South Carolina Stuns No. 11 Tennessee: Stewart’s Strip-Sack Sets Up Orsan’s Walk-Off 48-Yarder

Columbia, South Carolina | October 24, 2026 | FINAL: South Carolina 27, No. 11 Tennessee 24. With 77 seconds left, Tennessee appeared to have forced overtime at worst. Instead, LaNorris Sellers delivered a game-tying touchdown, Dylan Stewart forced a decisive turnover, and Malik Orsan hit a 48-yard field goal as time expired to complete a stunning Gamecocks comeback.

Watch: South Carolina vs. Tennessee — official SEC game highlights

Video: official SEC YouTube game highlights, listed as uploaded October 24, 2026. Hosted by the conference; no autoplay or rehosting.

Ten points in the final four minutes changed everything

Tennessee took a 24–17 advantage in the fourth quarter on Cooper Ranvier’s 37-yard field goal. With 3:35 remaining, the Volunteers tried to convert fourth-and-one in South Carolina territory but were stopped. That decision handed the Gamecocks one more chance with a short field.

Sellers drove South Carolina into scoring range and powered into the end zone from four yards with 1:17 left, tying the score at 24. Tennessee still had time to answer. But edge rusher Dylan Stewart sacked quarterback George MacIntyre and forced a fumble with 33 seconds remaining; Tomiwa Durojaiye recovered at the Tennessee 34-yard line. The Gamecocks worked the clock down and Orsan made the 48-yard winner at the horn.

South Carolina had raced ahead 14–0 in the first quarter before Tennessee responded with three second-quarter rushing touchdowns to lead 21–17 at halftime. A scoreless third quarter made the closing minutes all the more decisive.

Analysis: A defensive play made the winning kick possible

The highlight will be Orsan’s kick, but the game was effectively swung twice before his attempt. First, South Carolina’s fourth-down stop denied Tennessee an opportunity to drain the remaining clock. Then Stewart’s strip-sack converted a likely overtime scenario into a realistic regulation-winning possession. Those moments illustrate why late-game leverage matters more than raw yardage totals.

Sellers accounted for three touchdowns — two rushing and one passing — and 306 total yards, including 96 on the ground. Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop rushed 32 times for 120 yards and a touchdown. Tennessee had generated five second-half sacks, yet could not prevent South Carolina’s final surge.

For the Gamecocks, now 4–3 overall and 2–3 in the SEC, the result was a second consecutive victory over a ranked opponent. The Volunteers fell to 6–2 overall and 3–2 in league play. It was a meaningful swing in both teams’ conference outlooks, though one result alone cannot settle their postseason prospects.

What to watch next

Tennessee has a bye before hosting Kentucky on November 7. South Carolina will try to turn its late-game resilience into more consistent four-quarter football.

Featured photograph: Illustrative archival American football field image by Alek Kalinowski / Unsplash, used under the Unsplash License. The photograph is not of the October 24 game.

Sources and verification

Editorial check: game date October 24, 2026 (U.S. Eastern time), final score and scoring sequence cross-checked with conference, university and independent reports. Video supplied by the SEC’s official YouTube channel.

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