KNOXVILLE, Tenn. --- Coach Steve Spurrier knows South Carolina's gotten lucky lately.
It's going to take more than that, though, for the 21st-ranked Gamecocks (6-2, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) to survive the final stretch of their schedule.
"I think all of our guys know to beat some good teams -- and we are going to start playing some real good teams -- we've got to be a lot sharper," he said.
"We still haven't played up to our potential, but hopefully it'll kick in here the last third of the season."
That starts with visiting a Tennessee team that does seem to be playing up to its potential.
After a shaky start under first-year coach Lane Kiffin, the Volunteers (3-4, 1-3) are becoming more productive offensively and rank 10th in the nation defensively.
In its past two games, Tennessee has soundly beaten SEC East rival Georgia and lost to No. 2 Alabama on a game-ending blocked field goal.
"As you continue to develop your relationship you figure out what motivates them, what exactly can they do best," Kiffin said. "It's why if you're doing things right you keep improving -- and we have, and we need to keep doing that."
The Gamecocks needed a few official reviews to overturn plays and a 99-yard drive capped by a 43-yard touchdown pass from Stephen Garcia to Alshon Jeffery to pull out a 14-10 win against Vanderbilt.
But it's a supposed conversation between Jeffrey and Kiffin that could give South Carolina the spark it needs to play more inspired against Tennessee.
Jeffery told his teammates that while recruiting him during the off-season, the brash Tennessee coach tried to convince him South Carolina wasn't for him by telling the wide receiver he'd end up pumping gas for the rest of his life like other South Carolina high school players who remain in state.
Kiffin has denied saying it and wouldn't comment on the allegation this week, but fellow wide receiver Moe Brown promised the Gamecocks would show Kiffin "how we do pump gas at South Carolina."
SEC PLANS TO FINE, SUSPEND COACHES
Publicly griping about officials in the Southeastern Conference just got a lot more costly for Lane Kiffin and the rest of the league's coaches.
After three SEC coaches in two weeks, including Tennessee's Kiffin, received reprimands for ripping officials, the conference has decided that future punishment for similar antics will be fines and suspensions.
A memorandum was sent by the league office on Friday to every school making them aware of the change, which is effective immediately.
Commissioner Mike Slive, in his eighth season with the conference, was given full discretion by the league's athletic directors and presidents to hand out the punishment.
He will determine the amount of fines and lengths of suspensions on a case-by-case basis.
"On rare occasions over the last seven years there were several private reprimands and that took care of the matter," Slive told the AP in a telephone interview. "On occasion there were public reprimands and that took care of it. It became clear to me after last week that I was no longer interested in reprimands.
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