With six seconds remaining and 57,658 fans screaming for one outcome or another, Adam Carlson lined up at the Ole Miss 34-yard line to attempt a 51-yard field goal that would have sent his Bulldogs into overtime.
The result?
A kick that was long enough but not straight enough to send the Golden Egg back to Starkville for a second straight season, giving the Rebels a 20-17 nail-biting victory.
“I had a real good view of it not going in,” said Mississippi State senior Brian Anderson. “I thought at first that it might have a chance, but I watched it not go in all the way to the end.”
For the second straight week, Mississippi State (3-9, 1-7) bested their opponent in almost every major statistical category except the one that decides the outcome-the score.
The Bulldogs missed two field goals, one as time expired, gave up 134 return yards and allowed a punt return for a touchdown in the season-ending loss.
“It really came down to the kicking game, and we just didn’t make plays,” MSU head coach Sylvester Croom said. “It’s something we have to address-every facet of it-in the offseason. It hurt us last week against Arkansas, and it hurt us again today.
“We’re not punting the ball well. We didn’t kick the ball well. We’ve got to kick the ball a lot better than we kicked it this year. We’ve got to change people in the offseason or do something, because it’s going to have to get a lot better than it was this year.”
Ole Miss began the game on a seven-play, four-minute drive, capped off by a 23-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Brent Schaeffer to freshman receiver Greg Hardy.
The Bulldogs scored their first points of the game in the second quarter on a 41-yard Adam Carlson field goal and then scored again on a rush by Dixon later in the quarter.
A 22-yard kick by Rebel Joshua Shene tied the score at 10 at halftime.
Mississippi State opened the half with possession of the ball but after only six plays and 16 yards was forced to punt.
“That third down on that first drive was real big,” Croom said, “because that put us in a field position battle for the rest of the way.”
Ole Miss finally won the tug of war on offense, getting within range for a 20-yard field goal that put the Rebels ahead 13-10 after three quarters.
Dixon rushed for a game-high 125 yards on 25 carries, but 97 came in the opening half, and the Bulldogs’ offense was stalled almost to a halt for most of the final 30 minutes.
“We were running the ball, but in the second half we got into some situations with some penalties and got in some long situations,” Croom said. “The bottom line is, when we needed to throw the ball, our receivers didn’t make the catch.”
The Bulldogs completed only 16 passes in the entire contest, though eight did come in the fourth quarter with the game on the line.
“That’s our identity. We don’t ever quit,” Croom said. “I just didn’t expect us to put ourselves in a situation where we had to do that.”
With just over three minutes left in the game, freshman Marshay Green returned a Blake McAdams punt 47 yards for a touchdown, putting the Rebels up by two scores, 20-10.
“A tear came down my eye,” Conner said.
But Conner and the offense would collect their emotions and make a final run at the end zone, completing five passes-three in a row-and finding Jason Husband in the end zone for a touchdown.
The onsides kick failed, but the Bulldog defense held strong at midfield, forcing a fourthdown situation.
Instead of punting Ole Miss opted to go for a first down, but a run by quarterback Seth Adams for no gain gave a last gasp chance to the Bulldogs. “Sometimes the Lord works in mysterious ways,” Conner said.
The miracle finish was not to be, though, and Carlson’s kick faded wide left with time expiring.
The loss leaves the exiting seniors with a foul taste in their mouths and hopes that next year’s team can succeed where they fell short.
“They played hard, and we played hard,” senior linebacker Quinton Culberson said. “They just came out with the victory. Hopefully next year, those guys will go out and beat Ole Miss at home.”
Nowell fired
In the first move of what may be a tumultuous offseason for the Bulldogs, Croom dismissed head strength coach Jim Nowell on Sunday after three years on the job.
The Clarion-Ledger reported that Nowell was placed on administrative leave earlier in the semester for getting into a shouting match with a female assistant coach of another sport.
Croom, now 9-25 in his three seasons in Starkville, said he is still evaluating the rest of his staff and will take his time before making any brash decisions.
“I’m going to look at everything from top to bottom,” Croom said. “Whatever I feel like I need to do to give us the best chance at being a winning football team, that’s what I’m going to do.”