STARKVILLE, Miss. - Tailback Tony Thompson rushed for 248 yards, including a pair of long touchdowns, and No. 8 Tennessee reached into its trick bag for another touchdown en route to a 40-7 Southeastern Conference victory over Mississippi State.Tennessee (2-0-1) also got four field goals from Greg Burke.
Mississippi State (0-1) never put together a consistent drive and finished with only 217 yards offense.
Thompson, filling in for All-SEC back Chuck Webb, lost for the season with a knee injury a week ago, rambled 69 yards for a first-quarter touchdown that gave the Vols a 9-7 lead, and his 80-yard run on a fake reverse made it 16-7 early in the second quarter.
