It was the kind of night Mississippi State football has been waiting for. Against No. 12 Arizona State, in front of a massive crowd at Davis Wade Stadium, the Bulldogs delivered their biggest nonconference home win in 34 years, and they did it in dramatic fashion.

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Brooks Surber

A Mississippi State football player celebrates during the game on Saturday.

For most of the first half, it felt like Mississippi State had already seized control. Blake Shapen looked sharp, finding Anthony Evans III for a long touchdown and later hitting Brenen Thompson for another strike as the Bulldogs sprinted to a 17-0 lead. The defense set the tone early, pressuring Sam Leavitt and bottling up the Sun Devil passing game. Arizona State managed only a 51-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter, sending Mississippi State to the locker room up 17-3.

But the second half swung in the other direction. Arizona State came out pounding the ball on the ground, leaning on running back Kanye Udoh to wear down the Bulldogs’ front. Udoh punched in a short touchdown to close the gap, and suddenly the momentum shifted. By the time Leavitt connected with Jordyn Tyson for a fourth-quarter score, the game was tied. When kicker Jesus Gomez chipped in an 18-yard field goal with less than two minutes left, the Sun Devils had completed their comeback, leading 20-17.

Davis Wade went quiet for just a moment. Then Shapen trotted back onto the field. With cowbells rattling louder than ever, he led a 77-yard drive that took only five plays. On second down, he saw Thompson streaking free and let it fly. The result was a 58-yard touchdown that sent the stadium into chaos. With only 30 seconds remaining, Mississippi State had the lead back.

Arizona State still had a chance, but it ended before it began. On the first play of the final drive, safety Hunter Washington jumped a route and intercepted Leavitt, sealing the 24-20 victory. Fans flooded the field as the Bulldogs celebrated one of the program’s most significant wins in recent memory.

The energy inside Davis Wade was undeniable.

“What an atmosphere, what an evening that is,” head coach Jeff Lebby said. “Davis Wade at its finest.”

Mississippi State’s defense bent at times but delivered when it mattered most. Leavitt and Tyson were limited to just one touchdown connection, and the secondary produced the decisive turnover. Defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler’s unit will no doubt look for ways to shore up the run defense after Udoh’s success, but it stood tall in key moments, including a goal-line stand that forced a crucial field goal.

For Lebby, the night was about more than just the final score. 

“The message it sends is that we’re trending the right way, and we’ve got a ton of work to do, but to find a way to win after all the things that happened inside that game,” Lebby said. “We felt really good down three points and having the opportunity to go win the game. I can promise you this: kicking the field goal was not being talked about as we took the field. It was go win the game and go win the game right now.”

Shapen, the sixth-year senior who delivered the game’s biggest moment, put it simply. 

“These are moments that I live for. You know, all the guys on our team, this shows a lot about our team,” Shapen said.  

Shapen credited the fans for showing up how they did as well. 

“I mean, it was awesome. The cowbells were ringing. [Everyone in] all black. They had a huge impact on the game today,” Shapen said. “I think a big thing to tell them is we need that every single home game.”

The 24-20 victory was Mississippi State’s first over a ranked nonconference opponent at home since 1991, and the atmosphere left no doubt about its significance. As the crowd rang cowbells long after the final whistle, Starkville made its case as a destination for the national spotlight.

The Bulldogs will look to carry that momentum into next week’s home matchup with Alcorn State, which will air at 5 P.M. CST and will air on ESPN+.