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Five Critical Moments: Tennessee Knocks Off Mississippi State | Rocky Top Insider

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Five Critical Moments: Tennessee Knocks Off Mississippi State | Rocky Top Insider


Dylan Sampson (6) and Lance Heard (53) celebrate a touchdown during a game against Mississippi State at Neyland Stadium. Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. Cole Moore/RTI

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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NASA Funding Cuts: Space advocates rally in Washington to save Artemis Mission | – The Times of India

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NASA Funding Cuts: Space advocates rally in Washington to save Artemis Mission | – The Times of India


In response to proposed budget cuts under President Donald Trump’s administration, space advocates and community leaders from South Mississippi and across the nation rallied in Washington, D.C., to protect crucial NASA programs. At the heart of the advocacy are the Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi, and the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, two of the Gulf Coast’s largest employers and vital contributors to the Artemis program. With the future of the Artemis Campaign potentially at risk, these advocates are urging lawmakers to ensure continued funding to support America’s ambitions in space exploration.

Stennis and Michoud: NASA’s crucial space facilities

The Stennis Space Center and the Michoud Assembly Facility are critical to the development of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and eventually reach Mars. The Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft, both essential components of Artemis, are built and tested at these facilities. Any funding cuts could severely impact operations, jobs, and the broader economy of South Mississippi and Southeast Louisiana, where these centers are located.“These programs don’t just represent exploration, they represent thousands of skilled jobs and future opportunities for our region,” said Tish Williams, executive director of Partners for Stennis and Michoud.

Advocacy for NASA funds in Washington

Tish Williams, along with over 100 members of Citizens for Space Exploration from 25 states, traveled to Washington to voice concerns directly to lawmakers. The group met with congressional leaders to stress the need to maintain NASA funding at no less than Fiscal Year 2024 levels. Their message was clear: cutting funds now, after only three Artemis flights, would be a major setback for America’s space ambitions.“If there’s any cut to the Artemis programs after only having three flights, that would be devastating,” Williams emphasized. “We need full funding to maintain momentum and meet strategic goals, including reaching the Moon before China.”

Political support and legislative momentum

Despite the challenges posed by the presidential budget proposal, Williams said there is optimism on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers are already drafting language aimed at preserving funding for NASA’s Artemis-related programs. Mississippi’s congressional delegation has reportedly played a key role in pushing for continued investment in the space sector.“This is the president’s proposal,” Williams noted. “But Congress ultimately decides the budget. The good news is that many legislators understand what’s at stake, not just for Mississippi, but for the country’s position in global space leadership.”

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A critical crossroads for space exploration

Industry experts believe it will take at least another eight years of consistent investment to fully realize the technological advancements needed for long-term space missions. Advocates argue that now is not the time to scale back.With continued collaboration between NASA, local communities, and federal lawmakers, space advocates hope to secure the necessary funding and ensure that America remains at the forefront of space exploration with Stennis and Michoud leading the way.





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Two found dead in North Mississippi, one in custody

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Two found dead in North Mississippi, one in custody


LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – A Lee County resident was arrested after two people were found deceased, authorities said. Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson said investigators received a report around 3:30 p.m. on May 23 that led them to a home on County Road 295 in the Shannon area. When they arrived, deputies contacted the […]



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Trump, FEMA approve disaster declaration from deadly March storms in MS

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Trump, FEMA approve disaster declaration from deadly March storms in MS


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  • Federal disaster assistance has been approved for Mississippi following severe storms and tornadoes in March 2025.
  • Funding will be available to individuals and businesses in several counties for housing repairs, temporary housing, and other recovery needs.
  • Residents are encouraged to file insurance claims and then register for assistance online, by phone, or through the FEMA app.
  • Former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant was recently appointed to a FEMA review panel, while President Trump has considered eliminating the agency.

Disaster assistance is available to Mississippi after FEMA announced May 23 that it had approved a disaster declaration made by Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves in the wake of severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding from March 14-15, 2025.

At least seven died in tornadoes that hit Covington, Jeff Davis and Walthall counties. In that same stretch, an earthquake was also recorded near Magee. 

The White House announced in a release: “The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Covington, Grenada, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Leflore, Marion, Montgomery, Pike, Smith and Walthall counties. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.”

E. Craig Levy, Sr. has been named the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in those areas.

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“Federal funding is also available to state and eligible local governments and certain nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding in Calhoun, Carroll, Covington, Grenada, Humphreys, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Lee, Leflore, Marion, Pike, Prentiss, Sharkey, Smith, Walthall and Washington counties.”

President Donald Trump has discussed the possibility of eliminating FEMA and pushing that work down to the states.

The president said he would reconsider “the whole concept of FEMA” and states with regular natural disasters like Florida hurricanes and Oklahoma tornadoes are efficiently handling the process.

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In late April, the president added former Mississippi governor Phil Bryant to a FEMA review panel.

FEMA encouraged individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas to first first file claims with their insurance providers and then apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA app.

Staff Writer Bonnie Bolden contributed to this report.



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