Mississippi State Stuns No. 12 Arizona State With Last-Second Touchdown
Bulldogs snap decades-long drought against ranked nonconference foes with Shapen-to-Thompson miracle.
Starkville, September 6 EST: For three quarters, Mississippi State played like a team trying to prove it belonged. For the final 90 seconds, it played like a team that refused to lose. And in between? Arizona State nearly ripped their hearts out.
On a steamy night at Davis Wade Stadium, it came down to one heave, one moment, and one prayer. With the Bulldogs staring down defeat, quarterback Blake Shapen let fly a 58-yard rainbow arcing into the lights. Receiver Brenen Thompson tracked it, snagged it, and tore into the end zone with 30 seconds left on the clock. Bedlam. Pandemonium. Call it what you want; it was a season-defining roar that shook Starkville.
A Tale Of Two Halves
Let’s not sugarcoat it the Bulldogs were bossing this game early. A 17-0 halftime lead, a defense swarming like a hornet’s nest, and an Arizona State offense looking lost in the SEC humidity.
But then the wheels wobbled. Then they came off.
The Sun Devils stopped playing timid football and started pounding the ground. Raleek Brown and Kanye Udoh gashed Mississippi State for chunk after chunk. Suddenly, the Bulldogs couldn’t tackle in space, couldn’t sustain a drive, couldn’t hold the momentum. By the fourth quarter, it felt inevitable. And when Jesus Gomez drilled an 18-yard field goal with 1:38 left, Arizona State had its first lead. From 17-0 up to trailing 20-17 the kind of collapse that makes fans mutter under their breath about cursed seasons.
Shapen’s Moment, Thompson’s Glory
And then came Shapen. Cool. Calm. Maybe a little desperate. The senior didn’t blink.
Five plays, 77 yards. That’s all it took to flip a narrative from “heartbreak” to “legend.” On 2nd-and-7, Shapen trusted his guy. Thompson the track-speed wideout who had already been a problem all night simply outran the Sun Devils’ secondary. He caught it in stride, the crowd inhaled, and then the place erupted.
That’s football. That’s why you stay. That’s why you don’t leave early to beat traffic.
The Numbers That Sing
Shapen’s stat line tells the story 19-of-33, 279 yards, three touchdowns, zero mistakes. That’s not just efficient that’s clutch. Thompson? He carved his name into Bulldog lore with 6 catches for 133 yards and two scores.
Across the field, Arizona State had every reason to think this one was theirs. They ran the ball down State’s throat 251 rushing yards worth of punishment. Udoh’s 105 and a touchdown, Brown’s 110 more, they did their jobs. Quarterback Sam Leavitt steadied the ship in the second half. But in this sport, it’s not about who controls the middle quarters it’s about who survives the final seconds.
History And Heart
Here’s the kicker Mississippi State hadn’t beaten a ranked nonconference opponent since 1991. Thirty-four years of waiting. Thirty-four years of falling short in games like this. And on a humid September night, with a new coach in Jeff Lebby pacing the sideline, they finally got one.
The Bulldogs didn’t just steal a win. They claimed a moment. The kind of moment you play back on highlight reels in recruiting visits, the kind of clip that becomes a program’s heartbeat.
What It Means Going Forward
For Arizona State, this is a gut punch. They had the comeback, they had the ground game, they had the lead with less than two minutes to go. And still, it slipped through their fingers. That’s the cruel truth of college football play 58 minutes of gutsy ball, and 90 seconds can still undo it all.
For Mississippi State, this is oxygen. 2-0 now, with Alcorn State next. A ranked scalp in hand, confidence surging, and proof that when everything collapses, they can still climb out.
Fans will talk about this one for years. Not because it was pretty it wasn’t. Not because it was dominant it wasn’t. But because it was unforgettable.
And unforgettable is how seasons get remembered.
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A former college-level cricketer and lifelong sports enthusiast, Arun Upadhayay brings the heart of an athlete to the sharp eye of a journalist. With firsthand experience in competitive sports and a deep understanding of team dynamics, Arun covers everything from grassroots tournaments to high-stakes international showdowns. His reporting blends field-level grit with analytical precision, making him a trusted voice for sports fans across New Jersey and beyond.
