KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The way this Mississippi State football team is constructed, it needs to catch a big break in order to win an SEC game. That’s the harsh truth of this season’s winless-in-conference-play Bulldogs. It’s news that isn’t new, either.

Some games, that break might happen. In others, it never comes. 

Mississippi State (2-8, 0-6 SEC) caught a chance in Saturday’s 33-14 loss at No. 6 Tennessee (8-1, 5-1). Nico Iamaleava, the Volunteers’ young star quarterback, didn’t return from the locker room after halftime and was ultimately ruled out of the game with an upper-body injury. Tennessee led 20-7 at the time with Gaston Moore inserted at quarterback — a redshirt senior with zero career starts.

The Bulldogs never took advantage. 

“We just have to make the best of our opportunities,” running back Davon Booth said. “I feel like we let this game go easily and it could’ve been the other way around.”

Mississippi State had a chance to capture momentum in second half

With Moore at quarterback, Mississippi State took care of business on the first drive of the half. It forced a three-and-out and punt from the Volunteers. An MSU touchdown would’ve cut the lead to one possession.

“I think that was a big momentum starter for us,” safety Isaac Smith said after setting a career high with 20 tackles. 

Mississippi State turned the ball over six plays later when quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr. was strip-sacked in Tennessee territory. The Vols kicked a 51-yard field goal after MSU committed consecutive pass interference penalties, then scored a touchdown and another field goal on their next two possessions to put the game out of reach.  

Mississippi State needed a better first half, too

The Bulldogs wouldn’t have needed to capture momentum had they done so in the first half. It has been an issue all season. They’ve held only two halftime leads in 10 games.

MSU once again had to fight back into the game. Tennessee led 14-0 early in the second quarter and outgained MSU 285 yards to 144 in the first half. 

Take a lead into halftime, then Moore has to stage the comeback. 

“I think for us, it’s a missed opportunity because we ended up on the wrong side of it, regardless of what was going on on the other side,” coach Jeff Lebby said. “We had the ability to make some plays and give us the opportunity to go win a football game. Tennessee did an unbelievable job of continuing to find ways to run the football in the second half. That, for us, was where we could not find ways to get momentum and keep momentum on offense.”

MORE: Hunter Washington injury update: Mississippi State football SS exits game vs Tennessee

Michael Van Buren Jr. didn’t play well 

It was inconvenient for Van Buren to have his worst game since becoming the starter. 

The true freshman has had strings of moments in his six starts where he has looked uncomfortable. Typically, he has been able to recover. That never happened on Saturday.

“We were off,” Lebby said. “We did not do a good job of pitching and catching. I thought we had the ability with some guys in the first half to create some huge chunk plays where we had some missed opportunities. Being able to connect at times and then, from the decision standpoint, having the ability to make really clean decisions, I got to continue to put him in better spots so we have the chance to go create some explosives.” 

Van Buren completed 10-of-26 passes for 92 yards and one interception. It set lows in completions, completion percentage and passing yards in his six career starts. 

He had only one drive, the touchdown drive in the second quarter, where he completed consecutive passes. 

“There’s this great expectation for him to go play really, really well, not just from me, but from himself,” Lebby said. “He understands that, he’s fighting for that and he’s straining for that. The young man is going to be a great player.”

Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.