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It was not a pretty win, by any stretch of the imagination, but the Bulldogs came out on top when it was all said and done.
Mississippi State got off to a slow start in St. Petersburg, allowing the Redhawks of Miami (Ohio) to jump out to a 9-0 lead midway into the second quarter over the Bulldogs. Mississippi State would fight back, though. A solid drive capped off by a Nick Fitzgerald touchdown cut the deficit to 2 points at the half.
The lead would be pushed to 16-7 by the Redhawks in the third quarter but ultimately trimmed to a pair of points by another Fitzgerald touchdown run, and the score was 14-16 as the game progressed to the 4th quarter.
Westin Graves became instrumental in the bowl as he wound up hitting the eventual game winning field goal with 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
With a handful of seconds remaining, Mississippi State blocked the field goal attempt by Miami to secure the win for the Bulldogs bringing both teams to matching 6-7 records.
Mississippi State had an up and down season, and certainly a frustrating performance today, but the Bulldogs finished the season strong. Things weren’t pretty today, but a win is a win, and hopefully it can help to continue to carry momentum as the team moves forward.