Mississippi State dropped its first game of the 2025 season in Starkville on Saturday, falling 41-34 in overtime against No. 15 Tennessee. It was the sort of game that could have swung either way, and ultimately the Bulldogs failed to capitalize on late opportunities in regulation.
Here’s a look at some of the standouts from the narrow defeat to the Vols.
Standout stat: Pass rush comparison
Tennessee – 11 TFL (-49 yds), 5 sacks (-32 yds)
Mississippi State – 4 TFL (-11 yds), 2 sacks (-8 yds)
The Bulldogs and Vols had very little to separate them, which put every mistake by either team under the microscope. For Tennessee, settling for field goals and inconsistency on finishing drives looked like the main culprit had they gone on to lose, and for the Bulldogs, the two turnovers for touchdowns were the same for them.
But a look at the pass rush and pass protection for either team shows another big advantage for the Vols.
Blake Shapen was sacked four times in the first half, stunting the early momentum of the offense and rattling MSU’s veteran under center. The fifth sack in the second half was what led to the scoop-and-score for Tennessee, another golden opportunity missed for the Bulldogs to extend their lead.
The Bulldog defensive line did generate pressure on Aguilar, but finishing the job has to be a focus going forward. On the other end, the offensive line has to do more to support the passing game. Shapen wasn’t at his best on Saturday, but having more time to make decisions would help tremendously in finding the right reads.
Texas A&M, MSU’s next opponent, has a similarly daunting pass rush with 10 different players in the sack column. The Bulldog O-line has to hold up better, and head coach Jeff Lebby said as much.
“There’s similarities from the standpoint that they’ve created a bunch of sacks,” Lebby said, shifting focus to A&M on Monday. “That’s going to be a huge point of emphasis for us this week. We’ve got to find ways to protect, keep (Shapen) upright, and give him a chance to pitch and catch.”
Zakari Tillman: 6 tackles (4 solo), 2 TFL, 1 sack, 1 interception
Simply put, Tillman was outstanding for the Bulldogs in the second half. As the defense saw several leaders get banged up, including Hunter Washington, Isaac Smith and Brylan Lanier, Tillman and his teammates continued to step up.
Tillman was the first to finally get to Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar, and got a pick as well in the fourth quarter to set up the Bulldogs on the edge of the red zone. The offense turned it into points with a touchdown to take the lead.
His emergence has come along with a few different rotational looks at linebacker to give other guys a chance to get involved, and the expectation from the staff is that he continues to work on his game and make an impact going forward in conference play.
“He’s affected the game,” Lebby said of Tillman. “He’s really fast and he’s done a good job. He’s got to continue to play cleaner, and he can play cleaner football. That’s the stress with him, but he’s doing some great things. We’ve talked about it since I’ve been here, he’s got a chance to be an exceptional player for us. He’s got to continue to get better and better, and get ready to go play that next play on Saturday at 6:30.”
Jahron Manning: 6 tackles, 1 solo, 3 PBUs, 1 interception
Manning was the other Bulldog defender to get an interception, snagging a pass from Aguilar at midfield and returning it the other way. A personal foul on the Vols added to the yardage and set up the Bulldogs for a touchdown drive to take the lead in the third quarter.
While that was a huge moment for the Bulldogs, arguably Manning’s biggest contributions were breaking up passes downfield. He had three PBUs in the game, including a stop on a downfield shot in the final minute of action as Tennessee looked to steal a win late. Aguilar was looking for Braylon Staley deep over the middle, and he looked like he had a step, but Manning closed down the play and got to the ball to break it up. The Vols at least would have had the ball in range for a chip shot field goal if not an outright touchdown with just 18 seconds left.
MSU may have lost in overtime, but it got there with a chance because of Manning’s last-second heroics.
Fluff Bothwell and Davon Booth
Bothwell – 134 yds, 2 TDs
Booth – 58 yds, 1 TD
The MSU running back tandem continues to stand out, and for the last two weeks has stood strong to carry the offense.
Fluff Bothwell had his second 100-yard game in a row and found the end zone twice, while his partner-in-crime Davon Booth added another 58 yards and a score.
Booth should have reached the century mark as well. He had a 65-yard touchdown called back for a questionable holding penalty against tight end Seydou Traore, but still managed to make an impact and find the end zone.
Both backs were crucial in MSU’s red zone success, too. The offense scored four touchdowns on four red zone trips, including two created by turnovers from the Bulldog defense.
While there are some concerns with the passing-game slump in the last couple of weeks, the ground game continues to round into good form approaching the midpoint of the season.
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