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“They remember what you do in November.”
Johnny Majors (RIP) and Phillip Fulmer might have become mortal enemies, but they each shared that line time and time again as the Vols hit the end of the regular season. The idea being that you want to give the powers that be at the bowl games reason to choose Tennessee for a warm location in late December/early January.
Times have changed, but over the next 4 weeks, the Vols will try to show the College Football Playoff committee that they belong in the inaugural 12-team postseason tournament.
Tennessee’s first opportunity comes Saturday night against lowly Mississippi State. The Vols are favored by 23.5 points, via FanDuel Sportsbook.
The Vols are coming off another shaky offensive first half (but actually scored points this time). Still, they did enough to beat a pesky Kentucky team 28-18. Once again, UT defense stood tall, remaining the only FBS team yet to allow 20 points in a game this season.
There are only enough superlatives to go around to describe Vols RB Dylan Sampson, who now has 980 rushing yards and last week set a new Tennessee single season rushing TD record of 19, a record that stood for nearly a century.
Tennessee star Dylan Sampson is about to join the SEC's exclusive, single-season 20-rushing TD club. Sampson already has 19, a Tennessee single-season record. pic.twitter.com/FogvOU4Wsw
— Saturday Down South (@SatDownSouth) November 5, 2024
You’d think that would be enough to at least get his name mentioned for Heisman Trophy consideration … but this is Tennessee. If 1997 Peyton Manning can’t win it, and 2022 Hendon Hooker doesn’t even earn a plane ticket to JFK, it’s never happening.
Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava continues to progress, completing 74% of his passes against Kentucky for nearly 300 yards. He had 2 sure TDs that were dropped, and another snuffed out by a jarring hit on TE Miles Kitselman. If Iamaleava keeps up the level of play we’ve seen the past 6 quarters, UT could be nearing that long awaited breakout offensive performance. There is absolutely another level this Tennessee offense can achieve, but they are still scoring 38.1 points per game, 12th-best nationally.
Defensively the Vols are not only dominating, but destructive. Another opposing QB was forced to leave the game early as UK’s Brock Vandagriff departed with a concussion. Tennessee is ranked 4th nationally in total defense (271.6 yards allowed per game) and 5th in scoring defense (12.4 points allowed per game).
Sophomore Arion Carter has made a huge jump this year, especially following the season ending injury to fellow LB Keenan Pili. Carter leads the team with 43 tackles. Edge rusher James Pearce, Jr. is coming on strong as well, and sits at the top of the Vols’ list with 6.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
If there is a serious concern with the Vols, it lies in their special teams. Max Gilbert has missed 5 of his past 6 FG attempts, including 3 against Kentucky. Tennessee is getting very little out of the punt return game, thanks in part to Squirrel White having to play through injury.
Issues on special teams haven’t cost the Vols a game yet … but if called upon at a key moment, will they deliver?
As for Mississippi State, it’s been a long season under first-year coach Jeff Lebby. The Bulldogs lost 7 straight games until beating UMass in Week 10, and were rarely competitive, falling by an average 17 points per contest. They’re still 0-5 in the SEC, losing each by at least 10 points.
They are ranked 62nd in the FBS in total offense (396.6 yards per game) and 64th in scoring offense (29.1 points per game). True freshman QB Michael Van Buren Jr. has shown flashes but is throwing for less than 190 yards per game and only completing 57% of his passes. RBs Davon Booth and Johnny Daniels have combined for 102 rushing yards per game. Kevin Coleman Jr. is the go-to receiver with 57 catches for 688 yards and 5 TDs.
Mississippi State’s defense is among the worst in the country, allowing 34.6 points and 461.8 yards per game. LB Stone Blanton (great name, BTW) leads the Bulldogs with 84 tackles.
It’s Homecoming Weekend on The Hill, as thousands of alumni descend on Knoxville and openly weep as to what’s become of “The Strip.” Many of the watering holes of their youth have been replaced by a seemingly never ending collection of apartments, hotels and condos, as the rapid growth of the University continues.
Those alumni will not have to worry about tears on the ride home. The Vols will do what a top-10 team should do and that’s easily dispatch an inferior opponent.
Preparations for Georgia can officially get underway around 10:45 pm on Saturday night.
Fearless Prediction time …
Tennessee 37, Mississippi State 13
Mark Nagi has covered Tennessee athletics for over 20 years. He is the author of “Decade of Dysfunction,” an in-depth look at all that led to the crazy coaching search of 2017 at Tennessee. The book is available on Amazon.
