STARKVILLE – Mississippi State led twice in the fourth quarter against No. 15 Tennessee on Saturday. The Bulldogs saw their first lead wash away in a flash on a sack strip returned for a touchdown, but fought to get back in front with an interception on defense and a score to take advantage. The Vols drove down the field and tied the game on a touchdown of their own with 1:55 left on the clock.
With the ball in hand, the Bulldogs went three and out.
The defense prevented a catastrophic loss in regulation, but the fatigue was evident in overtime as the Vols scored in just one play and held strong to seal the win with a goalline stop.
“I’ve just got to be better,” MSU quarterback Blake Shapen said when asked about the final drive in regulation. “There are certain situations like that one, I’ve got to put the ball in the playmaker’s hands to make a play. I think there are a few times we’re either short or long in our depth of route, miscommunication, things like that. I’ve got to be better, I’ve got to play better. I’ve got to make sure that we don’t go three and out in that situation because it can’t happen when we’ve got to go win the game.”
Shapen took the blame for another underwhelming performance, and wore the frustration plainly in front of the media after the game. He was 18-29 passing with 180 yards and a touchdown, but he was also sacked five times. The sack strip was the second score by the Vols defense after a pick-six in the first half, and highlighted a vicious Tennessee pass rush that made life hell for the MSU quarterback.
The fourth-quarter turnover also came right after a successful fake punt that had the Bulldogs set up at midfield with a chance to drive and go up two scores. In a game of fine margins, it was one of many moments that will cause anguish in hindsight.
“We gave them 14 points,” head coach Jeff Lebby said plainly of the swings in the game. “The game looks completely different, we’re first and 10 right at midfield after the fake punt, 13:30 left or something like that, had an issue up front, we’re up 24-20, and then *snap*, it’s 27-24. That’s the difference in the ballgame.”
The Bulldogs have plenty to clean up, as well as a list of injuries to evaluate. Offensive line cornerstone Albert Reese and top receiver Brenen Thompson both left the game in the second half, and defensive leader Isaac Smith left the stadium in a walking boot after exiting in the fourth quarter.
For Lebby, doing more to protect Shapen is a must, and it won’t get any easier as the SEC schedule heats up.
“Sacks and other times, when there was just pressure,” Lebby said of the pass protection. “It affected Blake, they did a really good job, and we’ve got to play better, smarter. Obviously, the loss of Albert was a killer, but that’s going to be a big piece of this moving forward. We’ve got the guys good enough to do it, we’ve got to be able to go do it and protect against the D-lines we’re about to face.”
The loss was a heartbreaker for the Bulldogs, but it’s one that the team has to shake quickly. A trip to face Texas A&M awaits next week, the first SEC road test of the season, but the team maintains belief.
“These are the games we’re built for,” linebacker Zakari Tillman said after the game. Tillman came up big with a sack and an interception in the second half to help the Bulldogs in big spots. The frustration from him and his teammates was palpable after the game, but there was also a determination to move forward from the loss and be better for it.
“We’ve been doing this since January, all the way to now,” Tillman continued. “I feel like as a team, we’re built for games like this, fourth-quarter games. Tennessee was a real test, but like I said, we’ll keep building as a team and hopefully keep getting better.”
“The penalties, the fumble recovery for a touchdown, the pick-six… those are little things that happened that shouldn’t happen,” running back Fluff Bothwell said.
Like Tillman, Bothwell had a strong night. He ran for 134 yards and two scores while averaging 5.8 yards per carry. He had every reason to be upset with the loss and the costly mistakes, but chose to focus on moving forward and leave the rest behind him.
“We’re going to fix those things,” he said. “Coach always tells us that good teams get better each week, and we’re definitely getting better.”
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