Ring that Bell: Mississippi State Bulldogs’ Raucous Win

Football practice very rarely requires extensive cowbell desensitization, yet that’s exactly how Arizona State prepped for yesterday’s game against Mississippi State. From Tempe to Starkville, Arizona State players were bracing for the din inside Davis Wade Stadium. They still weren’t prepared for State fans. 

Coach Jeff Lebby noted that the electricity of the stadium helped win the game, giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 season so far. You may remember that last year, State only won 2 games all season. Sports writer Taylor Hodges also credited the fans themselves with State’s victory, reflecting that “we in the press box ha[d] to yell just to be heard by the person sitting next to us…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.” 

We’ve all familiar with home advantage, but State redefined just how important home advantage is at yesterday’s game. The fans created the perfect “cowbell-fueled sensory deprivation chamber,” helping State players to beat a top 15 non-conference opponent for the first time since 1991. 

Amidst the unrelenting bell ringing, Mississippi opened up strong with a touchdown on the first drive. The game was immediately 7-0. Quickly capitalizing on their early success, Mississippi State continued to pummel Arizona State, taking a 17-0 lead. Even as Arizona started gaining ground, earning 3 points in the first half, State was able to stave off the Sun Devils, the first time the Bulldogs have done so in two years. State fans were riding high at halftime, perhaps a little too comfortable with a 17-3 lead. 

To counteract the demoralizing cowbells, Arizona’s coaching staff gave what must have been quite the halftime speech. The Sun Devils returned to the field with a vengeance, outmaneuvering the Bulldogs and scoring 20 unanswered points to take a 20-17 lead near the end of the fourth quarter. For the crowds inside Davis Wade Stadium, it seemed that the tide had turned against the Bulldogs. With less than one minute left on the clock, recouping a lead against the Sun Devils seemed unlikely, if not impossible. 

And then, like something out of a movie, State quarterback Blake Shapen connected with receiver Brenen Thompson for a 58-yard touchdown. There were only 30 seconds left on the clock. It was a miraculous play, one that let the Bulldogs secure a 24-20 victory. Fans rushed the field with their cowbells ringing, ushering in what seems to be a new era for Mississippi State football. 

Author contributor Faith Ellington