COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 11/11 Tennessee continues its nine-game SEC gauntlet with a road trip to South Carolina for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff against the Gamecocks on Saturday afternoon at Williams-Brice Stadium.
After dropping their conference opener to then No. 1 ranked Texas, the Volunteers have reeled off three straight wins in league play, including a dominant 26-10 victory over rival No. 6/7 Alabama last Saturday in front of a raucous Neyland Stadium crowd on The Third Saturday in October.
Saturday will be the eighth consecutive game for UT before its open week on Oct. 31.
GAMEDAY INFO
To find the most up-to-date game day information for this Saturday’s contest at Williams-Brice Stadium, click HERE.
BROADCAST INFO
TV/Streaming Info
Wes Durham (PxP), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst) and Taylor McGregor (sideline reporter) will have the call for Saturday’s game at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Vol Network Radio Info
UT fans can listen to Tennessee’s official radio broadcast via the Vol Network (Local: WIVK-FM 107.7/WNML-FM 99.1) on 64 stations across the state of Tennessee and the southeast, SiriusXM (Ch. 121 or 230) and the SiriusXM app (Ch. 954). A live audio stream of the broadcast will also be available on UTSports.com, the Tennessee Athletics App and the Varsity App. Fans attending the game in Columbia are encouraged to listen to the radio broadcast via the Vol Network Stadiumcast on 97.9 FM.
Voice of the Vols Mike Keith will be joined in the booth by VFL Jayson Swain (analyst) while Brent Hubbs will handle sideline duties for the Vol Network radio broadcast.
The Big Orange Countdown pregame show, hosted by Swain and Hubbs, will begin two and a half hours prior to kickoff at 1 p.m. ET.
Tennessee’s official Spanish radio broadcast is available locally on WNML-AM 990 with Carlos Lopez (play-by-play) and J.P. Vasquez (analyst) on the call. That version is also available on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics App.
Volunteer Gameday, a live, one-hour television preview show, will air starting at 1 p.m. ET. The show will be hosted by Keith, VFL Heath Shuler and WVLT-Knoxville’s Brittany Tarwater. Volunteer Gameday will be available on Knoxville flagship TV station WVLT and across the state on the new Tennessee Valley Sports Network (TVSN).
NEED TO KNOW
On The Road Again
Tennessee hits the road for the third time this season on Saturday with its visit to Williams-Brice Stadium. Dating back to last season, the Vols have won four straight road games and five of their last six away from home. The Big Orange have already recorded a pair of road wins this year, handling Georgia Tech by a score of 45-24 in Atlanta on Sept. 12 and outlasting Arkansas, 24-17, earlier this month.
Midseason All-America Honors
UT’s dynamic duo of running back DeSean Bishop and defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam earned multiple midseason All-America honors this week following standout performances through the first seven games of the year.
Gilliam was named a Midseason All-American by the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, On3, CBS Sports, The Sporting News and The Athletic, while Bishop earned recognition from On3, CBS Sports, The Sporting News and The Athletic.
Defensive Dominance
Tennessee continued its impressive defensive turnaround this season with yet another dominant performance in last Saturday’s victory over the Crimson Tide. The Vols held Alabama to season lows in points (10) and total yards (201), marking its sixth-lowest mark of the century in total yards, including its fourth-smallest figure against an SEC opponent. UT also became just the third team in the last 11 years to force the Crimson Tide into four turnovers after intercepting two passes and recovering a pair of fumbles.
For the year, Tennessee’s defense leads the FBS with 30 sacks and also leads the SEC with 58 tackles for loss. Under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, UT’s scoring defense is tops in the SEC and ranks tied for ninth nationally, allowing just 14.7 points per game.
Bishop Being Bishop
Senior running back DeSean Bishop has been the engine driving Tennessee’s offense this season and added another impressive outing against Alabama to his growing list of marquee performances. The Knoxville native was named the Doak Walker Award National Running Back of the Week after powering the Vols to a 26-10 victory over the Crimson Tide, finishing the game with 32 carries for 159 yards and two touchdowns, while surpassing the 100-yard mark for the third consecutive game. He was especially effective in the second half with 95 of his rushing yards coming after the break, including two 5-yard scoring plunges to put the game away.
According to PFF, 118 of Bishop’s 159 yards against Alabama came after contact, and he forced 13 missed tackles. With his performance, Bishop moved into fifth place on Tennessee’s career rushing touchdowns list, surpassing Stanley Morgan (1973-76) and increasing his career total to 29 during his time in Knoxville. He also ranks 11th all-time in career rushing yards at UT with 2,368 and needs just 23 more to move into the top 10.
SERIES HISTORY
Tennessee leads series, 29-11-2 (on field) / 27-11-2 (NCAA)
Saturday will mark the first meeting between the former SEC Eastern Division foes since a 41-20 UT win in Knoxville in 2023. The Vols have won four of the last five overall meetings in the series, however, it has been tough sledding for the Big Orange when playing in Columbia as they are just 2-6 in their last eight trips to Williams-Brice Stadium.
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA
Head coach Shane Beamer is in his sixth year leading the Gamecocks’ football program, which enters Saturday’s contest at 3-3 overall and 1-3 in SEC play. South Carolina comes into Saturday’s game with momentum after thumping then No. 16 Florida, 38-19, on the road two weeks ago before having a bye this past week.
Senior signal caller LaNorris Sellers is in his third season as the Gamecocks’ starting quarterback and is having another productive year, completing nearly 62 percent of his passes for 1,338 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions. He is also one of USC’s most dangerous runners, ranking second on the team with 67 rushing attempts for 411 yards and two scores on the ground.
Junior running back Matt Fuller is in the midst of a breakout season and is the team’s leading rusher with 485 yards and five touchdowns on 81 attempts. The Gamecocks feature a balanced passing attack that has five players with double-digit receptions, led by junior wideout Mazeo Bennett Jr., who has a team-high 25 catches for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Nyck Harbor also had two touchdown catches and leads the team with 278 receiving yards.
South Carolina boasts the SEC’s No. 3 rated rushing defense, allowing just 103.7 yards per game on the ground entering Saturday’s matchup. The Gamecocks feature a physical front seven led by Tomiwa Durojaiye (19 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 2 sacks) and Anthony Addison (12 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 3 sacks, 6 QB hurries). Edge rusher Dylan Stewart, considered one of the top NFL Draft prospects at his position, is also a threat with two TFLs and two forced fumbles. Senior linebacker Justin Okoronkwo leads the team with 43 tackles.
