ESPN recently released their rankings of the top 100 college football games this past season, and the Mississippi State Bulldogs were found ranked at the No. 8 spot with their win over Arizona State during week two. 

The game against the Sun Devils was one that any Mississippi State fan will likely remember for the rest of their life. MSU football has left much to be desired over the last two seasons, but this game was straight out of a movie. 

The Bulldogs have only played ASU once before — in 2024, where the Sun Devils took the win with a 30-23 score in Tempe, Arizona. 

Sept. 6 was the night the 0-1 record against ASU changed. 

It was a night kickoff, a blackout theme and the season home opener. Fans were eager to ring their cowbells again, but this week came with a special surprise — a field rush. 

It was third and nine, and the Bulldogs were about to be 0-2 against the Sun Devils, until Blake Shapen threw a 58-yard pass and Brenen Thompson was there to receive it and secure the game-winning touchdown. 

Davis Wade Stadium erupted. 

This was Thompson’s first game under the DWS lights, yet it was the one that made him a celebrity in the MSU football world. His catch was all fans talked about for weeks; rightfully so.

The new LED lights flashed, 50,808 cowbells rang, music played and DWS had excitement bouncing off the stands like never before. 

Less than a minute after the game-winning touchdown, fans made their way down to the field until there was no more field left to see. The touchdown streamed on social media for weeks and Starkville was the talk of the college football world. No one thought it could be done. 

At the time, Arizona State was ranked No. 12, making this the first time that Mississippi State had beaten an AP Top 15 non-conference team since Sept. 7, 1991, when the Bulldogs beat No. 13 Texas 13-6. 

ESPN ranked the ASU game above notable games like Georgia v Tennessee, which went into overtime, and Miami v Texas A&M, the first round of the college football playoffs. 

The game against Arizona State will go down in history at Mississippi State, and ESPN agreed that it was a spectacular game, earning the eighth-place spot for the top 100 games of the season.