Tennessee needs to demand some answers on two moments that look very suspicious in loss to South Carolina
Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel should be on the phone with everyone in the SEC.
One of the biggest reasons that Tennessee lost to South Carolina on Saturday in Columbia is because of penalties.
The Vols committed 12 penalties — three of which wiped touchdowns off the board — in the 27-24 loss to the Gamecocks.
Some of the penalties were clear mistakes by the Vols. Others were ticky tack penalties that often aren’t called in SEC games — such as the weak holding call against David Sanders Jr in the second half.
Ultimately, Tennessee has no one to blame but themselves for the penalties.
But here’s the thing: South Carolina also played incredibly undisciplined. And while the Gamecocks were flagged several times in some big moments, they also got away with some clear penalties that changed the outcome of the game.
And there are two that stand out specifically.
One happened in the fourth quarter on the play right before the Sanders holding call. The officials missed clear defensive pass interference that would’ve given the Vols the ball inside the five yard line.
Tennessee wide receiver Mike Matthews’ arm was grabbed by the South Carolina defender, preventing him from making the catch. The official, however, didn’t throw the flag because he said the ball was tipped — even though it clearly wasn’t.
That’s just a missed call that can’t happen when a crew is calling a game as tight as they called this one.
The other missed call that looks even more suspicious than the defensive pass interference came on the penultimate play of the game.
After the third down play before South Carolina kicked the game winning field goal, a Gamecocks offensive lineman should’ve been called for unnecessary roughness for hitting a Tennessee player well after the whistle.
That should’ve been a 15 yard penalty, which would’ve made South Carolina’s field goal attempt 63 yards instead of 48 yards. With the way the game was called up until that point, that is a call that absolutely has to be made. Tennessee’s coaches should be livid. Vols fans should be livid. The SEC should be livid.
Tennessee should’ve played more disciplined football on Saturday. It’s hard to win when you don’t play disciplined football.
But it’s also hard to win when your opponent plays undisciplined football but doesn’t get hit with the same consequences from officials.
If a crew is going to call it tight, then call it tight both ways.
