Travis Henry jumps over the pile to score the game-winning touchdown in the final minute.(AP)

Tennessee (4-3, 2-3 Southeastern Conference) sure didn't look like the 1998 national champions or even the team that won nine games a year ago. A loss to South Carolina would have been the Vols' fourth in the league, their most in 23 years.

And things weren't going right at Williams-Brice in front of a record 84,200 fans.

The Volunteers had 127 yards through three quarters. Their only score came on Henry's first 1-yard TD that followed a muffed punt by Derek Watson deep in South Carolina territory.

But behind Henry's running and the leadership of freshman quarterback Casey Clausen, Tennessee got it together in the final 15 minutes.

"I think this might have saved the season," said Henry, who finished with 115 yards and two touchdowns. "We just kept fighting and maybe wore them out."

The Vols drove 34 yards for an Alex Wells field goal and then went 68 yards for the winning score.

Henry carried 10 times for 35 yards on the winning drive, and Clausen converted third-down passes of 4 and 23 yards to keep things rolling.

Clausen was 19-of-31 for 152 yards in his second career start.

"It was do or die and our offense did it," receiver Cedric Wilson said. "I wish it could've been prettier, but we got the win."

For South Carolina (7-2, 5-2), it was a disappointing way to finish its home season. A victory would have sent the Gamecocks to Florida's Swamp in two weeks for a shot at the SEC title game.

But they played more like their offense of a year ago, which scored less than 8 points a game instead of this year's version, which is averaging more than 26.

Still, things were looking good after Ryan Brewer's 78-yard touchdown catch put them up 14-7 in the third quarter.

But Tennessee had the ball for 12:38 of the final quarter and wore down South Carolina.

"This was critical, because we are going into an impossible situation at Florida," South Carolina coach Lou Holtz said. "We can't even move the ball here without mistakes."

When Tennessee got inside South Carolina's 30 on the next series, linebacker Shannon Wadley stripped tailback Travis Henry and defensive end Kalimba Edwards recovered.

But South Carolina, which had moved the ball for most of the game, couldn't hold up against Tennessee's defense. The Gamecocks' two fourth-quarter drives went three and out, and Phil Petty was sacked by Will Overstreet as time ran out.

South Carolina's leading rusher, Watson, was held to 5 yards on 11 carries.

"Losing this one is bitter," Holtz said. "We will go on from here."

There were scouts from six bowls, including the Sugar and Cotton, on hand at Williams-Brice. But neither team looked postseason worthy in the first half.

After Henry's first touchdown, South Carolina's tying score came when lineman Kalimba Edwards went 81 yards with a ball off the fingers of receiver Cedric Williams.

Other than that, it was a first half of mistakes and really dumb plays.

The Gamecocks fumbled four times. Tennessee gained only 93 yards.

Clausen, a freshman starting his second game, was sacked twice and overthrew open receivers.

After South Carolina drove to Tennessee's 39, offensive lineman Shane Hall jumped twice for false start penalties.

The Gamecocks had their best chance to score right before the half, driving to the Vols' 15. But a false start penalty, an 8-yard sack by defensive tackle John Henderson and a failed fake field goal left things tied.