How It Happened: No. 21 Tennessee 41, South Carolina 20

No. 21 Tennessee rushed for 226 yards and three touchdowns and Joe Milton III completed 21 of 32 passes for 239 yards and a score as the Vols took down South Carolina 41-20 on ‘Dark Mode’ Saturday night at Neyland Stadium.

Jaylen Wright ran 16 times for 123 yards, Jabari Small had 10 rushes for 53 yards and Dylan Sampson had nine carries for 49 yards, with all three running backs scoring one touchdown each.

Squirrel White caught nine passes for 104 yards and Jacob Warren caught three passes for 26 yards and a touchdown. Redshirt senior Bru McCoy was lost in the second quarter to a gruesome lower leg injury.

Here’s what happened as it happened:

First Quarter

Tennessee 7, South Carolina 0 (9:28, 1Q): The Vols got on the board first with a 42-yard touchdown run from Jaylen Wright, capping a 94-yard scoring drive to start the game. After the Tennessee defense forced a Carolina punt, Joe Milton III went 4-for-4 for 31 yards on the drive while the Vols ran five times for 63 yards.

Tennessee 7, South Carolina 3 (5:47, 1Q): South Carolina answered Tennessee’s touchdown with a field goal, going 57 yards in eight plays before Mitch Jeter connected from 36 yards out. The majority of the drive was covered on one play, when Spencer Rattler started right, then threw back left on a screen to Ahmarean Brown for 44 yards, moving the ball to the Tennessee 31-yard line.

South Carolina 10, Tennessee 7 (2:03, 1Q): Tennessee’s second possession ended with a Joe Milton III interception on third down, with South Carolina taking over at the Tennessee 29. The Gamecocks cashed in the turnover with a 6-yard touchdown run from Spencer Rattler to take the lead.

Tennessee 14, South Carolina 10 (2:03, 1Q): Tennessee needed only four plays to go 75 yards and retake the lead. Jabari Small ran for 21 yards on first down, then Joe Milton III hit Squirrel White for a 50-yard completion down the sideline. Small finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown.

Second Quarter

Tennessee 17, South Carolina 10 (8:55, 2Q): After stopping South Carolina on fourth-and-2 at the UT 31-yard, the Vols went 63 yards the other direction over eight plays before the drive stalled at the 6-yard line. Charles Campbell connected on a 24-yard field goal to put Tennessee back up by a touchdown.

Tennessee 24, South Carolina 10 (0:47, 2Q): The Vols went three-and-out after Bru McCoy was carted off the field with a leg injury, but the defense picked the team up. Kamal Hadden picked off Spencer Rattler on a pass to the sideline that sailed high and took it back 28 yards for a touchdown, giving Tennessee a two-touchdown lead.

Third Quarter

Tennessee 31, South Carolina 10 (10:41, 3Q): The Vols started the second half with a 75-yard touchdown drive, with Joe Milton III finding Jacob Warren for a 6-yard touchdown on third-and-goal to make it a three-touchdown lead.

Tennessee 31, South Carolina 17 (10:28, 3Q): South Carolina needed only one play and just 13 seconds to respond. Running back Mario Anderson went 75 yards for the touchdown on first down to get it back to a 14-point deficit.

Fourth Quarter

Tennessee 34, South Carolina 17 (12:42, 4Q): The Vols got back on the scoreboard with a 33-yard Charles Campbell field goal, ending a seven-play, 23-yard drive. Jaylen Wright ran for 28 yards on the drive, but McCallan Castles dropped a screen pass on second down, then was called for a false start on third down.

Tennessee 34, South Carolina 20 (8:35, 4Q): The Gamecocks got it back to a two-touchdown deficit midway through the fourth quarter with a 47-yard field goal from Mitch Jeter, ending a nine-play, 45-yard drive. Spencer Rattler extended the drive by converting a 20-yard pass to Trey Knox on fourth-and-2 at the UT 36-yard line.

Tennessee 41, South Carolina 20 (4:09, 4Q): The Vols got back in the end zone on a 6-yard touchdown run from Dylan Sampson, the seventh touchdown of the season for the sophomore running back. The drive went 75 yards over nine plays, taking four minutes, 26 seconds off the fourth quarter clock.