The Day After: Tennessee Falls Short vs. South Carolina

The Tennessee Volunteers played against the South Carolina Gamecocks yesterday in what would later turn into a walk-off loss, as the Gamecocks' kicker, Malik Orsan, drilled a 48-yard field goal that gave the South Carolina program its best win of the entire season, as they derailed the No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers by a final score of 27-24.

As expected, winning in this fashion meant that the fans stormed the field, and the videos of how that went down have been put out there, which isn't something I am going to talk about. Instead, I am going to share my "Next day thoughts."

Next Day Thoughts - Tennessee vs. South Carolina

Obviously, we can sit here and talk about all of the bad from the game, but there was also a ton of good, even though the outcome wasn't ideal for Tennessee and the football program as a whole.

The first talking point is that there were some big time-passing plays, which showed the confidence that George MacIntyre possesses. Most of these big plays were called back, including one of the prettiest passes that has been put on display, which was a deep ball in one-on-one coverage to Mike Matthews.

Matthews also showed he is a true No. 1 receiver, leaving no doubt that he is the star of this receiving unit and will continue to be the target that MacIntyre looks for. He helped open up the rushing attack for DeSean Bishop, who did his thing for Tennessee, although many believed it would be a quiet night for him.

On the defensive side of the ball, TJ Metcalf and Amare Campbell were the stars of this game, as they took control of the contest, which showed their ability to be the captains of their unit. The team responded well to their big plays, although there are some areas that they should work on.

Arguably, the best play of the game was the interception that was made by TJ Metcalf, who jumped a ball and put the Tennessee offense in a great position to score.

College Football Playoffs Talk

Tennessee tight end DaSaahn Brame (7) carries the ball during a college football game against South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C., on Oct. 24, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Can the Vols still make the playoffs? Absolutely.

However, this is something that becomes much narrower for Tennessee, as they will have to win out, and some of these wins will likely need to be in a convincing fashion. Even if they win out, they may not make the playoffs.

This is the ultimate goal for the Vols, and something that they need to use as motivation, because it is literally win or go home for the rest of the season. This team shouldn't be playing for a bowl game, which they have already earned, but this team is good enough to play for a national championship.

There's Never a Good Time for Losing, But If There Was, It Would Have Been Yesterday

Oct 24, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel during the first half against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The loss comes at a weird time. This gives the Vols some time to make up some ground, but the loss also comes right before a bye week.

In the last two weekends, the Volunteers have experienced both the emotional high of beating Alabama and the emotional low of losing to South Carolina.

This bye week is a great chance to focus heavily on the next game, which is against a great Kentucky team, as well as allowing some time to heal before the final four games of the regular season. The Vols will have a chance to step back and focus on the little details that they can get right, while also having some extra preparation for their win or gome home stretch.

Send your questions, comments, and hot takes to our email tennesseeonsi@gmail.com for the chance to be featured in an article!

Follow Our Social Media Accounts

• Follow Vols on SI on X (Click HERE)
• Follow Vols on SI on Facebook (Click HERE)
• Follow Vols on SI on Instagram (Click HERE)
• Subscribe to Vols on SI on YouTube (Click HERE)

Add us as a preferred source on Google