It was a late game for Bulldog fans back in Mississippi, with a 9:30 PM Central Time kickoff. The way the first half went might have made some turn in early, thinking that this season was going to be more of the same as last year.<\/p>\n
Arizona State scored on all five of its first possessions. Running back Cam Skattebo<\/a> was the main feature rushing for a total of 262 yards, a career high for him. ASU\u2019s rushing total for the game was 359 yards. Scattebo accounted for 73% of those. This created a great deal of concern for the Dawgs\u2019 run defense.<\/p>\n On one scoring drive in the first half, the Tempe team scored on an 11-play drive following a fourth and one failed attempt by State. Out of those 11 plays, 10 were rushes, finalized with quarterback Sam Leavitt<\/a> running in from the one. He would have two rushing touchdowns in the first half.<\/p>\n Also, State\u2019s offense seemed ill-prepared, with some not knowing where to line up. This can lead that side of the ball to an overall failure and a loss of confidence. One of ASU\u2019s scores came from their defense as Bulldog quarterback Blake Shapen<\/a> fumbled. Sun Devil defensive lineman CJ Fite<\/a> scooped it up and ran the one-yard for a touchdown. This vulnerability was alluded to by Bulldog head coach Jeff Lebby in his post-game comments following the Eastern Kentucky win<\/a>. \u201cThe ball was on the ground too many times,\u201d Lebby said. This was State\u2019s only fumble, but considering the difference in the final score, a deadly one. Arizona State led MSU 27-3 going in at halftime.<\/p>\n The second half started out pretty much as the first one ended, with the Sun Devils driving the ball down the field in 14 plays. This time, however, the Dawg defense held ASU to a field goal and their last scoring success of the game. The drive, however, ate up over eight minutes of the clock. This would be a determining factor in the game’s outcome.<\/p>\n That\u2019s when MSU\u2019s offense finally got in gear. Shapen drove them down to the six-yard line and Keyvone Lee<\/a> got his first Bulldog touchdown run with 2:29 left in the third quarter.<\/p>\n In the first four drives of the second half, the Bulldogs scored three touchdowns to bring the score to its final conclusion, 30-23. The last score came in dramatic fashion with an 80-yard touchdown pass from Shapen to Kevin Coleman<\/a> with 5:27 left in the game. Momentum was finally in the Dawgs’ favor. However, despite forcing three straight punts, the Bulldog defense couldn\u2019t give the offense one last try, and time eventually ran out. It could have been the biggest comeback in Mississippi State history. But, the Bulldogs did give ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham quite a scare. \u201cEven though it probably lost three months off my life, our team needed that,\u201d Dillingham said in his post-game press conference.<\/p>\nJekyll and Hyde<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Where to Go from Here<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Bulldogs](\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/09\/USATSI_24185876_168400536_lowres-300x214.jpg\")