10 random thoughts about Mississippi State's upset over No. 12 Arizona State

The Bulldogs pulled off one of their biggest wins in recent seasons Saturday night front of an electrying crowd. Here are 10 thoughts about the game.

Mississippi State Bulldogs fans crowd around quarterback Blake Shapen (2) after defeating the Arizona State Sun Devils at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

What a game, huh?

Saturday night’s win against No. 12 Arizona State was a roller coaster of emotions for both Mississippi State’s team and fans.

A lot happened in the game that we will be getting into throughout today. But to start, here are 10 random thoughts about the Bulldogs 24-20 win over the Sun Devils:

1. Calling Davis Wade Stadium a cowbell-fueled sensory deprivation chamber was just a joke until Saturday’s game. Now, it’s a perfect description. No, seriously. We in the press box had to yell just to be heard by the person sitting next to us. At one point I looked down at the Bulldogs’ sideline and asked myself, “how in the world can Jeff Lebby have a conversation with Blake Shapen when I can’t hear the person sitting next to me." That leads me to this thought…
2. EA College Football 26 has Davis Wade Stadium ranked way too low in its ranking of toughest places to play. The fans deserve credit for the win, too. The cowbells and overall environment clearly had an impact on Arizona State.
3. Will Whitson going down with an injury is a big loss for Mississippi State. He was great last week against Southern Miss and was headed for another great game with a sack and two TFLs. We also saw Jaray Bledsoe exit the game in the second half with an injury. That’s another big loss.
4. Defensive line played great, except for the first drive of the second half. Two sacks, six tackles for a loss and two QB hits is exactly what an SEC team needs from its defensive line. The Bulldogs got that.
5. A big question that sparked an immediate reaction of “what?” from the press box was the Bulldogs’ decision to go for a first down on a fourth-and-six from their own 49-yard line. But the offense was just trying to get the defense to jump offside (it wouldn’t have been the first time) and I agree with what Lebby said in the post-game press conference, a defender did jump but the officials didn’t agree.
6. Do we have a starting offensive line now? The Bulldogs kept most of the same offensive line they ended with against Southern Miss with the one difference being Jayvin James started at left tackle and not Jimothy Lewis Jr. The line wasn’t perfect and, in fact, cost Mississippi State a field goal at the end of the first half that the Sun Devils were happy to take themselves.
7. Are we ready to pump the brakes on the Kamario Taylor hype train now? Shapen wasn’t perfect – more than one armchair quarterback on social media “suggested” he was missing easy completions – but he didn’t throw any interceptions and made the easy completions when it mattered the most. 
8. The defense as a whole was great and answered a lot of questions about its capabilities. But the way Arizona State ran the ball in the second half looked like how the Sun Devils won last season’s game.
9. DeAgo Brumfield’s tackling Raleek Brown at the goal line was another game-winning moment. And, admittedly, a moment I disagreed with. My initial reaction was the Bulldogs should’ve let Brown score and the offense would have plenty of time to tie the game with a touchdown. But Brumfield made the tackle and the defense put up a goalline stand – in front of the student section, too – that forced Arizona State to kick a field goal which led to Thompson’s second touchdown and the fastest field goal post removal I’ve ever seen.
10. And, finally, a note to remind myself about: don’t leave the Advil in the car next time.

Mississippi State fans brought the energy from the beginning 🙌

(via Mississippi State, jsmurphymedia) pic.twitter.com/mg4K2kcNvW

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 7, 2025