Bulldogs Show Growth, But Costly Errors Doom Upset Bid Against No. 15 Tennessee

When it comes to football, teams don’t get anything out of being close.

As Jeff Lebby and his Mississippi State team went to the locker room following a heartbreaking 41-34 loss in overtime on Saturday, there were no celebrations for having a chance to beat No. 15 Tennessee. It was a loss in a game where the Bulldogs hao many chances to move to 5-0 on the season.

Neither team left the game feeling they played completely clean football and both squads will have plenty of film to review to get better. But in the end, the Volunteers made the winning plays while the Bulldogs found a way to lose.

“I think we all know that was a game we shouldn’t have lost,” QB Blake Shapen said. “We all came in the locker room after the game and were shocked that we did lose. For us moving forward, we’ve got to keep our head up. We’ve got a great opponent next week and going into a great place to play. We’ve got to move on.”

Critical turnovers make difference for Bulldogs

Shapen finished the night 18-of-29 for 180 yards, one touchdown and one interception and he has several plays again that he’d like to get back. In the first four games, State found ways to overcome its own mistakes, but that didn’t happen on Saturday.

The Bulldogs had six penalties for 71 yards and continued to shoot themselves in the foot there. The offensive line was dominated by UT’s pass rush with 11.0 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks.

While the Bulldogs still were on the cusp of overcoming it, turnovers from Shapen would prove crucial in a game where the State defense was holding its own. Shapen threw a pick six in the first quarter that gave the Vols a 10-7 lead and then a crucial fourth quarter strip sack turned touchdown after the Bulldogs had taken the momentum.

“We gave them 14 points. The game is completely different,” Lebby said. “We’re 1^st and 10 right at midfield after the fake punt with 13 minutes left and have an issue up front. We’re going to be 1^st and 10 at the plus 38-yard line up 24-20 and it’s 27-24. That’s the difference in the ball game.”

Now, for the positives.

Through five games, there is no question that the Bulldogs are a much, much better football team. The Bulldogs left every ounce of effort on the field on Saturday night and fought through critical injuries and their own adversity to get in position to take the game.

Those moral victories we started with at the beginning of this column – they still don’t exist. But, Bulldog fans can take solace in the fact that Lebby’s team is continuing to move forward as a program. Dealing with the losses and learning from them is going to be another step in that maturation.

A season after the Bulldogs often looked helpless on both sides of the ball, this team has gone toe to toe with talented teams like Arizona State and Tennessee, and they’ve either won those ball games or had every opportunity to do so.

As improved as this State team is, it’s going to have to find a way to pick itself back up and try to do it again next week. The Bulldogs’ incredibly difficult SEC schedule rolls on at College Station next week against No. 9 and undefeated Texas A&M.

This week will be another major test. Lebby’s team is battered and bruised health wise and will be heartbroken as they go home on Saturday night. But that can’t define this team. Lebby and his staff have to pick up the pieces and move forward again.  

“Crushed, disappointed. Everybody inside our walls the entire week knew we were going to have the opportunity to go win this game,” Lebby said. “They did make the plays to win it and that’s this league. I think our guys understand that. This is what we’re fighting to stay away from. Every single day and every single week get better so next Saturday when we go to Kyle Field, that’s the best we’ve played all season long.”