As a Mississippi State fan who traveled down to the University of Florida on Saturday, it is safe to say that there truly is no atmosphere quite like Davis Wade Stadium and no fanbase like the Bulldogs.
The MSU football team traveled to the swamp of Gainesville, Florida, and, unfortunately, did not return with the outcome everyone was hoping for: a conference play win.
The Bulldogs started off the game early when freshman quarterback Kamario Taylor rushed the ball for the first six points of the game, but the Bulldogs did not make it to the end zone again until the fourth quarter. When the clock for the last 15 minutes of the game began, it was like the dawgs flipped a switch and were ready to play ball, but it was too late.
The Gators were up 13-7 heading into the fourth quarter. MSU scored two touchdowns, resulting in a 23-21 trailing score with just under two minutes left in the game and one timeout left. Everything seemed so possible in that moment, and a perfect picture was painted: Shapen finds one of his receivers in the end zone, and Mississippi State takes down the Gators. That is not what happened.
With 21 seconds to secure the win, Senior Quarterback Blake Shapen threw a pass that was intercepted by Florida Defensive Lineman Michai Boireau, ending the game with a loss for Mississippi State.
Not many people expected Florida to win this game. They were 2-4 and were coming off a 17-35 loss against Texas A&M. Their head coach, Billy Napier, was on thin ice with Gator fans and everything was pointing in Mississippi State’s favor.
Immediately after Florida’s interception, a Florida fan turned around and apologized for the loss, saying he was ready to turn around and say congratulations. The win was supposed to be Mississippi State’s.
However, being at the game, it was unclear who the real loser was that night. MSU lost in terms of which team received more points. However, Gators’ Head Coach Billy Napier was fired soon after the game, with Florida clearly unimpressed by the win. Additionally, Florida Quarterback DJ Lagway now leads the SEC for the most interceptions thrown this season, with a total of nine, two of them received by the Bulldogs on Saturday.
During the game, Gator fans wielded chants like “fire Billy” when a bad play was called, or “move back, you suck” when Mississippi State got a yardage penalty. It was as if they could not even be happy that their team won because of all the negativity around their coach.
The atmosphere in Gainesville was not quite as electric as Starkville. Now, sure, they had their gator chomp, but nothing beats the cowbells. It was difficult to cheer for the Dawgs at first because fans are so used to ringing the cowbells, and when clapping is the only option, it is not nearly as fun.
Mississippi State may have lost the game, but after being surrounded by a sea of blue and orange in the swamp, it is clear that the Dawgs are the true winners.
MSU fans are loyal, they are proud and they are welcoming to visitors; they are everything Florida is not, and that is the real win.
Head Coach Jeff Lebby is now 0-11 in conference play since he began at Mississippi State, and the Dawgs have not won a conference game in the last 15 matchups. It becomes upsetting to watch the team suffer such close losses, but each game proves how much better the team is getting as the season progresses.
Win or lose, Mississippi State fans will always be some of the best, and it is an honor to call Davis Wade Stadium the home base of Bulldog football.
The Texas Longhorns will head to Starkville this Saturday for a 3:15 p.m. kickoff and give the Dawgs another shot at a conference win. The game will be streamed on SEC Network and ESPN+.
