The Vols took care of business on Saturday against Mississippi State. It wasn’t as pretty as some had hoped, but anyone should be happy about a 33-14 win over an SEC opponent.
The offense shined against the Bulldogs, to the tune of 452 total yards. Nico Iamaleava only played for the first half, but is expected to be ready to go against Georgia.
The Vols defense was its same dominant self, but the group did give up an uncharacteristic 179 rushing yards. The Vols as a whole shined, but there were a few players who stood out and made impact plays for the Vols.
NEW: College Football Playoff Bracketology via @Andy_Staples🏆
Do you agree? ⬇️https://t.co/rZEk4xGtI3 pic.twitter.com/RcL96TLWjT
— On3 (@On3sports) November 11, 2024
DYLAN SAMPSON
Dylan Sampson proved once again Saturday night why he is the best running back in the SEC. He finished the game with 30 carries for 149 yards, and 1 touchdown.
Week in and week out, Sampson is the most consistent piece of the Vols offense. Without him, the Vols would likely have a few more losses to their name.
Unfortunately, Sampson is beginning to develop some kind of fumbling issue. He has now fumbled in 3 straight games. The Vols cannot afford to give opponents extra possessions, because they have yet to prove they could survive in a shootout.
This is something he can fix in between games during practice. I’m very confident ball security is something he is taking very seriously ahead of the Vols’ matchup with Georgia.
Tennessee RB Dylan Sampson vs Mississippi State:
🟠 30 ATT
🟠 149 YDS
🟠 1 TD@Vol_Football pic.twitter.com/OdBRfxTR06— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 10, 2024
BOO CARTER
The talented, true-freshman safety has grown more and more throughout the season. Boo Carter brings a certain swagger to the Tennessee secondary that you don’t typically see from a freshman. It feels like every tackle he has made this season, came with a serious hit and that continued against the Bulldogs.
Carter finished the game with 2 tackles, 1 TFL, and 1 INT. The interception was the first of his young career. Carter is a ballhawk, and it was long due he got his first interception.
Dont’e Thornton Jr.
Dont’e had a huge game for Tennessee, despite only having 3 catches. Thornton finished the game with 3 catches for 104 yards, and a touchdown.
The highlight of his night came on a 73-yard touchdown reception. Thornton has seemingly taken the role as the Vols’ primary deep threat.
This is the perfect time for Thornton to assert himself as the Vols’ primary deep threat, as it is something Tennessee has been lacking for most of this season.
The Vols will need Thornton to build off of his performance from last week, and have a dominant game against Georgia.
Nico Iamaleava
Despite only playing 1 half of football against the Bulldogs, Nico had a pretty impressive game. He finished 8/13 for 174 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Both of the touchdowns he threw were beautiful balls that traveled over 30 yards in the air. It seems like Nico has finally found the touch on his passes that fans have been desperately waiting to see.
Iamaleava never entered the game in the 2nd half, for an unknown reason. There has been much speculation as to whether he was injured or if the coaches just wanted to be cautious ahead of a big Georgia matchup.
Josh Heupel on Nico Iamaleava: He was with us today and had a good day. Feel like he'll be in great shape for Saturday.
— GoVols247 (@GoVols247) November 11, 2024
The Vols were once again the more dominant team on the field. Their defense has held every opponent this season to under 21 points, a very impressive feat. The offense seems to have finally found its stride, after 3 straight games of totalling 400+ yards.
The Vols have a big matchup next week against Georgia that will likely decide the SEC Championship and College Football Playoffs seeding. This is the biggest game in the Josh Heupel era, and it is good to see the Vols didn’t get caught looking ahead.
The Vols are back in action Saturday, November 16 in Athens, Georgia. They will take on the Georgia Bulldogs at 7:30 PM EST. Follow me on X (Twitter) @JacksonVols24 for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in college and professional football, click here!
