General Notes
- Saturday’s attendance at Williams-Brice Stadium: 79,193 (sold out)
- Tennessee’s all-time on-field record fell to 900-424-53 with Saturday’s loss (NCAA record: 889-424-53).
- Tennessee and South Carolina met on the gridiron for the 43rd time in series history and the first time since 2023.
Vol Captains/Coin Toss
- Tennessee’s team captains for Saturday’s game: LS Bennett Brady, LB Arion Carter, WR Braylon Staley, LB Jeremiah Telander
- South Carolina won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff. Tennessee defended the north end zone.
First Career Starts
- Freshman WR TK Keys made his first career start in Saturday’s contest. Tennessee has now had 16 players make their first Vol starts this season – seven on offense and nine on defense.
Team Offensive Notes
- Tennessee got on the board with 14:12 remaining in the second quarter after an 18-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that consumed 9:05 of game clock. It was the most plays in an offensive series for Tennessee during the Josh Heupel era.
- The Vols put together a nine-plus minute drive for the second week in a row after not previously doing so during the entire Heupel era. Against Alabama on Oct. 17, the Vols capped the victory with a 15-play, 72-yard drive that lasted 9:32.
- Senior RB DeSean Bishop totaled 11 carries for 51 yards during the 18-play drive, capping the series with a 1-yard touchdown.
- All three of the Volunteers’ first-half touchdowns came on the ground against a tough Gamecocks’ rush defense that had allowed just four rushing scores all season (six games) entering the contest.
Individual Offensive Notes
- Senior RB DeSean Bishop finished with 32 carries for 120 yards and one touchdown on the day. He scored with 14:12 left in the second quarter.
- Bishop’s touchdown marked the 30th of his career, making him the fifth Vol to rush for 30 or more touchdowns in a career. He ranks fifth all-time in UT history for career rushing touchdowns.
- He now ranks 10th all-time in Tennessee history in career rushing yards with 2,488, passing Montario Hardesty (2005-09).
- Saturday also marked Bishop’s ninth-career 100-yard game, moving into a tie for ninth in program history with Tauren Poole (2008-11) and Arian Foster (2005-08).
- Sophomore TE DaSaahn Brame scored his second career rushing touchdown with 8:06 remaining in the second quarter with a 1-yard score on fourth-and-goal.
- The score was his second in the last three games (at Arkansas – Oct. 10).
- Junior WR Mike Matthews rushed for an 8-yard touchdown with 24 seconds left in the first half. It marked the first rushing score of his career.
Team Defensive Notes
- Tennessee notched five sacks – all in the second half – on Saturday for a loss of 13 yards.
- Tennessee entered the game leading the FBS and SEC in sacks and has increased that total to 35 on the season for a loss of 184 yards.
- Saturday marked the fourth time this season that the Vols have totaled five or more sacks in a game.
Individual Defensive Notes
- Senior DB TJ Metcalf snagged his first interception as a Vol with 13:19 remaining in the second quarter. It was the fifth pick of his collegiate career after previously recording three at Arkansas (2023-24) and one at Michigan (2025).
- For the seventh time in his career, sophomore DB Ty Redmond recorded multiple passes defended in a game, finishing with a career-high three pass breakups vs. South Carolina.
- Junior DL Xavier Gilliam logged one sack in Saturday’s contest, bringing his season totals to six sacks and 11.5 TFLs. He has recorded at least a half-tackle for loss in seven of eight games this season.
Special Teams Notes
- Junior PK Cooper Ranvier connected on his only field goal attempt of the day, a 37-yarder in the fourth quarter. He is now 11-of-12 on the year and is 6-for-6 from 30-39 yards.
- Fifth year P Jackson Ross punted four times for 173 yards (43.2 avg), including one 50-yard boot and one punt downed inside the 20-yard line to increase his season total to 14.
Career Highs
The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:
Offense
- TE DaSaahn Brame
- 1 rushing attempt (tied career high)
- 1 rushing yard (tied career high)
- 1 rushing touchdown (tied career high)
- QB George MacIntyre
- 7 rushing attempts (career high)
- 9 rushing yards (career high)
- WR Mike Matthews
- 1 rushing touchdown (first of career)
Defense/Special Teams
- DL Xavier Gilliam
- 3 QB hurries (career high)
- DB TJ Metcalf
- 1 interception (tied career high)
- DB Qua Moss
- 1.0 sack (tied carer high)
- 1.5 TFLs (career high)
- 2 QB hurries (tied career high)
- DB Ty Redmond
- 3 pass breakups & passes defended (career high)
- DL Nathan Robinson
- 3 tackles (tied career high)
- 1.0 TFL (tied career high)
- LB Jeremiah Telander
- 1 pass breakup & pass defended (tied career high)
