By BILL BURRUS
It took longer than most had hoped, but Jeff Lebby has his first signature win at Mississippi State.
Since the sudden, tragic death of Mike Leach in December 2022, the MSU program has been filled with sadness, disappointment and frustration. But that all changed with an upset win over then-No. 12 Arizona State, a College Football Playoff participant last season.
The Bulldogs’ wild comeback set off a wild celebration at Davis Wade Stadium. With the clanging of cowbells in the background, Bulldog fans rejoiced on the field with the team. But for some, it was more like relief — following some lean years recently, including a miserable 2-10 performance in Lebby’s first year that included a winless SEC mark.
The celebration cost MSU $500,000. The school was fined by the SEC after fans stormed the field following the game.
Blake Shapen completed a 58-yard touchdown pass to Brenen Thompson with 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to lift the Bulldogs to the upset win — MSU’s first win against a top-15 non-conference opponent in more than 30 years.
Before the Bulldogs took the field, highly touted backup quarterback Kamario Taylor walked over to Shapen, saying “I believe in you.” That’s a good sign for the chemistry Lebby and his staff are working to build.
“Yes, it was an incredible moment for our program and our fans,” Lebby said.
While Ole Miss has ascended in the SEC hierarchy under Lane Kiffin, State has had four different coaches since then with limited success.
So where does State go from here?
They have an excellent chance to top last year’s win total in Game 3. At 2-0, Mississippi State hosts in-state SWAC member Alcorn State, which has dropped 10-point decisions to Northwestern State and Alabama A&M, as it enters the “trap” portion of its schedule.
The Bulldogs just won an emotional game against Arizona State and now face Alcorn and Northern Illinois, two opponents they’ll be heavily favored to beat, before hosting No. 15 Tennessee — giving MSU a chance to get to four wins before entering the always-difficult SEC schedule. If they can do that, the Dogs will need at least two more victories to reach the minimum standard for bowl eligibility.
One of the biggest differences so far has been the improved play of a defense that was the worst in the league a year ago.
The comeback win was aided by a goal-line stand by the Dog defense, led by second-year coordinator Coleman Hutzler, who came under fire during the 2024 season. But in the opener against Southern Mississippi, the defense showed some improvement, holding USM to 113 rushing yards and 2.9 yards per carry, and forced a key interception in the second half.
“The defense found a way to play really good football in the red zone,” Lebby said. “Also, we did a good job of getting off the field in crucial spots. I don’t like how that last scoring drive went down, but every defensive guy we brought today played, and that is big because we are trying to create depth.”
It’s not an easy thing to do. Lebby has to get his team to play as hard against Alcorn State as it did against the No. 12 team in the country last weekend.
“As a staff, we have to go create urgency for our players every single day,” Lebby said at Monday’s press conference. “It’s not just another Monday. It’s the biggest Monday we’ve ever had in our life, and that’s the mindset, and we got to get better. We got a ton of work to do. I think our guys understand that, but we’re going to continue to create that urgency as a staff.”
