Mississippi
Five Critical Moments: Tennessee Knocks Off Mississippi State | Rocky Top Insider
Tennessee football concluded its month long home stand by knocking off Mississippi State 33-14 on Saturday night, improving to 8-1 (5-1 SEC) ahead of next week’s matchup at Georgia.
Here’s five critical moments from Tennessee’s fourth consecutive win.
More From RTI: Tennessee Football Ranked Ahead of Georgia Before Critical SEC Matchup on Saturday
Opening Drive Touchdown
After four games straight of first half offensive struggles, Tennessee badly needed to capitalize on a bad Mississippi State defense and put together a complete offensive performance.
Things started out well when the Vols went 55 yards on seven plays for their first opening drive touchdown in SEC play. Tennessee even overcame adversity. After a rare assisting the runner penalty took a fourth down conversion off the board, Nico Iamaleava hit Squirrel White in stride for a 34-yard touchdown.
Tennessee not only scored on its first drive of the game but they did it by hitting a big play. That’s two areas where the Vols’ offense has struggled. It was a great start to the game.
Missed Opportunities
Despite the great start, reoccurring mistakes soon bit Tennessee’s offense. The Vols’ second drive ended with another Dylan Sampson red zone fumble.
It was Sampson’s third fumble in scoring range in the last three weeks after having not fumbled once prior to that in his college career. But the fumble soon seemed like it wouldn’t be a big deal when Boo Carter intercepted Michael Van Buren just two plays later and set Tennessee’s offense up inside the 10-yard line.
But four straight Peyton Lewis runs ended with the ball just inches short of the goal line as Tennessee failed to capitalize on the turnover. That two drive sequence largely ended Tennessee’s hope that they’d blow Mississippi State out in a cathartic offensive explosion
16-Play Touchdown Drive
If not a cathartic offensive explosion, Tennessee’s hopes of a blowout victory were back in play when Iamaleava hit Dont’e Thornton for a 73-yard touchdown to go up 14-0 early in the second quarter. But that’s when Mississippi State had its best drive of the night.
The Bulldogs ran 7:48 off the clock in a 16-play, 75-yard touchdown drive which cut Tennessee’s lead to a touchdown with just a handful of minutes to play in the first half. Michael Van Buren was great on the drive both hitting a couple big throws while also scrambling for big gains.
Mississippi State converted a third-and-eight as well as a third-and-three on top of a pair of fourth down conversion. The second fourth down conversion was a fourth-and-goal touchdown run at the one-yard line.
Double Dipping On The Same Side Of Halftime
Josh Heupel loves a good double dip around halftime. It’s one of the main reasons that Tennessee defers to the second half every time they win the coin toss.
But against Mississippi State, the Vols had a very odd back-to-back quick scores on the same side of halftime that almost served as a double dip. Tennessee first settled for a field goal in the red zone with 46 seconds left in the half after a nice drive stalled out.
Then Mississippi State went three-and-out with a pair of completions and a run out of bounds. A nice Boo Carter punt return gave Tennessee the ball in plus territory with 14 seconds to play. One Cam Seldon run and then a Iamaleava 21-yard completion to White set the Vols up in scoring range.
Max Gilbert then connected on his first field goal of over 50 yards in his career, making a 51-yard try that gave Tennessee a 20-7 lead at halftime. The Vols capitalized on bad Mississippi State clock management to extend their lead heading into the half.
Dylan Sampson Provides Big Answer
The entire complexion of the game changed to start the second half when Gaston Moore came in at quarterback and Iamaleava was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
When Mississippi State scored a touchdown to cut Tennessee’s lead to 23-14 midway through the third quarter, it felt like the Vols may have to hold on for dear life without their starting quarterback.
Moore did some good things but it was once against Dylan Sampson and Tennessee’s rushing game that stepped up. On that ensuing drive, Sampson recorded runs of 10 yards, eight yards, six yards, four yards and finally 33 yards into the checkerboards.
It pushed Tennessee’s lead back to 16 points and gave them enough breathing room the rest of the way.
With the College Football Playoff finally here, the Oregonian/OregonLive sports staff returns with its final predictions for the 2025-2026 season.
No. 5 Oregon starts its CFP campaign with a matchup against 12-seed James Madison on Saturday, in what will be the first-ever playoff game held at Autzen Stadium. The Ducks are a heavy favorite, and many of our experts predict them to make a deep playoff run after beating the Dukes.
In addition to UO hosting JMU, this weekend’s first-round CFP slate includes showdowns between No. 9 Alabama and No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 10 Miami and No. 7 Texas A&M, as well as No. 11 Tulane and No. 6 Mississippi.
Our staff has made predictions for all playoff games from now until the championship on Jan. 19. Check out the picks below.
No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Oklahoma
Game details: 5 p.m. PT Friday at Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma
TV channel and live stream: ABC and ESPN
Latest line: Sooners by 1½
Over/under: 40½
Ryan Clarke: Alabama 31, Oklahoma 20
James Crepea: Alabama 28, Oklahoma 21
Nick Daschel: Oklahoma 27, Alabama 23
Aaron Fentress: Oklahoma 27, Alabama 24
Sean Meagher: Alabama 28, Oklahoma 26
Joel Odom: Alabama 27, Oklahoma 20
Bill Oram: Oklahoma 28, Alabama 21
No. 10 Miami at No. 7 Texas A&M
Game details: 9 a.m. PT Saturday at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas
TV channel and live stream: ABC and ESPN
Latest line: Aggies by 3½
Over/under: 48½
Ryan Clarke: Miami 21, Texas A&M 20
James Crepea: Miami 21, Texas A&M 14
Nick Daschel: Miami 31, Texas A&M 27
Aaron Fentress: Texas A&M 31, Miami 30
Sean Meagher: Texas A&M 35, Miami 24
Joel Odom: Texas A&M 23, Miami 21
Bill Oram: Miami 42, Texas A&M 35
No. 11 Tulane at No. 6 Mississippi
Game details: 12:30 p.m. PT Saturday at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi
TV channel and live stream: TNT, HBO Max and truTV
Latest line: Rebels by 17½
Over/under: 56½
Ryan Clarke: Mississippi 35, Tulane 13
James Crepea: Mississippi 35, Tulane 14
Nick Daschel: Mississippi 38, Tulane 24
Aaron Fentress: Miss 40, Tulane 17
Sean Meagher: Mississippi 38, Tulane 21
Joel Odom: Mississippi 35, Tulane 16
Bill Oram: Mississippi 38, Tulane 17
No. 12 James Madison at No. 5 Oregon
Game details: 4:30 p.m. PT Saturday at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon
TV channel and live stream: TNT, HBO Max and truTV
Latest line: Ducks by 20½
Over/under: 47½
Ryan Clarke: Oregon 45, James Madison 7
James Crepea: Oregon 35, James Madison 7
Nick Daschel: Oregon 45, JMU 10
Aaron Fentress: Oregon 41, JMU 16
Sean Meagher: Oregon 42, James Madison 17
Joel Odom: Oregon 38, James Madison 19
Bill Oram: Oregon 40, JMU 13
Quarterfinals
Cotton Bowl: Miami-Texas A&M winner vs. No. 2 Ohio State
Game details: 4:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
TV channel and live stream: ESPN
Ryan Clarke: Ohio State 31, Miami 17
James Crepea: Ohio State 35, Miami 14
Nick Daschel: Ohio State 34, Miami 17
Aaron Fentress: OSU 33, Texas A&M 20
Sean Meagher: Ohio State 35, Texas A&M 24
Joel Odom: Ohio State 31, Texas A&M 21
Bill Oram: Ohio State 31, Miami 24
Orange Bowl: JMU-Oregon winner vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
Game details: 9 a.m. PT on Thursday, Jan. 1 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
TV channel and live stream: ESPN
Ryan Clarke: Oregon 27, Texas Tech 20
James Crepea: Oregon 28, Texas Tech 21
Nick Daschel: Oregon 30, Texas Tech 24
Aaron Fentress: Oregon 27, Texas Tech 24
Sean Meagher: Oregon 37, Texas Tech 35
Joel Odom: Oregon 30, Texas Tech 24
Bill Oram: Oregon 38, Texas Tech 30
Rose Bowl: Alabama-Oklahoma winner vs. No. 1 Indiana
Game details: 1 p.m. PT on Thursday, Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California
TV channel and live stream: ESPN
Ryan Clarke: Indiana 34, Alabama 24
James Crepea: Indiana 35, Alabama 28
Nick Daschel: Indiana 34, Oklahoma 24
Aaron Fentress: Indiana 29, Oklahoma 20
Sean Meagher: Indiana 33, Alabama 23
Joel Odom: Indiana 28, Alabama 17
Bill Oram: Indiana 10, Oklahoma 7
Sugar Bowl: Tulane-Mississippi winner vs. No. 3 Georgia
Game details: 5 p.m. PT on Thursday, Jan. 1 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana
TV channel and live stream: ESPN
Ryan Clarke: Georgia 20, Mississippi 10
James Crepea: Georgia 28, Mississippi 21
Nick Daschel: Georgia 30, Mississippi 7
Aaron Fentress: Georgia 30, Mississippi 22
Sean Meagher: Georgia 28, Mississippi 20
Joel Odom: Georgia 25, Mississippi 22
Bill Oram: Georgia 45, Mississippi 35
Semifinals
Fiesta Bowl: Cotton vs. Sugar winners
Game details: 4:30 p.m. PT on Thursday, Jan. 8 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
TV channel and live stream: ESPN
Ryan Clarke: Ohio State 23, Georgia 20
James Crepea: Ohio State 28, Georgia 21
Nick Daschel: Georgia 29, Ohio State 23
Aaron Fentress: Ohio State 27, Georgia 26
Sean Meagher: Ohio State 28, Georgia 21
Joel Odom: Georgia 31, Ohio State 21
Bill Oram: Ohio State 42, Georgia 41
Peach Bowl: Orange vs. Rose winners
Game details: 4:30 p.m. PT Friday, Jan. 9 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
TV channel and live stream: ESPN
Ryan Clarke: Indiana 30, Oregon 24
James Crepea: Indiana 35, Oregon 24
Nick Daschel: Oregon 31, Indiana 23
Aaron Fentress: Indiana 30, Oregon 23
Sean Meagher: Indiana 27, Oregon 24
Joel Odom: Oregon 34, Indiana 24
Bill Oram: Oregon 30, Indiana 20
National Championship
Semifinal winners
Game details: 4:30 p.m. PT on Monday, Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida
TV channel and live stream: ESPN
Ryan Clarke: Ohio State 25, Indiana 21
James Crepea: Ohio State 28, Indiana 24
Nick Daschel: Georgia 28, Oregon 17
Aaron Fentress: Ohio State 22, Indiana 20
Sean Meagher: Ohio State 33, Indiana 31
Joel Odom: Georgia 30, Oregon 27
Bill Oram: Ohio State 32, Oregon 31
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 18, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from Dec. 18 drawing
01-06-18-19-35
Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from Dec. 18 drawing
Midday: 1-9-0, FB: 3
Evening: 3-8-2, FB: 7
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from Dec. 18 drawing
Midday: 0-3-9-4, FB: 3
Evening: 7-2-8-2, FB: 7
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 18 drawing
Midday: 02
Evening: 10
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Story continues below gallery.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.
Prizes between $600 and $99,999, may be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters or by mail. Mississippi Lottery Winner Claim form, proper identification (ID) and the original ticket must be provided for all claims of $600 or more. If mailing, send required documentation to:
Mississippi Lottery Corporation
P.O. Box 321462
Flowood, MS
39232
If your prize is $100,000 or more, the claim must be made in person at the Mississippi Lottery headquarters. Please bring identification, such as a government-issued photo ID and a Social Security card to verify your identity. Winners of large prizes may also have the option of setting up electronic funds transfer (EFT) for direct deposits into a bank account.
Mississippi Lottery Headquarters
1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100
Flowood, MS
39232
Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.
When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?
- Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
- Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Odds of winning the Powerball and Mega Millions are NOT in your favor
Odds of hitting the jackpot in Mega Millions or Powerball are around 1-in-292 million. Here are things that you’re more likely to land than big bucks.
The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 17, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from Dec. 17 drawing
05-14-24-31-33
Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from Dec. 17 drawing
Midday: 0-3-8, FB: 8
Evening: 6-8-3, FB: 7
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from Dec. 17 drawing
Midday: 3-5-3-0, FB: 8
Evening: 8-0-9-4, FB: 7
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 17 drawing
Midday: 02
Evening: 05
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Story continues below gallery.
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.
Prizes between $600 and $99,999, may be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters or by mail. Mississippi Lottery Winner Claim form, proper identification (ID) and the original ticket must be provided for all claims of $600 or more. If mailing, send required documentation to:
Mississippi Lottery Corporation
P.O. Box 321462
Flowood, MS
39232
If your prize is $100,000 or more, the claim must be made in person at the Mississippi Lottery headquarters. Please bring identification, such as a government-issued photo ID and a Social Security card to verify your identity. Winners of large prizes may also have the option of setting up electronic funds transfer (EFT) for direct deposits into a bank account.
Mississippi Lottery Headquarters
1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100
Flowood, MS
39232
Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.
When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?
- Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
- Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
- Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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