It’s been a rough first half in Starkville for Mississippi State and Tommy Stevens as the Bulldogs were down 17-7 with nine seconds remaining in the first half.

Considering Stevens had accounted for multiple turnovers in the first half (one interception and one lost fumble), it would have been understandable if Joe Moorhead played it safe and simply tried to rally in the second half, but instead of playing it safe, Mississippi State wisely got aggressive to end the first half and it paid off.

Ironically, Mississippi State’s final drive of the first half didn’t have much of a chance before Kansas State was called for a 15-yard personal foul after Stevens got hit while sliding on a run that would not have otherwise resulted in a first down.

That play not only gave MSU a first down but stopped the clock with less than a minute remaining in the half.

With just seconds remaining in the first half, Stevens threw a beautiful pass to Osirus Mitchell for a touchdown that cut Mississippi State’s deficit to just three points heading into halftime.

Considering Mississippi State has been outplayed for much of this game, being down only three points isn’t bad for Moorhead’s team. When this game ends, we may look back at this play as the defining moment of the game.