Dawgs Get a MUCH Needed Victory in Little Rock, 24-17

Nov 23, 2013; Little Rock, AR, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs running back LaDarius Perkins (27) dives into the end zone against Arkansas Razorbacks safety Eric Bennett (14) and safety Alan Turner (27) during the second quarter at War Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

Damien Williams ran for a 25 yard touchdown on the first play of overtime and that was enough to secure a victory for MSU after the defense held on Arkansas’ possession. Bulldogs win 24-17.

Several streaks went down today:

• 1st time MSU has won a game in the state of Arkansas
• 1st time MSU has won a game under Mullen when trailing after 3 quarters (previously 0-25)
• 1st time to beat Arkansas in overtime (previously 0-2)

Josh Robinson had a tremendous game. He did not play in the 1st half but ran for 103 yards in the 2nd half alone. He was a force. Tyler Russell played well too: 19 of 29 for 276 yards. He left the game with under a minute to go in regulation after getting knocked up pretty good. Devon Bell tried to win the game on a 42 yard FG attempt, which had plenty of leg going into the wind but was wide right.

The play of the game was undoubtedly Nickoe Whitley’s strip and fumble recovery inside the red zone late in the 4th quarter. The game was tied 17-17 at the time and as it turned out MSU was unable to score in regulation, so that could be considered a game saving play (he did this after blowing his coverage for a 40+ yard pass play just prior).

The game was so close because the Dawgs just kept shooting themselves in the foot. They were in the red zone five times but only managed 10 points in those drives.

LaDarius Perkins scored the first MSU touchdown but went down on that play after taking a hit from both sides. Derrick Milton took over and fumbled inside the five yard line. His day was short-lived as JRob got the rest of the carries and performed very well.

The defense played solid. Arkansas only gained 340 total yards, and they came up with all the stops that were needed to secure the victory.

This was a huge victory as it allows State to remain alive for bowl eligibility if they can win the Egg Bowl. Dan Mullen has still never lost to a team who finished the year with a losing record, and he’s now beaten Arkansas twice in a row.

Basketball game starts at 8:00 tonight. You can watch it streaming HERE.