Tennessee running back Rajion Neal (20) runs past Mississippi State defenders for a short gain in the first quarter of their NCAA college football game in Starkville, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012.STARKVILLE, Miss. – Its coach was in a different location.
The ending and the path to reach it was all too familiar for Tennessee.
With their third-year coach Derek Dooley coaching from the coaches’ booth just four days after surgery repaired a fracture in his right hip, the Volunteers fell behind in the first half, rallied in the second half and came up short in the fourth quarter in a 41-31 loss to unbeaten and 19th-ranked Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday night.
“It’s hard when we keep coming up short,” safety Byron Moore said. “We’ve just got to keep growing, stay together, stay locked, stay motivated and keep playing hard.
“They all hurt. They’ve all got their different feelings. I’m proud that we keep fighting in these second halves. It shows the maturity of the team. We’ve just got to find the one that’s going to be our time.”