Sellers acrobatic score and late fumble give South Carolina walk-off win over Tennessee

LaNorris Sellers tied the game with an acrobatic touchdown in the final minute before South Carolina converted a Tennessee fumble into a walk-off field goal, securing a 27-24 victory over No. 11 Tennessee. The Gamecocks' win caps a dramatic finish that saw them overcome a late deficit to defeat a ranked opponent.

With roughly three and a half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Tennessee faced a 4th and 1 situation at the South Carolina 38-yard line. The Vols were stuffed on the attempt, handing possession to South Carolina. On the ensuing drive, Sellers engineered a touchdown that shifted the momentum decisively. On 3rd and goal from the 4-yard line, he scrambled right and was initially stopped at the 3-yard line. As he was nearly brought down at the 1-yard line, Sellers laid out for the end zone to score. The extra point tied the game at 24 with 1:17 left on the clock.

Tennessee’s opportunity to retake the lead ended on the third play of their final drive. Quarterback George MacIntyre lost a fumble, which South Carolina recovered at the Tennessee 34-yard line with 33 seconds remaining. Four plays later, Malik Orsan kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired. The successful kick triggered a field storm from South Carolina fans.

The result improves South Carolina’s record to 4-3 on the season and 2-3 in SEC play. It marks back-to-back victories against ranked teams for the Gamecocks, following an upset of Florida in Gainesville. The win also improves their fourth-quarter performance when trailing by seven or more points, a situation in which they had been 1-28 under head coach Shane Beamer.

Sellers led South Carolina in rushing with 96 yards on 18 carries and accounted for two touchdowns. The team had built a 14-0 lead in the first quarter before allowing Tennessee to fight back. For Tennessee, the loss drops their record to 6-2 overall and 3-2 in conference play.

The defeat is likely to eliminate Tennessee from potential College Football Playoff seeding, although the first official CFP poll is not released until November 3. Tennessee will attempt to recover in two weeks when they host No. 12 Kentucky in Knoxville. South Carolina will host Oklahoma next week.