Knoxville sports fans got a pleasant surprise on Saturday when local reader Shelley Miller proved her football instincts were spot‑on. While the Volunteers fell 27–24 to the Gamecocks, Miller had predicted a 24–21 win for South Carolina, missing each team’s final score by only three points and, most importantly, picking the correct winner.
How the Game Ball contest works
The weekly Game Ball promotion, run by KnoxTNToday, invites readers to submit their predicted final scores for the upcoming Tennessee‑South Carolina matchup. Participants are judged on two criteria: the combined point differential between their prediction and the actual score, and whether they correctly identified the winning team. The reader with the lowest combined difference who also picks the victor wins a “Dinner for Two” at Aubrey’s, a popular downtown eatery.
Shelley’s winning calculation
Miller’s combined point differential was six (three points off for each team). Several other readers posted the same six‑point total, but they all forecast a Tennessee win at 27–24. Because Miller correctly chose South Carolina as the victor, she secured the tiebreaker and the prize.
Writer predictions fell short
KnoxTNToday’s own writers had a rough week, with every submitted prediction favoring the Volunteers. Marvin West, Aneisa Rolen, and Charlie Barnett each finished ten points away from the actual score, sharing the closest‑writer distinction but still far behind Miller’s performance.
Past winners and community engagement
This marks another victory for a dedicated reader. Previous winners include Virginia Farris, Donna Leach, Nathan Bond, Gary Kinney, Denna Grogan, Allen Shoopman, and Don Grogan. The promotion continues to foster friendly competition among Knoxville’s sports‑enthusiast community, encouraging readers to stay engaged with local college football.
What’s next?
KnoxTNToday will launch the next Game Ball challenge on Thursday, giving fans another chance to beat the writers and claim a dinner at Aubrey’s. Readers are reminded that while writers can participate in the prediction contest, they are not eligible for the restaurant prize.
How to stay involved
Fans can follow KnoxTNToday on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and TikTok for updates, and they can subscribe to the free newsletter for a convenient roundup of all local stories. Comments and feedback may be sent to [email protected].
Original reporting: Knox TN Today — read the source article.
