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.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball starting pitcher Ryan McPherson exited his May 9 return against Auburn with an ankle injury, according to coach Brian O’Connor.
McPherson tripped behind home plate while backing up a potential throw in the second inning and limped back to the mound. The MSU coaches and trainer examined McPherson before pulling him.
McPherson was making his first start since March 20 after suffering a forearm strain.
The No. 11 Bulldogs (38-14, 15-12 SEC) trailed the No. 6 Tigers (35-15, 16-11) by one run with one out in the inning before getting run-ruled 13-2 in seven innings at Dudy Noble Field.
McPherson threw 34 pitches in 1⅓ innings with one earned and one unearned run allowed, two hits, no walks and no strikeouts.
He did not throw a practice pitch while being examined, and he didn’t limp as he walked into the dugout, either.
Ryan McPherson injury update from Brian O’Connor
O’Connor revealed after the game that McPherson was on a 40-pitch limit, so he was likely going to get pulled soon anyway.
“I would hate for the young man to have a setback because he goes out there and tries to throw to another batter or two and changes this delivery because of an ankle (injury),” O’Connor said. “So that’s what went into that decision. It’s unfortunate, but it was good to get him back out there.”
McPherson, a sophomore, missed six straight starts with his forearm injury. He took Charlie Foster’s spot in the pitching rotation for the Auburn series.
One series remains at Texas A&M before the SEC Tournament.
“We’ll see how he recovers from this and then to see what his availability will be for next weekend,” O’Connor said.
Ryan McPherson stats
McPherson was charged with the loss, dropping his record to 3-1 with a 2.62 ERA.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
The No. 6 Auburn Tigers have evened the series with No. 11 Mississippi State thanks to a timely home run in the 9th inning.
Auburn catcher Chase Fralick stepped into the batter’s box to lead off the final inning of a tie game, needing to get on base to give his team a chance to steal a win in Starkville. He answered the call by smashing a home run over the right field wall to push his team ahead. His defense, as well as relief pitcher Jackson Sanders, followed the clutch long ball by piecing together a perfect bottom frame to solidify a 5-4 Auburn win over Mississippi State on Friday at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville, Mississippi, to even the series between the pair of top-five SEC squads.
Fralick’s solo home run in the 9th was an answer to Mississippi State’s game-tying single in the 8th inning off the bat of Ace Reese. Reese hit a single to right field and used deception by forcing himself into a rundown, which allowed Kevin Milewsky to score from 3rd base and to erase Auburn’s lead that was once 4-0.
There were plenty of surprising and notable moments from Auburn baseball’s win over Mississippi State on Friday. Re-live those key moments by checking out score updates, highlights, and notes from the game below.
- Mason McCraine (3-for-5, 2 K)
- Eric Guevara (0-for-3, BB, 2 K)
- Chase Fralick (1-for-4, 2 RBI, HR, K)
- Chris Rembert (2-for-5, 2 RBI)
- Ethin Bingaman (2-for-5, RBI)
- Bub Terrell (1-for-4, 2B, 3 K)
- Brandon McCraine (1-for-4, 2 K)
- Cade Belyeu (0-for-3, 2 K)
- Lucas Steele (0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 K)
- Andreas Alvarez (4 2/3 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K, 97 pitches (55 strikes)
- Jackson Sanders (4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 K, 64 pitches (37 strikes), WIN
Auburn bounces back to even the series thanks to a perfect inning by Jackson Sanders and the Auburn defense. Game three of the series is set for 3 p.m. CT on Saturday at Dudy Noble Field in Starkville.
Mississippi State in the 9th: 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB
Auburn’s prayers were quickly answered after giving up the tying run to Mississippi State in the 8th inning when Chase Fralick smashed a solo home run to right field, giving Auburn its first run since the 5th inning and putting his team in a situation to win the game in the bottom of the 9th inning.
Auburn in the 9th: 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB
We head into the final inning of the game with a 4-4 tie between the Auburn Tigers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Ace Reese singled through the right side and voluntarily entered a rundown to distract Auburn’s defense long enough for Kevin Milewski, who got on base by a leadoff walk, to score.
Auburn will look to regain the lead in the top frame of the 9th inning.
Mississippi State in the 8th: 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB
For the second time in the game, Auburn fails to add runs despite the first two runners of the inning reaching base. Brandon McCraine led off the inning with a single, with Cade Belyeu reaching base after getting hit by a pitch. The next three batters in Auburn’s lineup were retired via strikeout by Ben Davis, bringing his total to four on the day.
Auburn in the 8th: 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB
Auburn pitcher Jackson Sanders got off to a shaky start in the 7th inning by allowing the first two batters of the inning to reach base. He appeared to be on his way out of the jam, but Bryce Chance singled through the left side to score Ace Reese from 3rd base and to trim Auburn’s lead to one run. He eventually got out of trouble by forcing Vytas Valincius to pop out.
Mississippi State in the 7th: 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB
It was an easy inning for Mississippi State relief pitcher Ben Davis, who retired the first three batters he faced with a pair of groundouts and a strikeout of Bub Terrell.
Auburn in the 7th: 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB
Jackson Sanders held Auburn’s two-run lead in the 6th, his first full inning on the mound in relief of Andreas Alvarez. Mississippi State’s Ryder Woodson recorded a two-out single off Sanders in the frame, but a Gehrig Frei pop-out closed out the inning.
Mississippi State in the 6th: 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB
Auburn put two runners on base during the 6th inning on a Lucas Steele walk and Mason McCraine’s third hit of the game. However, Auburn’s good fortune ended with an Eric Guevara strikeout and a Chase Fralick pop out.
Auburn in the 6th: 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB
Mississippi State is now on the scoreboard following a two-out, two-run home run off the bat of Reed Stallman, which cuts Auburn’s lead to 4-2. Jackson Sanders emerged from the bullpen following the deep drive to left field and proceeded to strike out Bryce Chance to end the inning.
Alvarez’s final line: 2 R, 6 H, 2 BB, 7 K, 97 pitches (55 strikes) over 4 2/3 innings.
Mississippi State in the 5th: 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB
Chris Rembert recorded his second RBI of the game with one out in the 5th, when his groundout to shortstop allowed Mason McCraine to score and to extend Auburn’s lead to three runs. The greedy Tigers were not finished, though, as Ethin Bingaman delivered an RBI single in the next at-bat to push Auburn’s cushion to four runs.
Bingaman’s RBI closed the tab on Mississippi State starter Duke Stone, who ended his outing by allowing four runs on seven hits with two walks in 4 2/3 innings and 95 pitches. Maddox Miller relieved Stone by forcing Brandon McCraine to fly out to center field after walking Bub Terrell.
Auburn in the 5th: 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB
Mississippi State is held out of the scoring column for another inning following a fielder’s choice and a line out, with Andreas Alvarez leading off the inning by logging his fifth strikeout of the game.
Mississippi State in the 4th: 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB
The Auburn lineup logged its first extra-base hit of the game when Bub Terrell doubled on the second pitch of the inning. However, the good vibes ended there as Duke Stone struck out Brandon McCraine, Cade Belyeu, and Lucas Steele to end Auburn’s chances of increasing its lead.
Auburn in the 4th: 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB
As the old Yogi Berra quote goes, “it was deja vu all over again” for Mississippi State in the 3rd inning as Bryce Chance stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. However, unlike Thursday’s opener when he hit a 1st inning grand slam, he hit a ground ball up the middle, which resulted in a fielder’s choice that forced Reed Stallman to become the third out of the frame.
Mississippi State in the 3rd: 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB
It took Auburn a few innings to find confidence at the plate, but it struck gold in the 3rd inning when Chase Fralick popped out to center field with the bases loaded and one out to send Lucas Steele home, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead. Chris Rembert followed suit in the next at-bat by sending a single up the middle to advance everyone 90 feet, which scored Mason McCraine to extend the lead to 2-0.
We will now see if the two-run cushion will bring out the best in Andreas Alvarez on the mound.
Auburn in the 3rd: 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB
Mississippi State stranded one runner in the 2nd inning, but that was as far as they reached as Andreas Alvarez struck out Ryder Woodson to end the frame.
Alvarez is up to three strikeouts with a walk through two innings of work. He has thrown 40 pitches, with 23 of them finding the strike zone.
Mississippi State in the 2nd: 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB
The Auburn Tigers appeared to gain an edge on Mississippi State as a pair of singles by Chris Rembert and Ethin Bingaman put two runners on base. However, Duke Stone rebounded by striking out the next two batters, and a pickoff play by the Bulldogs caught Bingaman in a rundown between 1st and 2nd base, killing Auburn’s threat of putting a run on the scoreboard.
Auburn in the 2nd: 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB
Mississippi State attacked Auburn starting pitcher Andreas Alvarez early with a leadoff walk, followed by a bloop single to left center field. However, Alvarez bounced back by retiring the next three batters in order, which included two strikeouts.
Mississippi State in the 1st: 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB
It was a quiet inning for the Mississippi State Bulldogs and pitcher Duke Stone, who retired all three Auburn batters in order, which included strikeouts of Mason McCraine and Chase Fralick.
Andreas Alvarez and the Auburn defense look to return the favor in the bottom frame.
Auburn in the 1st: 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB
Alabama defeats South Carolina, 8-3, which means that the broadcast of Auburn vs Mississippi State on SEC Network will not be delayed or pushed to another network. Expect a start time of 7:30 p.m. CT.
Here’s how the Auburn Tigers will line up in game two
- RF Mason McCraine
- 3B Eric Guevara
- C Chase Fralick
- 2B Chris Rembert
- 1B Ethin Bingaman
- LF Bub Terrell
- SS Brandon McCraine
- CF Cade Belyeu
- DH Lucas Steele
The bottom of the lineup will look different for the Tigers on Friday night, as Cade Belyeu gets the start in center field over Bristol Carter, and Lucas Steele assumes his familiar role at designated hitter over Eddie Madrigal.
After experiencing a flat night offensively in game one, it appears that Butch Thompson is looking for a spark in the center field slot for game two of the series. Carter has logged just two hits over his last five games and has gone 0-5 in his last three games. Steele has been used sparingly in the Auburn lineup over the last few weeks, playing in just three SEC games since April 17.
Auburn vs Mississippi State pitching matchup for game two
- Auburn: SO RHP Andreas Alvarez (8-2, 2.56)
- Mississippi State: SO RHP Duke Stone (6-1, 4.40)
Auburn baseball vs Mississippi State time today
- Date: Friday, May 8
- Start time: 7:30 p.m. CT
What channel is Auburn vs Mississippi State on today?
- TV Channel: SEC Network
- Livestream: Fubo (free trial)
Auburn vs Mississippi State will be broadcast on SEC Network on Friday from Dudy Noble Field in Starkville. Tom Hart and Kyle Peterson will have the call from the booth. Streaming options include Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
MISSISSIPPI. (WLBT) – Diesel prices climbed this week across Mississippi and the nation, leaving truck drivers uncertain about their ability to continue hauling freight.
Lemone Guice said seeing diesel prices at the pumps was concerning.
“It’s rough right now with the economy. We don’t know how it’s going to be with it being up and down,” Guice said.
Guice and fellow truck driver Ronnie Tran said they don’t know how long their fuel will last.
“If it keeps going like this, I don’t think we can survive,” Tran said.
Tran said his fill-up costs have doubled.
“My normal fill-up: usually around $600 to $700. Now, you’re talking about a thousand to $1,200, so it’s, like, double,” Tran said.
King Gaulden said the situation has been difficult.
“Man, it’s been ridiculous. Ever since Trump said the gas prices would go down, they have been going up. We’re just trying to figure it out. It’s been hard out here, man,” Gaulden said.
According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of gas is $4.54. That’s the highest since the summer of 2022.
Guice said the spike is affecting decisions about whether to transport loads.
“For those of us that freight slows up, yes. You just don’t want to be just getting somewhere sitting and fuel you know… you don’t know whether you’re going to have a half of a tank or a quarter of tank. That isn’t good,” Guice said.
In Mississippi, the average price stands at $4.00, up more than 28 cents from last week.
Tran said his wish is simple.
“I wish the price would go back to $2 and something. Right now, it’s $4 and something. I wish it can go down to two or three something. That would be nice,” Tran said.
Mississippi still ranks among the states with the lowest gas prices.
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