Tennessee defeated South Carolina 25-19 to take 1st in the SCRC East and confirm the semifinal matchups for November 15-16.

The Vols took a 17-5 lead into the halftime break only to see South Carolina come back and lead 19-17 late in the game.

“We needed to do better at maintaining possession and avoiding penalties,” said Tennessee coach Josh Holt. “When we had better ball-handling we payed better. We just ended the game a little better.”

Flanker Ryan Roper was massive in this game, while Will Holland and Andrew Sayers were outstanding in the midfield.

And all of that was needed in the closing minutes, as Tennessee scored a late try and added a penalty to win 25-19.

The victory means Tennessee will face Alabama in the semifinals November 15 at USC’s campus in Columbia, SC. South Carolina will face Mississippi State.

“We’re very excited,” said Holt. “We know there’s a good chance that we might meet them again, but it’s a confidence boost to know we can beat them. South Carolina is a very good team. But we also felt that we didn’t play that well, and we can be better.”