Mississippi State takes on Tennessee in its SEC opener on Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium. Here’s a look at who has the edge at each position.
Quarterback
It’s hard to separate here.
MSU has the more experienced starter in Blake Shapen, who
The Vols have not missed a beat at quarterback.
Joey Aguilar has stepped in and taken over the offense to produce the same prolific scoring performances that have come to be expected of Josh Heupel’s team. Aguilar has 1,124 passing yards and 12 touchdowns to just three interceptions through four games, posting a passer rating of 176.1.
Both players are in favorable setups for a quarterback, but Shapen has the years under his belt to have the advantage in this conference matchup at home.
Edge: Mississippi State
Running back
Fluff Bothwell has emerged as the top back for MSU, and posted his first 100-yard game last week against a stout NIU defense. Expect to see a healthy balance of the run game in this one from both teams, and for the Vols, especially with their one-two punch.
Star Thomas and DeSean Bishop have very little between them, and it’s a combo that gives Tennessee the edge on the ground. The prolific offense is enabled by establishing the run, and the backs give the team a real threat to open up defenses by commanding more attention in the tackle box.
Edge: Tennessee
Wide receiver/tight end
Slight edge to the Bulldogs here, purely based on depth.
Tennessee receiver Chris Brazzell II has been electrifying with 426 yards and six scores through four games. There is plenty of production behind him as well, but the Bulldogs have two guys looking like top options. Brenen Thompson and Anthony Evans have been lethal with the ball in their hands, and expect to see more involvement from Jordan Mosley and Ayden Williams now as they’re getting back up to speed as well.
Edge: Mississippi State
Offensive line
Albert Reese returned to action last week and looked solid in multiple roles for the O-line group. The Bulldogs continue to rotate guys in an effort to stay fresh throughout the hour of action, and it’s paid off so far.
Tennessee has also done well to get a push up front, and Aguilar has still only been sacked once this season. With the pass protection and the production on the ground, the edge here goes to a Vols unit with more on its resume at the moment.
Edge: Tennessee
Defensive line
MSU is still figuring out its defensive line setup with a rotating cast at defensive end. Things have been better up front in the run game, but NIU showed that a little push can open up some holes. This game will be an opportunity for the unit to demonstrate its growth from last season, when it struggled to stop anything on the ground, and perhaps the reinforced group can show up big on third and fourth downs again.
This positional battle goes to the visitors, though. Tennessee has racked up 15 sacks already through four games, including four in a big spot against Georgia. Joshua Josephs, Nathan Robinson and Caleb Herring highlight a fearsome unit that makes life harder for whoever is under center on the opposite side.
Edge: Tennessee
Linebackers
The Bulldogs take this one. Isaac Smith showed his versatility again last week while Nic Mitchell and Jalen Smith continue to produce in the middle. Zakari Tillman and Derion Gullette add to the depth, and true freshman Tyler Lockhart has impressed coaches enough to earn meaningful snaps as well.
Edge: Mississippi State
Secondary
Before the season, it would have been the Vols here, no question, but the Bulldogs have shown a lot of playmaking ability in the defensive backfield. Five different players have interceptions, and a rotating cast at safety has helped the team stay fresh and prepared for situational football, picking up some key red zone and fourth-down stops.
Jermod McCoy’s absence has been felt at times as teams have been able to chuck the ball against the Vols, but Ty Redmond has done well to step up and break up passes.
Edge: Mississippi State
Special teams
Kyle Ferrie has yet to miss a kick, though Tennessee has attempted quite a few more extra points and field goals. Max Gilbert missed one under pressure against Georgia, so there may be an opportunity for the crowd to impact the game if he has another one at Davis Wade Stadium in a big spot.
Penalties were an issue for the first time on teams last week for MSU, but expect there to be some cleaning up in practice this week. Punting was an issue as well, but Ethan Pulliam seems to be the guy now over Nathan Tiyce, who has two shanks on the year.
The return game doesn’t have much to it separate, either, but watch out for Boo Carter returning punts for Tennessee.
Edge: Even
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
