2024 Bulldog Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 10

Cowbell Corner continues its preview series of MSU’s upcoming gridiron opponents with Tennessee

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8), offensive lineman Brian Grant (73), wide receiver Jackson Locke (31), wide receiver Trey Weary (83) and wide receiver Chas Nimrod (81) celebrate a touchdown against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the third quarter at Camping World Stadium. / Morgan Tencza-USA TODAY Sports

With realignment of the SEC and the elimination of the East and West divisions, teams from opposing divisions will get to face each other more often. Another example of this is the Nov. 9 game between Tennessee and Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs and Volunteers haven’t met on the gridiron since 2019 when Tennessee won 20-10. A lot has changed since then, including the reemergence of Tennessee as a contender for the SEC title.

MSU’s first-year coach Jeff Lebby will have had plenty of time to iron out any issues with the Bulldogs and we’ll have a better idea how much a trap game this could be for Tennessee before its big road trip to Georgia the following week.

Offense

Tennessee’s offense wasn’t the same in 2023 with Joe Milton at quarterback, replacing Hendon Hooker. But there’ll be a new starting quarterback in Knoxville and one who showed big potential last year. Nico Iamaleava started the Volunteers’ bowl game, leading his team to a 35-0 win over Iowa while completing 12-of-19 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown.

The former 5-star recruit will have some experienced and talented weapons surrounding this fall, too. Squirrel White led the team in receiving last year and is back, as is Bru McCoy who is back after a season-ending injury last September. The team also brought in Chris Brazzell II from Tulane after catching 44 passes for 711 yards and five touchdowns as a freshman.

The Volunteers’ won’t have the starting running back for the nation’s ninth-best rushing attack, but do return his backup, Dylan Sampson, who had more than 600 yards a year ago and a team-high seven touchdowns.

With a solid offensive line in front of him, Iamaleava and the Volunteers have a great chance at returning to their 2022 form.

Defense

Tennessee’s defense in 2023 wasn’t terrible. It ranked 32nd in total defense nationally, and 19th in rushing defense. It’s a defense that returns several key starters, including one of the best defensive players in the country.

Edge rusher James Pearce (28 tackles, 14 TFL, 10 sacks, 16 QB this) was the only first-team All-SEC selection for Tennessee last year, and he’s back with fellow returning starters Omari Thomas (35 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 1 sack) and Bryson Eason (27 tackles, 5 TFL, 1.5 sacks) at defensive tackle and Keenan Pili at linebacker.

Tennessee’s secondary, though, doesn’t bring as much optimism. It’s a unit that ranked No. 64 a year ago and doesn’t return a single starter. The program did bring in a pair of transfers (Oregon State cornerback Jermod McCoy and Middle Tennessee safety Jakobe Thomas), but it may not be enough to improve the defense as a whole.

Schedule

Tennessee’s schedule features what may end up being three of the SEC’s best teams in Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma. All three of those games will have been circled on Tennessee fans’ calendars since their announcement with the road game to Georgia being the last of the three. So, naturally, the games prior to each of those are possible trap games for the Volunteers, including Nov. 9 when the Bulldogs come to Knoxville. Tennessee will have to make sure its focus is on MSU and not the upcoming road trip to Athens, Georgia.

Outlook

The Bulldogs should be coming off a non-conference victory against UMass the week before, which would be a confidence booster. Even more so if MSU beats Arkansas the week prior too. The Volunteers won’t be the best team MSU has faced at this point in the season with earlier games against Texas and Georgia, but Tennessee is still the better team and should be favored to win.

The Game

When is the game?

November 9.

What time is the game?

Game is scheduled in the nightlex window for that day, which means the game can be scheduled anytime between 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.

What channel is the game televised on?

TBA.

Where is the game played?

Knoxville, Tenn.

What is the series history?

The Volunteers lead the all-time series against MSU, 29-16-1. The last time the two schools met was in 2019 with Tennessee sending the Bulldogs home with a 20-10 loss. The Volunteers’ defense recorded seven sacks in that game, including three on the final drive of the game, and held the SEC’s-then leading rusher Kylin Hill to just 13 yards on 11 carries.