Tennessee football: Key moments from 31-27 South Carolina win

by 24USATVSept. 27, 2020, 8 a.m. 67
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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 26: Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers attempts a pass as defensive lineman Zacch Pickens #6 of the South Carolina Gamecocks pressures him during the football game at Williams-Brice Stadium on September 26, 2020 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)

Here are key moments and highlights in the Tennessee football Volunteers’ victory at the Gamecocks.

In an ugly game, Tennessee football gave Vol fans everywhere plenty of reasons to believe that they would end up losing to the South Carolina Gamecocks. From allowing a touchdown on the first drive to missing on tons of third downs, there were plenty of issues.

However, the Vols got the win that everybody was looking for, and they’re 1-0 for the first time since 2017. Beyond that, they are actually now on a seven-game winning streak, the longest winning streak in the nation. Jeremy Pruitt clearly has them on a roll.

What happened to allow Tennessee football to get to that point in this game? Let’s break it down here. These are the key moments, turning points and highlights in the Vols’ crucial season-opening win at South Carolina.

After allowing a touchdown on the first drive, the Vols then were stopped on their first drive and forced to punt. A bad snap forced Paxton Brooks to try to make a play, which failed, and that resulted in a turnover on downs. All of a sudden, South Carolina had the ball 1st and 10 at the Tennessee 38-yard line up 7-0 and with a chance to go for the throat.

That’s when the defense stepped up. Two key run stops followed by a forced incompletion got UT the ball right back. Sure, they were helped by questionable play-calling from Mike Bobo, who didn’t exploit the slant with Shi Smith like he did on the first drive, but the stop was still key. It kept Rocky Top alive when they could have been in huge trouble early.

On the very next drive after that defensive stop, Tennessee football needed a big play. They had brought up 3rd and 2 from their own 28-yard line and looked desperate after Eric Gray only got one yard on the previous running play. Enter Brandon Johnson, a wide receiver who sat out last year, taking a redshirt.

Johnson stepped in and proved he could help fill the void left by Marquez Callaway and Jauan Jennings. Jim Chaney took a shot, and Jarrett Guarantano found Johnson down the sideline. He made a one-armed grab for a 30-yard gain, the only third down conversion of the night for the Vols. That got them going, and Guarantano had two more completions then a touchdown run.

Both teams traded punts once the Vols tied it up. The South Carolina Gamecocks appeared poised for another dominant drive, though, as they completed an 11-yard pass to Nick Muse on 2nd and 12 from their own 18-yard line to set up a 3rd and 1, which they converted. However, UT’s defensive front finally came alive.

Collin Hill caught his own pass off a deflection to lose 11 yards. That eventually brought up a 3rd and long. After pressure from Deandre Johnson on the outside, Hill forced a pass over the middle. Henry To’o To’o picked it off and ran it the other way, playing like a running back with an epic stiff-arm in the process, for a pick-six. That put the Vols up 14-7 in the first half.

A wild third quarter saw both teams score touchdowns on their first offensive drives. The South Carolina Gamecocks scored on their first two offensive drives, while Tennessee football followed that up with a missed field goal and then a made field goal. Anyway, UT entered the fourth up 24-21, and South Carolina immediately tied it up with a field goal early.

Then came Jarrett Guarantano again. After struggling with accuracy all night, Guarantano only needed two passes to put the Vols back on top. He found Brandon Johnson again for a 33-yard gain, and then he hit Josh Palmer in one-on-one coverage for a beautiful strike down the sideline. That turned into a touchdown pass, and the Vols went up 31-24. It would be all they needed.

Obviously, this is going to be a key moment. The Vols forced another South Carolina field goal late, and then they were able to get a first down, allowing them to run tons of clock. Near midfield, they punted it with 90 seconds left while USC had no timeouts left. It was already a hard task for Will Muschamp’s team but not an impossible one.

Well, what happened on the punt made it impossible. A perfect punt by Paxton Brooks resulted in the ball bouncing off Cam Smith as he was trying to lay a block. Freshman Jimmy Holiday recovered, and the Vols were able to run out the clock. That was the final key moment to secure an ugly 31-27 season-opening victory for Rocky Top.

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