The lights were bright, the cowbells were ringing, and the field was stormed at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday after a valiant, nail-biting win by Mississippi State.
Disaster all but ensued in Starkville when No. 12 Arizona State scored 20 unanswered points and erased a 17-0 lead by the Bulldogs (2-0). With a little over a minute left in the fourth quarter, Jeff Lebby’s squad found itself trailing by three points after Arizona State (1-1) drove 95 yards down the field, bled nearly 10 minutes off the clock, and kicked a go-ahead field goal to take its first lead of the night. But the late-night magic ultimately favored the home team.
With 39 seconds remaining in regulation, Bulldog signal caller Blake Shapen connected with Oklahoma transfer Brenen Thompson to put Mississippi State up 24-20. Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt sealed the game in maroon and white with an interception on the Sun Devils’ next play from scrimmage. And the goalposts were torn down.
BRENEN THOMPSON FROM DEEP #HailState || 📺: ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/fiZ9TLW2qe
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) September 7, 2025
Scott Field being stormed to “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by the Eurythmics marked the first time since October 1, 2022, that the Bulldogs had upset a top-25 opponent at home. That victory occurred against No. 17 Texas A&M.
Scoring Summary
Mississippi State jumped out to an early 7-0 lead courtesy of a 48-yard touchdown pass from Shapen to Anthony Evans on the fourth play from the line of scrimmage. Following a defensive stop, the Bulldogs added to the scoreboard with a 13-play drive that led to a 37-yard field goal from placekicker Kyle Ferrie.
Arizona State then gifted Mississippi State opportunities on its next two possessions with back-to-back turnovers, one being a failure to convert on fourth down and the other being in the form of an interception. After the turnover on downs, Shapen found Brenen Thompson on a post route for a 47-yard score, giving the home team a 17-0 lead.
With 32 seconds left in the half, the Sun Devils drove down the field and capitalized on a roughing the passer penalty that put them in field goal range. In the waning seconds of the half, Arizona State placekicker Jesus Gomez knocked in a 51-yarder to give the visitors a hint of momentum at the intermission.
Coming out of the gates, the second half belonged to Arizona State. Despite a lackluster passing performance, the Sun Devils found success on the ground, as was the case when both programs met one another in the desert a season ago. A six-yard touchdown run from Kanye Udoh cut the Bulldogs’ lead to seven points, and a two-yard touchdown pass from Sam Leavitt to Jordyn Tyson knotted things up. And the rest is history.
What the Coach Said
Jeff Lebby coined the win over the top-15 opponent as a massive confidence booster for a team that had amassed a 2-10 record last season. Understanding that there needs to be positive momentum in year two, Lebby contended that Saturday’s win will play a crucial role in highlighting the growth of his team.
“This win helped our confidence as a program, and those guys playing fast and clean helped us throughout the game,” Lebby said. “With our guys continuing to take advantage of the opportunities given, we look forward to seeing where this can help us throughout the season. We’ve been looking forward to this huge amount of growth for the next few weeks.”
The Numbers Never Lie
The Bulldogs finished with 345 yards of total offense, which was magnified by a strong air attack. Shapen completed 19 of 33 passes for 279 yards with three touchdowns. Leavitt, on the other hand, completed just 10 of 22 passes for 82 yards and a score. Arizona State, however, dominated on the ground, rushing for 251 yards compared to Mississippi State’s 66 yards.
Defensively, Jahron Manning and Nic Mitchell led the Bulldogs in tackles, while last week’s SEC Defensive Player of the Week Will Whitson and Deonte Anderson each had a sack. Clayton Smith was Arizona State’s top defender with five total tackles, three of which resulted in a loss of yardage, and two sacks.
Next Up
Mississippi State hosts in-state SWAC opponent Alcorn State at 5 p.m. Saturday, September 13. The game will be broadcast the SEC Network and participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.
