Adams: Vols demonstrate resiliency again

What happened next should surprise no one who has followed UT's return to football prominence.

The Vols matched South Carolina's drive with one of their own -- a 13-play, 79-yard drive that enabled them to regain the lead and recapture the momentum.

They didn't just score a touchdown. They reminded you why they have distanced themselves so far from the 5-6 season of 2005.

UT has had more talented teams. But it has had few teams with more resilience.

The 31-24 victory over South Carolina provided more confirmation for a team driven to prove that last year was an aberration.

First, the Vols rallied from a 17-point deficit to overwhelm Georgia 51-33. Next, they came from behind with a clutch fourth-quarter drive to upend Alabama. Then came the victory over South Carolina and coach Steve Spurrier, who just last season upset the Vols in Neyland Stadium.

Those three consecutive games have been as much about toughness as talent, as much about will as skill.

Against South Carolina, the Vols took a 14-0, first-quarter lead on a couple of deflected passes -- one that middle linebacker Marvin Mitchell intercepted and returned for a touchdown, and another that wide receiver Bret Smith caught in the end zone.

Those weren't the only balls deflected into UT's welcome arms. South Carolina appeared headed for a first-quarter touchdown until quarterback Syvelle Newton's pass was deflected to UT's Jonathan Wade, who made the interception in the end zone.

Resilience wasn't required at that juncture. In fact, it appeared the Vols only had to be in the vicinity while the Gamecocks were batting good fortune their way.

The two-touchdown lead came easy. The victory didn't.

Newton repeatedly led UT defenders on a not-so-merry chase; the South Carolina offensive line played better than its past performances suggested; the Gamecocks' defense held UT to 23 yards on three possessions, including the last one of the first half and the first two of the second.

Then came South Carolina's go-ahead touchdown, one that revived every horrifying memory UT fans have of a Spurrier offense. It came on a 15-yard pass from Newton to Noah Whiteside, who was almost as close to his quarterback as the nearest UT defender.

How do you get that open in the end zone?

Answer: You have Spurrier calling the play against a UT defense.

UT's arch-nemesis was at it again, finding holes in a secondary and advising his quarterback accordingly. He did it at Florida in the 1990s. And he's doing it at South Carolina a decade later.

The ridiculously easy score gave the Gamecocks a 17-14 lead with 4:10 left in the third quarter. It also gave the Gamecocks faithful reason to believe South Carolina could finish what it started when it was two touchdowns down. And against a less-confident, less-determined team, it might have.

The Vols lost the lead, but not their poise. They matched South Carolina's 17-point run with a 17-point run of their own, then held on for a seven-point victory that kept them in contention for the SEC East championship and boosted their top-10 and BCS stock.

They also reminded you why this season is so different from last.

Last year's team found ways to lose close games. This team thrives under pressure.

With back-to-back games coming up against nationally ranked LSU and Arkansas, the pressure will only increase. But after three consecutive come-from-behind victories, there's evidence the Vols can handle it.