Although Tennessee blew another 14-point, second-half lead, the Volunteers managed to hold on for a 27-24 win over South Carolina, moving within a win of bowl eligibility.

Tennessee now has a great opportunity to close the regular season on a five-game winning streak and carry positive momentum into the offseason.

Here’s a closer look at the game.

FIVE TAKEAWAYS

1. Inconsistency continues to plague the Vols: Tennessee had a 17-0 lead with 5 minutes left in the second quarter. Then with 8:29 left in the third quarter, South Carolina tied the score at 17-17. In the first half, Tennessee rushed for 136 yards. In the second half, The Vols rushed for only 17 yards. In the first half, Tennessee’s defense held South Carolina QB Perry Orth to four completions for 51 yards and no TDs. In the second half, Orth threw for 182 yards and three TDs. In the first half, Tennessee’s defense had seven tackles for loss. In the second half, its defense only had one tackle for loss. For the third game this season, Tennessee dominated the first half and fell apart in the second half. A lack of consistent play throughout games is a problem that Tennessee’s coaching staff needs to solve.

2. QB Joshua Dobbs is good at moving in the pocket: For most of the season, Dobbs hasn’t had much of a pocket to step into. But in Tennessee’s past two games against Kentucky and South Carolina, Dobbs has been able to move around in the pocket, find open receivers and step into his throws. It’s no coincidence that Dobbs has had two of his best passing performances in the past two games (233 passing yards and 2 TDs vs. Kentucky, and 255 passing yards and 2 TDs vs. South Carolina).

3. Tennessee’s defensive line continues to be dominant: It was apparent in the first half that Tennessee’s defensive line was not going to let South Carolina run the ball up the middle. DL Owen Williams, who plays in the middle of the defensive line, had three tackles-for-loss in the first half.

4. Dropped passes hurt Tennessee: There were plenty of dropped passes, none more painful than WR Josh Malone’s dropped TD pass in the fourth quarter. Dobbs had time to step into his throw and deliver a perfect deep ball to Malone in the end zone, but Malone took his eyes off the ball and allowed the ball to ricochet off his hands. Tennessee managed to get the game-winning field goal on the drive, but it almost wasn’t enough.

5. Tennessee was lucky to steal this win: On South Carolina’s final possession of the game, its offense started on its own 24-yard line with 1:23 left in the fourth quarter. But the Gamecocks weren’t phased. Orth drove South Carolina down the field until DB Malik Foreman forced TE Jerell Adams to fumble the ball on Tennessee’s 13-yard line. LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin recovered the fumble with 32 seconds. If Adams hadn’t fumbled, South Carolina would have had plenty of time to score a game-winning touchdown.

REPORT CARD

Offense: B — It wasn’t pretty, but Tennessee’s offense managed to put up just enough points to win. Tennessee’s rushing attack was stalled in the second half, but Dobbs found a way to complete passes on third down and keep the chains moving on Tennessee’s two second-half scoring drives. And every time South Carolina tied the game, Tennessee’s offense responded with a score.

Defense: B- — Tennessee’s defense played great in the first half, allowing only 51 passing yards and three points. But the second half was a completely different story. South Carolina’s offense successfully attacked Tennessee on the edges. The Gamecocks had 87 rushing yards in the final two quarters, and Orth threw for 182 yards and three TDs — one of them a 7-yard pass to Adams on fourth-and-goal. Then, on South Carolina’s final possession, the Gamecocks drove 63 yards in 51 seconds before Adams’s fumble.

Special Teams: A — Aaron Medley made both of his field-goal attempts (44 yards and 27 yards). Cameron Sutton gave Tennessee good field position with punt returns, including a 22-yard return to Tennessee’s 41-yard line and a 26-yard return to Tennessee’s 49. And Trevor Daniel’s 45-yard punt with 1:23 left in the game pinned South Carolina’s dangerous punt returner, Pharoh Cooper, by the sideline and allowed Tennessee’s special teams players to tackle him, force a fumble and make South Carolina’s offense start its final possession with poor field position.

Coaching: C –– In the battle of second-half adjustments, South Carolina won. After struggling to run the ball inside, Gamecocks interim coach Shawn Elliot and his staff decided to attack Tennessee’s defense on the edges. South Carolina’s coaching staff also decided to load the box on defense in order to stop the run and make Dobbs beat the Gamecocks’s defense through the air. The Gamecocks’ offense scored three TDs in the third quarter and its defense limited Tennessee’s rushing game to 17 yards after halftime. Tennessee offensive coordinator Mike DeBord adjusted to South Carolina’s new defensive scheme after the Gamecocks tied the game 17-17, calling more passing plays on Tennessee’s final two scoring drives. But his response to South Carolina’s adjusted defensive game plan was too slow, and Tennessee’s ineffectiveness on offense gave South Carolina momentum.

Overall: B — In the end, Tennessee found a way to win. It wasn’t a clinic by any stretch of the imagination, but the Vols made more positive plays than the Gamecocks.

GAME BALLS

QB Josh Dobbs: South Carolina forced Dobbs to beat them with his arm instead of his legs, and he did with 20-of-34 accuracy for 255 yards and two TDs.

WR Von Pearson: The senior had a sneaky good game with eight receptions for 121 yards and a TD. His performance included a 30-yard reception on third-and-10 that put Tennessee in position for Aaron Medley’s game-winning, 27-yard field goal.

DL Owen Williams: The senior was a big reason why Tennessee led South Carolina 17-3 at halftime, accounting for three tackles-for-loss in the opening half. He also came up with a huge stop on third down in the fourth quarter, stuffing South Carolina RB Brandon Wilds for no gain and forcing South Carolina to punt.