By Riley Haltom
The seventh-ranked Tennessee Volunteers took down the Mississippi State Bulldogs in a nighttime matchup in Neyland Stadium, 33-14. It was “Homecoming on the Hill” as the Vols took the field decked out in Summitt blue accents with legends from several sports in attendance. With Christian Moore, Peyton Manning, Trey Lipscomb, and many more in attendance, Dylan Sampson put on a masterclass to lead the Vols to a win. Here are my takeaways from the win.
Dylan Sampson… Again
Every week I write these takeaways and every week one thing has remained constant: Dylan Sampson is a monster. Despite getting banged up early, Dylan Sampson ran 30 times for 149 yards and a touchdown. On the second drive of the game, the Vols once again drove into the redzone, but for the third game in a row, Sampson fumbled. After a big play on defense, the Vols once again had possession in the redzone, but Josh Huepel elected to punish Sampson by keeping him out of the game. Instead, he handed the ball off to Peyton Lewis 4 times in a row, resulting in a turnover on downs. I’d be willing to bet Sampson scores on that drive if Huepel puts him in the game. In this game, Sampson broke 1,000 rushing yards on the season, only the twentieth Tennessee running back to reach that mark, and 2,000 career rushing yards against the Bulldogs.
Wide receiver Squirrel White gave his thoughts on Sampson’s performance.
“He’s a soldier. Give him the Heisman.”
Offensive lineman Cooper Mays chimed in, too.
“I second that.”
Boo Carter Making an Impact
Freshman four-star sensation Boo Carter made a massive impact on this game. Carter returned punts and was a force on defense all night. Carter had a tackle for loss and a big-time interception. After Sampson’s fumble, Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. launched a pass over the middle where Carter jumped the route, returning it 9 yards to set Tennessee up within the 10. Carter also had 6 punt returns for 56 yards, including a big-time 28-yard return.
Carter told us how he got the opportunities.
“The preparation from practice led to the game. I’ve been putting in the work in practice. I like defense, I like to hit.”
Linebacker Troubles?
Tennessee’s defense had three glaring weaknesses at different points in the game which Mississippi State exploited, and all can be traced back to trouble at the linebacker position. Van Buren Jr. had success in two areas. Mississippi State was connecting over the middle through the air, and Van Buren Jr. was able to make plays outside of the pocket. Four sacks and a forced fumble out of the defensive line, but when Van Buren Jr. was able to avoid the rush, he gashed the defense and that fell to the linebackers. Additionally, the Bulldogs were able to gash the Vols defense through the run game, with running backs Johnnie Daniels and Davon Booth having long runs of 18 and 43 yards respectively.
Jeremiah Telander was unhappy with giving up those plays.
“We just have to continue to shoot our gaps, keep double teams off our linemen, and build a defensive wall.”
Gaston Moore at the Helm
Backup Gaston Moore started the entire second half for the Vols after starter Nico Iamaleava left the game with an upper-body injury. Moore handled the role well, going for 5 completions on 8 attempts for 38 yards, not counting three defensive pass interference penalties that Moore drew. Moore was aggressive with his throws, an encouraging sign should Iamaleava miss more time.
What’s Next?
The Vols move to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in the conference, and Mississippi State falls to 2-8 and 0-6 in conference play. The Vols next opponent is the Georgia Bulldogs for a night game in Athens. The Bulldogs are coming off a loss on the road at ranked SEC opponent Ole Miss. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava is expected to be ready to go against Georgia after leaving the Mississippi State game at halftime.