Postgame Notes: #7/6/7 Tennessee 33, Mississippi State 14
November 09, 2024 | Football
TENNESSEE FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES
Nov. 9, 2024 | Knoxville, Tenn. | Neyland Stadium
FINAL SCORE: No. 7/6/7 Tennessee 33, Mississippi State 14
General Notes
The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:
Offense
Nov. 9, 2024 | Knoxville, Tenn. | Neyland Stadium
FINAL SCORE: No. 7/6/7 Tennessee 33, Mississippi State 14
General Notes
- Saturday's attendance at Neyland Stadium: 101,915 (sold out)
- The contest marked Tennessee's 19th consecutive sellout in Neyland Stadium.
- Tennessee's all-time on-field record improved to 884-415-53 with Saturday's win (NCAA record: 873-415-53).
- Tennessee owns a 24-4 record in Neyland Stadium under head coach Josh Heupel and has won 19 of its last 20 games in the venue.
- After Saturday night's victory over Mississippi State, the Vols have won 10 consecutive night games at home.
- Saturday marked Tennessee's 100th Homecoming game. The Vols now own a 77-20-3 on-field record in Homecoming games.
- UT donned orange jerseys and white pants with Summitt Blue accesories. The Vols are 16-1 in their classic uniform combination (orange jersey/white pants) under Heupel with five consecutive victories.
- Tennessee and Mississippi State met for the 47th time, and the Vols improved to 30-16-1 against the Bulldogs on the field. It was just the third meeting between the two teams in the last 15 years.
- The Vols improved to 5-1 in Southeastern Conference action, securing five-plus league wins for the second time in the last three years under Heupel.Â
- Tennessee's team captains for Saturday's game: DB Will Brooks, OL Cooper Mays, LS Matthew Salansky, RB Dylan Sampson, DL Omari Thomas
- Mississippi State won the toss and elected to receive the opening kickoff. Tennessee defended the south end zone.
- Tennessee amassed 240 rushing yards on Saturday, improving its season total to 2,116. UT has produced 2,000 rushing yards as a team in all four seasons under head coach Josh Heupel, the longest run of 2,000-yard seasons on the ground for the program since doing so six straight years from 1989-1994.
- The Vols have produced 28 games of more than 200 rushing yards under Heupel and own a 26-2 record when doing, including 20 wins in a row.
- Saturday marked the eighth time in the Heupel era (2021-present) that Tennessee produced a 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver in the same game. Dylan Sampson totaled 149 rushing yards, while Dont'e Thornton Jr., compiled 104 receiving yards, one shy of his UT career best, in the victory.
- The Vols are 7-1 under Heupel when producing a 100-yard rusher and receiver in the same game, including posting five straight wins since 2022.
- The Vols gained 452 yards on Saturday, eclipsing 300 yards of total offense for the 46th time in 48 games of the Josh Heupel era. Saturday marked the fifth time this season the team has surpassed the 450 threshold.
- Tennessee did not allow a sack in Saturday's victory, the second such occurrence this season. The Volunteers also allowed none in the Sept. 7 win over No. 24/23 NC State in Charlotte, N.C.
- Doak Walker candidate Dylan Sampson reached a pair of milestones with his effort on Saturday, finishing the game with 30 carries for 149 rushing yards, both career highs. He eclipsed 1,000 yards on the ground this season and 2,000 for his collegiate career, with those respective totals standing at 1,129 and 2,130.
- Sampson produced the 20th 1,000-yard season in Tennessee history and became the second straight Vol to hit the mark as Jaylen Wright had 1,013 in 2023.
- Tennessee has had three running backs reach the 2,000 career rushing yard milestone in the last two seasons. Wright (2,297 in three seasons) and Jabari Small (2,122 in four seasons) both accomplished the feat in 2023.
- Sampson scored his 20th rushing touchdown of the season with 3:31 left in the third quarter, moving him into a tie with Arkansas' Alex Collins (2015) and Auburn's Cam Newton (2010) for eighth-most in SEC single-season history.
- The score also upped Sampson's career total on the ground to 33, moving him past Joshua Dobbs (2013-16) for sole possession of third place on the program's all-time leaderboard.
- Sampson is the second player in Tennessee history with eight 100-yard rushing games in a single season, joining Jay Graham, who had 11 in 1995.
- The junior running back also increased his career mark to 12Â 100-yard rushing performances, breaking a tie with Jalen Hurd (2014-16) for fifth place all-time at Tennessee.
- Sampson is the fifth Tennessee player ever to amass five straight 100-yard games in a single season, joining Jay Graham (nine in 1995), Johnnie Jones (six in 1984), Arian Foster (five in 2005) and Chuck Webb (five in 1989).
- Redshirt freshman QB Nico Iamaleava completed a 73-yard touchdown pass to senior WR Dont'e Thornton Jr., with 13:35 left in the second quarter. It marked the longest completion of Iamaleava's career and the longest reception of Thornton's career, as well as the longest offensive play of the season for the Volunteers.
- It was the longest pass play for the Vols since an 83-yard TD connection from Joe Milton III to Squirrel White against UConn on Nov. 4, 2023.
- Thornton finished with a game-high 104 receiving yards, logging his second 100-yard game of the season and third of his career.
- Tennessee has held its opponent under 20 points in 10 straight games, dating back to the 35-0 shutout win over Iowa in the 2024 Citrus Bowl. It marks the first time UT has accomplished the feat in its first nine games of a season since doing so in all 11 games of the 1966 season.
- Over the last 10 games, since that Citrus Bowl victory, Tennessee has allowed just 33 points in the first half (four field goals, three touchdowns and three extra points).
- In nine of those 10 contests, including Saturday against Mississippi State, the Volunteers have conceded one or zero first-half scores.
- Tennessee won the turnover battle Saturday night, 2-1. The Vols are 20-4 with a turnover margin of +1 or better and have won five straight games under that scenario.
- Tennessee totaled four sacks by four different players and finished the night with nine TFLs.
- In addition to recording an interception and a fumble recovery, the Tennessee defense also forced a turnover on downs.
- Seven of Mississippi State's 12 drives totaled fewer than 10 yards, while an eighth was under 20. The Bulldogs' final three drives amassed just 14 yards on 14 plays.
- Just two Mississippi State drives took up greater than three minutes of clock, while just one surpassed three-and-a-half minutes.
- Sixteen Tennessee players registered multiple tackles in the victory, with six logging four-plus. Sophomore LB Arion Carter and sophomore DB Jermod McCoy co-led the team with seven tackles apiece.
- The Volunteers conceded just 16.5 points per outing across their four-game home stand, winning each contest against an SEC opponent.
- In total, Tennessee is allowing just 11.5 points per game across its six appearances at Neyland Stadium this season.
- Freshman DB Boo Carter, who notched his first-career interception in the opening quarter, became the fifth Volunteer with a pick this season. Each of those five players has at least one interception during Tennessee's four-game winning streak.
- Redshirt sophomore DL Jayson Jenkins created a takeaway with a strip-sack in the third quarter, notching his first career forced fumble.
- Redshirt senior DL Bryson Eason recorded his first sack of the 2024 campaign, as well as tallied a pair of QB hurries.
- Redshirt freshman PK Max Gilbert, who went 4-4 on field goals, drilled a 51-yard kick with 7:59 to go in the third quarter, the longest make of his career. It marked the first 50-yard connection by a Tennessee kicker since Feb. 10, 2022, when Chase McGrath hit an equal 51-yarder at Pittsburgh.
- The last time a Tennessee player made four field goals in a game was Oct. 28, 2023, when Charles Campbell did so at Kentucky.
- Gilbert also finished 3-of-3 on extra points in the victory, improving his season mark to a perfect 38-of-38.
- Redshirt freshman P Jackson Ross boomed three punts for a total of 139 yards, good for an average of 46.3 yards per boot. His longest punt went for 49 yards.
- Freshman DB Boo Carter posted a 28-yard punt return in the first quarter. Each of the first three punt returns of his career went for 20-plus yards and he averaged 27.7 yards across those three efforts.
- Carter added a 23-yard punt return in the second quarter, giving him a return of 20-plus yards on four of his first six collegiate tries.
The following players set or tied career highs in the respective statistical categories listed below:
Offense
- RB Dylan Sampson
- 30 rushing attemptsÂ
- 149 rushing yards
- WR Dont'e Thornton Jr.
- 73-yard-long reception
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- 1 receiving touchdown (ties career high)
- DB Boo Carter
- 1 interception
- LB Arion Carter
- 1 pass breakup (ties career high)
- 1.5 TFLs (ties career high)
- DL Bryson Eason
- 2 QBH (ties career high)
- 1 sack (ties career high)
- PK Max Gilbert
- 51-yard long field goal
- 4 field goals made
- DB Rickey Gibson III
- 1 TFL (ties career high)
- DB Christian Harrison
- 1 pass breakup
- 1 QBH (ties career high)
- DL Jayson Jenkins
- 1 forced fumble
- 1 sack
- LB Jeremiah Telander
- 1 TFL (ties career high)
- 1 fumble recovery (ties career high)
Players Mentioned
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