FAYETTEVILLE – Mississippi State finally found what it was looking for on Saturday night at Razorback Stadium.

As a team, the Bulldogs found a way to execute when it mattered most, shedding four painful losses to get into the win column in SEC play. The defense found a way to produce big stops, and the offense found its stride with two different quarterbacks.

True freshman Kamario Taylor had to come in with Blake Shapen undergoing evaluation for a concussion, and ignited the offense with two touchdown drives. Upon return, Shapen still faced a 14-point deficit, but led three scoring drives to win 38-35 against a prolific Arkansas team.

In the final minute, Shapen found Anthony Evans, Evans found the end zone, and head coach Jeff Lebby found his first SEC win as head coach.

“Incredibly proud of our guys, so proud of our fight and playing the next play,” Lebby said. “We’ve seen it nonstop, but then making the plays in the fourth quarter to win the football game, having the ability to convert on a fourth down. 
After everything that we went through in the game and for our guys to keep believing, to play the next play, to execute in a time like that is, to me, it shows toughness, and that’s what I just got through talking about.”

The win, which takes MSU to 5-4 on the season, was far from certain for most of the game. The Bulldog offense scored on its opening drive, but struggled to move the ball the rest of the first half. An offensive success rate of jsut 15% at halftime summed up the struggles of a unit that was constantly facing third and long, and produced just 12 rushing yards before the break.

Shapen recognized what it took for the team to get back into gear, and highlighted the efforts of everyone throughout in making the comeback possible.

“When you work so hard, day in and day out, you put all this time into it, and you want to be able to win games like tonight,” Shapen said. “We were able to do that. It’s a testament to the defense and how well they played all game. Those guys never give up, they keep playing, making the offense snap it again, and keep us in the game.”

The Bulldog quarterback and team captain took his fair share of hits throughout the game, delivering some of his best throws all season just before a defender’s blow landed. One such throw was to Brenen Thompson on fourth down on the final drive, putting the Bulldogs in enemy territory and setting up the dramatic finale.

Another hit came on the first play after halftime, which prompted officials to buzz down and take Shapen out of the game for concussion protocol. In his time on the sideline, Taylor showed the sort of talent that might have prompted his staying in the game. Lebby chose to bring back his QB1, though, and it paid off despite a tipped interception on his first play back.

“Head up, man,” linebacker Isaac Smith said of his brief exchange with Shapen as the defense took the field. “Next play, youve got to come back out here and we’re going to need you. We’re going to get a stop and we’re going to need you to come out and keep leading this team offensively.”

Shapen did just that. He threw 8-12 with 132 yards in the fourth quarter, leading three scoring drives and capping it all off with the game-winning touchdown on fourth down.

Shapen, Lebby and the Bulldogs have had their fair share of moments they want back this season. Turnovers in the fourth quarter against Tennessee and Florida, stalled out drives early on the road in College Station and Gainesville, and the blown lead over Texas in an overtime loss at home last week were all becoming defining moments for a team that just couldn’t finish the job when it mattered most.

On Saturday night, that almost happened again, but the Bulldogs changed their fortunes in the face of the same conditions that led them to defeat before.

“We don’t just say it to say it;
Play the next play,” Lebby said. “It’s the only play that matters because it’s the next one. And you have to have that mentality. The people that we play week in and week out, that’s the reality of the game. 
Things are going to be far from perfect for us, but being able to play the next play and control the controllables will ultimately give us an opportunity to do what we want to do.”

The Bulldogs play their next play in Davis Wade Stadium next Saturday against the No. 5-ranked Georgia Bulldogs.