Retour
Tennessee linebacker Jeremiah Telander appeared to throw a punch at South Carolina defensive back Triston Lewis following the Volunteers' heartbreaking defeat.
In a stunning Saturday collapse, Tennessee fell 27-24 to South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium, marking yet another agonizing result for the program. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers proved unstoppable, racking up 210 passing yards and a touchdown while adding 96 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground. It comes as the NFL issues a strong response after fans called for a "dirty" San Francisco 49ers star to be punished.
With less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter of Saturday's game, No. 11 Tennessee held the lead and attempted to run down the clock, despite being outside field goal range.
Head coach Josh Heupel made the costly decision to go for it on fourth-and-1, resulting in a South Carolina sack that handed the Gamecocks a potential game-winning drive with ample time to spare.
A catastrophic 15-yard face mask penalty against the Volunteers further fueled the Gamecocks' momentum, and Sellers ultimately punched it in himself to level the score.
Pandemonium followed as Tennessee's hopes were dashed when quarterback George MacIntyre was brought down, and Dylan Stewart stripped the ball, with South Carolina recovering the fumble.
As the clock wound down, a poorly timed South Carolina false start pushed them out of field goal range before Sellers scrambled back into position. With just two seconds remaining, kicker Malik Orsan drilled a 48-yard field goal, delivering a dramatic walk-off victory for the home side.
Ecstatic about the outcome, South Carolina supporters flooded onto the field in celebration. However, Telander, who recorded five tackles, reacted poorly to the festivities; one supporter recorded the pitch invasion and caught Telander seemingly confronting Lewis.
Throughout the match, Tennessee had three touchdowns overturned, triggering fury on social media. MacIntyre was even heard saying, "They throw a flag every touchdown," and following the final whistle, commented, "I think we all know how different this game would have looked."
Telander appeared to throw a punch, connecting squarely with Lewis' helmet. The defensive back looked bewildered, spreading his arms in disbelief before joining in celebrations with the person recording the incident.
Tennessee had begun the match sluggishly. Sellers connected with Mazeo Bennett Jr. for a touchdown, then scrambled for a second to establish a 14-0 South Carolina advantage, though the Volunteers mounted a comeback.
DeSean Bishop powered in a touchdown alongside DaSaahn Brame and Mike Matthews to secure Tennessee a 21-17 halftime advantage. However, following a field goal that stretched the margin to seven points, South Carolina rallied dramatically in the closing stages.
MacIntyre attempted 23 passes and connected on 16, accumulating 136 yards. Bishop dominated the rushing attack, converting 32 carries into 120 yards and a touchdown.
Tennessee has now dropped to 6-2 and heads into the bye week on a disappointing note before confronting Kentucky. At 4-3, South Carolina next takes the field away at Oklahoma on Saturday, Oct. 31.