GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It was all coming down to one last play for Mississippi State in the final seconds at Florida.
The Bulldogs had driven into Gator territory for the third time in the fourth quarter of play, and head coach Jeff Lebby burned his final timeout with 29 seconds left on the clock.
A homecoming crowd of more than 90,000 had turned to booing their own team and embattled coach, Billy Napier, even as the Gators clung to a 23-21 lead.
Everything was building up to a final, decisive moment in the game, and then it happened.
MSU quarterback Blake Shapen dropped back to pass, and threw over the middle, where Florida nose tackle Michai Boireau was waiting.
“Basically had a six-yard option route where you can break in or break out or sit,” Shapen said, reflecting on the play. “And in that situation I’ve got to take care of the ball best i can. I felt like I was hot, right there, so trying to get the ball out of my hands. In that scenario, all you need is to hit the field goal and you win it.”
“We wanted to be around the 20-yard line, felt like that was an incredibly safe field goal spot for us,” Lebby said of the situation. “Had the ability there to go and gain six yards. I love the call, I don’t like what the outcome was, but we had a lot of opportunities. It comes down to that last play. We’ve got a find a way to feel the dropper and see him, and at the same time make a better decision at receiver.”
The unlikely Florida hero intercepted the pass. Shapen said he just didn’t see the player drop into coverage, owning up to the costly mistake in his postgame interview.
It was just that, his mistake, but it was far from the only mistake that cost the Bulldogs their first SEC win since 2023.
The Bulldogs opened the game with a slick drive, going 75 yards in 2:42 and finishing with a run by true freshman Kamario Taylor. The offense would drive into Florida territory four more times in the first half, but came away with no points.
The offense stalled out with a turnover on downs, a red zone fumble, and a missed field goal in the second quarter, and whiffed on a golden opportunity to pile on points against the Gators in their own yard. Instead, the Gators overcame their own poor play to build a lead. They were up 20-7 at the start of the fourth quarter, and adding one more field goal was enough to get them back in the win column.
“It’s still the same thing, it’s negative plays,” Lebby said of the lack of execution to finish drives. “I don’t know if we had a negative play in the fourth quarter. That’s it. The negative plays in the first half, we’re moving the football, I think we have three drives there in the second, where we end up getting no points, and it was because of negative plays. That was the story again.”
The Bulldog bench was emotional in the aftermath. Shapen was mad with himself, and the defensive players having to rally each other to take one final snap with the Gators in victory formation.
Safety Brylan Lanier had an excellent game with two interceptions and a pass breakup in the end zone. Kelley Jones had two breakups of his own, and Isaac Smith marked his return with six tackles and a sack as the Bulldog defense did their part once again.
The defensive display was not without mistakes, though. The Gators ran well behind sophomore back Jadan Baugh, who accumulated 150 yards and a touchdown on the ground. West Point, MS native KD Daniels added another score on the ground, and even Gators quarterback DJ Lagway continued to make throws after his interceptions, recording 280 yards through the air.
The frustration runs throughout the Bulldog team, regardless of unit, and they all have to wear it and learn from it if they’re to shake the now 15-game losing streak in conference play.
Veteran linebacker Nic Mitchell summed up the locker room mood, as well as the role of himself and other leaders, after another frustrating defeat.
“Everybody’s hurt, everybody’s disappointed, but we’ve got to go respond,” he said. “There’s not too many words in that locker room right now, because everybody’s hurting, but you know what it is. When you sign up to be a leader in a team, you’re not just a leader in the good times. Not just when we beat Arizona State in the third game of the year, you’re a leader in these moments too. “It’s time for us to respond and lead from the front.”
The Bulldogs will be back at home next week for the visit of No. 21 Texas.
Posted in College Sports
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