Is Tennessee's game against South Carolina 'the moment of truth' for Joe Milton III?

No. 21 Tennessee’s game against South Carolina is “the moment of truth” for Joe Milton III, according to On3’s J.D. Pickell. And he believes the Milton Tennessee fans saw in the Orange Bowl in December is the one who shows up against the Gamecocks. 

“This is the moment of truth for Joe Milton,” Pickell said this week while breaking down Saturday night’s game at Neyland Stadium. “I mean, this secondary for South Carolina has more question marks than the Riddler, more suspect than the butler at a murder mystery party. They’ve got some issues, they showed that last week against Mississippi State.”

No. 21 Tennessee (3-1, 0-1 SEC) hosts South Carolina on Saturday in a 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time start on SEC Network. 

Joe Milton through four games: 80-128 (.625), 925 yards, 8 TDs, 1 INT

Opposite of Milton will be a South Carolina pass defense that ranks dead last in the SEC, giving up 317.0 yards per game.

In South Carolina’s 37-30 win over Mississippi State Saturday night at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers passed for 487 yards, a touchdown and an interception while completing 30 of 48 passes.

Milton through four games this season has completed 80 of 128 passes (.625) for 925 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception.

He started Tennessee’s 45-14 win over UTSA last week with an 81-yard touchdown run on the game’s first play. He started 14 of 16 passing against the Roadrunners but missed his next eight attempts, finishing 18-for-31 for 209 yards and two touchdowns.

Milton has two touchdowns in each of the first four games of the season. He passed for 201 yards against Virginia in the season-opening 49-13 win in Nashville, 228 yards against Austin Peay a week later and a season-high 287 yards in the 29-16 loss at Florida on September 16.

Tennessee faces South Carolina looking to avenge the 63-38 loss to the Gamecocks last November in Columbia, the loss that derailed any hopes of a College Football Playoff appearance for the Vols.  

“It’s a night game,” Pickell said. “(Neyland Stadium is) going to be rocking. The energy will be electric for you to feed off of. The ‘Dark Mode’ jerseys, what we just talked about a second ago. If that doesn’t get you going, I don’t know what will.”

No. 21 Tennessee vs. South Carolina, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network

Milton took over for Tennessee late in the loss at South Carolina last season, after Hendon Hooker went down with a torn ACL. Milton started in the 56-0 win at Vanderbilt in the regular-season finale and the 31-14 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl in Miami.

Against Clemson Milton finished 19-for-28 for 251 yards and three touchdowns. 

“I think the time is now,” Pickell said. “I do think, though, just to be clear, I think we see Joe Milton from the Orange Bowl in this game. There’s been a lot of talk, a lot of chatter. They’ve had different conversations internally, within that locker room at Tennessee, trying to get their mind right.

“They’ve (got) their ‘get right’ game kind of out of the way, in my mind. I think in this game we see Joe Milton look like he did in that game against Clemson. Launching missiles, throwing darts and being catalyst and taking advantage of that South Carolina defense as Tennessee scores a lot of points.”