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South Carolina has pulled off another incredible victory over a ranked SEC team, getting a walk-off 27-24 win over No. 11 Tennessee on Saturday. The win came after a game-tying touchdown run from LaNorris Sellers, and a last-second field goal made possible by a huge forced fumble in the final minute of the matchup.
Late in the fourth down, with the Volunteers out of field goal range and hoping to waste seconds off the clock, head coach Josh Heupel opted to go for it on fourth-and-1. But the Gamecocks took down Tennessee quarterback George MacIntyre in the backfield, setting up a potentially game-tying drive with plenty of time left to go.
Another disastrous Volunteers penalty (a 15-yard face mask call) boosted the Gamecocks' drive, as Sellers eventually ran it in himself for a game-tying touchdown, staying upright to writhe his way into the end zone. Sellers ended the night with three touchdowns in all — two rushing and one passing.
With the extra point tying the game at 24-24, Tennessee had a chance to pull back ahead. But the Volunteers' drive ended abruptly, after MacIntyre was tackled and Dylan Stewart — who only recently returned from team-enforced suspension after throwing a punch at an opposing player last month — forced a fumble that was recovered by the Gamecocks.
As time ticked down, an ill-timed South Carolina false start pulled the team out of field goal range, before Sellers rushed back into range. And with two seconds on the clock, kicker Malik Orsan nailed the field goal to get the walk-off win.
Though the Gamecocks were technically favored (-2.5), fans stormed the field after the victory, which marked their second in a row over a ranked opponent.
Both teams were burned by penalties, but Tennessee in particular lost key plays due to unfortunate penalties. The Volunteers had three touchdowns that were called back due to flags, including a touchdown pass from MacIntyre that would've made it a two-score game shortly before Sellers tied it up.
That pass was called back due to a holding call, forcing Tennessee to settle for a field goal. In total, the Volunteers ended with 12 penalties for a loss of 90 yards.
South Carolina now moves to 4-3 on the season, with head coach Shane Beamer and his team holding significant momentum heading into the rest of the team's SEC schedule.