DeSean Bishop’s 25-yard touchdown run on the first play of overtime followed by a defensive stand gave No. 15 Tennessee its first Southeastern Conference victory, 41-34, over Mississippi State on Saturday in Starkville, Miss.
The Volunteers (4-1, 1-1 in SEC) stopped the Bulldogs (4-1, 0-1) on four plays from the 5-yard line to preserve the comeback win.
Joey Aguilar was 24 of 40 for 335 yards with a passing and rushing touchdown and two interceptions. Mike Matthews (six catches for 118 yards) and Chris Brazzell II (six for 105 and a touchdown) had 100-yard receiving days.
Colton Hood tallied a touchdown on an interception, and Joshua Josephs ran a fumble back for another defensive score for Tennessee.
Mississippi State’s Blake Shapen was 18 of 29 for 180 yards, a TD and an interception. Fluff Bothwell ran for 134 yards on 23 carries with two scores, and Davon Booth rushed for one.
The Bulldogs scored off the game’s first turnover when a muffed punt was recovered by Xavier Gayten. Bothwell scored on a 5-yard run for a 7-0 lead just over three minutes into the game.
Max Gilbert’s 38-yard field goal put Tennessee on the board, but the visitors took their first lead when Hood intercepted Shapen and brought it back 23 yards to make it 10-7.
In the second quarter, Booth bounced off the right side for a 5-yard score, putting the Bulldogs back up 14-10. Left-footer Kyle Ferrie pushed it to 17-10 with a 51-yard field goal with 8:41 left in the half.
Aguilar tied it on a 15-yard, wide-open pass to Brazzell – his seventh touchdown catch – just over a minute later.
After missing at the end of the half, Gilbert connected from 27 yards on the second half’s first possession, but Ferrie yanked a 42-yarder wide with six minutes left in the third quarter for his first miss this season.
Jahron Manning’s first interception led to Bothwell’s plunging second score and a 24-20 lead with 3:48 left in the third.
After a successful fake punt, Shapen was sacked hard by Tyre West, and Josephs grabbed the fumble and raced 41 yards. Ferrie tied it 27-all from 38 yards on the ensuing possession.
Shapen’s pass to Seydou Traore and Aguilar’s scramble accounted for four fourth-quarter scores to even it 34-all and force overtime.
–Field Level Media