Wow. The Tennessee Volunteers defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs 41-34 in overtime in a game that’s hard to wrap your head around.
Joey Aguilar was 24-of-40 passing for 335 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions—both of which came after the ball bounced off Miles Kitselman’s hands and flew into the air. DeSean Bishop led Tennessee on the ground with 72 yards on 11 carries and scored the go-ahead 25-yard touchdown in overtime. Mike Matthews had six catches for 118 yards, while Chris Brazzell II caught six passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.
This was a game full of errors and missed opportunities, beginning when Tennessee’s Braylon Staley muffed a punt. Mississippi State recovered at the UT 20-yard line and quickly capitalized, taking just five plays to reach the end zone and grab a 7-0 lead.
After a Tennessee field goal and some defensive punts, Colton Hood intercepted Blake Shapen and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown. Mississippi State responded with two lengthy drives, taking a 17-10 lead in the second quarter.
But Tennessee answered back with a quick, four-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 15-yard touchdown catch from Brazzell, tying the game at 17. Max Gilbert missed a field goal later in the half, and both teams went into halftime knotted up at 17.
Tennessee opened the second half with a long field goal drive, but Mississippi State missed a field goal on their next possession. Aguilar’s first interception of the game gave the Bulldogs a short field, and they took advantage with a 1-yard touchdown run by Fluff Bothwell to go up 24-20.
Early in the fourth quarter near midfield, Mississippi State converted a fake punt on 4th-and-7 and seemed poised to extend their lead. However, on the very next play, Tyre West broke around the edge and sacked Shapen, forcing a fumble. Joshua Josephs scooped up the loose ball and returned it to give Tennessee a 27-24 lead.
After a State field goal, Aguilar’s second tipped interception handed the Bulldogs yet another short field. Once again, Mississippi State capitalized with a 2-yard touchdown pass to take a 34-27 advantage with eight minutes left.
But Aguilar and the Volunteers’ offense responded with one of their best drives of the season. They marched 75 yards on 13 plays in just over six minutes, finishing with a designed 6-yard quarterback run by Aguilar to tie the game with two minutes remaining.
Tennessee quickly forced a three-and-out and got the ball back at their own 26-yard line with 1:23 left and all three timeouts intact. Unfortunately, Josh Heupel’s clock management during the final drive was, quite simply, atrocious. The Volunteers moved 30 yards to just past midfield with four seconds left and two timeouts remaining, but a final Hail Mary fell incomplete, sending the game into overtime.
In overtime, Bishop’s 25-yard touchdown run on the first play gave Tennessee the lead. Although Mississippi State advanced to first-and-goal at the six-yard line, Tennessee’s defense stiffened — a rarity for Saturday. They broke up a fourth-down pass in the end zone, sealing the Volunteers’ 41-34 victory.
Tennessee now heads into a much-needed bye week. So, Vol fans, breathe easy—a win is a win. But there’s clearly a lot to work on after today’s rollercoaster of a game.
https://www.rockytoptalk.com/tennessee_volunteer_football/45299/tennessee-volunteers-defeat-mississippi-state-in-overtime-41-34
