Q&A with campus activist touches on privatization >>See page 4
Traveling Secret Show finale to include three acts >>See page 8
Vols basketball preps for exhibition game >>See page 12
Senior safety Brian Randolph celebrates the the Vols win against the Wildcats on Oct.31. Esther Choo • The Daily Beacon
Vols prepare to face aggressive Gamecocks Taylor White Assistant Sports Editor
Last year’s 45-42 win over South Carolina was Josh Dobbs’ first significant win, as the quarterback led a miraculous fourth quarter that saw Tennessee rally from down two touchdowns in the final two minutes and ultimately put the game away in overtime. This year, Dobbs has established himself as Tennessee’s starting quarterback and he looks poised to pick up where he left off against a meager Gamecocks defense on Saturday. The junior insists that while last year’s game has no impact on Saturday’s matchup, the win was a building block for the program going forward.
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“I think it was just big with the momentum going forward,” Dobbs said of the win. “We had to get to a bowl game and we had to get six wins. That was a big game that propelled us to getting there.” The Gamecocks (3-5, 1-5 SEC) have struggled defensively this season, particularly against the run. South Carolina has given up 215.3 yards per game on the ground this year, good for 112th in the nation. That’s a bad matchup against a Tennessee (4-4, 2-3) team that has punished opponents with its ground game all season. The Vols are averaging 214.1 rushing yards per game, ranking them 21st in the country. In last season’s win, Dobbs ran for 166 yards and three touchdowns, and Jalen Hurd added 125 more yards on the ground. It looks to be
more of the same this year as the Gamecocks have allowed at least one 100 yard rusher in all but two games this year. “It’s just execution,” Dobbs said of the running game. “The offensive line has done a great job of owning the line of scrimmage. We’ve just been able to move the ball effectively and we’ve made plays when they were there. We’ve just gotten smart, good rushing yards.” Much has been made of South Carolina’s mid-season coaching change, as legendary coach Steve Spurrier stepped down in October. Shawn Elliott was promoted from co-offensive coordinator to interim head coach following Spurrier’s sudden retirement, and while the mentality of the team may have changed, the X’s and O’s haven’t. “They’re running the same things schemati-
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cally,” coach Butch Jones said. “Coach Spurrier is a legend, and he’s done a great job. Coach Elliot has come in and just given them a change. He’s given them some energy.” Since the coaching change, the Gamecocks are 1-1 with a win over a Vanderbilt and a sevenpoint loss at Texas A&M. South Carolina saw its most prolific offensive performance of the season against the Aggies, totaling 445 yards and 28 points. Before that, the offense had struggled through most of the season after being afflicted by injuries. Connor Mitch was named the starter before the season, but the redshirt sophomore suffered a separated shoulder against Kentucky in September, forcing him to miss the rest of the season. See VOLS on Page 12
Friday, November 6, 2015