2025 was a memorable year for Bulldog athletics across multiple sports. The Dispatch continues its year in review for Mississippi State sports with a look at some of the top moments from the calendar year in MSU sports.

Bulldogs fend off Ole Miss in overtime

Mississippi State basketball started off 2025 with a signature win against the team Mississippi State fans want to beat the most, regardless of the sport.

The Bulldogs were somewhat carried by their production off the bench with a slow night by Josh Hubbard’s standards, just 10 points on 2-13 shooting. KeShawn Murphy recorded an 18-point game and Riley Kugel scored 21 points, hitting 4-8 from three-point range to help the Bulldogs match a 45-point second half surge from the Rebels.

MSU took a three-point lead into the final seconds only for Matthew Murrell to level the score with nine seconds left in regulation. Kugel missed on an attempt to win the game at the buzzer, but delivered in overtime with 1:35 left, giving the Bulldogs a lead that they would hold onto thanks to his pair of free throws in the final seconds to deliver an 84-81 win.

The win came a week after a heartbreaking loss to No. 6 Kentucky at The Hump and a blowout defeat at No. 1 Auburn. The overtime win over the Bulldogs’ fierce rivals delivered a similar level of drama, but with the happy ending that fans were craving against a ranked rival. It was the first of a two-game sweep of Ole Miss for the season, and one of the highlights of a season with a few memorable wins.

Brian O’Connor arrives

It might seem odd for such an occasion to be made of a new baseball coach, but it was an event that underlines just how much the sport means to Starkville. Not to mention the significance of bringing in a coach as accomplished in the sport as Brian O’Connor is.

Athletic director Zac Selmon rolled out the maroon carpet and welcomed Bulldog greats from past and present along with several thousand spectators to Dudy Noble Field to welcome O’Connor, a national-championship-winning head coach who became a statement hire for the athletic department after four years of floundering baseball.

The dismissal of Chris Lemonis midseason was followed by a late turnaround under interim head coach Justin Parker, who led a scrappy Bulldog team to the brink against Florida State in an NCAA Regional.

Just as the season had ended, a locker room full of heartbroken ballplayers learned along with the rest of Bulldog nation that the future was arriving all the same, and four days later their paths converged in Starkville. Fans had hoped to return to The Dude for a Super Regional, and those lofty expectations will continue into next season after a grand welcome for a coach whose hire demonstrates a unique commitment to success on the baseball diamond for years to come.

Perry delivers 3-2 comeback win vs. No. 1 Tennessee

History repeated itself in several ways for MSU soccer. Another NCAA Tournament home defeat was followed by another search for a new head coach, but a positive repeat was the dramatic defeat of the top-ranked team in the country in SEC play.

The Vols came to Starkville ranked No. 1 after a hot start to the season, defeating defending-national champions North Carolina in Knoxville. The Bulldogs were expected to be a challenge after their 2-1 win against No. 10 Wake Forest, but it was a bit of a surprise that MSU came out and dominated the match in the first half.

The Bulldogs led 1-0 after a goal in the 11th minute from Zoe Main, and took that lead into halftime. The Vols responded quickly, though, scoring twice to take a lead just 10 minutes after the restart.

The Bulldogs found an equalizer through top scorer, Ally Perry, who created the opportunity for herself on the edge of the box and fired in a precision shot from distance.

Both teams searched for a winner, but it was Perry who stole the show once again, taking a setup from Adia Symmonds to fire another scorcher from distance and win the game with just one minute left to play.

2,104 fans turned up at the MSU Soccer Field to witness the win, continuing a strong run of support for the team, and Perry’s performance rewarded those in attendance. She started a five-game scoring run that would lead her to eight goals on the year, leading the team for a second year in a row and rounding out an SEC Midfielder of the Year and Hermann Trophy nominee resume.

Shapen and Thompson etch themselves in MSU history against No. 12 Arizona State

After a frustrating first football season for athletic director Zac Selmon, head coach Jeff Lebby and quarterback Blake Shapen, a new era finally dawned on Sept. 6.

The Bulldogs scored a headline opponent for their only home primetime game of the season, kicking off their first game at Davis Wade Stadium under the lights on ESPN against the defending Big 12 champion Sun Devils.

More than $9 million in renovations to the historic stadium were put on full display with LED light shows before and during the contest, and the competition on the field lived up to the hype as well.

The Bulldogs took a 17-0 lead with two long-range touchdowns from Blake Shapen to receivers Anthony Evans and Brenen Thompson. If not for a field-goal drive to capitalize on a special teams error, The Sun Devils might have been blanked going into the break, but they returned in the second half with a plan to take the fight back to the Bulldogs.

ASU running back duo Raleek Brown and Kanye Udoh both passed the century mark in a half of ground-and-pound football to put ASU in control. MSU’s offense stalled out as the visitors climbed back to take a 20-17 lead with just under two minutes remaining in the game.

In need of a response, MSU went back to the air, and Shapen combined with Thompson again for a moment that will live forever in the history of Bulldog football.

A cut inside by Thompson gave him a window to catch a toss from Shapen in space, and his track-star speed took him across the field away from the Sun Devils defense and into the end zone.

Thompson stood in the end zone, arms outstretched like Maximus in the film ‘Gladiator,” but there was no question that the Bulldog faithful were entertained. It wasn’t long before they joined him on the field, storming out of the stands for the first time in more than 20 years to keep the party going after a Top-15 win.

Bulldogs overcome road deficit for first SEC win since 2023

By the time Lebby’s group made the trip to Fayetteville in October, the memory of celebrating on the field against Arizona State was buried deep under the struggles of MSU’s SEC campaign.

Successive losses to Tennessee, Texas A&M, Florida and Texas had erased the positivity from MSU’s 4-0 start to the season, and the habit of collapsing late in three of those four games had left a foul taste for fans.

After a flat first half at Arkansas, it seemed things were headed south once again. The Bulldogs trailed by 14 points at the start of the fourth quarter, but the offense had finally gained some momentum. True freshman Kamario Taylor emerged to deliver two touchdowns and ignite the attack, momentum that continued with Shapen’s return under center as the Bulldogs clawed their way back.

Trailing 35-31, the Bulldog defense got a big stop to give the offense one last chance, and the unit delivered. Shapen converted twice on fourth down on a do-or-die drive, finding Thompson on a deep shot through contact, and pitching to Evans for a gritty catch-and-run through the secondary to find the end zone with less than a minute to go.

It would be the final win of the regular season for MSU, but once again showed the highs of what could be under Lebby. The deep threat ability of Evans and Thompson came through in a big spot, and Shapen delivered for yet another memorable win in the final minute.

While it wasn’t the plan to change quarterbacks, the game also offered the first glimpse at Taylor’s ability. A deep throw to Evans and a scramble through the heart of the Arkansas defense stuck with fans as a preview of what was to come, and Taylor would continue delivering in a supporting role until earning the starting spot for the Egg Bowl and subsequently the bowl game.

McGhee has his own flu game in Utah to give Bulldogs life for 2026

A year of moments was bookended by basketball, but also by two teams in very different places.

Both Bulldog squads picked up memorable wins at just the right time, but while last year’s group was pushing for memorable moments on the way to March, this year’s group is fighting just to find itself ahead of the SEC regular season in January.

Fresh off of a miserable defeat to San Francisco in Tupelo, MSU traveled to Salt Lake City for a date with the Utes at the Delta Center, and they quickly fell behind.

The Bulldogs, then 4-5, trailed by as much as 17 points in both halves, but found new life through its new cast of guards. Ja’Borri McGhee battled through flu-like symptoms to post a career-high 29 points, pairing perfectly with Jayden Epps’ 20-point night to lead the Bulldogs to an 82-74 comeback win out west.

The win came at just the right time for the Bulldogs, and was the first of three straight wins to get them back over .500  and inject some energy into the program after its worst start to a season under Chris Jans. A win over Alabama State next week would make it four wins on the bounce heading into SEC play at Texas on Jan. 3.