Mississippi
Blake Shapen stats as QB has Mississippi State in position for upset before interception
GAINESVILLE, FL — Blake Shapen’s interception sealed Mississippi State football’s 15th consecutive SEC loss.
The quarterback had driven the Bulldogs into field-goal range with a chance to stun Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. They had the ball at the Gators’ 29-yard line with 26 seconds remaining, trailing by two points.
Then, Shapen was intercepted by Florida defensive lineman Michai Boirea, and MSU (4-3, 0-3 SEC) lost 23-21 on Oct. 18.
Here’s how we graded Shapen against Florida (3-4, 2-2).
Blake Shapen stats for Mississippi State vs Florida
- Passing attempts: 24-for-36
- Passing yards: 324
- Passing touchdowns: 0
- Interceptions: 1
- Rushing attempts: 10
- Rushing yards: 1
- Rushing touchdowns: 0
Blake Shapen’s best: QB had Mississippi State in position to win
Shapen wasn’t fantastic in the game. The offense didn’t find a rhythm until the fourth quarter. But Shapen still had Mississippi State in a position to win.
The Bulldogs got the ball at their own 26-yard line with 1:38 remaining, trailing 23-21. On the first play of that drive, Shapen scrambled up the middle for an 18-yard gain. He completed four of his next five pass attempts, including a 10-yard pass to running back Davon Booth on third-and-9.
Blake Shapen’s worst: Mississippi State QB threw game-losing interception
Shapen’s performance won’t be remembered for those plays, however. The interception he threw to seal the game will be the memory that lasts.
Boirea was positioned at the line of scrimmage, but the 349-pound lineman dropped into coverage after the snap. He read Shapen perfectly and intercepted the pass over the middle of the field.
Grade: C
Shapen’s 324 yards were the most he’s thrown for in 11 games at the Mississippi State starter. However, his streak of 21 straight games with a touchdown pass was snapped.
The interception was the costly play. Mississippi State needed him to take care of the football in that situation, and he didn’t.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.