Strip Sack, Then a 48-Yard Kick at the Horn: South Carolina Stuns No. 11 Tennessee

By The Arena Staff

COLUMBIA, S.C., Oct. 24, 2026 — Tennessee had a seven-point lead, the ball and a little more than three minutes to burn. It did not get to burn them.

Malik Orsan kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired, and South Carolina beat No. 11 Tennessee 27-24 on Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium, a finish set up when Dylan Stewart stripped quarterback George MacIntyre with 33 seconds left, the AP reported. Fans rushed the field after the kick.

The sequence started with a gamble. Leading 24-17, the Volunteers went for it on fourth-and-1 from the South Carolina 39 with 3:35 to play, and MacIntyre was stopped, according to the AP. LaNorris Sellers then drove the Gamecocks the other way, helped by a Tennessee face mask penalty and a 22-yard Sellers run to the 10, ESPN's play-by-play shows.

On third-and-goal from the 4, Sellers ran right and fought his way to the pylon. The touchdown was upheld on review, and the extra point tied it at 24 with 1:17 left, the AP reported.

Tennessee was not content to play for overtime. MacIntyre moved the Vols to their own 38, but on the next snap Stewart came free, knocked the ball loose, and defensive tackle Tomiwa Durojaiye recovered at the Tennessee 34, according to the AP. Tennessee challenged the fumble call and lost, ESPN's play-by-play shows.

South Carolina ran the clock down to 3 seconds and called timeout, and Orsan made the kick.

Sellers was responsible for all three South Carolina touchdowns. He threw a 17-yard scoring pass to Mazeo Bennett Jr. and ran for touchdowns of 31 and 4 yards, finishing 18 of 32 passing for 210 yards with 96 rushing yards, the AP said.

The Gamecocks (4-3, 2-3 SEC) led 14-0 before Tennessee rallied to go in front, the AP reported. It is South Carolina's second straight win over a ranked opponent after beating then-No. 16 Florida two weeks ago, according to the AP.

Tennessee (6-2) was coming off a 26-10 win over Alabama. The Vols have an open week before hosting No. 12 Kentucky on Nov. 7, and South Carolina plays at Oklahoma next Saturday, the AP said.

It was not the only last-second kick to sink a ranked team. Earlier Saturday, Minnesota beat No. 15 Iowa 13-10 on Luke Drzewiecki's 46-yard field goal as time expired, NCAA.com reported.

Share-card photo: Williams-Brice Stadium, by Idibri via Wikimedia Commons.jpg), CC BY 2.0, cropped.