There have been a lot of close games in Mississippi State football history. Some we win, some we lose. Here, I’m going to countdown the ones that got away…the ones that made you wish we were playing by the rules of horseshoes or hand grenades. We’ll start with #10: 2004 vs. Arkansas.

Not too many people saw this game as it was not on TV and a lot of MSU fans took off for the woods since hunting  season had begun. The Dawgs had shown some signs of life in Sly Croom’s first year, but the season was still a loss at 3-6, and probation to boot.

After starting the year 1-5, MSU beat #20 Florida and Kentucky, but with a couple of wins to close out the year it would be a successful year one under Croom (aside from the Maine loss). Coming in, State had lost five in a row to Arkansas since the great 1998 win, but it looked like State could put an end to that streak when they got out to a 14-0 1st quarter lead.

The Hogs mounted a 2nd quarter comeback and took the lead, 17-14 two minutes before the half. Omarr Conner engineered a 83-yard drive that got to the Arkansas one yard line. While the clock was ticking and the MSU offense ready to snap the ball, the referee stood over ball and allowed the clock to hit 0:00. Golden opportunity missed because State wasn’t allowed to snap it.

The Bulldogs ended up losing the game 24-21. They’d go on to lose the next three contests to UPig, making it nine in a row before finally winning one in 2008.