Tennessee Football: What to expect vs. Mississippi State

Tennessee football is getting ready to take on the Bulldogs of Mississippi State, and I have a few things you should expect to see in the game.

The Tennessee Volunteers are looking to turn the season around against Mississippi State similar to how they did last year in their game vs. Auburn.

If Jeremy Pruitt wants to get the Vols to bowl eligibility, a win against Mississippi State is virtually required. Good thing Mississippi State is struggling and trying to figure itself out too.

A Noon kick could work in the favor for the Vols like it did vs. Auburn last year. That’s why my first thing to expect is for the Vols to come out with a lot of energy.

We saw how the team performed last week in Brian Maurer‘s first game as the starter. I expect the Vols to bring that same energy on the field and the sideline this week.

With that being said, I expect the Vols to come out and catch fire early on offense as they did last week against Georgia. If they can do it against the third-best team in the country, then they can do it against Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs defense has been unable to stop the opponent’s offense early in the game, putting them in deep holes early. If the Vols can successfully get a double-digit lead on the Bulldogs, then I expect Pruitt to find a way to put the game away and take care of Mississippi State.

The final thing I expect from the Vols is the defense to finally step up and carry their part of the load. We saw the defense keep Tennessee in the game for three-quarters last week against Georgia, so why can’t they employ that same defense and stop Mississippi State.

This will be another big test for Pruitt and the coaching staff. We’re going to find out exactly how good these coaches are at game-planning and preparing for what will likely be a fight to the finish.

If the defense can force a couple of turnovers or simply stop the Bulldogs offense from creating any kind of momentum, there’s no way the Vols lose this game.

There’s a lot that needs to happen for Tennessee to walk away from this game with their second win of the season, but nothing is unattainable in this game.

Pruitt and company know what is at stake for this game and the rest of the season. The start of the season was a flop, but if the Vols can win this game against Mississippi State, then there’s a long shot they can still reach the six-win mark.

But we don’t need to keep looking ahead. We need to focus on the game in front of us. Pruitt and the Vols need to focus on the game in front of them. If they can get the win today, then they can start to map out how they’ll get those six wins, but we need this one first.