The Bulldogs’ biggest celebration in years came with a price. Jeff Lebby and his squad pulled off a stunning 24-20 upset against Arizona State in Starkville. Brenen Thompson had an incredible 58-yard touchdown with 30 seconds remaining and Hunter Washington got the game-sealing interception. After Blake Shapen took a knee to end the game, chaos hit. Fans stormed Davis Wade, tore down the north end zone goalposts, and the sound of cowbells filled the night. For a team that had struggled with a 7-17 record over the last two seasons, the outpouring of joy was understandable. But the SEC does not discriminate when handing out fines.

By Monday, the Bulldogs faced a $500,000 fine for the field storming. League rules automatically penalize schools when fans rush the field, and since this was a nonconference game, the money would go to the SEC’s Postgraduate Scholarship Fund. Considering how long it had been since State fans celebrated like that, their last win over a ranked team was in the 2022 Egg Bowl, the school likely didn’t mind writing the check.

The fine stemmed from the SEC’s strict competition area policy, which restricts field access to players, coaches, officials, staff, and credentialed personnel. This prioritizes safety for athletes and fans. The Bulldogs could have avoided the fine if Arizona State’s players and the referees had already left the field, but that was not the case. In 2022, the league tightened these rules after multiple violations by Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, switching from a progressive fine system to the current flat $500,000 penalty.

But Mississippi State has experience with this kind of celebration. In February, basketball fans celebrated a win over Texas A&M by rushing the court at Humphrey Coliseum. But they avoided a fine because they waited for the okay from officials. But such an exciting finish against ASU made it tough to keep fans off the field. Simply put, another upset victory in Starkville could lead to more fines for the school.

Looking ahead, the Bulldogs fanbase will have several opportunities to test these rules. After games against Alcorn State (Sept. 13) and Northern Illinois (Sept. 20), they face four more home games against ranked opponents: No. 15 Tennessee on Sept. 27, No. 7 Texas on Oct. 25, No. 3 Georgia on Nov. 8, and rival No. 13 Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl on Nov. 28. Given this schedule, Mississippi State fans might rush the field again, but each instance would cost the program another $500,000.

For a fanbase craving moments like Saturday, the question isn’t if they’ll celebrate. It’s whether the university is prepared to keep paying the price. But that’s not the only setback Jeff Lebby’s team is facing right now.

Injuries hit Jeff Lebby’s team run

Mississippi State football’s fate shifted gears real quick when Jeff Lebby revealed that defensive lineman Will Whitson and offensive lineman Blake Steen would miss the rest of the season due to injuries. While Lebby didn’t disclose the specifics, the timing couldn’t be any worse, as the news just came in at a very crucial time when the Bulldogs are going to face Alcorn State (0-2) next week.

Whitson, a Coastal Carolina transfer, left the field in the second quarter against Arizona State. Though he walked to the locker room, he didn’t return. Through two games, Whitson leads the Bulldogs with two sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. Because he’s in his final year, the program is looking into a medical redshirt waiver, similar to the one that allowed quarterback Blake Shapen to return in 2025. “Will was playing at a really high level,” Jeff Lebby said. “The guy was not staying blocked, so he was doing some things that were really close to being elite and special. The positive for us, if we got one, is we’ve got guys at that position that are very capable.”

Even offensive lineman Steen suffered an injury just before halftime in the season’s first game against Southern Miss and couldn’t continue. He also missed Arizona State’s game and was seen with his left arm in a sling. Now, Steen, a redshirt junior who transferred from Virginia, began the season at right tackle in Week 1 before the injury shuffled the lineup. His absence will be a real test of Mississippi State’s depth in the upcoming games against Alcorn State and throughout SEC play.

But Jeff Lebby’s not giving up this fast. At defensive end, Deonte Anderson now starts alongside rotation players Trevion Williams, Red Hibbler, and Joseph Head Jr. On the offensive line, Albert Reese IV is going to be the starting right tackle after stepping in for Steen against Arizona State, a performance that earned him Co-SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week. Jakheem Shumpert-Perkins is the backup for Reese, and Maryland transfer Jayvin Q. James is now the starting left tackle, ahead of Jimothy Lewis Jr. Now, let’s wait and see if this lineup helps the Bulldogs maintain their run this season.