Mississippi State had a record performance from its offense. Unfortunately, Samford’s offense performed at an incredibly high capacity as well. The final score was 56-41, but the game was much closer than it should have been for the majority of the 3 hours and 48 minutes that it went on.
The game became a battle of quarterbacks. Nick Fitzgerald, the victor, totaled 119 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground while also gaining 417 yards, five touchdowns through the air, and (unfortunately) a couple of interceptions. Fitzgerald had a record performance and looked downright impressive for much of the game, but for every big play he made, Samford’s Devlin Hodges seemed to have an answer.