Overview

• Kickoff is set for Sept. 27 at 4:15 p.m. ET at Davis Wade Stadium on SEC Network with Dave Neal, Fozzy Whittaker and Morgan Uber on the call.
• Tennessee enters 3-1 (0-1 SEC) seeking its first conference win, while Mississippi State is 4-0 in its SEC opener and hosting the Vols in Starkville for the first time since 2012.
• BetMGM lists Tennessee as a 7.5-point favorite and the total at 62.5; ESPN’s FPI gives the Vols a 73.7% win chance and Nolan Analytics projects a 34-21 Tennessee victory.
• Josh Heupel praised Mississippi State’s deeper roster and said Tennessee is emphasizing communication to handle the cowbells and crowd noise.
• Coverage notes secondary depth concerns for Tennessee, with Rickey Gibson likely out long term and Jermod McCoy’s return timeline still developing.