TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Cam Skattebo rushed for a career-high 262 yards, quarterback Sam Leavitt scored two touchdowns and Arizona State secured its first victory over a Southeastern Conference opponent in the final minutes, defeating Mississippi State 30-23 on Saturday night.

Mississippi State nearly overcame a 30-3 deficit midway through the third quarter and narrowed the gap to 30-23 with 5:27 left in the fourth quarter. Arizona State ran down the clock on its ensuing offensive drive, and Skattebo sealed the victory with a 39-yard run with less than two minutes left.

It was the first meeting between the two teams and a tense early-season test. Arizona State (2-0) was ranked near the bottom of the Big 12 in preseason polls, while Mississippi State (1-1) is also undergoing restructuring in the SEC.

Skattebo and Leavitt took turns pressuring Mississippi State’s defense, leading them to a 27-3 halftime lead. They combined for 193 yards before halftime. The 215-pound Skattebo tormented the Bulldogs’ defense, averaging more than nine yards per carry in the first half and nearly eight yards for the game. He finished with 33 carries.

Arizona State took a 30-3 lead midway through the third quarter after a 14-play drive that consumed about 8 1/2 minutes of time.

Mississippi State responded with two consecutive touchdown runs, narrowing the gap to 30-16 with 13:09 minutes left in the fourth quarter after Blake Shapen found Davon Booth for a 13-yard touchdown.

The Bulldogs got within 30-23 when Kevin Coleman Jr. caught a pass, broke a tackle and sprinted into the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown.

Shapen completed 18 of 28 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns. Coleman was the Bulldogs’ leading receiver with 103 yards receiving.

The Sun Devils scored a defensive touchdown for the second consecutive game when CJ Fite picked up a fumble from Shapen and ran 1 yard into the end zone – bring the ball over the pylon when he fell out of the field.

That made the score 20-3, and Mississippi State couldn’t recover until it was too late. Arizona State took a 27-3 halftime lead when Leavitt made a 1-yard run with 34 seconds left in the second quarter.

Leavitt gave the Sun Devils a 7-0 lead on their first offensive play, running 17 yards and diving just inside the left pylon for the touchdown, capping an impressive offensive drive that included 79 yards on 10 plays, including 58 yards on the run.

The conclusion

Mississippi State: It was a sobering night for the Bulldogs, who still have a lot of work to do under new coach Jeff Lebby. Mississippi State was pushed around on both sides of the line of scrimmage, especially early on. The good news is that they showed some life in the second half with a fast-paced offense that gave Arizona State problems.

Arizona St: The Sun Devils have made a 180-degree turnaround this fall after back-to-back 3-9 seasons, but second-year coach Kenny Dillingham will still provide some teachable moments after the team nearly blew a 27-point lead.

Next

Mississippi St: Hosts Toledo on Saturday.

Arizona St: Plays its first away game of the season at Texas State on Thursday.

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