By Jay King
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Overtime in college football is not for the faint of heart.
After a one-play gash from DeSean Bishop into the endzone, it was on Tim Banks and his defense to make one final stop and escape 60,000 ringing cowbells.
On fourth down, with the game in his hands, Bulldog Blake Shapen scanned the endzone, fired, and who else but Arion Carter, the Volunteers’ spiritual leader on and off the field, who disrupted the pass.
Ballgame.
The 15th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers traveled down to Davis Wade Stadium in their first true road test of the season, and what a test it was. Tennessee survived in the extra session, 41-34.
Carter finished the game with a career-high 17 tackles, and the defense forced two scores in a back-and-forth affair all game.
Mississippi State created a hostile environment, donning their normal road whites for the white-out game in a sold-out stadium. The cowbells were blaring the whole game.
“I’m not sure the right way to describe it, but a noise maker at the end of the day,” said coach Josh Heupel. “We had a couple of false starts on tempo in short yardage situations that changed the way the game was played.”
Tennessee had its fair share of struggles, with various mistakes having happened throughout the game. This included a muffed punt by Braylon Staley on the opening drive, a potential go-ahead field goal missed by Max Gilbert with under two minutes left in the first half, and two interceptions thrown by Joey Aguilar, both of which were tipped into the air by tight end Miles Kitselman.
“I just gotta get my receivers a better chance to catch the ball,” said Aguilar. “He’s a big key in our run game and our pass game.”
Kitselman finished the game with four receptions for 42 yards, including a crucial block during the Bishop run in overtime.
“At the end of the day, we need Miles, whatever I can do to get him the ball, and to get him out of his head and play the game,” Aguilar said.
Another issue the Vols faced was their run defense, as the Bulldogs dominated on the ground. Mississippi State finished with 198 rushing yards and three touchdowns; all night, sophomore Fluff Bothwell was able to break through to the second level, averaging nearly six yards per carry.
The Bulldogs also gained the edge on special teams, converting a fake punt in the fourth quarter when they were up by four.
Despite their struggles, the Volunteers were able to respond each time and make big plays of their own.
In the first quarter, the Vols scored their first touchdown when sophomore Colton Hood intercepted a pass and took it to the house.
The biggest play of the game came in the fourth quarter on a Tyre West strip sack that was recovered by Joshua Josephs for the touchdown.
This came right after the fake punt, with momentum completely shifted in Tennessee’s favor.
Jeff Lebbys’ Bulldogs were impressive, and even held a touchdown lead with eight minutes left to play, only needing one more stop to seal the game in regulation; Aguilar had other plans in mind.
Leading a 13-play 75-yard touchdown drive and even punching in to score by himself, Tennessee knotted up the score with just under two minutes left.
Tennessee survived its first road test, a game it has lost in previous seasons, and still controls its own destiny for the rest of the season.
Aguilar finished with 335 passing yards and his eighth 300-yard game at the FBS level. Receiver Mike Matthews also had the biggest performance of his young career with a career high in passing yards and tied for receptions.
What’s next?
Tennessee will get a much-needed bye week, as they look forward to four straight SEC opponents, two of which are in the top-25.
The Volunteers’ first game back is versus the Arkansas Razorbacks, as Tennessee will look to get revenge for their upset loss last year in Fayetteville.