NCAAF

Mississippi State Bulldogs at Tennessee Volunteers

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Sampson leads No. 7 Tennessee to 33-14 win over Mississippi State, but Iamaleava exits with injury

No. 7 Vols' Heupel exudes positive energy after beating MS State

Sampson became the centerpiece of the Volunteers' offense in the second half after quarterback Nico Iamaleava exited with an upper-body injury. Iamaleava took a hard hit on a run play, then another a bit later on an incomplete pass late in the second quarter. He didn't return after halftime.

But coach Josh Heupel said Tennessee anticipates Iamaleava will be ready to play in next Saturday’s critical game at Georgia.

“Cautionary measure,” Heupel said.

Tennessee (8-1, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) scored its initial first-half touchdown in five games and jumped out a 20-7 lead at the break. Iamaleava threw for 174 yards on 8-of-13 passing and TDs to Squirrel White (34 yards) and Dont'e Thornton (73 yards).

Davon Booth had a 1-yard run that capped a drive of nearly eight minutes for Mississippi State's score.

The Bulldogs (2-8, 0-6) had some success on the ground against Tennessee's top-10 defense. They rolled up 177 yards rushing, led by Booth with 123.

“We were out of gaps and they hit us on a couple," Heupel said.

Mississippi State went just 3 of 13 on third-down conversions, though. Michael Van Buren threw for 92 yards and was sacked four times.

“We were off,” first-year Bulldogs coach Jeff Lebby said. “Did not do a great job at pitching and catching.”

Seldom-used senior backup Gaston Moore took over for Iamaleava and kept the Tennessee offense moving.

“It was good to see (Moore) operate the way he can,” Heupel said. “He’s a really good decision-maker and the guys believe in him.”

Moore completed 5 of 8 passes for 38 yards and benefited from three pass interference penalties.

“We have a lot of confidence (in Moore),” senior center Cooper Mays said. “He didn't skip a beat.”

Tennessee kicker Max Gilbert, who missed all three field goal attempts against Kentucky last week, converted on four against the Bulldogs.

The Takeaway Mississippi State: The Bulldogs have two games left to generate some positive momentum heading into the offseason, when Lebby can tinker with his personnel. Mississippi State had an opportunity to pull off a stunner at Tennessee with Iamaleava out, but didn’t come through.

“For us, it’s a missed opportunity,” Lebby said. “Tennessee did an unbelievable job of continuing to find ways to run the football in the second half.”

Tennessee: The defense has been a constant all year, but the Volunteers have been trying to get their offense back to where it was at the start of the season. There were signs of a breakout versus Kentucky last week, and Tennessee finally found its rhythm at times against struggling Mississippi State.

Up Next Mississippi State: After an open date, the Bulldogs host Missouri on Nov. 23.

Tennessee: The Vols play an important game with playoff implications at Georgia next Saturday night.

How To Watch

How can I watch Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Volunteers?
  • TV Channel: Bulldogs at Volunteers 2021 College Football, week 11, is broadcasted on ESPN.
  • Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.

Matchup Prediction

Volunteers: 93.9%
Bulldogs: 6.1%
*According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index

Scoring Summary

TENN TD 1st Period 11:44 Squirrel White 34 Yd pass from Nico Iamaleava (Max Gilbert Kick)
TENN TD 2nd Period 13:35 Dont'e Thornton Jr. 73 Yd pass from Nico Iamaleava (Max Gilbert Kick)
MSST TD 2nd Period 5:47 Davon Booth 1 Yd Run (Kyle Ferrie Kick)
TENN FG 2nd Period 0:46 Max Gilbert 24 Yd Field Goal
TENN FG 2nd Period 0:00 Max Gilbert 38 Yd Field Goal
TENN FG 3rd Period 7:59 Max Gilbert 51 Yd Field Goal
MSST TD 3rd Period 6:22 Johnnie Daniels 18 Yd Run (Kyle Ferrie Kick)
TENN TD 3rd Period 3:31 Dylan Sampson 33 Yd Run (Max Gilbert Kick)
TENN FG 4th Period 8:14 Max Gilbert 38 Yd Field Goal

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/344.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originMSST https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/2633.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originTENN
15 1st Downs 25
3-13 3rd down efficiency 5-14
2-3 4th down efficiency 1-2
271 Total Yards 452
92 Passing 212
10/26 Comp/Att 13/21
3.5 Yards per pass 10.1
179 Rushing 240
38 Rushing Attempts 57
4.7 Yards per rush 4.2
9-85 Penalties 6-50
2 Turnovers 1
1 Fumbles lost 1
1 Interceptions thrown 0
25:42 Possession 34:18

Game Information

Neyland Stadium

Location: Knoxville, TN
Attendance: 101,915 · Capacity:
Full Standings

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