There’s a popular refrain during the NCAA basketball tournament: Survive and advance.

That now applies to the month of November as teams try to survive each game and advance as contenders for the 12-team college football playoff.

It also applies to the way Tennessee is playing.

The Vols (8-1, 5-1 SEC) didn’t exactly wow the CFP selection committee with its 33-14 victory over lowly Mississippi State (2-8, 0-6) at Neyland Stadium on Saturday night.

But it didn’t lose like several other contenders, including Georgia, Miami, LSU and Iowa State. LSU and Iowa State didn’t survive and likely will not advance to the playoffs.

The sixth-ranked Vols, who were No. 7 in the initial CFP poll, are one of only three SEC teams with just one conference loss (joining Texas and Texas A&M). A win over Georgia would likely put UT in the SEC Championship game for the first time since 2007.

Tennessee is grinding out victories like no other team Josh Heupel has coached.

As Heupel said after the 19-point victory against the worst team in the SEC: “All in all, a really good night.”

It could have been better. Much better.

For one, quarterback Nico Iamaleava suffered what appeared to be a head injury late in the first half and didn’t play in the second half. Heupel said Iamaleava sat for “cautionary reasons” and should be ready for Georgia on Saturday.

Also, star running back Dylan Sampson lost a fumble for the third game in a row, losing control inside State’s 10-yard line. His other two fumbles were within 22 yards of the opponent’s goal.

Most of the night was a good news, bad news story for Tennessee.

The good news: Tennessee scored on its first possession for the first time since the Kent State game Sept. 16 as Iamaleava hit Squirrel White on a 34-yard touchdown pass. UT had scored just 10 first-quarter points in the last five games.

The bad news: Sampson fumbled at the MSU 8-yard line on the next drive and UT failed to score after Boo Carter’s interception set up the offense at the Bulldogs’ 9. Four runs by Peyton Lewis ended up at the 1-yard line.

The good news: Iamaleava hit Dont’e Thornton on a 73-yard scoring strike early in the second quarter, improving on Thornton’s 30-yards per catch average. Nico was 8-of-13 for 174 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.

The bad news: While Gaston Moore is a fifth-year senior with experience, he thew for just 38 yards in the second half. His only touchdown drive was aided by a Sampson 33-yard TD run. On a field-goal drive, Moore was aided by two pass interference calls on underthrown balls. It’s hard to imagine UT beating Georgia with Moore at the controls.

The good news: Tennessee held a ninth consecutive opponent to start the season to fewer than 20 points. That hasn’t happened since 1966, when the Vols didn’t allow a 20-point game all year.

The bad news: UT had gaping holes, primarily in the middle of the defense, that allowed State to produce seven runs of at least 10 yards, totaling 136 yards. The Bulldogs finished with 179 rushing yards (Devon Booth had 125 on 20 carries).

The good news: Kicker Max Gilbert was 4-for-4 on field goals, including a career-long 51-yarder. Gilbert was 0-for-3 against Kentucky last week and 1-for-6 in his last two games.

The bad news: UT was forced to attempt too many field goals. Two came at the end of 15-play drives.

While Sampson had the costly fumble, he recovered from an ankle injury to play a splendid game. He had a career highs for carries (30) and yards (149). His touchdown added to his single season school rushing record. He now has 20. The record for TDs in a season is 21.

“He’s a soldier,” White said of Sampson. “Give him the Heisman.”

If UT has to go with Moore, Heupel expressed confidence in the veteran.

“He’s a smart decision maker,” Heupel said. “He was aggressive when it was time.

“When the guys found out he was going in, they were excited for him.”

Heupel said it was “awesome” to see Gilbert perfect on four field-goal tries, calling him a “competitor” and “resilient.”

Heupel said State broke several big runs because the Vols were “out of gaps,” something UT must fix before facing Georgia.

Still, linebacker Jeremiah Telander wasn’t one bit disappointed with the defense.

“We definitely take pride in that,” Telander said of UT not allowing 20 points in a game this season. “Our goal is zero … But we’re not upset at all. We held them to 14 points and got the W.”

And survived and advanced as a CFP contender.