Like Knoxville, this week’s questions in Columbia, S.C., carried a similar tone.

After subpar offensive play highlighted the last three games — two SEC losses and a non-conference win — the South Carolina attack finally regained its footing this week, with a resurgence in quarterback play headlining the performance.

So naturally, many of the inquiries honed in on just that: can the newfound success be sustained heading into a crucial intra-division matchup?

“Hopefully, we’ll be even better (on offense this week than last week),” South Carolina quarterback Dylan Thompson said Wednesday. “We missed some chances as everyone knows to put up more points. I feel like we really should’ve scored probably 50 to be honest about it. I made mistakes down there, and I think we have confidence that we can put up how many points we need to.

“It’s just a lot more fun when you win, and that’s the thing we’ve got to do.”

While Tennessee had to make a change under center to rekindle its offensive spark, no quarterback alternations were necessary for the Gamecocks as the fifth-year veteran Thompson rediscovered his early season groove in last Saturday’s 42-35 defeat to then-No. 5 Auburn.

In his previous three games — a win over Furman and losses to division foes Missouri and Kentucky — Thompson averaged less than 250 passing yards a game, while generating as many turnovers as touchdown passes.

But on The Plains of Auburn, the 6-foot-3, 218-pound gunslinger returned to form and nearly pulled off the improbable upset of the defending SEC champion Tigers, achieving career highs in single-game completions (40), passing yards (402) and touchdowns (5).

“(He’s) poised and can do a number of things,” UT head coach Butch Jones said Monday. “Very accurate, has great experience, makes all the throws and is very, very consistent. He’s a leader of that offense and that football team.”

Much of those leadership traits come from longevity inside the Gamecock program. As a redshirt senior, Thompson has possessed some sort of role in Steve Spurrier’s offense for a number of years, filling in periodically for the injury-prone Connor Shaw over the last two seasons. The most noteworthy of which came in 2012, where Thompson threw for 1,000 yards and made a pair of starts in relief.

And although the 2014 campaign marks the first in which the Boiling Springs, S.C., native has been in full control of South Carolina’s passing attack, it’s Thompson’s high experience level and veteran presence which has fellow SEC personnel overly impressed.

“He’s been around, and it shows,” UT defensive backs coach Willie Martinez said Wednesday. “Very similar to what we saw last week where someone has been around the program for a while. He’s learned and studied, and he understands what the staff wants him to do and how to execute the offense.

“They’re very, very efficient — one of the top offenses in the country. Coach Spurrier has always done a great job, and (Thompson) has got command of the offense. He’s doing a really good job with solid running backs and solid wide receivers and an offensive line that is expected.”