A New Day Dawns For Dawgs Everywhere
September 07, 2025 | Football, Joel Coleman
MSU knocks off No. 12 Arizona State and re-establishes program footing.
STARKVILLE – Let's save everyone some time, shall we? Because if you're reading this, you already know the background of this story.
Saturday night. Mississippi State vs. No. 12 Arizona State. Under a minute to go and MSU is down by three. The Bulldogs need a miracle, when suddenly, it's Blake Shapen. It's Brenen Thompson. It's 58 yards for the touchdown that shook Starkville and the entirety of the Magnolia State.
A few seconds later, defensive back Hunter Washington sealed the deal with a pick near midfield. Dawgs win, 24-20. Wrap it in Maroon and White! What a night!
 And it was Hollywood-esque that Washington was the one to put the exclamation point on this crazy, incredible, unforgettable evening.
Why, you ask? Three years ago, Washington came to play football at Mississippi State. He was a part of legendary head coach Mike Leach's final roster – a group that won nine games including a bowl victory.
So much has happened to Washington and Mississippi State since. There was Leach's untimely passing. There was a midseason coaching change. There was 2-10. There's no other way to say it. Times have been tough.
Well, Saturday night at Davis Wade Stadium, 60 minutes of game action helped close the book on three years' worth of hurting, yearning, working and waiting to once again be punching with the big boys of college football. It was a revival. It was arguably the most cathartic win in MSU football history.
There was never a road map for all MSU has endured these last 33 months or so. Yet Washington's pick and the victory it cemented certainly had the feel of the Dawgs finally reaching their desired destination. State closed one tough chapter and opened the page to an exciting new one with fresh opportunity and hope aplenty.
"We all just bought in to this program, knowing that we needed to flip the script," Washington said postgame.
Well, Washington and his teammates have done just that. The script IS flipped, and a new day has dawned in Stark Vegas.
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Now before any of us get too carried away, it's best to go ahead and heed the words of head coach Jeff Lebby.
Immediately after Saturday's victory, he tried to summarize what the triumph meant to the MSU program.
"I think for me, the message it sends is we're trending the right way," Lebby said. "We have a ton of work to do, but…there's belief inside our walls. Our guys know what we're capable of, but we have to continue to play a lot better to get where we want to go."
Lebby nor his guys are settling because of one big win.
At the same time, you can't get a bunch of big wins until you get the first one. That one's now in the bank.
For weeks, even months now, there has been confidence inside the MSU football building that this year's Dawgs were different and could do something special.
"I'd been telling everybody that something was coming," State defensive standout Isaac Smith said. "I could feel it."
That belief was infectious. It permeated throughout the roster. On the practice fields in preseason camp, there was a certain swagger. There wasn't cockiness, but there was confidence.
Countless times, players praised the team's communication, its cohesiveness and its character.
They backed it all up with a convincing season-opening win on the road against instate foe Southern Miss a week ago.
Just like that, MSU was 1-0, but more than that, the Bulldogs' first-game performance set the stage for an unforgettable home-opening Saturday by rallying their not-so-secret weapon.
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Mississippi State fans really are unmatched in their loyalty and devotion. But along with the football program itself, the MSU family has hurt the last three years, longing for success to return.
Saturday night was a testament to how hungry this fanbase has been.
A case could be made Davis Wade Stadium was louder on Saturday night than it's been since that State great wearing No. 15 led the Dawgs to No. 1 back in 2014.
The cowbells clanged with more authority and consistency than they have in a decade. The roars were sustained. Maybe it's cliché to say, but there was an unmistakable buzz all day long.
"What an atmosphere," Lebby said. "What an evening. That is Davis Wade at its finest.
"To see our university show up the way we showed up tonight…it's special."
Forget all the social media banter throughout the week regarding Arizona State's hotel situation and their cowbell preparation and all the little storylines that cropped up. That's not why Davis Wade was rocking on Saturday.
It was rocking because Bulldogs everywhere were chomping at the bit to finally, once again, experience a moment of jubilation. It'd been far too long, and the program momentum seemed to indicate success was finally within reach.
Inside the stadium on Saturday, you could feel the mood instantly. There was an unmistakable anticipation. Many were convinced a new era was here, long before the late heroics made it all reality. From the $9 million worth of enhancements to the venue, to the attitude coming from the stands, something special was brewing.
Even when the Dawgs got down and all hope seemed lost, the crowd sang along as enthusiastically as ever with 'Don't Stop Believin'', then backed up the lyrics.
They helped carry their Bulldogs, and in turn, the fans got to carry goalposts right out of Davis Wade.
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To be fair, no one could've been blamed for losing some belief. After all, the Sun Devils did rally from a 17-0 deficit to go up 20-17 with under two minutes to go.
Things seemed especially dire when State faced a 3rd-and-9 from its own 42-yard line with under 40 ticks left on the clock.
But there would be no heartbreak on this night. Instead, there would be heroes made who'll stand the test of time.
There was Shapen with the throw of a lifetime.
"I think that's got to be [the top moment of my career]," Shapen said. "Just to end a game like that against a top-15 opponent at home. You know, we're down three points going into that drive, so I think that's definitely got to be No. 1."
Then there was Thompson, who in his first year with Dawgs, almost wore it as a badge of honor to make the magic happen for everyone.
"[I've been] around the guys [since January] and heard about all the hardships this team has been through," Thompson said. "Just being in that position to go make that play, I was just so happy for my teammates, happy for my coaches and happy for this fanbase."
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When it was all said and done Saturday, madness ensued.
Thousands rushed onto the field, creating a sea of humanity from goal line to goal line. A party started that in all likelihood may still be going as you read this.
It was a celebration long overdue for a program and fanbase that weathered seemingly every storm imaginable and has now come out the other side.
There'll assuredly be cloudy days again in the future. The Southeastern Conference schedule alone is too tough to expect otherwise.
But for now, once again, it's sunny in Starkville. And the head man indicates if you love the Dawgs, you better get your shades, because even brighter days are coming.
"So much to be thankful for and we're just getting started," Lebby said.
