Former Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton still hasn’t shaken off the sting of the Vols’ stunning 63-38 loss to South Carolina in 2022. Like many fans, Milton has leaned into a theory that the Gamecocks had help from one of college football’s most infamous figures — former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions.
But Stalions himself recently pushed back on the speculation during an interview with David Ubben of The Athletic, using simple logic to shoot down the claim.
Revisiting 2022
At the time, Tennessee was riding high. The Vols opened the year 8-0 behind quarterback Hendon Hooker, who had climbed into the Heisman conversation. Even after a setback against Georgia, the College Football Playoff remained within reach — until the night they were steamrolled in Columbia.
South Carolina scored touchdowns on nine of its 10 drives, Spencer Rattler tossed six scores, and Williams-Brice Stadium literally ran out of fireworks. It was a shocking result, especially considering the Gamecocks had just been dismantled 38-6 by Florida a week earlier.
Conspiracy theories take root
In the aftermath, Tennessee fans searched for answers. Some claimed the Gamecocks intentionally sanded the field to slow down the Vols’ fast-paced offense. But the theory that gained the most traction was that Shane Beamer’s staff had obtained Tennessee’s signals through Connor Stalions, the central figure in Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Michigan’s scouting operation extended beyond the Big Ten, with Stalions buying tickets to SEC Championship games and potentially gathering intel on playoff contenders. Tennessee and Clemson were among the programs tied to the reports, fueling suspicions after South Carolina upset both teams in back-to-back weeks.
Milton, nearly three years later, still believes the Vols were cheated.
Stalions sets the record straight
Stalions, however, flatly denied ever aiding South Carolina.
“There was no trying to screw over Tennessee,” Stalions told Ubben.
He doubled down with a pointed question for Milton and Hooker:
“I’d ask Joe Milton and Hendon Hooker. They know the truth… Let’s say I have everything on a team. Why would I not want to play them in the playoffs?
If I had everything on Tennessee — which I’ve never watched any Tennessee film to decipher signals — and I felt so confident in this competitive advantage… why would I want another team to do it rather than us?”
The logic is clear: if Michigan had a true edge over Tennessee, the Wolverines would have preferred to save that advantage for themselves in the postseason.
The narrative lives on
Despite Stalions’ denial, the loss remains a sore spot in Knoxville. For Tennessee fans and players like Milton, the idea of outside interference is easier to stomach than admitting they were simply outplayed. As far as Stalions is concerned, though, “South Carolina did not cheat against Tennessee.”
