ESPN Host Reveals One Regret That’s Keeping Kenny Dillingham Up At Night Since MSU Loss

What an excellent end to the night for Mississippi State! At Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday night, Mississippi State delivered one of the wildest finishes of Week 2, stunning No. 12 Arizona State, 24–20, in front of a roaring home crowd. The Bulldogs appeared ready to cruise when they jumped out to a 17–0 first-half lead. ASU’s offense sputtered badly early, with quarterback Sam Leavitt throwing for just 30 yards on 5-of-15 passing before the break. Coach Kenny Dillingham admitted afterward, “I’ve got to do a better job getting him in a rhythm.”

But in the second half, the Sun Devils woke up. They leaned heavily on the ground game, stringing together bruising drives and piling up over 200 rushing yards behind Raleek Brown and Isaiah Udo. Then came the drive that seemed destined to define the night: 95 yards, 15 of the 16 plays on the ground, chewing up clock and the Mississippi State defense.

In the recent episode on ESPN,  Scott Van Pelt and Steve discussed that the last drive for Arizona State was truly impressive. Dave Flemming also joined with his take, “They ran it 15 of 16 plays… went 95 yards with just one pass on third down.” The drive stalled at the goal line, though, forcing Dillingham to send out the field goal unit. ASU settled for three points and a 20–17 lead with 1:38 to play.” They just committed everybody to stopping the run and they still couldn’t stop him,” Dave said. But things soon took a drastic turn.

The decision left the door cracked, and Jeff Lebby’s Bulldogs kicked it wide open. On the very next possession, quarterback Blake Shapen spotted receiver Brenan Thompson streaking free downfield. The result: a 58-yard strike that stunned the stadium into disbelief. Dave stated, “I guarantee you he’s getting on the airplane thinking, ‘Why didn’t I go for it there?’…..I mean, I get I understood why he didn’t. Their defense had dominated. Mississippi State’s offense had not done much in the second half. The defense had dominated, but I still really thought that he was considering it, and I bet you now he wish he had.”

It was unreal, that last play. The game-winning touchdown in the closing seconds, caught by Brennan Thompson alone? Scott stated, “I was sitting on my couch like, ‘Holy, shit he’s going to score,’ I couldn’t believe there was no one back there!” Well, tough night for Kenny, what else can we say?

Bulldogs Deliver Jeff Lebby’s Biggest Win Yet With Last-Minute Strike

From beginning to end, the comeback was an intense experience. Despite MSU’s early dominance, ASU persisted and came very close to winning the game. With only 82 yards and a few interceptions, their quarterback, Sam Leavitt, had a tough game on Saturday, but they held strong thanks to a long field goal and some crucial drives. Hunter Washington’s game-winning interception helped the MSU defense stay in the game when it mattered most. Both teams refused to back down until the very end of the game, which was the type of match where momentum fluctuated.

For MSU, this win isn’t just another notch in the belt; it’s their biggest ranked win under Coach Jeff Lebby and a sign that this season could be something special. They’ve already picked up votes in the Top 25 and have a lot of confidence going into their next games. As for ASU, it’s tough to swallow after a promising start, but it’s a crucial lesson for the road ahead. With both teams showing determination, it’s clear this year’s race is wide open, and anything can happen.