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If you were watching the Tennessee Mississippi State score crawl across the bottom of your screen on that Saturday in late September 2025, you probably thought you knew how it would end.
Honestly, most people did.
The Vols entered Davis Wade Stadium as 15th-ranked favorites, expecting to handle business against a gritty but struggling Bulldogs squad. Instead, we got one of the most chaotic, heart-stopping games in the recent history of this SEC rivalry.
The final was Tennessee 41, Mississippi State 34. But the raw numbers don’t even begin to cover the insanity of how we got there. It wasn't just a win; it was a survival test.
What Really Happened in the 41-34 Overtime War
Most fans just look at the Tennessee Mississippi State score and see a seven-point gap. What they miss is that there were seven lead changes. Seven! This wasn't a "blowout that got close"; it was a heavyweight prize fight where both guys were bleeding by the twelfth round.
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The game started with the Bulldogs punching first. Fluff Bothwell, who had a monster day with 134 yards on the ground, capped an opening drive with a 5-yard score. You could feel the "upset alert" sirens starting to wail in Starkville.
Then came the defensive fireworks.
Colton Hood, the Vols' opportunistic cornerback, jumped a route and took an interception 23 yards to the house. Suddenly, Tennessee was up 10-7. But the momentum in this game had the shelf life of a gallon of milk in the sun. Every time Joey Aguilar and the Vols offense found a rhythm, the Bulldogs' Blake Shapen answered back.
The Turning Point That Nobody Saw Coming
By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, things got weird. Tennessee trailed 34-27 late. The cowbells were deafening. Zakari Tillman had just picked off Aguilar, and it felt like the air had been sucked out of the Vols' season.
But Joey Aguilar is a different breed.
He led a 13-play, 75-yard march that felt more like a slow-motion car crash than a drive. It was methodical. It was painful. And with 1:55 left on the clock, Aguilar tucked the ball and powered through three defenders for a 6-yard touchdown.
34-34.
The Overtime Heroics
When the game hit overtime, the energy changed. Tennessee won the toss, and DeSean Bishop—who had been held in check most of the night—took the very first snap.
One play. 25 yards. Touchdown.
The Tennessee Mississippi State score flipped to 41-34 in the blink of an eye. But the game wasn't over. Mississippi State got their shot, and they drove all the way to the 5-yard line. On 4th and goal, Arion Carter, who finished the night with a career-high 17 tackles, stood his ground. He broke up the final pass, and the Vols escaped Starkville with their lives.
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Looking Back: The 2024 Context
You can’t really talk about the 2025 shootout without remembering the 2024 meeting. That game had a much different vibe but was arguably more "important" for the program's health at the time.
On November 9, 2024, the Tennessee Mississippi State score was a more comfortable 33-14 in favor of the Vols. However, that night was defined by a massive "what if."
Nico Iamaleava, the star freshman QB, went down with an upper-body injury late in the first half. He was 8-of-13 for 174 yards and two touchdowns before the hit. The stadium went silent. Gaston Moore had to come in and pilot the ship for the rest of the game.
Why the 2024 Win Was "Ugly" but Vital
- Dylan Sampson’s Heavy Lifting: Sampson carried the ball 30 times (a career high) for 149 yards. He was the entire offense once Nico went out.
- Max Gilbert’s Redemption: After a rough stretch the week prior, Gilbert went 4-for-4 on field goals, including a 51-yarder that essentially iced the game.
- Defensive Resilience: The Vols' defense held the Bulldogs to just 14 points, even though they struggled to stop the run, giving up 179 yards on the ground.
Josh Heupel admitted after that game that things needed to be "cleaner." Little did he know that a year later, the "cleanliness" would go out the window in favor of a 41-point overtime thriller.
Hardwood Update: The Recent Basketball Scores
It’s not just about the gridiron. If you’re searching for the Tennessee Mississippi State score, there’s a good chance you’re looking for the results from the court, where the rivalry has been just as heated.
Men’s Basketball: The January 2025 Lockdown
On January 21, 2025, Rick Barnes showed why his defensive schemes are a nightmare. No. 6 Tennessee smothered No. 14 Mississippi State in a 68-56 win.
Chaz Lanier was the story here. He dropped 23 points, hitting five 3-pointers. The Vols held the Bulldogs to a miserable 1-of-13 start from the floor. When you hold a top-15 team to 16 points in the first half, you’re usually going to walk away with a "W."
Women’s Basketball: The Pauldo Takeover
More recently, on January 8, 2026, the Lady Vols continued the trend. The final Tennessee Mississippi State score was 90-80.
Freshman phenom Mia Pauldo went absolutely nuclear, scoring a career-high 26 points. Mississippi State’s Kharyssa Richardson and Madison Francis both had 22-point games, but they couldn't keep up with the Lady Vols' depth. It was a fast-paced, high-scoring affair that proved Tennessee's women's program is back in the elite conversation.
What Most People Get Wrong About These Games
Kinda feels like people assume Tennessee just "out-talents" Mississippi State. That’s rarely the case. State plays a brand of physical, "bully-ball" football and basketball that tends to neutralize the Vols' speed.
In the 41-34 football win, the Bulldogs actually outgained Tennessee on the ground 203 to 131. They controlled the clock for over 32 minutes. If you just looked at the box score without the final score, you might think State won.
The difference is usually "big play" ability. Whether it's a 73-yard bomb to Dont'e Thornton Jr. or a 25-yard overtime run by DeSean Bishop, Tennessee finds a way to exploit one or two cracks in the Bulldog armor.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Bettors
If you are tracking the Tennessee Mississippi State score for future matchups, keep these nuances in mind:
- The "Starkville Tax": Never trust a spread when Tennessee travels to Davis Wade Stadium. The environment (and those cowbells) consistently causes communication issues for the Vols' high-tempo offense.
- Monitor the Run Defense: Both the 2024 and 2025 football games showed that Mississippi State can run the ball on Tennessee. If the Bulldogs are averaging over 4.5 yards per carry, the game will be a one-score affair.
- The "Freshman Factor": From Nico Iamaleava to Mia Pauldo, Tennessee’s recent success against MSU has relied heavily on young stars performing in high-pressure SEC environments. Check the injury reports for these key playmakers before kickoff or tip-off.
The rivalry between the Vols and the Bulldogs is one of the most underrated in the SEC. It doesn't get the hype of the "Third Saturday in October," but the games are almost always closer—and weirder—than the experts predict.
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To stay ahead of the next matchup, you should track the SEC's weekly availability reports, which typically release on Wednesday evenings before game day. Pay close attention to the "integrity of the defense" metrics—essentially gap-soundness—as that has been the primary indicator of whether Tennessee will allow an upset or maintain their recent dominance in the series.