Gamecocks topple No. 5 Vols, hang 63 in win

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Spencer Rattler had the champion time of his unpredictable career, throwing for 438 yards and 5 touchdowns arsenic South Carolina bushed No. 5 Tennessee 63-38 connected Saturday night, each but eliminating the Volunteers from the playoffs.

Tennessee (9-2, 6-2 Southeastern, No. 5 CFP) whitethorn person besides mislaid Heisman Trophy campaigner Hendon Hooker, who near the crippled successful the 4th fourth with a limb injury, falling and fumbling without being hit.

Even earlier the injury, the backmost of the nighttime was Rattler, who went from Heisman contender to the seat astatine Oklahoma successful 2021. The inferior yet lived up to the imaginable fans of South Carolina (7-4, 4-4) hoped for erstwhile helium arrived.

Rattler came into the nighttime with 9 interceptions and 8 touchdowns and averaging 198 yards a crippled passing. There were questions asked astir whether the Gamecocks mightiness privation to trial retired the backup.

But the inferior was diligent successful the pocket, dropping passes into the narrowest of windows. He ran erstwhile helium had to with 5 carries for 16 yards. And helium adjacent caught a walk successful the reddish portion from Dakeron Joyner, who South Carolina typically uses arsenic a moving menace nether center.

Rattler's champion time earlier Saturday was 387 yards against Kansas State for Oklahoma successful 2020 and 5 TDs for the Sooners against Western Carolina successful 2021.

Antwane Wells Jr. caught 11 passes for 177 yards and Josh Vann and Jaheim Bell each caught 2 touchdowns for the Gamecocks.

The Tennessee defence could bash astir thing to halt the 11th champion discourtesy successful the SEC. The Gamecocks gained 606 yards aft failing to get implicit 300 yards successful 3 of their past 4 games. The 63 points are the astir by an unranked squad against an AP Top-5 hostile successful the Poll Era, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Hooker was 25 of 42 for 247 yards and 3 TDs earlier his injury. There was nary contiguous connection connected the severity of his wounded leg, but helium did not instrumentality to the game. Joe Milton III took implicit astatine QB for the Vols erstwhile Hooker went down, turning the shot implicit om downs aft driving into the reddish portion past starring a four-play 75-yard scoring thrust successful the last 2 minutes.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.