Vols Football: Game Ball for Week 10 vs. South Carolina

Josh Dobbs makes the Vols offense better, and he had the performance of his life Saturday night against South Carolina. PHOTO: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Volunteers stunned the South Carolina Gamecocks in overtime Saturday night, rallying from a 14-point deficit late in the fourth quarter and winning in overtime 45-42 in Columbia, SC.

The two teams combined for 1,270 offensive yards, but Tennessee’s defense came up big when it mattered most, sacking South Carolina QB Dylan Thompson on two consecutive plays to open South Carolina’s lone possession in overtime, forcing the Gamecocks to attempt a 58-yard field goal to try to force the game into a second overtime (which they missed).

Although the Vols’ defense gave up 625 yards, Tennessee’s offense gained even more, amassing 645 yards of total offense. The All For Tennessee Game Ball recipient was responsible for 467 of those yards, and he led the Vols back to victory.

Sophomore quarterback Josh Dobbs had one of the greatest performances by a Vols quarterback in recent memory Saturday night, and he is the obvious choice for this week’s Game Ball.

Dobbs threw for 301 yards and ran for another 166, which was a school-record for a quarterback. He tossed 2 touchdowns and ran for 3 more, including a 36-yard TD run on 4th and 3 right before halftime.

Not only did he do that, but he drove the Vols 85 yards down the field with 1:23 left in the game and no timeouts to toss the game-tying TD to Jason Croom with 11 seconds left. Thanks to Dobbs’ mobility, freshman running back Jalen Hurd was able to have a career game, and the offensive line gave up zero sacks for the first time all season.

Dobbs’ 467 yards of total offense were the most by a Vols QB since Peyton Manning over 15 years ago.

Josh Dobbs electrified the Vols offense, and he should undoubtedly be the starting QB for the remainder of the season. His mobility opens up the playbook, and many other players benefit from his athleticism.