Anthony Evans III gave Mississippi State one true bright spot in a lopsided afternoon against Alabama, but the Bulldogs’ mistakes kept burying any chance of turning his breakout into something bigger.
In a 56-23 loss at Davis Wade Stadium, Mississippi State’s unbeaten start ended in frustrating fashion. The No.
16 Bulldogs were undone early by three first-half turnovers, and by the time the game settled in, No. 7 Alabama had already seized control.
Mississippi State managed only 18 rushing yards and heads into its open week at 4-1 with plenty to sort out before the Oct. 17 trip to LSU.
Evans was the player who kept showing up no matter how rough things got around him. He piled up career highs with 12 catches and 166 yards, found the end zone twice, and accounted for more than half of Mississippi State’s 302 yards.
His 45-yard touchdown on fourth and 6 in the third quarter flipped what could have been a dead possession into six points. The 12 receptions also set a school record against Alabama.
“He’s just been incredibly consistent,” coach Jeff Lebby said afterward. “When he had opportunities to make plays today, he did.”
The receiver wasn’t the only Bulldog who produced a meaningful moment. Safety Caleb Bledsoe helped create the kind of short field Mississippi State desperately needed while the game was still hanging around.
In the second quarter, he forced running back Daniel Hill to fumble, and Kendel Dolby scooped it up at Alabama’s 11. Kamario Taylor immediately hit Zion Rigins for a touchdown on the next play, pulling Mississippi State within 21-14.
Bledsoe finished with two tackles, but the forced fumble was the kind of swing play the Bulldogs needed just to keep the scoreboard from running away.
There were also signs of life from Evans on the other side of the ball. He logged three tackles, a quarterback hurry and a credited 7-yard sack.
That sack came late, when his pressure forced reserve quarterback Austin Mack into intentional grounding in the fourth quarter. By then Alabama was already up 49-23, so the play has to be viewed in that context.
Still, Evans also got a hurry on starter Keelon Russell before halftime, and those pressures were among the few encouraging defensive notes for a unit that gave up 304 passing yards.
Mississippi State’s offense, though, kept tripping over itself. Taylor threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns, but his three turnovers put the Bulldogs in catch-up mode almost immediately.
He lost a fumble on the opening drive, then threw a pick-six to Dijon Lee Jr., who returned it 30 yards for a touchdown. Alabama was ahead 14-0 before Mississippi State could get on the board.
Taylor later threw another interception and was sacked five times while playing with limited mobility, something Lebby acknowledged after the game. His health matters here, but the ball security issues still loom large as the Bulldogs reset during the bye.
The running game never gave Mississippi State much help. Khary Gayten gained 10 yards on 10 carries, with a long run of 5.
The Bulldogs’ backs combined for 44 yards on 24 carries, and the team’s 18-yard total included sack losses that shouldn’t be charged to Gayten. Even with that distinction, the ground game offered almost nothing to lean on.
There was one more costly missed chance in the passing game. Long snapper Kyle Ruushing recovered a muffed punt at Alabama’s 43 in the second quarter, giving Mississippi State a real opening while trailing 21-7.
But on the second snap of that possession, receiver Brandon Magee caught a pass and then lost the ball on a forced fumble by Bray Hubbard. Alabama recovered at its own 16, and a chance to trim the lead vanished before Mississippi State could even think about a field goal.
Magee finished with three catches for 51 yards, but that turnover erased what should have been a valuable possession.
As Evans put it, “We’ve got to be better to start the game,”
That was the story of the day for Mississippi State: a few flashes, too many giveaways, and not nearly enough support around the team’s best playmaker.
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