KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Jeff Lebby installed Mississippi State’s offense in spring ball and fall camp with the expectation that the Bulldogs would be an explosive group with the ability to start fast.

Now 10 games into the season, MSU is still having problems getting its offense going from the outset. The Bulldogs have received the ball to start every game, but only twice have they scored an opening-drive touchdown. Six times, MSU has gone three-and-out on its first possession, including Saturday night in a 33-14 loss to No. 7 Tennessee at Neyland Stadium.

“There’s no explosive plays,” Lebby said. “Everything for us as we’ve gotten started, we’ve had some negative plays and then (we’ve had to) grind. We have to have the ability to throw and catch on a couple of these first- and second-down plays on the first two drives.”

Through five drives against the Volunteers, the Bulldogs (2-8, 0-6 Southeastern Conference) had punted four times and thrown an interception. Freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren, facing a top-five defense in terms of points and yards allowed per game, had his worst game of the season, completing just 10 of 26 passes for 92 yards without a touchdown.

Tennessee (8-1, 5-1) had no trouble moving the ball down the field on its opening possession, taking the early lead on a 34-yard touchdown pass from Nico Iamaleava to a wide-open Squirrel White on fourth down. White beat safety Isaac Smith — who finished with 20 tackles to retake the SEC lead — in single coverage for the score.

“It’s about just keeping our nose down and grinding and just trusting the process and trusting (defensive coordinator Coleman) Hutzler,” Smith said. “He’s going to get us ready to play, and then it’s just up to us to go out and execute and do our job.”

The MSU defense settled in after the early touchdown, though. Safety Hunter Washington forced and recovered a fumble inside the Bulldogs’ 10-yard line on the Volunteers’ second drive, only for Van Buren to throw an interception to Boo Carter two plays later. But again MSU stood tall, stopping Peyton Lewis on fourth-and-goal at the 1 for a goal-line stand. The Bulldogs recorded a three-and-out the next time their defense was on the field.

Tennessee used an explosive play to double its lead in the second quarter, when Dont’e Thornton Jr. burned MSU cornerback DeAgo Brumfield in coverage for a 73-yard touchdown. The Bulldogs responded by taking nearly eight minutes off the clock on a 16-play, 75-yard drive to get on the board, converting two third downs and two fourth downs. Davon Booth’s 1-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal put MSU on the board.

“It started at practice,” said Booth, who finished with a season-high 125 rushing yards on 20 carries. “I feel like all 10 (other) guys did their jobs. They won their one-on-ones.”

After the Volunteers added a field goal to restore their two-score lead, MSU got the ball back with 46 seconds left in the first half. Van Buren threw back-to-back incomplete passes, then Johnnie Daniels lost two yards on a running play and went out of bounds, giving Tennessee time to score again before the break. The hosts took advantage, adding three more points to their lead and going ahead 20-7 as the teams headed to their respective locker rooms.

With Iamaleava out for the second half due to an upper-body injury, the Bulldogs had their chances to slow the Volunteers’ offense down. But Tennessee still scored on three of its first four second-half possessions to pull away. Star running back Dylan Sampson needed 30 carries to rush for 149 yards, but he did have a 33-yard touchdown late in the third quarter that all but sealed the deal.

“It’s a missed opportunity because we ended up on the wrong side of it,” Lebby said. “We had the ability to make some plays to give us the opportunity to win a football game. Tennessee did an unbelievable job of continuing to find ways to run the football in the second half. We could not find ways to create momentum and keep momentum on offense, and that was the killer.”

MSU drove into Volunteers territory on its first second-half drive before Jayson Jenkins strip-sacked Van Buren and Jeremiah Telander recovered the fumble. The Bulldogs did draw closer on their next possession, striking quickly when a 43-yard run down the right sideline by Booth set up Daniels’ 18-yard touchdown on a run straight up the middle.

At that point, MSU had 183 yards on the ground and 6.3 yards per carry against an outstanding run defense.

Thanks in large part to sacks, the Bulldogs would gain just 14 yards for the rest of the game. The only receiver in rhythm with Van Buren was Kevin Coleman, who finished with 68 yards on five catches.

Following an open date next week, MSU will play Missouri in its final home game of the year on Nov. 23.

“We were off. Did not do a great job of pitching and catching,” Lebby said. “We had the ability with some guys in the first half to create some huge chunk plays. From a decision standpoint, (it’s about) having the ability to make really clean decisions. I have to continue to put (Van Buren) in better spots so that we have the chance to create some explosives.”