Tennessee players react to win over Mississippi State

Tennessee improved to 8-1 on the season by beating Mississippi State on Saturday night. After the game, select players met the media to discuss a 4-0 home stand.

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava missed the second half of the game with the Bulldogs. ESPN reported it was an upper-body injury for Iamaleava, who was replaced to the start the second half by backup Gaston Moore.

Dylan Sampson added to Tennessee Football’s single-season rushing touchdown record. Saturday night against Mississippi State, Sampson hit another milestone, becoming the 20th Tennessee running back in program history to go over 1,000 yards in a season. 

Sampson gives Tennessee back-to-back 1,000-yard rushers. Jaylen Wright ran for 1,013 yards last season, becoming the first Tennessee running back to go over 1,000 yards since Jalen Hurd in 2016, when Hurd ran for 1,288 yards. 

Squirrel White scored the first touchdown of the game on a 34-yard reception up the seam. Max Gilbert connected on four field goals on the night, and hit on a career long of 51 yards to put the Vols up 23-7 midway through the third quarter. Defensively, Jayson Jenkins recorded a strip-sack that led to a second half field goal for the Vols.