Tennessee escapes Mississippi State with defensive stand in OT
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At the end of the day, winning is all that matters. The Tennessee Volunteers won’t get style points for defeating the Mississippi State Bulldogs 41-34 in Starkville on Saturday, but they’ll gladly take the victory.
The Vols and Bulldogs had 3 ties and 4 lead changes in their Week 5 meeting. Mississippi State had a chance to tie Tennessee in overtime, but the Vols’ defense forced an incompletion on 4th-and-Goal to seal the win for Rocky Top.
Tennessee scored on the first play of overtime. Running back DeSean Bishop took a handoff, sidestepped a Bulldog defender in the hole and shook off the tackle of a second before racing into the end zone. He finished the game with 11 carries, 72 yards and 1 touchdown.
The Vols’ triumph came after they flubbed their attempted game-winning drive at the end of regulation. Mississippi State fought hard, but did not have enough left in the tank to emerge victorious. Regardless, head coach Jeff Lebby’s team proved their hot start — which included a win over then-No. 12 Arizona State — wasn’t a fluke.
Tennessee and Mississippi State both stand at 4-1 following Saturday’s matchup. The Bulldogs (0-1 SEC) head to College Station for a battle with No. 9 Texas A&M in Week 6 (7:30 p.m. E.T.; SEC Network). The Volunteers get a bye before hosting Arkansas in Week 7.
