Mississippi State Bulldogs Narrowly Outpaced in Tempe, Arizona State Sun Devils Secure Victory
In a nail-biting encounter that ended with the Arizona State Sun Devils edging out the Mississippi State Bulldogs 30-23, both teams put forth a valiant effort. This result leaves the Bulldogs with an even record of 1-1 for the season, while propelling the Sun Devils to an undefeated start of 2-0. Despite rallying in the latter half, Mississippi State was unable to claw back from Arizona's initial lead.
The match was marked by formidable defensive plays on both ends. The Bulldogs' defense managed to bring down Arizona's quarterback once and amassed a total of 67 tackles. Branden Jennings shone brightly on defense with one sack and another tackle for loss, playing a pivotal role in stifling the Sun Devils' attack. In terms of special teams performance, Nick Barr-Mira impressed with an average punt distance of 46 yards over three attempts.
On offense, quarterback Blake Shapen connected on 18 out of his 28 pass attempts, amassing 268 yards and two touchdowns which underscored his accuracy and ability to exploit downfield opportunities. A standout moment came from his longest completion that spanned 80 yards for a touchdown. Kevin Coleman proved to be Shapen’s primary weapon, hauling in four passes for a total of 103 yards and dazzling spectators with one touchdown from an electrifying maneuver.
However, Mississippi State found little success in their running game, managing just 24 rushing yards across all ball carriers during the contest. Keyvone Lee led this segment with nine carries yielding 35 yards alongside scoring one rushing touchdown.
The kicking department saw Kyle Ferrie convert one field goal attempt from within twenty-nine yards but falter on an extra point try – misses that proved costly in such a closely fought game.
Looking forward, Mississippi State is set to welcome Toledo Rockets at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field in Starkville on September 14th at 7:30 PM EDT. Fans eager for this encounter can catch live coverage via ESPN Networks as Mississippi aims to recover from their narrow defeat against Arizona State.