Columbia, S.C. ? Tennessee’s Phillip Fulmer earned the right to take a couple of verbal pokes at Steve Spurrier this year.

Don’t count on the Vols’ coach doing it. That’s just not his style.

“He’s a good coach,” was about all Fulmer would say about of his Southeastern Conference rival after No. 8 Tennessee beat South Carolina 31-24 Saturday night. “I don’t know where all that gets started.”

If Fulmer really wanted to find the answer, all he had to do was glance across the field at Spurrier.

The Gamecocks ball coach has made his reputation through the years beating – then needling – the Vols. He did it again this week as South Carolina relived last season’s historic 16-15 victory at Neyland Stadium, its first win in Knoxville.

After this one, Fulmer had every right to gloat, but didn’t.

“There are times we should’ve won and didn’t. There are times he should’ve won and didn’t. That’s the way it,” he said. “We’re glad to get a win so we can improve to 7-1.”

Erik Ainge threw for 254 yards and two touchdown passes to Bret Smith as the Vols ended a year of ugly memories from the last South Carolina game.

“That was a hard loss,” Tennessee’s Marvin Mitchell said. “They beat us last year, but hey, we got them this year.”

Spurrier has largely had his way with Tennessee (7-1, 3-1) through the years. The coach won at Neyland Stadium with Duke in 1988, then took eight of 12 games from the Vols as Gators coach from 1990-2001. And when Rocky Top supporters gleefully planned for revenge after Spurrier took over at South Carolina, they were still left frustrated.

That last defeat was particularly embarrassing to the Big Orange. The Vols had retired the jersey of Peyton Manning, then outplayed South Carolina throughout, falling on Josh Brown’s improbable 49-yard field goal – a victory even Spurrier described as a miracle.

It looked like Spurrier’s hex was in effect again at Williams-Brice Stadium after South Carolina (5-3, 3-3) overcame a two-touchdown deficit to lead 17-14 after three quarters.

But Ainge found Smith on a 12-yard TD pass to put the Vols ahead for good with 13:10 left. After forcing South Carolina to punt on its next possession, Jonathan Hefney had a 65-yard punt return to South Carolina’s five, and Arian Foster scored on the next play.

The Gamecocks closed to 31-24 on Syvelle Newton’s one-yard TD run with 2:24 to go. Tennessee was forced to punt, and South Carolina had one final chance. However, Newton’s desperation heave was intercepted as time ran out.