South Carolina Takes on Tennessee: Will the Gamecocks Pull Off the Upset?

South Carolina welcomes the Tennessee Volunteers back to Williams-Brice Stadium this Saturday. The Gamecocks have one upset win under their belt this season. Can they get two in consecutive games?

The Vols come back to Columbia for the first time since 2022. In case you forgot, the fifth ranked Vols strolled into town with playoff expectations. They would leave with their dreams crushed.

Spencer Rattler would complete 30 of his 37 passes for 438 yards and six touchdowns as the Gamecocks would go on to win 63-28. South Carolina scored touchdowns on nine of 11 drives. One of the two non-scoring drives, was one play and ended the first half.

Tennessee is 6-1 and ranked as the 11th team in the nation, according to the Associated Press poll. They are fresh off a dominant win over Alabama last week and are looking to build their playoff case once again. While the Gamecocks look to play the spoiler, once again.

Will the Gamecocks string together two impressive wins in a row? Will Tennessee continue to prove they are a threat in the SEC? The South Carolina Gamecocks on SI staff gives their thoughts.

South Carolina vs Tennessee Score Predictions

Spencer Rattler celebrates a win over Tennessee — Nov 19, 2022; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler (7) celebrates after a touchdown against the Tennessee Volunteers in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Alex Joyce: South Carolina 24, Tennessee 20

Maybe I’m giving too much credit for the game against Florida, but I believe in this team. While certainly a good ball club with a great defense, Tennessee isn’t a world beater. They have impressive wins, but this is a game South Carolina can win. While sitting at .500, the Gamecocks are just a couple bad quarters away from being a one loss team themselves. Plus coming off a bye can be a major benefit as the team had two weeks to prepare for this matchup.

As long as LaNorris Sellers limits turnovers, the offense should find some success against this tough Tennessee secondary. What helps the Gamecocks the most is that Tennessee hasn’t quite figured things out on the offensive side of the ball. A lot of that has to do with playing two quarterbacks and neither fully becoming the guy. This one should be a low scoring affair and because of that I’m taking South Carolina at home in front of an excited crowd.

Oh did I mention this is a night game? The night environment is one the Gamecocks tend to play well in at home. If they’re able to pull this off, South Carolina has a real shot at eight wins with very manageable schedule moving forward.

Add us as a preferred source on Google