Win over Arizona State gives Mississippi State fans and players relief, belief

Shapen hit Thompson for a 58-yard touchdown with 0:30 remaining, and the Bulldogs closed out a 24–20 upset of No. 12 Arizona State on Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium, a signature early win for second-year coach Jeff Lebby and a cathartic moment for a program intent on resetting its trajectory.

The victory capped a swingy night in which Mississippi State built a 17–0 lead, then watched Arizona State grind back to go ahead 20–17 on Jesus Gomez’s 18-yard field goal with 1:38 left. Five plays later, Shapen and Thompson flipped the game and sent thousands of cowbells clanging into the night. Fans stormed the field after the final whistle.

Lebby said the final minutes reflected the message he hammered on in the huddle.

“We got three timeouts left, hold them to a field goal and we will find a way to go score and win the game. That was the message,” he said. “It shows great toughness, belief in one another.”

Mississippi State (2–0) outgained the Sun Devils 209–95 in the first half and led 17–3 at intermission before Arizona State’s run game seized control.

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The Sun Devils (1–1) rushed for 251 yards, with Raleek Brown (110) and Kanye Udoh (105, TD) both topping the century mark, but quarterback Sam Leavitt was limited to 82 passing yards with two interceptions.

Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham credited Mississippi State’s explosives as the difference.

“The big plays were the story of the game,” he said. “They made an explosive play.”

Late heroics punctuate a defensive stand

Before Shapen’s winner, the Bulldogs’ defense authored the other decisive sequence. Arizona State drove 95 yards in nearly nine minutes but stalled at the Mississippi State 1.

Linebacker Nic Mitchell helped lead a fourth-down stop that forced Gomez’s short field goal and kept the Bulldogs within three, setting the stage for the go-ahead drive.

Defensive back Hunter Washington intercepted Leavitt in the final seconds to seal it. Mississippi State finished with six tackles for loss, two sacks and two picks.

Shapen completed 19 of 33 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns. Thompson caught six passes for 133 yards and two scores, while Anthony Evans III added nine receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown as Lebby’s tempo offense produced just enough in the bookend quarters.

It marked Mississippi State’s first win over a top-15 nonconference opponent since 1991 and delivered Lebby his first marquee victory as a head coach.

Context for the Bulldogs and what’s next

The night resonated beyond a single upset. A season removed from a two-win campaign, Mississippi State has opened 2–0 and collected a nationally relevant result at home. Program voices framed it as both validation and a baseline. “A new day” for the Bulldogs, as the school’s postgame coverage put it, underscored the tone around Starkville.

Lebby kept the focus on the locker room’s resolve. “It shows great edge,” he said of the response after losing the lead. “The guys felt that [message], understood that… and that is believing in one another.”

Mississippi State next hosts Alcorn State. Arizona State returns home to face Texas State.

Key stats

• Mississippi State led 17–0 before trailing 20–17 with 1:38 left.
• Shapen: 19–for–33, 279 yards, 3 TDs. Thompson: 6 catches, 133 yards, 2 TDs. Evans III: 9 catches, 108 yards, 1 TD.
• Arizona State rushing: 251 yards (Brown 110, Udoh 105 and TD).

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