“`html
Mississippi State (2-7, 0-5 Southeastern Conference) is set to face No. 7 Tennessee (7-1, 4-1, ranked 7th in the CFP) this Saturday at 7 p.m. EST, airing live on ESPN.
BetMGM has placed the betting odds in favor of Tennessee by 23.5 points, reflecting their strong performance this season.
In terms of the historical matchup, Tennessee currently leads the series against Mississippi State with a record of 28 wins, 16 losses, and 1 tie.
What does the future hold for both teams?
The Volunteers are aiming to address their ongoing issues in the first half, where they have faced significant struggles, including being shut out by opponents such as Arkansas, Florida, and Alabama. They only managed to score three points against Kentucky before halftime. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs recently ended a seven-game losing streak and hope to build on this momentum, seeking their first SEC victory of the year. Mississippi State has given strong performances against teams like Georgia and Texas A&M but unfortunately fell short by 10 points in both contests.
A critical aspect of this game will center on a key matchup.
The Bulldogs boast a capable offense, averaging 29.1 points per game, but their defense has been porous, surrendering an average of 34.6 points. The ability of Mississippi State’s defense to step up will be crucial against a Tennessee offense eager to score quickly and consistently. Notably, Jalen Milroe from Alabama is the only quarterback to successfully start and finish a game against Tennessee’s defense this season, and now QB Michael Van Buren will seek to do the same.
Looking at the players to watch, for Mississippi State, running backs Davon Booth and Johnnie Daniels are pivotal.
With the running game averaging 143.3 yards per game, their performance will be vital for setting up Van Buren’s passing game, which has averaged 255.2 yards per game.
On the other hand, Tennessee’s redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava is someone to keep an eye on. He showed significant improvement in the last game against Kentucky, completing 28 out of 38 passes for 292 yards and a touchdown despite a couple of dropped passes that could have been touchdowns. Iamaleava has had moments of uncertainty in the pocket, and it will be essential for him to maintain his confidence as they prepare for a challenging matchup against No. 2 Georgia in the following week.
In terms of interesting facts and figures, Tennessee has managed to keep their last nine opponents under 20 points dating back to last year’s Citrus Bowl victory over Iowa.
The Volunteers rank within the Top 10 in 12 different statistical categories nationally and have allowed the second-fewest offensive touchdowns this season, tied with Ohio State at 10. Additionally, Tennessee’s running back Dylan Sampson holds a school record with 19 rushing touchdowns, leading the SEC and ranking second nationally in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Conversely, Mississippi State has been able to score eight touchdowns of over 30 yards this season, while Tennessee has allowed just five plays of that length throughout the year.
“`