Postgame Notes: Mississippi State 34, Southern Miss 17
August 30, 2025 | Football
2025 Mississippi State Football Postgame Notes
Hattiesburg, Miss. // M.M. Roberts Stadium
Mississippi State 34, Southern Miss 17
General Notes
- Mississippi State and Southern Miss met for the 32nd time, and State improved to 19-12-1 against the Golden Eagles. It was the fifth meeting between the two schools since 2014.
- Mississippi State improved to 5-1 against Southern Miss when the game has been played in Hattiesburg.
- Mississippi State has won seven consecutive games in the series, dating back to September 9, 1989.
- Uniform Combo: The Bulldogs wore their Maroon helmets with the Script State logo while wearing white jerseys with white pants. This was just the second time under head coach Jeff Lebby that the team went with its Maroon, White, White combo.
- Mississippi State is 1-1 in this combo under Coach Lebby.
- Attendance: 33,485
- Mississippi State has scored in 57 consecutive games dating back to October 21, 2020.
- The Bulldogs improved to 90-33-2 in season openers and 22-10-1 in season openers on the road.
- Mississippi State had 38 players who were not on the 2024 roster play vs. Southern Miss.
Game Captains & Coin Toss
- Game Captains for State: #2 Blake Shapen (QB), #40 Nic Mitchell (LB), #75 Jacoby Jackson (OL)
- Southern Miss won the toss and elected to defer to the second half ... Mississippi State received the opening kick.
- Mississippi State has received the opening kickoff in 17 straight games dating back to October 28, 2023.
- Mississippi State is now 6-7 on the coin toss under Jeff Lebby
Offensive Notes
- Blake Shapen threw his first touchdown pass of the season to Seydou Traore in the 1st quarter.
- Shapen has now thrown a touchdown pass in 16 consecutive games, the second-longest active streak at the FBS level behind Iowa State's Rocco Becht (20 games).
- Shapen extended his consecutive start streak to 26 games.
- Seydou Traore's opening drive touchdown was the second year in a row that Mississippi State scored a touchdown on its opening drive.
- Fluff Bothwell scored his first touchdown as a Bulldog in the third quarter with a 6-yard run.
- Bothwell's second touchdown of the game was the first time a Mississippi State running back scored 2+ touchdowns in a single game since Woody Marks against Southeastern Louisiana in 2023.
- This was the sixth time in his career, first at Mississippi State, that Bothwell has scored 2+ rushing touchdowns in a single game.
- This is the second time under Coach Lebby, and the first time this season, that MSU has scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the first and second half in the same game.
- Seydou Traore tied his Mississippi State single-game reception high with five catches.
- Traore tied his Mississippi State single-game receiving yardage high with 77 yards.
- Kolin Wilson and Kamario Taylor each had their first career carries, rushing for 3 yards each.
- Davon Booth had 91 all-purpose (79 rush yards and 12 receiving yards).
- He had the longest rush of the game with his 16-yard run in the third quarter.
- Brenen Thompson led the team in all-purpose yards with 92 yards.
- It was the first time under head coach Jeff Lebby that 10 different Bulldogs caught a pass in the same game.
- Luke Kromenhoek completed his first pass as a Bulldog in the fourth quarter.
- He also had three carries for 21 yards with a long run of 13 yards.
Defensive Notes
- Jaray Bledsoe made his first career start at Mississippi State. He was the only Bulldog on defense to make his first career start.
- Brylan Lanier grabbed the first interception of the season for Mississippi State in the third quarter.
- That was his second career interception.
- Lanier's interception was the first INT for a Mississippi State player since November 2, 2024, vs. UMass ... Lanier also made that interception.
- Second straight season with an interception in the season opener.
- Mississippi State held Southern Miss to 301 total yards, the fewest allowed by the Bulldogs in their last 11 games.
- Isaac Smith led the team in tackles with seven.
- It is the seventh time in his career that he has led the team in tackles.
- Mississippi State had seven pass breakups as a team.
- DeAgo Brumfield (2), Kelley Jones (2), Tanner Johnson (1), Malick Sylla (1), DJ Reed (1)
Special Teams Notes
- Kyle Ferrie went 2-2 on field goals, connecting on field goals from 55 yards and 30 yards.
- Ferrie was also 4-4 in PATs, extending his streak to 33 straight makes.
- He is 69-for-70 in PATs in his career.
- Kyle Ferrie's 55-yard field goal was the first 50-yard field goal for a Bulldog since Ben Raybon's 53-yarder against Bowling Green in 2023.
- His 55-yard field goal was the longest in program history, breaking Artie Cosby's 54-yard field goal in 1985.
- The 55-yard field goal was the longest field goal by an opposing kicker at M.M. Roberts Stadium since at least 1976.
- Ethan Pulliam made his Mississippi State football debut, punting twice.
- He had a long of 47 yards and averaged 41.0 yards per punt.
- Nathan Tiyce made his Mississippi State debut, punting twice.
- He had a long punt of 42 yards and pinned one inside the 20-yard line.
Explosive Plays (2)
(plays of 20+ yards)
- Seydou Traore: 55-yard receiving touchdown from Blake Shapen, first quarter
- Brenen Thompson: 51-yard reception from Blake Shapen, third quarter
Career Highs
- Seydou Traore
- Longest Reception – 55 yards
- Ayden Williams
- Receptions – Tied two receptions
- Brenen Thompson
- Receptions – 7 receptions
- Receiving Yards – 92 yards
- Kyle Ferrie
- Longest Field Goal – 55 yards
- Will Whitson
- Tackles For Loss – 2.5
- Kelley Jones
- Pass Breakups – 2
Players Mentioned
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