Cowbell Corner

Instant Reaction: Tennessee barely escapes Starkville with a win

Mississippi State just made a statement in the SEC with its 41-34 win against No. 15 Tennessee. Here's how big of win it is for the Bulldogs.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State running back Fluff Bothwell (24) runs the ball while defended by Tennessee defensive lineman Joshua Josephs (19) during a college football game between Tennessee and Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., on Sept. 27, 2025.
Mississippi State running back Fluff Bothwell (24) runs the ball while defended by Tennessee defensive lineman Joshua Josephs (19) during a college football game between Tennessee and Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., on Sept. 27, 2025. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Mississippi State BulldogsTennessee Volunteers

Participants of the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff last season should be wary about playing Mississippi State.

Because even though the Bulldogs didn't beat No. 15 Tennessee, the Volunteers needed an overtime period to escape Starkville with a 41-34 OT win. After a 2-10 season a year ago, that's a win in of itself.

It was three weeks ago at Davis Wade Stadium that then-No. 12 Arizona State fell to the Bulldogs 24-20.

Beating the Sun Devils was a huge win, and making every Tennessee contemplate losing to Mississippi State is a big accomplishment, too.

Another impressive part was how well the Bulldogs continued to play after a rash of injuries.

Brenen Thompson didn’t play in the second half. Albert Reese IV left with an injury early in the second half. Safety Issac Smith was injured in the third quarter and never returned.

That’s three of Mississippi State’s best, most important players. And the Bulldogs still nearly beat Tennessee.

Zakari Tillman just had his coming out party. Fluff Bothwell made a strong case for best running back in the SEC. There were countless other players who made key plays and tackles, too, but the point is that last year, losses like those four would’ve been fatal.

This year, it’s not guaranteed to be fatal.

Oh, don’t be mistaken. There are plenty of things to work on and the Bulldogs got lucky more than once.

But those are issues for another day. Moral victories aren't very popular, but this is one for Mississippi State.

Halftime Reaction

(Note: The following was written at halftime of the game.)

Is Mississippi State about to pull this off?

The Bulldogs are running against the Volunteers like other teams have run against them. Defensively, the Bulldogs have given up just 38 yards.

And every upset needs a bit of luck.

Mississippi State got its lucky break on its first possession, when Tennessee punt returner muffed the punt and Xavier Gayten recovered it. That put the Bulldogs in the red zone where they’ve scored touchdowns on 13 of 16 attempts.

Well, now it’s 15 of 18.

There are major concerns about protecting Blake Shapen, who’s been sacked four times and hit several other times. And his first half interception was tipped by Fluff Bothwell. The pass was behind Bothwell and Shapen had a defender in his face.

So, pass protection is a concern. As are penalties.

Mississippi State has had four penalties, but one negated a 62-yard touchdown run by Davon Booth and two defensive touchdowns practically gave Tennessee a touchdown.

The most impressive thing from Mississippi State was its rushing attack. The Bulldogs had 122 rushing yards in the first half. Bothwell led the way with 11 carries for 91 yards (8.1 yards per carry) and touchdown.

We’ll see how the second half plays out, but you have to feel great if you’re a Mississippi State fan.

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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