The Mississippi State Bulldogs (2-4, 1-2 SEC) will seek a second consecutive SEC win Saturday when they travel to face Tennessee.
The Volunteers (2-4, 0-3 SEC), who finished 10-4 and won the SEC East last season, are off to an uncharacteristically slow start.
“It goes without saying that no one is happy at all with the season to this point,” Tennessee head coach Phil Fulmer said. “We all know and understand that winning cures a lot of things.”
The Volunteer offense is ranked 10th in the SEC with 301.3 yards per game and is averaging 17.1 points per game. Originally, junior Jonathan Crompton played quarterback, but due to his inconsistent play, he was benched in favor of sophomore Nick Stephens. In three games this year, Stephens has completed 24 of 49 passes for 406 yards and three touchdowns.
The Volunteers have the SEC’s seventh-ranked defense, allowing 280 yards per game. The Vols return First Team All-SEC linebacker Jerod Mayo and Second Team All-SEC linebacker Rico McCoy. Another Second Team All-SEC selection last year, sophomore safety Eric Berry is leading the SEC in interceptions with four, and has already set the all-time Tennessee record for interception return yards.
“They always play good defense. The players are athletic. We looked at the whole bunch, trying to see if we could find a weak spot as far as talent, and we couldn’t find one,” MSU head coach Sylvester Croom said. “They have very good personnel, they’re coached very well, they understand what they’re doing and they play very hard, and that’s a pretty tough combination to beat.”
The Bulldogs are coming off an upset win over the then-No. 13 Vanderbilt Commodores.
“Mississippi State is a good team. They had a nice win versus Vanderbilt,” Fulmer said. “Any time you play well and beat a ranked team, that’s a positive. Vanderbilt was on a real roll, and to hold any offensive football team to 107 total yards is quite an accomplishment.”
One reason for the Bulldogs’ change in fortune this season has been the play of junior quarterback Tyson Lee, who has completed 59 of 93 passes for 547 yards and two touchdowns. He has also provided a spark, rushing for four first downs last week against Vanderbilt.
“One thing is that Tyson is very accurate in his passes, and I think that’s a clear distinction there. Then he was very aggressive in his running, and that made a significant difference in keeping drives alive,” Croom said. “Those are the two things that stand out more than anything else.”
The improved play of sophomore tight end Brandon Henderson has been another boon for the Bulldogs lately. Henderson made a leaping touchdown catch last week to give the Bulldogs the lead for good.
“Brandon is a good kid that’s worked hard, kinda started off on the wrong foot this year, struggled a bit early, but really coming along,” MSU assistant coach Reed Stringer said. “He’s getting back on track, and he can help us in the stretch.”
Croom said he sees the game as a tough challenge for the Bulldogs.
“It’ll be a tough ballgame in Knoxville. Tennessee’s always a good team with a lot of good athletes,” Croom said. “It’s a big game for both teams, and we’re going have to be at our absolute best to have a chance to win.”
Last season, the Volunteers bested the Bulldogs in Starkville, 33-21.