Tennessee lost to South Carolina on Saturday, 15-9. The decisive moment was a goal-line stand by South Carolina’s defense right at the end. A Jarrett Guarantano incompletion on the last play of the game was the nail in Tennessee’s coffin.
Afterward, South Carolina QB Jake Bentley found a dejected Guarantano:
Sportsmanship, pass it on. pic.twitter.com/AJ2NmAnsM5
— Hale McGranahan (@Hale_SECcountry) October 14, 2017
“I was very upset, visibly, and I remember Jake from when I was younger,” Guarantano said after the game. “I met him freshmen year of high school and he just, he was telling me great game, great competition and to just keep my head up. I have a lot of props for him, last year he did the same thing, got the win vs. us. But I think he's a great player who does great things.”
This was the first start of Guarantano’s career, and it ended in just about the most disappointing way possible. His sadness is understandable, especially given that this was a loss to a division rival, at home, a week before Tennessee plays in Alabama, and as UT coach Butch Jones has been on the hot seat for weeks.
Guarantano put forward a respectable effort: 11-of-18 passing for 133 yards, no touchdowns, and no picks. That came in a challenging spot, with a lot of pressure on him against a solid defense. He doesn’t have anything to be ashamed of. But it’s still nice that Bentley took the time to go find him.