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Rapid Reaction: Mississippi State swings its sword, wins ReliaQuest Bowl on last-second field goal
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Mississippi State entered the ReliaQuest Bowl on Monday afternoon in Tampa with heavy hearts, as it was the Bulldogs’ first game after the passing of coach Mike Leach at age 61.
Illinois was their opponent, and the Illini are a very stout defensive team, sporting one of the best defensive units in the country.
That made offense hard to come by in the first half. Through the first 2 quarters of play, QB Will Rogers threw for only 133 yards and 2 interceptions.
But the Bulldogs’ defense kept them in the game. At the intermission, the score was 7-3 in favor of the Illini.
After Illinois extended its lead to 10-3 in the third quarter, Mississippi State finally found the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter.
As you can see below, Rogers hit Justin Robinson in the back of the end zone for 6 points. It was a close play, but it was called a touchdown on the field and the call stood after review:
.@4Ljrob FOR THE TIE‼️#HailState?☠️ pic.twitter.com/sWI2iD6tth
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) January 2, 2023
Late in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs got the ball back with the score tied 10-10. They had 1:50 to go 79 yards for the win.
Surprisingly, it was the Bulldogs’ rushing attack that was dangerous. Simeon Price ran for 48 yards during the final drive to set the Bulldogs up for a game-winning field goal attempt.
Massimo Biscardi lined up the 27-yard field goal and drilled it through the uprights to give the Bulldogs a 13-10 lead with 4 seconds left.
Scoring over, right?
Wrong!
On the final play of the game, Illinois was trying a desperation lateral play and fumbled. Marcus Banks scooped the ball up and ran it back for a touchdown to make the final score 19-10:
Mississippi State wins, and a brief brawl breaks out pic.twitter.com/yNIYuIOvFA
— Matt Baker (@MBakerTBTimes) January 2, 2023
A scuffle broke out on the field afterward, but it was quickly stymied and the game ended.
Mississippi State finishes the season with an overall record of 9-4, while Illinois fell to 8-5.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 14 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
