KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Dylan Sampson had an impressive game, accumulating a career-best 149 rushing yards and scoring a touchdown, leading the No. 7 ranked Tennessee Volunteers to a 33-14 victory over Mississippi State on Saturday night.

Following an upper-body injury sustained by quarterback Nico Iamaleava after taking a tough hit on an incomplete pass, Sampson stepped up as the focal point of the Volunteers’ offense in the second half. There’s currently no word on Iamaleava’s availability for the crucial upcoming matchup against Georgia.

Tennessee (8-1, 5-1 in the Southeastern Conference) found the end zone in the first half for the first time in five games, establishing a 20-7 advantage by halftime. Iamaleava passed for 174 yards, tossing touchdowns to Squirrel White (34 yards) and Dont’e Thornton (73 yards). Meanwhile, Davon Booth’s 1-yard touchdown run capped off a nearly eight-minute drive that provided Mississippi State with their only score of the first half.

The Bulldogs (2-8, 0-6) managed to take advantage of Tennessee’s highly-rated defense, racking up 177 rushing yards, with Booth leading the way, contributing 123 yards on the ground.

With Iamaleava sidelined, seldom-used backup Gaston Moore entered the game and played proficiently, completing 5 of 8 passes for 38 yards, also benefiting from three pass interference calls.

Tennessee’s kicker, Max Gilbert, bounced back from a challenging performance against Kentucky, where he missed all three field goal attempts, by successfully converting on four attempts against Mississippi State.

The Highlights
For Mississippi State, the remaining two games represent an opportunity to gain positive momentum ahead of the offseason, during which first-year coach Jeff Lebby can reevaluate team personnel. Despite having a chance to claim a surprising victory at Tennessee, the Bulldogs fell short.

As for Tennessee, while their defense has consistently performed well throughout the season, the team has been seeking to revive their offensive prowess displayed earlier this year. After showing signs of improvement in their previous game against Kentucky, they finally found their offensive groove against a struggling Mississippi State.

Looking Ahead
Mississippi State will enjoy a bye week before hosting Missouri on November 23.

Tennessee, on the other hand, will have a significant matchup with playoff implications as they travel to Georgia next Saturday night.