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The bye week was supposed to help Tennessee refresh and regroup.
It didn’t.
South Carolina all but wrecked the Volunteers’ SEC East title hopes with a stunning 24-21 upset victory Saturday night in Columbia.
The Gamecocks secured the win when Tennessee’s Aaron Medley came up well short on a game-tying field goal attempt on the final play.
What it means
South Carolina’s victory created chaos in the SEC East.
Florida holds a one-game edge over Kentucky, but the Gators beat the Wildcats, so the reality is Florida would have to lose twice more for Kentucky or Tennessee to have a chance.
That’s possible, of course. The Gators still must play at Arkansas and at LSU.
For South Carolina, its fourth victory this season moves the Gamecocks improbably closer to a bowl berth in Will Muschamp’s debut season. Can they get there? South Carolina plays Missouri and Western Carolina.
The Gamecocks have completely changed the course of their season after starting 2-4.
Who’s the man: South Carolina true freshman Jake Bentley was 15-for-20 for 167 yards and two touchdowns.
Rico Dowdle added 127 yards rushing and a touchdown, and the defense intercepted Vols QB Joshua Dobbs twice.
What’s next: South Carolina (4-4, 2-4 SEC) hosts Missouri next week. The Volunteers (5-3, 2-3) play Tennessee Tech.
Dan Harralson covers Tennessee football for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow Dan on Twitter @danharralson.
