If you’ve spent any time in Starkville lately, you know the vibe is... complicated. Honest to goodness, following the mississippi state university football score this past season felt like riding a wooden roller coaster that was built specifically to mess with your heart rate. One minute you’re high on the "Veer and Shoot" potential under Jeff Lebby, and the next, you’re staring at a scoreboard in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl wondering how things got so sideways.
It ended with a 43-29 loss to Wake Forest on January 2nd. That’s the reality. The Bulldogs finished 5-8, which, depending on who you ask at The Little Dooey, is either a "stepping stone" or a "heartbreaker."
What Really Happened with the Mississippi State University Football Score
Let’s look at the numbers because they tell a wild story. Most people see a 5-8 record and think the team just wasn't good. But if you actually watched the games, especially that home stretch, you saw a team that was basically a coin flip away from being 8-4.
Take the Texas game in October. State pushed the Longhorns to the absolute brink before falling 45-38 in overtime. That mississippi state university football score stayed on the minds of fans for weeks because it showed what freshman quarterback Kamario Taylor could really do. Taylor is the future, period. In the Egg Bowl against Ole Miss—a 38-19 loss that stung—Taylor still managed to rush for 173 yards. That’s a quarterback, mind you.
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The SEC Grind was Brutal
The conference schedule was a gauntlet of top-tier talent. State went 1-7 in the SEC, but that lone win was a 38-35 thriller over Arkansas on November 1st.
- The Arkansas Win: Anthony Evans III hauled in the game-winner, and for a moment, it felt like Lebby’s system had finally clicked.
- The Close Calls: Losses to Tennessee (41-34 in OT) and Florida (23-21) were the difference between a bowl-eligible celebration and a losing record.
- The Blowouts: Yeah, Georgia (41-21) and Missouri (49-27) were tough watches. There’s no sugarcoating that.
Honestly, the defense was the biggest wildcard. Safety Isaac Smith was a bright spot, leading the unit with 13 tackles in the season finale, but giving up 409 yards of offense on average is a tough way to live in the SEC.
Why the Duke's Mayo Bowl Score Matters
The final mississippi state university football score of the year—that 43-29 loss to Wake Forest—felt like a microcosm of the whole 2025 campaign. It started with a gut punch when Wake Forest’s Koredell Bartley took the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.
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State spent the rest of the night playing catch-up. Kamario Taylor threw for 241 yards and ran for another 63, but the defense just couldn't get off the field. Robby Ashford, Wake’s QB, looked like an All-American against the Bulldog secondary. It was frustrating. It was loud. It was typical 2025 State football.
The Stats That Define the Era
Looking at the season totals, the offense actually moved the ball. They averaged nearly 400 yards per game. Blake Shapen did a lot of the heavy lifting early on with 2,431 passing yards and 15 touchdowns before Taylor took over the reins.
The issue? Points allowed. When you give up 30.2 points per game, your offense has to be perfect. And in the SEC, nobody is perfect.
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What’s Next for the Bulldogs?
If you're looking for a silver lining, it’s the transfer portal and retention. Anthony Evans III, who led the team with 67 catches for 831 yards, is coming back for 2026. That’s huge. Jeff Lebby also just landed some massive help on the offensive line, including DJ Chester from LSU and Isaiah Dent from Oklahoma.
The goal for 2026 is pretty simple: stop the explosive plays on defense and let Kamario Taylor cook. If they can turn just two of those one-possession losses into wins, we’re talking about a completely different narrative in Starkville.
To keep a pulse on the program as they head into spring ball, follow the official HailState social accounts for roster updates and check the 247Sports "Boneyard" podcast for the latest portal rumors. Pay close attention to the defensive coordinator's adjustments during the spring game in April; that’s where the 2026 season will actually be won or lost.