Salty Vol Conspiracy Theorists Claim Gamecocks Purposely Altered Field Conditions In Blowout Loss

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There are just some fanbases that can’t accept a loss as being a loss. They can never admit when their team was outplayed. They can only deflect to reasons of why they were the better team but had the game stolen from them. Even when an opposing team hangs a 60-burger on them.

That fanbase, at least this year, is that of the Tennessee Volunteers. The 2022 football team experienced success not seen since the days of Peyton Manning, getting off to an 8-0 start while landing the program’s first win over Alabama in more than a decade. The Vols reached No. 1 in the polls, getting those supporters amped up for a potential playoff appearance.

Those dreams quickly came crashing back down to reality.

Tennessee has now dropped two of their last three games, ending any hopes of a championship in Knoxville. First came a loss to the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs. Next was a 25-point blowout loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks in a game that the Vols entered as three-score favorites.

Neither loss was particularly close. Still, Tennessee fans have gone near and far to come up with excuses as to why their team played poorly.

Against the Dawgs, fans claimed that the folks in Athens left the grass cut high as to slow down the Volunteer offense. Many quickly said after the defeat that they would’ve beaten Georgia on a neutral field.

Then, despite seeing a defense allow 63 points to quite possibly the SEC’s worst statistical offense, those same Vols have found another field condition excuse.

Tennessee fans are saying South Carolina added sand to the field to slow down their receivers.

If that’s the case, they should be happy. Those Gamecocks might’ve laid 100 had they been able to run their offense at full speed. Spencer Rattler threw a career-high six TDs against the Vols, sending them back to Knoxville with a deflating defeat and adjusted ambitions of playing in the Citrus Bowl.

Fans are also blaming the injury to QB Hendon Hooker on the field conditions. His torn ACL on a non-contact play will unfortunately end his career with the Vols after an incredible season. Still, it’s a long stretch to link these accusations of tampering, with literally zero legitimate intel, to the devastating knee injury.

For Tennessee fans, this has become the norm in 2022. Every opponent is so fearful of the Vols that they must resort to covert ops in order to manipulate the outcome of the game. In this case, the “South Carolina sand” was to blame for a defense that allowed nine TDs on 10 drives.

Tennessee travels to Nashville next week as they close out the season with Vanderbilt. I’m sure they’ve already begun concocting their next excuse should things go south against the Commodores.