Blake Shapen passed for 270 yards and a touchdown, and Mississippi State rushed for three third-quarter touchdowns to pull away from Southern Miss 34-17 on Saturday afternoon in Hattiesburg, Miss.
Shapen completed 26 of 34 passes, Fluff Bothwell ran for two touchdowns and Davon Booth rushed for one for the Bulldogs in the season opener for both teams.
Mississippi State outgained the Golden Eagles, who were playing their first game under new head coach Charles Huff. The Bulldogs outgained Southern Miss 465-301.
Braylon Braxton, a transfer who followed Huff from last season’s Sun Belt Conference champion Marshall, completed 26 of 39 for 199 yards with two touchdowns and one interception and rushed 12 times for 58 yards.
MSU’s first possession of the third quarter ended with Bothwell rushing 6 yards for a touchdown that gave the Bulldogs a 20-10 lead. Bothwell rushed 1 yard for a touchdown on Mississippi State’s next possession to expand the lead to 27-10.
The Bulldogs made it three touchdowns in three possessions when Booth ran 3 yards for a score that increased the lead to 34-10 late in the third quarter.
Braxton threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to TJ Johnson with 33 seconds remaining in the game.
After scoring all its points in the first quarter and a half, Southern Miss’ possessions ended with four punts, the expiration of the first-half clock, an interception and a turnover on downs before the final touchdown.
On the game’s sixth play from scrimmage Shapen threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Seydou Traore.
The Bulldogs’ second possession ended when Shapen’s pass was intercepted by Michael Montgomery at the MSU 26. Three plays gained just 1 yard before Reed Harradine kicked a 43-yard field goal to pulled the Golden Eagles within 7-3.
Kyle Ferrie’s 55-yard field goal increased the lead to 10-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Braxton threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Micah Davis to tie the score midway through the second quarter. Ferrie kicked a 30-yard field goal with three seconds left to give the Bulldogs a 13-10 halftime lead.
