Vols Look to Continue Home Winning Streak Against South Carolina

(utsports.com) Tennessee continues its three-game homestand inside the friendly confines of Neyland Stadium on Saturday night against the Gamecocks.
 
The Vols carry an 11-game home win streak into Saturday’s contest, their longest such streak since winning 23 straight at Neyland from 1996-2000. UT’s current home win streak is the fourth longest in the country behind Georgia (22), Michigan (19) and Utah (17). Tennessee is 14-3 overall at home under head coach Josh Heupel, outscoring its opponents 783-353.
 
Saturday’s game is also set to be the ninth consecutive sellout at Neyland Stadium dating back to Sept. 17 last season.
 
Initiate Dark Mode / Neyland at Night
UT will wear its “Dark Mode” uniforms for Saturday night’s showdown versus South Carolina. It will mark just the second time in program history that the Vols will wear all black uniforms (including helmets) after defeating Kentucky, 44-6, on Oct. 29 last year. It will be the fifth time in program history that Tennessee will wear black jerseys with three of those occurrences coming in games against the Gamecocks. The Vols are 3-1 all-time when wearing black jerseys. 
 
Saturday will also be Tennessee’s first home night game this season. During Josh Heupel‘s tenure as head coach, Tennessee is 5-1 in night games at Neyland, including a 3-0 record last season.
 
SEC Home Openers / Champions Weekend
The Vols have won three straight SEC home openers, and Heupel is 2-0 in SEC home openers having outscored opponents 83-53. UT beat Florida, 38-33, last season and defeated South Carolina, 45-20, in 2021.

This weekend is Champions Weekend on campus. Among the groups invited back is the 1998 SEC and national championship football team, which will celebrate its 25-year anniversary on Saturday.

Last Time Out
Tennessee rebounded from a disappointing loss in its SEC opener at Florida with a dominant 45-14 victory over UTSA last Saturday. The Vols rolled up a season-high 512 total yards, outgaining the Roadrunners 359-98 in the first half.

The Big Orange scored on four of their first five possessions beginning with the first play of the game when quarterback Joe Milton III raced 81 yards down the sideline for a score. It was the longest rush ever by a UT quarterback and tied for the 10th-best all-time by any Vol. Milton accounted for 298 total yards on the day and was 18-of-31 for 209 yards and two scores through the air.

Running back Dylan Sampson rushed for a career-high 139 yards on 11 attempts with two touchdowns. Sampson averaged 12.64 yards per carry, the best by a Vol (min. 10 attempts) since Joshua Dobbs averaged 19.0 against Missouri on Nov. 19, 2016. UT finished with 303 yards on the ground – the second-most in the Heupel era – and averaged 9.2 yards per carry. The Vols also forced a season-high three turnovers, including a pick from senior defensive back Tamarion McDonald, who added seven tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss to lead the defense.

SERIES HISTORY

Tennessee leads, 28-11-2 (on field) & 26-11-2 (NCAA)
The Vols and Gamecocks will meet for the 42^nd time when they square off this Saturday night. Tennessee is 18-3 against South Carolina in Knoxville, including a 45-20 win during Heupel’s first season in 2021, a game that also saw UT debut their “Dark Mode” uniforms (white helmet).

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA

South Carolina enters this Saturday’s matchup with a 2-2 overall record and a 1-1 mark in SEC play after picking up a 37-30 victory over Mississippi State last weekend. The Gamecocks are coached by Shane Beamer, who is in his third season at the helm of the program and holds a 17-13 record during that time.

Redshirt senior quarterback Spencer Rattler leads an offensive unit that ranks No. 1 the SEC and eighth nationally in passing yards per game (340.0). Through four games, Rattler has completed 95 of 128 pass attempts for 1,242 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. He is averaging 310.5 passing yards per game, which ranks second in the SEC and sixth in the FBS.

Rattler’s top target has been super senior wide receiver Xavier Legette, who enters the game leading the country in receiving yards (556) and receiving yards per game (139.0). The explosive playmaker has 27 receptions and three touchdowns on the year. Super senior running back Dakereon Joyner has proven to be a versatile threat for the Gamecocks, as well, leading the team with four rushing touchdowns while also hauling in 12 catches for 71 yards.

Redshirt junior linebacker Debo Williams leads the team with 31 tackles to go along with 3.5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup while sophomore defensive tackle T.J. Sanders has been a force up front with a team-leading five TFLs and three sacks.