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Mississippi State Bulldogs RB Seth Davis gets the awesome moment he deserves

There wasn't a better moment in Mississippi State's win over Alcorn State than this!
ByAndrew Miller|
Sep 30, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA;Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Seth Davis (23) runs the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images
Sep 30, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA;Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Seth Davis (23) runs the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images | Matt Bush-Imagn Images

There weren't many big takeaways to be had from Mississippi State football's 63-0 bludgeoning of Alcorn State. The Bulldogs jumped all over their FCS competition precisely as any competent SEC program should, never once allowing the game to look even somewhat competitive.

But if there's one thing the victory did provide, it was an early contender for "Feel Good Moment of the Season" for the Bulldogs.

Mississippi State RB Seth Davis gets the moment he deserves

It's been a difficult few years for running back Seth Davis. The explosive Katy, TX native committed to the Bulldogs under Mike Leach, looking to be an ideal fit for The Pirate's Air Raid attack. When Leach passed away, Davis didn't waver, signing with MSU. As a true freshman, he made an immediate impact as State's No. 2 RB and seemed poised to have a great career ahead of him.

But then Seth Davis hit an unfortunate roadblock.

In the 2023 Egg Bowl, he tore his ACL. Suffering a major injury in the final game of the season immediately put his status for the next year, when he was expected to become the leader in the room, in doubt. Sure enough, he was forced to miss the entirety of the 2024 season.

In his absence, State found talented options in the backfield between Davon Booth and Johnnie Daniels. A young Xavier Gayten flashed his potential. And then shortly following the 2024 season, MSU added Fluff Bothwell from the transfer portal.

In just over a year, Seth Davis went from being "next in line" as the Bulldogs' top rusher to being almost entirely overlooked by outsiders when it came to State's RB room.

In today's era, many in Davis' situation would choose to transfer out to and get a fresh start elsewhere, and they'd be entirely justified to do so. But that's not the route Davis took. Instead, he stuck with his team, spent the last offseason continuing to work his way back, and waited for his opportunity.

That opportunity came on Saturday night.

Seth Davis checked in for MSU in the fourth quarter, and on his second carry, he raced 23 yards for a score to give the Bulldogs 60+ points in a game for the first time since 2018. It was a perfect return to action for Davis, who was swarmed with elated teammates celebrating him on the sidelines.

That celebration continued into the locker room after the game, where Davis was, rightfully, awarded the game ball.

HC Jeff Lebby told Davis that he is "the best teammate I have ever been around." In his postgame press conference, Lebby explained what it meant to see Seth Davis find the endzone.

"He is exactly what the game of football is all about. That's why it's the greatest sport in the world, and it's because of guys like Seth...All you have to do is look at our sideline when he got the opportunity and how they responded. That's what that dude means to us."
Jeff Lebby on Seth Davis

You could not ask for a cooler moment than that. Seth Davis stayed committed to his team through plenty of tribulations, and he saw the reward Saturday night. Hopefully he sees more of the opportunities he's earned as the season progresses.

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