Late in South Carolina’s four-point loss to Tennessee, Will Muschamp had a decision to make.

Down seven with just over three minutes to go, the Gamecocks faced a fourth and 12 from the Tennessee 28 yard line and Muschamp had to decide: kick the field goal or go for it, trying to keep the drive alive.

The Gamecocks kicked it, Parker White slotting a 45-yarder from the left hash, but never got the ball back in a season-opening loss.

“Well, it if it had been less than fourth and 12 I probably would have. In that situation I have parker and he’s going to kick the ball,” Muschamp said postgame. We have three timeouts.”

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The decision still meant the Gamecocks needed a touchdown, but getting in the end zone then would have then won the game instead of tying it.

Tennessee would get the ball back, and rush for eight on the first play of the drive, prompting a timeout Muschamp said he probably shouldn’t have called.

The Vols would continue to run the ball, burning through the Gamecocks’ remaining timeouts, before stalling and sending on the punt unit.

That’s when Cam Smith accidentally touched the ball with the Vols recovering and effectively ending the game.

“I probably shouldn’t have taken the timeout on the eight-yard gain on the first and 10 situation, but we got the ball back with 1:29 with our offense and I felt very comfortable with that in that situation there,” Muschamp said. “We had an opportunity to win the game with a 1:29 but we didn’t get that opportunity because of the situation on the punt return.”

The field goal choice was made essentially for the Gamecocks, who only gained three yards on third and 15 on a pass to Deshaun Fenwick.

Shi Smith, who finished with 10 catches for 140 yards, was not on the field because Muschamp said he was “gassed.”

“He was gassed as much as anything,” Muschamp said. “We had subbed him because of the play we had called in that situation and felt good about the call.”

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Smith was involved in another questionable call earlier in the game, coming up short on an end around on a third down to make it fourth and 1.

The Gamecocks led the play clock bleed down before rushing the punt unit on, opting to kick it deep instead of go for it, before getting a substitution penalty.

Muschamp said the delay was to determine whether or not they would review the play with he and Mike Bobo discussing if the Gamecocks wanted to go for it.

“We were short on the spot and were trying to get confirmation from the box from our people on if they would review it. That’s what took a long time. We couldn’t get a good look at the replay in our box to find out if they were going to review it or not. Mike and I had some conversations about going for it,” Muschamp said.

"That’s when we punted it, got a stop then went back down and tied the ballgame. That was the only issue. I was hoping they’d review the play and see where we were. We couldn’t get a good look on the sideline cause it was coming to the sideline about where we were and the box had a hard time seeing where the ball was going to be spotted. We wanted to see if the replay was going to go back and look at it and obviously it was very short. It was a yard, maybe even more.”