Tennessee seized just about every opportunity that presented itself

Tennessee got the revenge that fans have been clamoring for since last November, handling South Carolina 41-20 tonight in front of frenzied Neyland Stadium crowd.

The Vols weren’t flawless, but they were much better than the Gamecocks tonight in just about every phase of the game as they avenged that 63-38 loss last year in Columbia that cost them a potential playoff spot.

Tennessee looked like a team that was poised to take care of business from the opening moments of the game.

After forcing a South Carolina possession on the first possession Tennessee’s offense went 94 yards in nine plays to take an early 7-0 lead.

That opening drive sort of set a theme for the rest of the night. Again, Tennessee wasn’t perfect, but when the Vols had an opportunity to change the game or change momentum they took advantage just about every single time.

The opening drive of the game that resulted in a touchdown was certainly an example of that. When big moments presented themselves, the Vols rose to the occasion.

What happened in the ‘middle eight’, the last four minutes of the first half and the first four of the second, was an example of coming through.

South Carolina had taken over at its own 20 yard line with 2:23 left in the game. After the Gamecocks picked up one first down the Vols’ defense came up with perhaps the biggest play of the game.

Facing 3rd & 17 from their own 24 yard line Rattler was intercepted by Kamal Hadden—one of the goats of last year’s loss—who returned the pick 28 yards for a touchdown and a 24-10 lead that Tennessee would carry into halftime.

The Vols then took the opening kickoff of the second half and went 75 yards in 12 plays to go on top 31-10. The game wasn’t exactly over at that point, but Tennessee had clearly taken control.

“Starting fast, starting the third quarter fast, you know, didn’t finish it the way that we wanted to. But at the end of the football game, being able to control it, go punch another one in, to kick the field goal the possession before that,” Heupel said of his team’s ability to come through when it mattered.

“The line of scrimmage, we gotta continue to get better. And as we go deeper into this league, this schedule, it’s gonna be important for us to win the line of scrimmage every week. And that’s where this football team’s gotta win. That’s where it starts. So proud of the effort and what they did offensively more efficiency more consistently throughout the course of the evening than a few weeks ago.”

That ‘clutch’ trait showed up again in the fourth quarter after South Carolina had kicked a field goal to make it a two score game at 34-20.

Tennessee responded by removing any doubt about the outcome of this one going 75 yards in nine plays for another touchdown to make the final margin 41-20.

It was a beautifully balanced offensive game for Tennessee. The Vols had 477 yards of total offense, 239 passing and 238 rushing. Jaylen Wright post another 100 yard game with 123 yards on 16 carries (7.7 ypc), including a 42 yard scoring run, his first touchdown of the season.

Cooper Mays played for the first time this year, and it certainly felt like the senior center made a difference.

“Coop being back this week was absolutely critical for us to be our best,” Heupel said. “Ollie (Lane) did a good job sliding out to the left (guard), Gerald back at right (tackle). We were efficient. We weren’t perfect, but hit double teams, running backs did a good job running hard. We pushed the piles, plays that (were two yards) went for four.

“Those are big hidden yardages in the way that the game’s played at the end of a set of downs. And Coop, his experience, his athleticism, his ability to communicate at a really high level, all positives for us and go play our best.”

While the final score may not suggest it, Tennessee did have to overcome some adversity tonight.

The biggest was an injury to Bru McCoy which seemed serious. It was a lower leg injury and McCoy had to be carted off the field in the first half. With Dont’e Thornton out tonight Tennessee’s receiver depth was tested.

Just like the team as a whole, Squirrel White stepped up and in a big moment. He finished the night with 104 yards on nine catches and had one of the biggest plays of the game when he made a circus catch along the sideline on a 50 yard bomb from Milton.

Milton himself had to fight back from adversity. He threw a careless interception early in the game that led to South Carolina’s first touchdown, but as Heupel always preaches, he was able to put that play behind him.

“It was early in the game and there were a lot of quarters to play. I just flushed it and tried to learn from it and understand the coverages,” Milton said. “They got me, I didn’t see the safety, I thought I had an opportunity. It happens, that’s part of the game.”

Milton would add one more interception to his total in the third quarter, but that wasn’t a mental lapse like the first one, just a tough throw into tight coverage.

He finished the night 21-of-32 for 239 yards with one touchdown.

Tennessee needed this one badly. Catching your second SEC loss before October arrives (like South Carolina just did) is tough. The Vols also needed to show that last year was a fluke, and of the two programs, one one of them is clearly ascending.

That Florida loss looks worse after the Gators were smoked at Kentucky today, but Tennessee can only worry about themselves.

This looks like a team that certainly has some warts, but they also look like they may be headed in the right direction. A direction that after tonight, includes pay back for a loss that will sting some fans for years.

Heupel gets where fans are coming from with their need for revenge, but he’s pointed out all week long that last year is in the past and he and his team are focused on the future.

“I wouldn’t say that (it makes up for last year). This is good football team. This was the next step in our journey. It was important for us to go play really good football tonight,” Heupel said.

“This doesn’t do anything with last year, it just doesn’t. But for our football team in this program tonight was the next step in this ‘23 journey. I thought guys prepared the right way, practiced hard, and came out and played good football. Not perfect, but good football.”

Not perfect, but in game’s biggest moments they were pretty close to it.

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