STARKVILLE – The script was already written for Mississippi State.
“The Bulldogs made a valiant early push but were ultimately overwhelmed by No. 12 Arizona State on Saturday.”
That’s what almost everyone in Bulldog nation was thinking going into the final minute, and what most writers in the press box were typing some version of after Arizona State burned nearly 10 minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter, marching on a 95-yard field goal drive to take a 20-17 lead.
No doubt several still held out hope for a miracle, and among them were the MSU players, and in particular quarterback Blake Shapen and wide receiver Brenen Thompson. Together, the pair balled up the script and threw it in the trash.
With 41 seconds left on the clock, Shapen saw Thompson one-on-one on the outside. The speedster easily burned his marker and caught a perfectly placed pass in stride, turning on the afterburners and reaching the end zone.
“It’s pretty special,” Lebby said of the two seniors combining for the game-winner. “Those guys have been so consistent, they’re the same every single day and they’re really good football players. For them to have that opportunity and that moment tonight, couldn’t feel any better that those two guys were the ones that made the play to go win it.”
“I got the play in, I knew what I had to do,” Thompson said of his thought process leading up to the play. I’m looking at the clock, to the backfield, the secondary and what coverage they were in. At that point, it was just trust your feet, and trusting the process, trusting Blake and my teammates around me to do what had to be done so I can get open and then catch it and just run as fast as I can to the end zone.”
A Hunter Washington interception on ASU’s desperation drive sealed it, and the Bulldogs moved to 2-0 with a 24-20 win over the No. 12 Sun Devils.
The Bulldogs were all but finished. ASU’s rushing attack found a new gear in the second half, accumulating more than 200 total yards and three scoring drives over 20 minutes of possession to overturn a 17-3 halftime deficit.
The Bulldogs had plenty of opportunities to extend their first-half lead, but all they needed was one final look at WR1 in man coverage on the outside.
“I thought it was going to be a big play,” Lebby said after the game. “I loved the call as soon as I saw the structure of the defense, but you’ve still got to pitch and catch., you’ve still got to protect. There’s a lot that goes on, and you can tell that throughout the earlier parts of the game where we had some miscues. As we were snapping the ball, felt like we had a chance for that one to be a good one.”
The fans stormed the field for the first time since a 2004 win over Florida. The goal posts went down in record time to avoid any potential injury, but it wasn’t long before they were in the hands of students being paraded across the field.
The occasion called for the celebration, maybe moreso than an outright win would have, and certainly the moment will be etched in Bulldog folklore the way that it happened.
ASU’s offense held the ball for more than 20 minutes in the second half, embarking on three long scoring drives in the second half as the Bulldogs stalled out continually on offense. The MSU defense was put to the sword throughout the closing stages, but still found it in them to make a goalline stop to hold the Sun Devils to a field goal with a minute to go.
A last-gasp tackle by Nic Mitchell kept the Sun Devils from scoring a go-ahead touchdown, and the defensive stop that followed not only gave the Bulldogs another chance on offense but also gave the team a chance to stop the avalanche of momentum going against them.
“It’s that mindset, keep them out of the end zone,” Isaac Smith said of the play. “Force a field goal or get the ball out. That third down stop was huge to get the ball back to Shapen and the boys, and eventually he threw that ball to Brenen, they didn’t have a close safety and it was over from there.”
“Defensively, find a way to get the guy on the ground and make the offense snap the ball again,” Lebby said of the stand. There’s no better tell than what just happened, and we’re able to line up and have incredible physicality for those next three plays to keep them out of the end zone, and give us an opportunity to go win the game. I told the team I’m proud of them for a lot of things, but the goal line stand, unquestionably, being able to go do that in that situation after all that had happened in the second half, it was special.”
MSU will look to go 3-0 at home next week against Alcorn State at 5 p.m. at Davis Wade Stadium.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
