Tennessee vs Ms State: Vols Rally to Win 41–34 in Overtime — Aguilar, Bishop Shine in Starkville OT Thriller

Tennessee vs Ms State: Tennessee edged Mississippi State 41–34 in overtime at Davis Wade Stadium. Read the full Tennessee vs MS State recap, box score highlights, X’s & O’s breakdown, player grades (Joey Aguilar, DeSean Bishop), betting impact, where to watch, authoritative sources and postseason implications. (Tennessee vs MS State, Mississippi State Football, Tennessee Football, Tn Football, MS State Football)

The quick take — TL;DR (five load-bearing facts)

Final score: Tennessee 41, Mississippi State 34 (OT).
Game-winner: DeSean Bishop ran 25 yards for the overtime touchdown on the first play of OT to cap the Vols’ comeback.
Quarterbacking: Joey Aguilar passed for 335 yards and added a late 6-yard touchdown run to force overtime.
Momentum swings: Mississippi State took a late lead but Tennessee engineered a 13-play drive ending in Aguilar’s tying TD with 1:55 left. Mississippi State had clock management issues late that cost them the regulation win.
Where it aired: The game kicked off at 4:15 p.m. ET on the SEC Network and was available via streaming services (Fubo/ESPN app in many regions).

Those five points are the most important facts to carry into headlines, social posts, linkbacks and the article’s opening summary.

Why Tennessee vs MS State mattered this week

This was a marquee SEC clash with both schools jockeying for early-season standing and résumé value. Mississippi State entered the game undefeated at Davis Wade Stadium and was trying to build national momentum; Tennessee (ranked No. 15) needed a road statement to maintain CFP/playoff hopes and avoid a morale-sapping road loss. The matchup also featured intriguing coaching subplots — Jeff Lebby (MSU) has roots with Josh Heupel (Tennessee), and both staffs know each other’s tendencies — plus contrasting styles (MSU’s explosive offense vs Tennessee’s balanced attack). The Starkville white-out environment guaranteed a charged atmosphere and a high-stakes test for both teams.

Full game narrative — play-by-play flow and turning points

First Half: fast tempo, back-and-forth fireworks

Mississippi State came out firing and both offenses traded big plays. MSU generated chunk yardage and struck early, while Tennessee responded with balanced outside runs and downfield passing from Joey Aguilar. By halftime the score showed a high-scoring affair — both teams were executing in the red zone and third-down conversions were plentiful. (See ESPN box score for quarter splits and stat details.)

Third Quarter: defense wakes — halftime adjustments

The third quarter saw more defensive stops (key TFLs and coverage sacks). Tennessee’s coaches adjusted to Mississippi State’s tempo, mixing runs to DeSean Bishop and short passing to control clock and tempo. MSU still found big plays but not with the same consistency as the first half.

Fourth Quarter: late lead, clutch drive, and overtime

Mississippi State took a 34–27 lead late in the fourth. Tennessee responded with a methodical 13-play drive (biggest sequence of the game), capped by Aguilar’s 6-yard TD run with 1:55 left to tie and force overtime. The Vols then stopped the Bulldogs on defense in OT, and Bishop delivered the back-breaking 25-yard overtime touchdown to end it. Postgame reports flagged Tennessee’s late game clock management and earlier turnovers as areas of concern despite the win.

Key box-score highlights & stat leaders

Joey Aguilar (Tennessee QB): 24/40, 335 yards, 1 passing TD, 2 INTs, 1 rushing TD. Big passing day and late game scrambles; his 6-yard TD with 1:55 left forced OT.
DeSean Bishop (Tennessee RB): 11 carries, 72 yards, plus the 25-yard OT touchdown. He was the workhorse and the answer in extra time.
Mike Matthews (MSU WR): 6 catches, 118 yards. Reliable chain mover and big-play threat.
Chris Brazzell II (MSU WR): 6 catches, 105 yards, 1 TD. A key downfield target that kept drives alive.

Tennessee outgained Mississippi State 466 to 378 in total yards, demonstrating offensive balance and the capacity to move the ball in clutch moments.

[Note: Images are collected from Instagram]

Player grades — who won the matchup and who must improve

Tennessee Volunteers

Joey Aguilar — B+: A 335-yard passing day and the late TD run earned Aguilar top marks for improvisation and leadership. Two interceptions prevented an A.
DeSean Bishop — A−: The workhorse runner and overtime hero — controlled the line of scrimmage and delivered when it mattered.
Offensive line — B: Opened running lanes late but allowed pressure at times; pass protection was inconsistent early.
Defense — B−: Created timely stops in OT but gave up enough chunk plays to make this closer than desired.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Offense (Matt Kitselman / QB room) — A−: Productive aerial attack (and multiple complementary rushers) kept MSU competitive throughout. Kitselman and the receivers had a big night.
Special teams & clock management — C: Late clock decisions and a failed timing at the end of regulation contributed to the Vols’ chance to tie. Those execution errors cost points in a one-possession game.
Defense — B: Forced stops in short spurts but couldn’t close out late sustained Tennessee drives.

WATCH: Tennessee-Mississippi State POSTGAME Press Conferences

-HC Josh Heupel
-QB Joey Aguilar
-WR Mike Matthews
-DL Joshua Josephs
-DL Tyre West
-RB DeSean Bishop
-CB Colton Hoodhttps://t.co/ujJWqp1biR

— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) September 28, 2025

X’s & O’s — tactical breakdown (what coaches did right and wrong)

What Tennessee did well

Two-minute / late-game composure: The 13-play tying drive showed play-calling discipline, mix of runs and high-percentage passes, and clock awareness (despite criticisms of some heupel-era clock management in prior instances). Aguilar’s ability to convert both pass and QB-run in pressure spots was crucial.
Balance attack: Using Bishop effectively to control the line of scrimmage late helped chew clock and set up manageable third downs.

Where Tennessee must improve

Turnover minimization & special teams: Two interceptions and a muffed punt earlier in the game (reported by some live reports) gave MSU extra possessions and field position; the Vols cannot rely on late-game heroics every week.

What Mississippi State did well

Vertical passing & tempo: MSU’s receivers and QB connected on several explosive plays; the Bulldogs’ ability to generate chunk yardage threatened to pull away early.

What MSU must fix

Clock & situational execution: Failure to secure the win in regulation — leaving Tennessee time to drive — was the critical difference. Coaching decision review will likely focus on play-call sequencing and time-out usage in the final two minutes of regulation.

Momentum & implications — standings, rankings and the road ahead

Tennessee (No. 15) will ride this statement road win into a bye week and then host Arkansas on Oct. 11. The comeback bolsters their résumé for the CFP committee and keeps SEC hopes alive.
Mississippi State drops its first loss (the Bulldogs had entered the day unbeaten) and will travel to Texas A&M next — a tough turnaround after a narrow heartbreaker at home. The loss is damaging but not season-defining if MSU can regroup.

Analysts will debate whether Tennessee’s late-game resiliency or MSU’s end-game miscues tell a truer story about each team’s potential. For bettors and modelers, Vols’ resilience inflates expected win probability in close matchups; MSU’s flaws in situational play lower projected reliability in one-possession late-game scenarios.