Group Includes Helms, Johnson, Carney, Knotts

Ryan Helms Glory Johnson Kevin Carney Chelsea Knotts

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., - Diver Ryan Helms and basketball player Glory Johnson have been nominated for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship, and track and field athletes Kevin Carney and Chelsea Knotts have been nominated for the Brad Davis Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship by the University of Tennessee, the Southeastern Conference announced Tuesday afternoon.

The H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship has been presented by the Southeastern Conference since 1986 to the league's top male and female scholar-athletes.

The SEC Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship was named for former Associate Commissioner Brad Davis. Davis succumbed to cancer on March 2, 2006. He had been a member of the SEC staff since 1988, first serving as an assistant commissioner until 1994 when he was promoted to associate commissioner. The Southeastern Conference will name the 2012 recipients of the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship on April 6 in conjunction with National Student-Athlete Day. The Davis Community Service Post-Graduate Scholarship winners will be announced on April 5.

Highlights of Tennessee's nominees include:

Ryan Helms, Swimming & Diving (Male McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Nominee)
• Will earn a B.S. degree in Education in August 2012
• Four-time UT Thornton Center Honor Roll and named to Fall 2011 Thornton Center Highest GPA List
• Earned College Swimming Coaches Association of America Academic All-America status
• Named twice to SEC Academic Honor Roll
• 2012 Olympic Trials and Canada Cup Grand Prix qualifier
• Earned honorable mention All-America honors at 2011 NCAA Championships in the 1-meter and platform dives
• Placed second at the 2011 SEC Championships in the 1-meter and 3-meter dives after finishing third in same events at 2010 SEC Championships
• Named SEC Freshman Diver of the Year, 2008-09
• Active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as a mentor, leading Bible Studies and planning meetings
• Participated in the SEC's "Together We Can" food drive and worked at food bank in his hometown
• The Jefferson, Ga. native is the son of Michael and Tina Helms

Glory Johnson, Basketball (Female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Nominee)
• Earned B.A. degree (cum laude) in Interdisciplinary Studies in May 2011, graduating in just three years, and currently in Master's program
• Named to Vol Scholar Honor Roll, Dean's List and SEC Academic Honor Roll
• Is just the fourth player in UT Lady Vol history to post 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in career
• Has been named SEC Player of the Week six times in her career
• Played on the gold-medal winning USA team at the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen, China
• Two-time first-team All-SEC, SEC All-Defensive Team and Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-Region 3 Team performer
• Member of 2012 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-America Team
• 2011-12 SEC Defensive Player of the Year
• Two-time member of the SEC Women's Basketball Community Service Team
• Two-time member of the SEC All-Tournament Team and named MVP of the 2012 SEC Tournament
• Volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Hoops for Hope and UT Athletics Donor Thank-a-Thon
• Visited with cancer patients at East Tennessee Children's Hospital and read to children at various Knox County Schools
• The Knoxville, Tenn. native is the daughter of Mercy Bassey Johnson and Bassey Johnson Udofot.

Kevin Carney, Track and Field (Male Davis Community Service Nominee)
• Will earn a B.S. degree in Logistics in May 2012
• Three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and VolScholar Honor Roll
• Recipient of the 2011 Team Vol Spirit Award
• Served as volunteer coach for Precision Track Club, coaching children in multiple events
• Volunteered for "Race for the Cure," assisting meet organizers
• Helped to build homes as part of Habitat for Humanity
• Participated in Red Cross disaster relief in April 2011, helping people who were displaced by storms in Tennessee, Alabama and Missouri
• Has visited local children's schools and sports teams to talk about sports and the transition from high school to college
• Assisted in the planning and execution of "Soles4Shoes," a campus-wide shoe drive
• Member of UT's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and UT Athletics Board
• The Brentwood, Tenn. native is the son of Dave and Pam Carney

Chelsea Knotts, Track & Field (Female Davis Community Service Nominee)
• Will earn a B.S. degree in Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology in May 2012
• Came to UT in the inaugural 15-member class of Haslam Scholars, a premier honors program aimed at attracting the nation's top students to campus
• Member of SEC Academic Honor Roll and VolScholar Honor Roll
• Two-time recipient of Lady Volunteer Academic Achievement Award
• National Merit Scholar and recipient of Chancellor's Honors Scholarship
• Active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, projects including collecting toys for children
• Participated in SEC's "Together We Can" food drive
• Active in West Virginia's Special Olympics
• Directed and organized "Running with Hope 5K" to raise funds for Redeeming Hope Ministries
• Created a homeless running group through Redeeming Hope Ministries to foster community, commitment and goal setting
• Member of UT's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and organized a Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless
• Has also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity
• The Ripley, W.Va. native is the daughter of Steve and Melinda Knotts

The SEC Office will be releasing each of its institution's nominees periodically until the April 6 winners are announced. The schedule is as follows:

Alabama - McWhorter: Kyle Weeks, swimming & diving; Brooke Pancake, golf; Davis: Nate Corder, track & field / cross country; Leigh Gilmore, track & field / cross country

Arkansas - McWhorter: Ben Skidmore, track & field; Courtney O'Grady, swimming & diving; Davis: Matt Walters, Tennis; Kelli Stipanovich, Volleyball

Auburn - McWhorter: Cory Luckie, baseball; Katy Frierson, soccer; Davis: John Stembridge, golf; Laura Lane, gymnastics

Florida - McWhorter: Greg Larson, Baseball; Teresa Crippen, Swimming & Diving; Davis: Brian Howell, Swimming & Diving; Joanna Mather, Tennis

Georgia - McWhorter: J.P. Hackney, Track & Field; Wendy Trott, Swimming & Diving; Davis: Aron White, Football; Kathleen Gates, Volleyball

Kentucky - McWhorter: Stuart Hines, Football; Rachel Riley, Softball; Davis: Jake Lewellen, Football; Ann Armes, Volleyball

LSU - McWhorter: Matthew Vieke, Swimming & Diving; Brittany Mack, Softball; Cullen Doody, Track & Field / Cross Country; Ashley Applegate, Softball

Ole Miss - McWhorter: Marcel Thiemann, Tennis; Gabriela Rangel, Tennis; Davis: Devin Thomas, Football; Amanda Hutcheson, Softball

Miss. State - McWhorter: Louis Cant, Tennis; Kim Pettit, Soccer; Davis: Caleb Reed, Baseball; Misty Flesher, Softball

South Carolina - McWhorter: Michael Roth, Baseball; Katie Burnett, Golf; Davis: Chris Campbell, Track and Field; Courtney Newton, Basketball

Tennessee - McWhorter: Ryan Helms, Swimming & Diving; Glory Johnson, Basketball; Davis: Kevin Carney, Track & Field; Chelsea Knotts, Track & Field

Vanderbilt - April 4

National Student-Athlete Day was created in 1987 by the National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS) and Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society, and presented by the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

National Student-Athlete Day is held each April 6 to celebrate outstanding student-athletes who have achieved excellence in academics and athletics while having made significant contributions to the community. It is also a time to recognize those parents, teachers, coaches and school systems which make it possible for young people to find the balance between academics and athletics.

Each year, the SEC, in conjunction with AT&T, an SEC Corporate Champion sponsor, provides the league's male and female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship recipients with a $15,000 post-graduate scholarship. The 22 remaining male and female finalists for the award will also receive a $7,500 post-graduate scholarship. The Davis Award recipients each receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship, provided by the SEC. The 22 remaining male and female finalists for the award will also receive a $5,000 post-graduate scholarship. The award recipients are chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from the 12 SEC institutions and are honored at the SEC Spring Meetings in Sandestin, Fla. on May 31.

Last year's McWhorter Award recipients were Dan Mazzaferro and Erica Meissner, both members of the Auburn swimming & diving teams. The Davis Award recipients were Ole Miss track & field athlete Barnabus Kirui and Georgia track & field athlete Bridget Lyons.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - With all five seniors in the starting line-up on Senior Day, the No. 10/9 Lady Vols rolled past Florida, 75-59, on Sunday afternoon before 18,563 at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The Lady Vols (21-8, 12-4 SEC) enter SEC Tournament as the No. 2 seed and will face the winner of the No. 7-No. 10 seed game in the second game of the second round on Friday, March 2 at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT. That game will be televised on Fox Sports Net and can be heard on the Lady Vol Network.

In her final regular-season home game, Glory Johnson led the Lady Vols with 21 points and 10 rebounds. It was her 10th double-double of the year. Senior Shekinna Stricklen added 15 points and Meighan Simmons tallied 12.

Alicia Manning made the most of her Senior Day as she scored 11 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had five assists.

It was also the final home game for Vicki Baugh and Briana Bass.

Lily Svete led the Gators (18-11, 8-8 SEC) with 12 points while Jennifer George had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Tennessee jumped out to a 15-3 lead to start the game and never trailed the rest of way despite Florida staying within in striking distance throughout the game.

The Lady Vols sealed the game on a Johnson breakaway lay-up with 2:05 left in regulation putting UT ahead 70-57. Manning's jumper gave the Lady Vols a 15-point lead.

Back-to-back hoops by Manning and Stricklen regained a double-figure lead for the lady Vols at 59-48 with six minutes left. The teams then traded 3-pointers by Jones and Stricklen for a 62-51 UT lead with 5:18 left in game.

Florida continued to hang around and cut the deficit to seven at 51-44 on a jumper by Ndidi Madu with 9:43 left in the second half.

Johnson opened the second half with a quick lay-up just 14 seconds in, as the Lady Vols equalled their largest lead of the first half of 12 at 37-25.

Tennessee led 35-25 at halftime as Johnson tallied 12 points prior to intermission including a last-second lay-up for the double-figure advantage.

After Florida opened the game with a 3-pointer by Jones, the Lady Vols ran off 15 points in a row to take a 15-3 lead 6:07 into the action. Johnson had eight of those 15 points.

Florida showed grit as they retaliated with a 10-2 run to cut the deficit to four at 17-13 on another 3-pointer by Jones with 10 minutes left in the first half.

Up next for Tennessee is a trip to Nashville for the Southeastern Conference Tournament where the Lady Vols will await the winner of the first round matchup between Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. The Orange and White looks to defend its 2010 and 2011 SEC Tournament crowns.

2012 SEC Tournament Bracket

2011 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A total of 43 Tennessee student-athletes (listed below) earned 2011 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll accolades, announced by SEC Commissioner Mike Slive.

The 2011 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll is based on grades from the 2011 Spring, Summer and Fall terms.

Any student-athlete who participates in a Southeastern Conference championship sport or a student-athlete who participates in a sport listed on his/her institution's NCAA Sports Sponsorship Form is eligible for nomination to the Academic Honor Roll. The following criteria should be followed: (1) A student-athlete must have a grade point average of 3.00 or above for either the preceding academic year (two semesters or three quarters) or have a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or above at the nominating institution. (2) If a student-athlete attends summer school, his/her grade point average during the summer academic term must be included in the calculation used to determine eligibility for the Academic Honor Roll. (3) Student-athletes eligible for the Honor Roll include those receiving an athletics scholarship, recipients of an athletics award (i.e., letter winner), and non-scholarship student-athletes who have been on a varsity team for two seasons. (4) Prior to being nominated, a student-athlete must have successfully completed 24 semester or 36 quarter hours of non-remedial academic credit toward a baccalaureate degree at the nominating institution.

Football
Zack Allen, Exercise Science
Brent Brewer, Sport Management
Michael Carillon, Business Administration
Channing Fugate, Psychology
Darin Gooch, Logistics
Gregory Grieco, Kinesiology
Nick Guess, Sport Management (grad school)
Logan Honeycutt, Psychology
Daniel Hood, Management
Austin Johnson, Undeclared (grad school)
Herman Lathers, Sport Management
Nash Nance, Management
Tauren Poole, Sport Psychology (grad school)
John Propst, Industrial Engineering
Chip Rhome, Wildlife & Fisheries Science
Zach Rogers, Logistics
Jake Storey, Hotel, Restaurant, & Tourism Management
William Dakota Summers, Undecided
Dylan West, Pre-Professional Interest
Robert Yonce, Logistics

Women's Soccer
Tori Bailey, Sport Management
Caroline Brown, Sport Management
Caroline Capocaccia, Pre-Professional Interest
Amy Harrison, Business Pre-Major
Chelsea Hatcher, Political Science
Hannah Hut, Hotel, Restaurant, & Tourism Management
Chelsea Kephart, Management
Lara Langworthy, Communication Studies
Alexis Owens, Business Pre-Major
Sanna Saarinen, Business Pre-Major
Emily Shore, Political Science
Melissa Speros, Hotel, Restaurant, & Tourism Management
RB Wyatt, Animal Science

Volleyball
Nikki Brice, Biological Sciences
Jasmine Brown, Social Work
Leslie Cikra, Sport Management
DeeDee Harrison, Sport Management
Kayla Jeter, Sociology
Kelsey Mahoney, Nutrition
Ellen Mullins, Business
Kelsey Robinson, Journalism & Electronic Media
Carly Sahagian, Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Management
Kylann Scheidt, Journalism & Electronic Media

6

1

5

Matthew Hoty

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee track & field standouts Matthew Hoty and Annie Alexander have been recognized for their performances over the weekend at the Auburn Invitational. The Southeastern Conference announced on Tuesday that Hoty was chosen SEC Men's Freshman of the Week, while Alexander has been selected as the SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week.

Hoty, a redshirt freshman from Sandusky, Ohio, broke his week-old UT freshman indoor record in the men's shot put. He did so by stretching the tape to 60-0 1/4 to finish second at the Auburn Invitational behind defending SEC Outdoor champion Stephen Saenz of Auburn.

After making a victorious college debut last weekend at the Kentucky Invitational and snapping Chip Kell's 1968 Vol rookie record of 58-7 by a half inch, Hoty improved his ranking this week from 12th to ninth on UT's all-time performers list in that event. He ranks No. 3 in the SEC and No. 15 nationally at this point in the season.

Alexander, a senior from Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, broke her 2009 Lady Vol indoor shot put record of 57 feet, two inches with a blast of 58-1 to claim victory by a whopping 4 ½ feet at the Auburn meet. It marked the 10th indoor shot put triumph of her career, including her second straight this season, and her throw automatically qualified her for the NCAA Indoor Championship meet on March 9-10 in Nampa, Idaho.

The four-time All-American and five-time SEC champion is only the second woman from the conference this season, and sixth SEC athlete overall (men or women) in 2012, to qualify for nationals. Her measurement ranks her No. 1 in the SEC and moved her from No. 7 to No. 2 nationally this week.

Alexander, Hoty and their teammates will be back in action this weekend, as they head to College Station, Texas, for the Texas A&M Mondo Challenge.

SEC Men's Runner of the Week: Harry Adams, Auburn
SEC Men's Field Athlete of the Week: Ricky Robertson, Ole Miss
SEC Men's Freshman of the Week: Matthew Hoty, Tennessee

SEC Women's Runner of the Week: Cassandra Tate, LSU
SEC Women's Field Athlete of the Week: Annie Alexander, Tennessee
SEC Women's Freshmen of the Week: Tori Bliss, LSU and Taylor Burke, Florida

- After breaking the Lady Vol record for rookie assists on Jan. 15, Tennessee guard Ariel Massengale was tabbed for the SEC Women's Basketball Co-Freshmen of the Week honor Monday.

Massengale shared her achievement with LSU freshman forward Krystal Forthan. The Lady Tigers will be UT's next opponent on Thurs., Jan. 19 in Thompson-Boling Arena at 7 p.m. (CSS).

In two games against ranked SEC opponents last week, Massengale averaged 6.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 8.5 apg, while playing 35.53 mpg in the team's split with a loss at #9/8 Kentucky (61-60) and a win over #25/24 Vanderbilt (87-64).

Against Kentucky on Thursday, the 5-9 freshman from Bolingbrook, Ill., added six points, four rebounds and dished five assists.

Massengale had her "assistfest" against Vanderbilt on Sunday dishing out 12 scoring passes while adding six points, two rebounds and a couple of steals. The dozen helpers against the Commodores breaks the previous mark set by Meighan Simmons (11 assists vs. Alabama 1/6/11).

Her 12 assists also tied for the fifth-most in UT history with current associate head coach Holly Warlick who had 12 assists against Clemson in 1980. Earlier this season, Massengale had two nine-assist performances.

Previously, Massengale was tabbed as the SEC Freshman of the Week on Dec. 5 and joins UT grad student Glory Johnson for dual Lady Vol conference honors. Johnson was named as the SEC Player of the Week on both Jan. 2 and 9.

The Southeastern Conference has altered the format of its annual baseball tournament, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive announced today. This will mark the first major change to the event's format since 1996.

The 2012 SEC Baseball Tournament, which will be held in Hoover, Ala., at Regions Park for the 15th consecutive year, will increase to 10 teams and will begin on Tuesday, May 22nd. The tournament will continue to follow a format that is modeled in a similar fashion to previous SEC Tournament and College World Series brackets. The 10 teams are seeded 1-10 with the two divisional champions guaranteed of the top two seeds and first-round byes. Games played from Tuesday thru Friday are double elimination with single elimination starting on Saturday. The tournament field will include the top teams from the SEC's Eastern and Western Divisions plus eight at-large bids seeded 3-10 based on conference winning percentage.

The SEC has also announced the beginning of a Baseball Legends Program, modeled similarly after the popular `Legend's and `Greats' programs that surround the SEC Football Championship Game and the SEC Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments. Four former SEC baseball standouts will be honored on-site as part of the annual baseball tournament each year beginning in May of 2012.

A squad from the SEC Tournament has advanced to four consecutive National Championship Series in Omaha, winning the last three NCAA titles (LSU 2009; South Carolina 2010 and 2011). Nearly 100 first-round picks in the Major League Baseball Draft have played in SEC Tournament since 1991.

The 2012 event will be held May 22-27 at Regions Park. Tickets will go on sale in February.

The 2011 SEC Baseball Tournament drew nearly 100,000 fans. Six times time in the last nine years the tournament has surpassed the six-digit mark in total attendance. The 2010 event drew close to 130,000 fans, an all-time record. The SEC is scheduled to keep its baseball tournament in Hoover at Regions Park through 2016 under the current contract.

SEC Tournament Format Alterations:

- Increase from eight to 10 teams
- Event will run from Tuesday through Sunday
- Games played from Tuesday to Friday are double elimination with single elimination starting on Saturday with games 15 and 16.
- Addition of SEC Baseball Legends Program recognized annually at tournament

2012 SEC Tournament Bracket
(Television information not available at this time)

Tuesday, May 22

Wednesday, May 23

Thursday, May 24

Friday, May 25

Saturday, May 26

Sunday, May 27

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (November 6, 2011) – The Southeastern Conference Presidents and Chancellors, acting unanimously, announced today that the University of Missouri will join the Southeastern Conference effective July 1, 2012, with competition to begin in all sports for the 2012-13 academic year. 

The addition of Missouri will increase SEC membership to 14 institutions.  The additions of Texas A&M, announced on September 25, 2011, and Missouri, are the first expansions for the SEC since September of 1991 when the University of South Carolina joined the league.  The University of Arkansas joined the SEC in August of 1991.  With the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina, the SEC was the first conference to split into divisions and add a conference championship game in 1992.

“The Presidents and Chancellors of the Southeastern Conference are pleased to welcome the University of Missouri to the SEC,” said Dr. Bernie Machen, President of the SEC Presidents and Chancellors and president of the University of Florida.  “The University of Missouri is a prestigious academic institution with a strong athletic tradition and a culture similar to our current institutions.”

“The Southeastern Conference is a highly successful, stable, premier athletic conference that offers exciting opportunities for the University of Missouri,” said Chancellor Brady J. Deaton. “In joining the SEC, MU partners with universities distinguished for their academic programs and their emphasis on student success. The SEC will provide our student-athletes with top flight competition and unparalleled visibility. We came to this decision after careful consideration of the long term best interests of our university.  We believe the Southeastern Conference is an outstanding home for the Mizzou Tigers, and we take great pride in our association with this distinguished league.”

Missouri, located in Columbia, will also be the fourth institution in the Southeastern Conference to hold membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities, joining University of Florida, Texas A&M University and Vanderbilt University.  Missouri has an enrollment of 33,800 students, which would be the fourth largest institution in the SEC, with Florida, Georgia and Texas A&M having a larger student body.  There are more than 260,000 “Mizzou” alumni around the world.  The State of Missouri borders three SEC states: Tennessee, Kentucky and Arkansas, and they bring an existing rivalry with former conference foe Texas A&M.

Missouri athletic teams have excelled recently.  Its men’s basketball team has made it to the NCAA Tournament three straight seasons and 24 times overall.  The Tiger football team has been to post-season bowl games for six straight years and 28 times overall.  The softball team has participated in the College World Series each of the last three seasons.  The Tigers have won Big 12 Championships in men’s basketball, soccer and softball.

“I am pleased to officially welcome the University of Missouri to the SEC family on behalf of our presidents, chancellors, athletics directors, students and fans,” said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive.  “Missouri is an outstanding academic institution with a strong athletic program.  We look forward to having the Tigers compete in our league starting in 2012.”

The Tigers sponsor 20 varsity sports.  Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, swimming and diving, wrestling, indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country.  Women’s sports include basketball, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country and volleyball.  Missouri participates in every sport sponsored by the SEC except men’s tennis and the SEC sponsors every sport the Tigers participate in except wrestling.

BY DREW EDWARDS
UTSports.com

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee didn't have any trouble finding big plays on defense Saturday night against South Carolina. Turning those big plays into points, though, was another story.

The Vols couldn't take advantage of two prime opportunities deep in Carolina territory in the second half and fell to the 14th-ranked Gamecocks 14-3 in Neyland Stadium.

"We're just a mess on offense. Can't run it. Struggle to throw it," UT coach Derek Dooley said. "Had it twice in the red area and turned it over. I don't know what else we can do defensively."

Tennessee's offense, without its two most productive players in quarterback Tyler Bray and wide receiver Justin Hunter, struggled again. The Vols finished with just 186 yards of total offense and managed just three points despite getting inside the South Carolina 30-yard line four times.

True freshman quarterback Justin Worley had a difficult time in his debut as a starter, completing 10 of his 26 passes for 105 yards and two interceptions.

"He did some good things, and he struggled at some things, which I expected it to happen. It's his first time," Dooley said. "He just hasn't had the work. He's been a three. That's what we forget. For eight months, he's been a three. And for two weeks he's been a two. It's tough. I don't know what to say. He'll be fine. He'll learn from it and get better."

Worley's first interception came on the Gamecocks' 2-yard line, when free safety D.J. Swearinger stepped in front of tight end Mychal Rivera and grabbed the ball near the goal line.

Two plays earlier, Prentiss Waggner returned an interception of his own 54 yards to the South Carolina 2-yard line. He nearly scored, but lineman Cory Gibson and quarterback Connor Shaw tripped him up just shy of the end zone.

"I was a little down on myself," Waggner said. "Once we made that turnover (on offense), I got down on myself and told myself the next time I've got to get in the end zone."

The real dagger came on South Carolina's next possession.

The Gamecocks (7-1, 5-1 SEC) embarked on a monster drive that lasted nearly 12 minutes. They ran 20 plays and converted six times on third down, the last of which was Shaw's 5-yard touchdown run on a quarterback draw.

On that drive, Carolina never faced a third down with more than 5 yards needed for a conversion. Four were third and 2 yards or shorter, and that caused major problems for the Vols.

"We were getting beat on first and second down," UT linebacker Austin Johnson said. "They were creating third-and-1. It put us in a bad spot. We've got to do a better job on first and second down."

True freshman linebacker A.J. Johnson, who had a team-high 12 tackles, provided another spark in the fourth quarter when he recovered Brandon Wilds' fumble at the South Carolina 28-yard line.

On the next play, though, South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore intercepted Worley's pass in the end zone.

Senior Matt Simms — benched this week in favor of Worley — took over and moved the Vols to the Carolina 27 before the drive ended with an incomplete pass on fourth-and-1.

In the second half, South Carolina's rushing offense — playing its first full game without leading rusher Marcus Lattimore — picked up steam.

Brandon Wilds finished with 137 yards on 28 carries. Shaw, who threw for 87 yards and a touchdown, was almost as dangerous on his feet. He ran for 64 yards.

The Vols, meanwhile, struggled on the ground again, finishing with just 35 yards rushing. Tailback Tauren Poole had 38 yards on 18 carries. To make matters worse, UT converted just twice in 14 tries on third down.

"We're a different football team right now on offense," Dooley said. "Just not very good at anything right now."

Tennessee scored on its second possession of the game after taking over at the Carolina 18-yard line following a muffed punt by Ace Sanders.

The Vols reached the Gamecocks' 4-yard line, but had to settle for a 22-yard field goal by Michael Palardy and an early 3-0 lead.

Tennessee (3-5, 0-5 SEC) squandered a chance to add to its lead at the end of the first quarter.

Going for the first down on fourth-and-1 from the Gamecocks' 20, UT's offensive line jumped before the snap for a 5-yard penalty. Palardy came out for what would have been a 42-yard attempt, but another false start backed him up 5 more yards.

His attempt from 47 yards was blocked by Carolina's Melvin Ingram, and the Vols were stopped on fourth and short at the Gamecocks' 44-yard line in their only trip inside Carolina territory in the second quarter.

South Carolina, which had just 27 yards of total offense in the first quarter, took advantage of great field position on its second drive of the second quarter. Taking over at the UT 44 following a 27-yard punt by Palardy, the Gamecocks took a 7-3 lead five plays later on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Shaw to Rory Anderson.

Worley completed 9 of his 20 passes in the first half for 99 yards. The two longest went to fellow true freshman DeAnthony Arnett, who caught passes of 26 and 25 yards in the first half.

Worley nearly connected deep with Da'Rick Rogers, but the sophomore couldn't quite catch a well-thrown pass inside the Gamecocks 10-yard line.

It was that kind of day for Tennessee, which will look to end its four-game losing streak against Middle Tennessee State, which comes to Knoxville for homecoming next week (TV: FSN, 7 p.m. ET).

To do that, the Vols need to find some answers, especially on offense.

"At the end of the day, we held them to 14 points and created two turnovers in the red zone. I would have taken that at the beginning of the day. We fought hard. They should be commended for that," Dooley said. "But we're just not good enough right now. We're really not good enough to beat anybody, unless we get some things corrected."

The Southeastern Conference Presidents and Chancellors, acting unanimously, announced Sunday that Texas A&M University will join the Southeastern Conference effective July 1, 2012, with competition to begin in all sports for the 2012-13 academic year.  

The addition of Texas A&M will increase the SEC membership to 13 institutions.  It is the first expansion for the SEC since September of 1991 when the University of South Carolina joined the league.  The University of Arkansas joined the SEC in August of 1991.  With the addition of Arkansas and South Carolina, the SEC was the first conference to split into divisions and add a conference championship game in 1992.

"The Southeastern Conference Presidents and Chancellors are pleased to welcome Texas A&M University to the SEC family," said Dr. Bernie Machen, chair of the SEC Presidents and Chancellors and president of the University of Florida.  "The addition of Texas A&M University as the SEC's 13th member gives our league a prestigious academic institution with a strong athletic tradition and a culture similar to our current institutions."

"The Southeastern Conference provides Texas A&M the national visibility that our great university and our student-athletes deserve," said Texas A&M University President R. Bowen Loftin.  "We are excited to begin competition in the nation's premier athletic conference.  This is a 100-year decision that we have addressed carefully and methodically, and I believe the Southeastern Conference gives the Aggies the best situation of any conference in the country."

Texas A&M , located in College Station, will also be the third institution in the Southeastern Conference to hold membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities, joining University of Florida and Vanderbilt University. Texas A&M has an enrollment of 50,000 students, ranking as the sixth-largest university in the country, with 360,000 former students worldwide.

Emergency personnel from Southeastern Conference universities are on the UT Knoxville campus today for the Police Chief and Emergency Manager Conference. The two-day conference is the first of its kind, and brings together thirty emergency management professionals from all twelve of the SEC schools.

The conference, which began yesterday, includes roundtable discussions, presentations from representatives of UT Knoxville and other SEC campuses, and tours of Neyland Stadium and the UT Police Department.

“This is great opportunity to bring these people together to share their experiences and best practices,” said Brian Gard, director of emergency management for UT Knoxville, who spearheaded the effort of organizing the conference along with the UTPD.

Highlights of the conference include discussion of the emergency mass sheltering that was necessary last fall because of bad weather during the Tennessee-Oregon football game at Neyland Stadium; active shooter response presentations from Auburn University and the University of Georgia, followed by a roundtable discussion for all participants; and a discussion of the lessons learned after the Alabama tornadoes this spring. Separate breakout sessions for emergency managers and police chiefs will address topics including mass notification, use of social media, sexual assault, and crisis communications.

The SEC is comprised of the University of Alabama, the University of Arkansas, Auburn University, the University of Florida, the University of Georgia, the University of Kentucky, Louisiana State University, the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, the University of South Carolina, the University of Tennessee, and Vanderbilt University.