A Kick For The Ages
November 03, 2023 | Football, Joel Coleman
Brian Hazelwood recounts the dramatics that set the stage for State’s 1998 SEC West title.
STARKVILLE – It's one of the most iconic moments in Mississippi State football history.
November 21, 1998.
Arkansas 21, MSU 19.
There were 10 seconds left on the clock in Starkville.
All eyes were on Bulldog kicker Brian Hazelwood, who was a 27-yard field goal away from putting State just one win from a Southeastern Conference Western Division title.
By now, you know the rest of the story. Hazelwood's kick was good. A massive celebration ensued at Scott Field as MSU knew it was standing on the doorstep of Atlanta and the league championship game. The Bulldogs then rolled past Ole Miss in Oxford five days later to clinch the West crown.
What you might not know, however, is that Hazelwood's heroics were driven, in part, by what'd happened about 365 days prior.
"Leading up to that point, we knew the year before we'd been in the same position," Hazelwood said. "It was a similar situation. We'd went up to Arkansas and had a chance to win the West."
After a 7-2 start to 1997, State lost to Arkansas then fell to Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. The Dawgs went from a chance at a championship to missing out on postseason action altogether.
"Looking back at that, all of us that were older [on the '98 team], I think we all felt like, 'We're not having that happen again,'" Hazelwood said. "We were all locked in [going into the '98 Arkansas game]."
State was focused, but the Razorbacks were ready. They were fighting for a chance to get to Atlanta, too, and it certainly appeared late the Hogs would get their way.
After State built itself a 16-0 first-half lead courtesy of a Wayne Madkin touchdown pass to Reggie Kelly and three Hazelwood field goals, the Razorbacks fought back and ultimately earned a two-point advantage when they got into the end zone late in the third quarter. The score was still the same with under five minutes to go and the Arkansas offense looked to cement a victory.
Suddenly though, momentum swung back in State's direction. MSU's defense got the football back, thanks in large part to a pair of Edward Smith sacks. Smith – who had himself a monster day against the Hogs with 12 tackles, including five for loss and three sacks – even fought through a hold to get one of his late quarterback takedowns.
Arkansas was forced to punt with a little more than three minutes to play. The kick was awful, setting State up with great field position at its own 45-yard line. It was do or die time for the Dawgs. Hazelwood's mind was already getting set.
"It was more like, 'Just get me close enough,'" Hazelwood said of his thought process.
MSU fulfilled Hazelwood's request, but not without a couple of heart-stopping plays. With just over two minutes left, the Bulldogs faced a 3rd-and-18 from its own 37. Quarterback Wayne Madkin dropped to pass and pulled a Houdini on the Hogs, narrowly escaping a sack, running to his left, then firing to his right and finding Kelvin Love. Love caught the ball and lunged forward just ahead of the marker for a brand-new set of downs.
If anyone in the Bulldog family had any fingernails left, the rest were all gnawed off with 1:13 remaining. That's when State encountered a 4th-and-15 from midfield. The Razorback defense brought the house hoping to leave Madkin with no time to get the ball out accurately, if at all. But the redshirt freshman signal caller once again delivered, this time throwing a strike to Kevin Cooper just before the Arkansas pressure arrived. Cooper hauled in the football and got the Dawgs to the Hog 31-yard line.
"It was unbelievable," Hazelwood said of Madkin's clutch pass. "Knowing when we made that…I knew Coach [Jackie] Sherrill was going to kick a field goal, even if it was a long field goal."
Fortunately for Hazelwood, it wouldn't be long at all. That's because before Hazelwood's leg could provide a lifelong highlight, running back Chris Rainey's legs laid a foundation for it.
Rainey took a toss from Madkin, ran to his right and got MSU 15 yards down to the Arkansas 16 with a little over 40 seconds on the clock. Rainey ran two more times and lined the field goal unit up at the 10 with 10 seconds left.
Just a 27-yard kick for Hazelwood was all that was needed to win the game. No problem, right?
"Sometimes the easier ones become the harder ones when you do these things," Hazelwood said.
Even so, there was a confidence inside the Bulldog kicker.
"I looked around me and even the people on our field goal team, we were all juniors and seniors that had come in together," Hazelwood said. "I was like, 'We're going out right. This is the way we're going to do it.'"
Hazelwood took his place, saw the snap and hold and moved forward. Foot hit ball. Then, for an ever-so-brief second, Hazelwood had concern.
"After I kicked it, my heart did kind of drop," Hazelwood admitted. "It's kind of like a golf swing. You know when you don't hit it great. But I knew it was a short enough field goal that, lined up correctly, I was going to make it. I knew I didn't hit it great, but as soon as I looked up, I knew it was good."
Television cameras appeared to show it was an incredibly close call. However, there was no doubt on the field what had happened.
"[The camera angle] made it look a little closer than it really was," Hazelwood said. "I made it by about three or four feet. It wasn't like right over the upright or anything. It wasn't really that close, it just tailed."
All the Razorbacks' heads dropped. The Bulldogs erupted. Hazelwood ran towards the sideline, slid to his knees and pointed to the sky.
Arkansas had one last chance to make something happen with a kickoff return, but it never stood a chance.
Ballgame. Wrap it in Maroon and White.
Scott Field became a madhouse as everyone knew what the victory meant. Fans stormed the field. The goalposts came down with assists from players. It was a chaotic, special scene. One that resulted in a very deserved souvenir for Hazelwood.
"I did get a piece [of the goalpost]," Hazelwood said. "My old roommate at the time, he actually confiscated a piece and said he was security. He took it from the people who had it and cut it up and gave it to a bunch of us. I still have it to this day."
Under a week later, Hazelwood and his teammates captured something else they still hold dear: that wonderful 1998 SEC West championship.
"The sentiment going in that year was, 'Hey, we're going to do something that's never been done,'" Hazelwood said.
And they did it.
Nov. 21, 1998
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) October 31, 2023
Brian Hazelwood kicks the game-winner with 7 seconds left to give Mississippi State the 22-21 victory over Arkansas.#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/qau9Um8xqn