collin Hill completed 25-of-39 passes for 290 yards, with Shi Smith on the receiving end of 10 passes for 140 yards.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET HERE: Tennessee scored on a pair of special teams plays and overcame a 21-17 halftime deficit to post a 41-21 win over South Carolina in Knoxville on Oct. 26, 2019. The Vols rolled up 485 yards of offense to just 397 for South Carolina, despite Ryan Hilinski completing 28-of-51 passes for 319 yards, including a 75-yard strike to Shi Smith on the game’s first play from scrimmage. The loss snapped a three-game Carolina win streak in the series, which matched the 2010-12 stretch for the Gamecocks’ longest winning streak over UT.
LAST GAMECOCK WIN: Jake Bentley threw for 152 yards and a touchdown, Rico Dowdle rushed for 140 yards and a score, and the Carolina defense stopped Tennessee on downs twice in the final quarter as the Gamecocks rallied from a 12-point deficit for a 27-24 win in Columbia on Oct. 27, 2018. Parker White’s 25-yard field goal with 5:52 remaining proved to be the difference.
GOOD OL’ ROCKY TOP: South Carolina redshirt sophomore Keveon Mullins lists Memphis as his hometown. Head coach Shane Beamer and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield were Tennessee graduate assistants in 2002 and 2003 under Phillip Fulmer. Running backs coach Montario Hardesty is a former UT running back, a 2009 grad and worked for the Vols in 2018 as a quality control coach. Offensive line coach Greg Adkins served on the UT staff from 2003-08. Kristin Coggin, Director of Football Nutrition, is a Pulaski, Tenn., native who was part of the Lady Vols rowing team as an undergrad. Defensive analyst Shaq Wilson and assistant strength coach Byron Jerideau, a pair of Carolina grads, both returned to their alma mater this year after a three-year stint in the Vols football program as assistant directors of sports performance.
Depth chart
Gamecock Central Staff Predictions
Collyn Taylor: This is a tough one. Tennessee’s offense is coming off one of its best offensive performances of the year and the Vols can put up points and operate quickly. The biggest thing is the Gamecocks’ ability to get off the field on third down or give the offense good field position and if the offense can take advantage of its opportunities. At this point in the season, it’s hard to see that. Tennessee 31, South Carolina 20
Kendall Smith: This game will be tight. I hate to use the term "make or break," but that is the only way I can describe this match-up in terms of how it will affect the rest of South Carolina's season. I could honestly see the game going either way, but I don't have total confidence in the Gamecocks right now. Sloppy play, penalties and a lack of identity on the offense are all aspects of South Carolina's game that I think give Tennessee the edge this weekend. If South Carolina can clean up their play, they will have a good chance, but based on what we've seen so far this season, I am taking Tennessee over the Gamecocks. Tennessee 31, South Carolina 21
Chris Clark: Matchups matter in the game of football, and this is one that's not as favorable for the Gamecocks when one dives into what Tennessee does well offensively versus some of the problem areas for Carolina on defense. This is a group that's been reliant on turnovers, which is fantastic when they keep coming but not so much when they don't. Tennessee's tempo and explosiveness in the run game can cause issues. On the other side, the Gamecocks still have not shown that they can be consistent enough on offense to survive a back-and-forth offensive game. Tennessee 31, South Carolina 20
Wes Mitchell: While I can't help but think Tennessee's offensive explosion against Missouri was a little bit of fool's gold against a defense that is playing awful right now, I also keep going back to the success the Vols have had in the running game and the added element of the QB run combined with some alarming signs from the Carolina defense in terms of stopping the run. I do believe the Carolina defensive line is fully capable of neutralizing some of what UT does, but the lack of LB depth against an opponent that utilizes so much tempo should be a big concern from a Carolina perspective. The Gamecocks will need their best game of the season from the offense in terms of both staying on the field and in scoring TDs instead of FGs. They may also need another big turnover or special teams play to swing this one as well. Tennessee 31, South Carolina 20
Michael Beckham: This is a huge game for bowl eligibility with the Vandy and Missouri games being the Gamecocks' best chance at getting to six wins. The Gamecocks need to find a way to ugly the game up with their defense. Clock-consuming drives offensively would help as well, and South Carolina showed some ability to do that at the end of the Troy game. I have a feeling that this game will either be an extremely tight game with a strange score or a blowout in favor of Tennessee. I'm going with the former, with Tennessee edging out the Gamecocks due to the home field advantage. Tennessee 26, South Carolina 21
Michael Sauls: Just like the Kentucky game, this is a 50/50 game for South Carolina. If Tennessee gets their run game going it could get ugly quick. South Carolina saw flashes of success in the passing game last week and if I were them I’d do the same thing this week (but hey I’m just an intern what do I know). If this was a night game in Neyland I’d say Tennessee wins but the fact that it’s a noon game will probably help out a bit for South Carolina. Regardless though, this game is going down to the wire and could go either way. South Carolina 28, Tennessee 24
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