COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Tennessee rallied from down 42-28 with less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter to post a stunning 45-42 overtime victory at South Carolina. The comeback equaled the third largest fourth-quarter comeback in Tennessee's storied history.
With the overtime win, it marks the second year in a row that the Vols have beat South Carolina with a late field goal. The win came after a successful 32-yard field goal attempt by Aaron Medley in overtime.
The Tennessee defense took control with two back-to-back sacks from Curt Maggitt and Derek Barnett for a combined loss of 15 yards to force a South Carolina field goal attempt from 58 yards, which was short. That ignited a celebration for the Vols.
With 11 seconds left in regulation, the Vols tied up the score with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Jason Croom.
Dobbs scored on a three-yard rushing touchdown with 1:50 left in the game to cut the deficit to 42-35. Hurd had a 21-yard touchdown reception with 6:34 left in the fourth quarter in the comeback effort. Hurd had seven catches for 58 yards
Josh Dobbs accounted for 467 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns to lead the Vols to their first SEC win of the season. It was Tennessee's first win at South Carolina since 2006 as the Vols moved to 4-5 and 1-4 in the SEC.
Dobbs set a new Tennessee record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 166. He broke the record previously held by Jimmy Streater of 150 vs. California, set in 1977. Dobbs also threw for 301 yards on 23-of-40 and two touchdowns.
South Carolina is now 4-5 and 2-5 in the SEC. Receiver Pharoh Cooper had an exceptional night as he scored a receiving, rushing and pass touchdown. He finished with 286 total yards of offense and four touchdowns. He had a career-high 11 catches for a career-high 233 receiving yards, which set a new South Carolina school record. He also rushed for 23 yards and threw a 30-yard touchdown pass. Brandon Wilds caught that score from Cooper and rushed in his own touchdown for five yards out.
The Vols last won in Columbia on Oct. 28, 2006, knocking off the Gamecocks, 31-24. Tennessee has now won its last two games vs. South Carolina including last season's 23-21 last-second victory against the then-No. 11 Gamecocks. The Vols have also won their last two games when Dobbs has started at quarterback. His last start came in the 2013 finale, a 27-14 Vols' win at Kentucky.
Tailback Jalen Hurd ran for 125 yards, his second 100-yard rushing game of his freshman season. Hurd and Dobbs combined for the Vols first game with a pair of 100-yard rushers since the 2009 game vs. Western Kentucky (Montario Hardesty 160, Bryce Brown 104). With Pig Howard's 109 receiving yards, the Vols posted their first game with two 100-yard rushers and a 100-yard receiver since 1994 at Vanderbilt.
Tennessee rushed for 344 yards, its most against an SEC opponent since gaining 406 against Vanderbilt in that 1994 game.
Howard posted his first career 100-yard receiving game with five receptions for a total of 109 yards. Howard also rushed for 29 yards. Von Pearson had 55 yards on four catches.
Down 21-14 at the half, South Carolina tied the game at 21 as the Cocks marched 74 yards early in the third quarter. Wilds finished the drive with a 5-yard rushing score on the heels of a 26-yard catch by Cooper puts SC into the red zone.
Dobbs gave the Vols a 21-14 lead at halftime on a 36-yard rushing score as he burst up the middle with seven seconds left in the second quarter.
The teams traded rushing scores by wide receivers in the first quarter. Cooper scored on an 11-yard dash out of the wildcat formation with 8:34 left in the first. The Vols answered on a 1-yard rush by Howard, who took a reverse and went end-around for what amounted to an unofficial 11-yard run.
Dobbs' 7-yard rushing touchdown put Tennessee ahead 14-7 with 11 minutes left in the first half on a drive keyed by a 22-yard pass from Dobbs to Howard. The Gamecocks answered on the next drive as Cooper threw the 30-yard TD to Wilds to tie the game at 14 with 6:35 left in the first half.
Junior Brian Randolph had a career-high 14 tackles. A.J. Johnson accounted for 10 tackles and moved into second place on the all-time total tackle list with 420 tackles. Derek Barnett recorded three sacks for the second time this season.
The Vols have an open date next Saturday before returning to action on Nov. 15 when Kentucky comes to Neyland Stadium. The game time and television coverage for that game should be announced on Monday, Nov. 3.
TENNESSEE RECORDS SET OR TIED
Tennessee had its latest and most dramatic comeback victory in school history, The Vols trailed by 14 points (42-28) with 4:52 left in the fourth quarter.
Joshua Dobbs set the single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 166. Broke the record held by Jimmy Streater of 150 vs. California (9/10/1977).
Tennessee tied the NCAA record for most wins in overtime with its 11th. UT is 11-5 all-time in overtime. The Vols tie Missouri (11-5) for the most wins in NCAA history.
Tennessee tied the school record for first downs in a game with 35. The Vols also had 35 vs. Georgia (10/11/1997) and vs. Troy (11/3/2012).
Tennessee tied the school record for plays in a game with 95. The Vols also had 95 vs. Mississippi State (9/21/1991).
Derek Barnett tied his own school record for sacks in a game by a freshmen with three. He also did it at Ole Miss (10/18/2014).
Derek Barnett's 14 TFLs are the most by a true freshman in school history.
FIRST TIME IN TENNESSEE HISTORY
Joshua Dobbs became the first player in Tennessee history to pass for 300 yards (301) and rush for 100 yards (166) in the same game.
The Vols had a 300-yard passer, two 100-yard rushers and a 100-yard receiver for the first time in a school history with Joshua Dobbs (301 passing yards), Joshua Dobbs (166 rushing yards), Jalen Hurd (125 rushing yards) and Pig Howard (109 receiving yards).
A.J. Johnson became the first player in Tennessee history with 200 career assisted tackles. He now has 203, the most in Vols' history.
ON THE CHARTS
The rally from 14 points down in the fourth quarter equals the third-greatest fourth-quarter comeback in school history. The record is down 17 (24-7) and rallied to win 30-27 in Overtime at LSU (9/16/205). Second on the list, the Vols trailed Vanderbilt by 15 (24-9) and won 25-24 on 11/17/2007. Tennessee also trailed by 14 in the fourth and won vs. Alabama, down 27-13, and won won 28-27 on 10/20/1984.
Joshua Dobbs' 467 total yards (301 passing, 166 rushing) are the fourth most in total offense in Tennessee history. He trailed Tyler Bray (530), Peyton Manning (508) and Peyton Manning (475).
Joshua Dobbs' 64 total plays are the sixth-most in a game in Tennessee history.
A.J. Johnson moved to second in career tackles with 10 in the game. He passed Jamie Rotella (413) and Johnson now has 420. The record of 547 by Andy Spiva.
The Vols 645 total yards are the fourth-most in a single-game in school history.
THE LAST TIME...
Joshua Dobbs rushed for three touchdowns. The last Vol quarterback to rush for three touchdowns was Tee Martin vs. Georgia (10/9/1999).
Joshua Dobbs rushed for three touchdowns. The last Vol to rush for three touchdowns was Rajion Neal vs. Western Kentucky (9/7/2013).
Joshua Dobbs threw for a career-high 301 yards. The last Vol to pass for 300-plus yards was Tyler Bray with 404 vs. Missouri (11/10/2012).
Joshua Dobbs ran for 166 yards. The last Vol to rush for 100 yards was Jimmy Streater with 103 vs. Georgia Tech (10/13/1979). It was just the fifth time in Tennessee history a quarterback rushed for 100 yards in a game.
Joshua Dobbs' 467 total yards are the most since Tyler Bray's 530 vs. Troy (11/3/2012).
Joshua Dobbs' 64 total plays are the most since Casey Clausen had 67 vs. Clemson in the 2004 Peach Bowl (1/2/2003).
Jalen Hurd's career-high 125 rushing yards are the most by a true freshman since Jamal Lewis ran for 127 vs. Auburn in the 1997 SEC Championship Game (12/6/1997).
The Vols had two rushers with 100 yards and a 100-yard receiver: Joshua Dobbs (166 rushing yards), Jalen Hurd (125 rushing yards) and Pig Howard (109 receiving yards). The last time the Vols had two 100-yard rushers and a 100-yard receiver was at Vanderbilt (11/26/1994) with James Stewart (121 rushing yards), Jay Graham (121 rushing yards) and Kendrick Jones (108 receiving yards). It was only the third time in Tennessee history such a game occurred. The other was vs. Vanderbilt (11/30/1991).
The Vols had two rushers with 100 yards and a 100-yard receiver: Joshua Dobbs (166 rushing yards), Jalen Hurd (125 rushing yards). The last time the Vols had two rushers with 100 yards was vs. Western Kentucky (9/5/2009) as Montario Hardesty (160) and Bryce Brown (104) reached the century mark. It is just the 16th time in Tennessee history, that Tennessee had two 100-yard rushers in the game game.
The Vols rallied from down 14 points in the fourth quarter (on two occasions). The last time the Vols rallied by 14 or more to win in the fourth quarter was on 11/17/2007 when the Vols trailed Vanderbilt by 15 (24-9) and won 25-24.
The Vols' 645 total yards were the most since gaining a school-record 718 vs. Troy (11/3/12).
The Vols' 645 yards are the most in an SEC game since 695 at Kentucky (11/22/1997).
The Vols ran for 344 yards. The last time the Vols had that many in any game was vs. Western Kentucky (9/5/2009), when they ran for 380.
The Vols' 344 rushing yards are the most vs. an SEC opponent since running for 406 at Vanderbilt (11/26/1994).
The Vols' 45 points are the most in an SEC road game since winning 52-50 in four overtimes at Kentucky (11/24/2007).
The last time the Vols won wearing all white (Stormtroopers) was in the 2009 road finale at Kentucky (11/28/2009). The Vols had lost eight games in a row in all white.
The last time the Vols won an SEC game in which they travelled via airplane was at Mississippi State (10/13/2007) in Starkville.
The last time the Vols won an SEC game outside the states of Tennessee and Kentucky was that game at Mississippi State in 2007. The Vols had lost 21 consecutive SEC games played outside the states of Tennessee and Kentucky.
The last time the Vols won a game in which they traveled via airplane was at Memphis (11/6/2010).
