Sharks are circling.

Whether it's Tennessee football fans, or future UT opponents, there's a distinct tinge of orange blood in the water.

The Vols' offense is hemorrhaging.

Coaches and players struggle to explain it. Opponents can't wait to face it.

Tennessee (3-3, 2-3 SEC) keeps searching for answers while South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Kentucky search for the end of decades of frustration against the Vols.

Alabama did it.

The Crimson Tide beat UT in Alabama for the first time since 1991 in last Saturday's 6-3 display of defensive prowess and offensive miscues from Tennessee.

South Carolina is up next with kickoff set for 7:45 p.m. Saturday in Neyland Stadium (TV: ESPN2).

The Gamecocks have never beaten the Vols in 12 previous visits to Knoxville.

Vandy hasn't beaten UT since 1982. Kentucky hasn't tasted orange blood since 1981.

Is the air of Tennessee invincibility in these games deflated of late?

"They shouldn't think that because we're still Tennessee and we still play with a lot of passion," UT linebacker Jason Mitchell said. "I don't think any team can line up man for man and just run the ball up and down the field on us or stop our running game.

"Yeah, we're wounded, but I doubt if that's going to happen."

Mitchell was speaking from the defensive perspective.

But what about an offense ranked No. 105 in the country in scoring?

"I'm not really worried about whether they think we're vulnerable," junior guard Rob Smith said. "That's not going to affect how we play.

"It's more about fixing Tennessee. It has been that way all year."

It was supposed to be a quick fix.

No one, coaches, players or fans, expected UT's offensive woes to hover over the Vols late into October. But here comes Halloween and ineffective offensive production is still haunting Tennessee.

The Vols are averaging 16.3 points a game, ranked 11th in the SEC in rushing (100.5 yards per game) and eighth in the league in passing (221.8 yards per game).

Defenses faced have been some of the toughest in the land -- Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Ole Miss and LSU -- but UT coach Phillip Fulmer said that can't be an excuse.

"We've faced tough defenses before," he said.

Still, there's a whiff of desperation with the Vols' offense.

Quarterbacks are frustrated. Receivers have taken to calling themselves "wide blockers" instead of "wide receivers." Running backs cost UT two fumbles inside Alabama's 10-yard line and now the steadiness of tailback Gerald Riggs is lost for the season with a fractured leg.

Sharks are circling while UT tries to right this ship.

Whatever happens with the Vols' offense, the Gamecocks still have to outscore UT and deal with a Tennessee defense ranked among the top 15 in the country.

Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier made it clear Wednesday the SEC, including Tennessee, has some of the best defenses in the nation.

"This is the fourth super defense we are playing -- Georgia, Auburn, Alabama and now Tennessee," he said. "They're all within the top 15 in the nation.

"Everybody is quick, strong, fast well-coached. It's tough. It's not as easy as it used to be in the old days."

Spurrier definitely remembers the old days, including a couple of upset victories in Neyland Stadium.

South Carolina comes into UT an early 14-point underdog, reminiscent of some of the Duke teams Spurrier once brought to Knoxville.

"I had three games (at UT) with Duke and we actually won two of them," Spurrier said. "In '82 and '88 we went in there and upset the Vols. Later, when I was coaching at Florida, we couldn't catch them off guard like we could when I was at Duke.

"We beat them 25-24 in '82 and I think it was 31-26 in '88."

He obviously has a great memory. He also just might be smelling blood.