Stepping Up When It Mattered The Most
September 06, 2025 | Football
STARKVILLE – To win a big-time game, it is inherent that big-time players make big-time plays in big-time situations.
Time after time on Saturday night, Mississippi State's star players made those necessary plays in moments that mattered the most. And as the final second ticked off the clock, it was the Bulldogs who celebrated a 24-20 victory over 12th-ranked Arizona State alongside a ravenous fan base that stormed Scott Field for the first time in decades.
"Words can't even explain how awesome this is," said safety Hunter Washington. "I just told all my teammates to cherish this moment and don't take it for granted. I'm very proud for all the seniors that have stuck together. We get to enjoy this one tonight."
MSU players and their cowbell-clanging fans alike certainly enjoyed a fast start in the first half, jumping out to a 17-3 lead heading into intermission. That momentum, however, shifted in the second half as the Sun Devils scored two touchdowns to tie things up early in the fourth quarter.
Following a subsequent Bulldog punt, ASU methodically marched the length of the field on a 95-yard drive that chewed up nearly nine minutes of the clock to set the Sun Devils up with 1st-and-goal from the 3-yard line. With their backs against the wall, Mississippi State's defense stood tall and denied the Sun Devils the end zone on three consecutive plays and were forced to settle for a chip-shot field goal.
"That was the goal to hold them to three (points) or to get them off the field completely with a turnover," said safety Isaac Smith. "We just needed to get the ball back into our offense's hands."
Trailing for the first time all day and completely out of timeouts, the Bulldogs needed to somehow go 77 yards in the remaining 1:33 of regulation. The first four plays netted 19 yards for MSU but with 41 seconds left, quarterback Blake Shapen fired a 58-yard strike to a streaking Brenen Thompson for the go-ahead score which sent Davis Wade Stadium into an absolute frenzy.
"We didn't have any timeouts, so we just had to get on the ball and run the next play," Shapen said. "Playing each play independent of the last was a huge thing. No matter what happened, we needed to get on the ball and snap it so we could play fast. Brenen got loose on that last one and nobody was in the middle of the field. If you let somebody like that loose with a lot of grass, he's going to make a play."
That touchdown toss was Shapen's third of the night and second to Thompson. Shapen finished the game 19 of 33 passing for 279 yards while Thompson hauled in six balls for a career-high 133 yards, none of which was more clutch than his eventual game-winner.
"I had the option to either wrap (the route) flat or take it deep," Thompson said. "There was no way I was wrapping it flat. I had to go score. I made (the defensive back) miss, looked back and saw that Blake had thrown the ball and it all felt surreal. Once I caught it and looked up and saw that no one was in front of me, I knew whoever was behind me wasn't catching me. I couldn't get to the end zone fast enough."
As exhilarating as it was, the game wasn't over yet. Arizona State, who won the Big 12 and reached the College Football Playoffs last year, had intentions of answering in the final 30 seconds and wielded two timeouts.
However, those hopes were thwarted as quickly as a Tempe rain shower when Washington stepped in front of a Sam Leavitt pass on the first play from scrimmage. That interception sealed the Bulldogs' first non-conference win against a top 15 opponent at home since 1991.
"From the beginning, we just knew we had to believe," Washington said. "The game is not always going to be perfect, you just have to go back to your training. I can't even explain how happy I am for all of my teammates sticking together with each other to get this win."
