South Carolina 27, Tennessee 24: Orsan's 48-yarder at the horn caps the rally

South Carolina beat No. 11 Tennessee 27-24 on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium. Malik Orsan kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired. LaNorris Sellers had tied the game on a 4-yard run with 1:17 left.

Tennessee led 24-17 with 11:46 to play and did not score again. South Carolina scored the last 10 points.

How it was won

South Carolina scored twice in under two minutes of the first quarter. Sellers hit Mazeo Bennett Jr. for a 17-yard touchdown at 10:02. He then ran 31 yards for another at 8:17. It was 14-0.

Tennessee answered in the second quarter. DeSean Bishop scored from 1 yard out at 14:12, and DaSaahn Brame did the same at 8:06 to tie it at 14. Orsan's 22-yard field goal at 1:44 put South Carolina back in front, but Mike Matthews ran 8 yards for a touchdown with 24 seconds left in the half. Tennessee led 21-17 at the break.

The third quarter was scoreless. Cooper Ranvier's 37-yard field goal at 11:46 of the fourth made it 24-17. Sellers' 4-yard run and Orsan's kick tied it at 1:17. South Carolina got the ball back and Orsan won it from 48 yards on the final play.

The box score was close. South Carolina outgained Tennessee 344-320 and each team had 21 first downs and one turnover. Tennessee held the ball for 34:12 behind Bishop, who carried 32 times for 120 yards and a touchdown. Javin Gordon added 41 yards on six carries. George MacIntyre completed 16 of 23 passes for 136 yards with no touchdowns. Braylon Staley caught six passes for 56 yards and Matthews five for 47.

Sellers was the difference. He completed 18 of 32 passes for 210 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and ran 18 times for 96 yards and two touchdowns. That is 306 yards and three scores. Bennett caught six passes for 88 yards and DJ Black three for 48. Tennessee went 6 of 15 on third down; South Carolina went 5 of 13.

Against the number

South Carolina closed as a 2.5-point favorite and won by 3, so it covered. The closing moneylines were Tennessee +114 and South Carolina -135, which means the market made the unranked home team the favorite over the No. 11 side.

The total closed at 50.5. Before Orsan's last kick the score was 24-24, which would have been 48 points and an under. The field goal made it 51 and the over cashed on the final snap. The full closing board is on the game page.

What's next

Tennessee falls to 6-2. Both losses have come by three points: 20-17 to No. 1 Texas and now this one. The Volunteers had beaten No. 6 Alabama 26-10 a week earlier. They are not scheduled again until Saturday, November 7, when they host No. 12 Kentucky.

South Carolina is 4-3 and has won two straight, following a 38-19 win at No. 16 Florida with this one. The Gamecocks play at Oklahoma on Saturday, October 31, on SEC Network.