College Football Programs Agree on 10-Minute Quarters in Blowout Performance

The scoreboard wasn’t the only thing racing at Davis Wade Stadium. With Mississippi State hanging a 49-0 lead on Alcorn State just minutes into the second half, the refs blew the whistle and the coaches huddled up—not for a trick play, but to literally shorten the game. Yes, under NCAA rules, if both coaches and the officials sign off, quarters can be cut down to 10 minutes in lopsided beat-downs. And that’s exactly what went down in Starkville.

Mississippi State came out with an Axe, and by halftime the Bulldogs had piled up 42 points—their biggest first-half outburst since 2013 against Troy. The offense looked like it was running on cheat codes, averaging nearly 10 yards a play with bombs of 75 and 42 yards. Jeff Lebby’s “Score From Far” mantra wasn’t just a slogan; it was a lifestyle Saturday night. Alcorn State tried punching back, but turnovers and a missed kick sealed their fate early.

By the time the Bulldogs reached 348 yards of total offense, the Braves were just holding on for dear life with 124 of their own. That mercy rule agreement for shorter quarters? Pure survival mode for Alcorn. And honestly, it was the right call. No one needed another half-hour of one-sided football with zero stakes except injury risk.

What this did mean, though, was State got to flip the script—rest their starters, roll in some young guns, and still cruise to a 3-0 start. And if anyone wondered whether MSU might stumble after last week’s miracle upset of Arizona State, that doubt evaporated before the band even got to halftime.

Even the stat sheets screamed domination. Fourteen first downs, a historic pace, and not a single ounce of let-off. Fans weren’t watching a hangover; they were watching a team finding its groove, stomping through a tune-up game after back-to-back emotional wins. When it was all over, State didn’t just get the win—they got a statement: this is a program trying to erase last year’s 2-10 nightmare from memory. The blowout was business, and the shortened clock was mercy.

Big year for Mississippi State and Jeff Lebby?

It’s wild how fast things can flip in college football. A year ago, Mississippi State was the SEC’s punchline, sitting at 2-10 and dead last in the conference standings. Fast-forward to Week 3 of 2025, and the Bulldogs are 3-0 with swagger, momentum, and a coach suddenly looking like a mastermind.

The season opener against Southern Miss set the tone. After a slow start, MSU flexed in the second half, leaning on quarterback Blake Shapen, who’s finally healthy after missing most of 2024. He didn’t just manage the game—he owned it. Sprinkle in runs from Fluff Bothwell and Davon Booth plus Kyle Ferrie drilling a 55-yard bomb—the longest kick in program history—and you had the makings of a confidence booster.

Then came the Arizona State upset, the one that sent ripples through the whole SEC. Up 17, almost collapsed, then Shapen uncorked a 58-yard dagger to Brenen Thompson with 30 seconds left. Fans stormed the field, SEC dropped a $500,000 fine, and nobody in Starkville cared. That win was worth every dime. “That was the one where people saw we’ve got fight,” a fan could easily say, and they’d be right. The Bulldogs finally looked alive.

Now, after steamrolling Alcorn State, they’re 3-0 and suddenly on radars. Sure, it’s early, and yes, one of those wins was against an FCS squad. But style matters. The difference between last year’s clumsy offense and this year’s lightning-strike approach is night and day. Lebby’s aggressive philosophy has players buying in, and it shows.