The Tennessee Volunteers were the better team Saturday in Columbia, but they didn’t come away with the victory.
Tennessee fans are understandably frustrated after the Vols dropped another heartbreaker to Columbia on Saturday.
The Volunteers appeared to be on their way to a hard-fought victory against South Carolina, but a sloppy fourth down and a late fumble gave the Gamecocks a 27-24 victory.
This was a game where Tennessee was unbeaten by South Carolina. Tennessee was beaten by Tennessee.
But even though the Vols ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard, there were some good things to take away from the loss.
South Carolina jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but Tennessee didn’t blink. The Vols fought back and took the lead before halftime.
The Vols’ response after getting up early is what impressed ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt the most.
“God bless the Vols fans,” Van Pelt said. “You had not one, not two, but three touchdowns taken off the board. South Carolina takes a 14-0 lead. … I give credit to Tennessee because they absorbed those hits and didn’t blink.
“Tennessee is down 14-0, but they come back to take the lead, and unfortunately for them, touchdowns keep getting taken off the board. They had a fourth-and-1 with a seven-point lead and they went for it, and the whole operation was ruined, and (George) MacIntyre is short, and then (LaNorris) Sellers is somehow left standing after (South Carolina) goes down there to get the tying touchdown, and then you get the strip-sack fumble.…Tennessee’s ability to come back was impressive, but hey, they must be sick of the way it all played out.
Van Pelt’s colleague, Stanford Steve, had a similar opinion.
“It’s tough because you mentioned they were attacked (the 14-0 deficit) and it was breaking out (at Williams-Brice Stadium),” Stanford Steve said. “It’s a different team than Tennessee, man. They do it by running the football. The offensive line is good. … I thought MacIntyre played well.”
None of these guys are Tennessee fans. They simply react to the game without bias.
That’s why I think it’s worth examining their perspective. The outcome doesn’t always tell the whole story of a game.
Tennessee is 6-2 right now, but it’s a dangerous 6-2. They can beat any team in the country if they are on the right side of the margins.
I’m not saying this is a moral victory – the losses sting and the Vols certainly have areas in which they need to improve. But they’re a good football team. They are a few plays away from being 8-0. This is a team that fights hard, never gives up and plays tirelessly. If the Vols can win in November, they will be a team that no one will be excited to play in the College Football Playoff.
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