Memorable Games
1980 Alabama Crimson Tide On Nov. 1, 1980. Emory Bellard's Bulldog squad downed Bear Bryant's No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide team 6-3. Alabama QB Don Jacobs led the Tide on a furious 44-yard drive in the game's closing minutes. With the ball on the Mississippi State four yard line and just 25 seconds left in the game, Jacobs was nailed in the backfield by Bulldog defender Tyrone Keys and fumbled. Billy Jackson recovered to seal the deal.
1998 Arkansas Razorbacks On November 21, 1998, Mississippi State and Arkansas fought to see who would make it to the SEC Championship Game against Tennessee. Mississippi State had an early lead in the game, but Arkansas rallied back to make it 21-19 late in the 4th quarter. Mississippi State got the ball back, and had a long drive going for the last two minutes of the game. With ten seconds left, Mississippi State kicker, Brian Hazelwood, came in to kick a field goal. He drilled the kick right down the middle, giving Mississippi State an SEC West win, and a berth into the SEC Championship Game.
2000 Florida Gators On Sept. 30, 2000. The Florida Gators came into Davis Wade Stadium ranked third in the nation. The unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs ran for 351 yards, 172 yards and a touchdown for Dicenzo Miller, and 156 yards and a touchdown for Dontae Walker. Bulldogs quarterback Wayne Madkin also ran for two touchdowns. The Bulldogs compiled 517 total yards of offense. A frustrated Steve Spurrier rotated three quarterbacks including Rex Grossman. Grossman went 13 for 16 with 231 yards and two touchdowns. All together, the Gators had 494 yards and four touchdowns through the air. Mississippi State won the game 47–35, breaking Florida's 72-game winning streak against unranked teams.
2000 Texas A&M Aggies On New Year's Eve 2000, Mississippi State battled against Texas A&M in the 2000 Independence Bowl. An unexpected snow came through Shreveport, Louisiana and northwest Louisiana, thus resulting in the nickname "The Snow Bowl". Mississippi State's head coach, Jackie Sherrill, had been previously the Texas A&M head coach, making them a powerhouse program, and this was the first time he had played his old team. With about nine minutes left in the 4th quarter, Mississippi State was down 35-21, but scored a touchdown and got the ball back with five minutes to go. Once again, the Bulldogs scored a touchdown, and sent the game into overtime. Texas A&M got the ball first, and scored a touchdown, but on the extra point, it was blocked by Willie Blade, and it was run back into the end zone by Julius Griffith for two points, making the score 41-37. The Bulldogs got the ball back, and quarterback Wayne Madkin ran it up the middle for a 7-yard touchdown and win.
Read more about this topic: Mississippi State Bulldogs Football
Famous quotes containing the words memorable and/or games:
“Henothing common did, or mean,
Upon the memorable Scene:
But with his keener Eye
The Axes edge did try:”
—Andrew Marvell (1621–1678)
“Whatever games are played with us, we must play no games with ourselves, but deal in our privacy with the last honesty and truth.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)