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Mississippi State

State tailback Seth Davis provides special moment for Jeff Lebby, Bulldog backs

Paul Jones Mississippi State Bulldogsby: Paul Jones2 hours agoPaulJonesOn3
SethDavis
Sep 30, 2023; Starkville, Mississippi, USA;Mississippi State Bulldogs running back Seth Davis (23) runs the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Mississippi State’s 63-0 dominant win over Alcorn State provided a lot of big plays with a lot of players playing well. But for head coach Jeff Lebby, his favorite moment came with just 3:30 remaining in the game and the outcome having been decided a long time ago.

That’s when redshirt sophomore running back Seth Davis sprinted 23 yards for a touchdown. On that play, it showed that Davis had his speed back after missing more than a year due to a horrific knee injury suffered in the 2023 Egg Bowl.

For Lebby, it was special because he knows the work Davis, a Texas native, has put in just to return to the field again.

“Coolest part of the night and it’s not even remotely close,” Lebby said afterwards. “What that kid’s been through just on this football team and I think our guys understand it. I’ve never been around a young man that was a better teammate than Seth Davis. It’s exactly what the game of football is all about. It’s why it’s the greatest team sport in the world and it’s because of guys like Seth.”

Earlier in that same drive, Davis collected his first carry of the season and gained eight yards. Then a few plays later, Davis found paydirt and the Bulldog sideline exploded. And that kind of celebration displayed what Davis’ teammates think of Davis and his return to the field.

“Having the opportunity to reward him and get him on a couple of carries late as he is still working back to get healthy, man, is special,” added Lebby. “But all you have to do is just look at our sideline. He got an opportunity and how they responded. That’s what that dude means to us.”

With a comfortable 42-0 halftime advantage, Lebby and his offensive staff were able to play a lot of guys and that included six different running backs. Sophomore Xavier Gayten also got his first touchdown of the year an ended the night with 50 yards rushing.

Overall, the Bulldogs finished with 282 yards rushing as a team and the regular performers were happy to take a sideline seat in the fourth quarter so their position mates could shine.

“It felt good seeing those guys get in,” noted Fluff Bothwell, who had 93 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the first half. “It is always good seeing those guys get in. They practice hard every day just like us. Being able to see them get in and deserve what they got, it was good.”

But for Davis, it meant a little more to the guys in the running backs room. He was having a solid true freshman campaign in 2023 before suffering the knee injury in the 2023 season finale, which also cost him the entire 2024 season.

While Bothwell just arrived in Starkville back in January, it didn’t take him long to respect Davis’ work ethic and to see what it means to the team.

“Seth is one of those guys you can tell loves the game of football,” Bothwell added. “He is always in there early to get done what he needs to get done to help himself get better. I got to meet everyone and getting to know everyone personally when I got here. I asked him what happened to him and he told me everything and told me his story.

“I just saw a video of his injury. Knowing what he has been through, it’s hard to keep that love for the game. But he’s a tough guy and it meant a lot to everyone seeing him get in the end zone there.”

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