One week ago today, I was sitting in Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs were about to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide.

For the past several years, Alabama has been an iron fist dominating the SEC West, however, the Bulldogs have been barking pretty loud.  So of course, there was definitely a window of hope for Bulldog fans that MSU could come out on top.

It was a beautiful night for a football game. The weather was clear, and the temperature crisp.

During the first quarter, the Dawgs drew first blood with Aeris Williams scoring on an 11-yard touchdown run giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead with 3:21 left in the quarter.

Alabama came back shortly, and the game was tied.

The same thing happened during the second quarter, with MSU scoring and Alabama following suit and by half time the game was tied.

During the third quarter, the Dawgs once again took the lead and the air in the stadium became even more electric.

I am quite certain Alabama fans were scratching their heads, and maybe their palms had begun to sweat. With scores neck and neck all night, multiple National Champion and former NFL coach Nick Saban was also surely feeling a bit uncomfortable.

To kick off the fourth quarter, it has become a tradition at Davis Wade to play Journey’s 1981 hit song “Don’t Stop Believing,” and how apropos it was for the Dawg’s that night.

As the words to the song rolled across the stadium’s Jumbotrons, thousands serenaded the players.

Also, cell phones in flashlight mode lit up, mimicking how concert goers click on their Bics to show appreciation.

I have come to expect this ritual, and it is really cool to witness. But something was different about this mass singalong during last Saturday night’s game.

The spirit and comradery of the Mississippi State fans was not only exhilarating, it was also emotional. I had chills going down my spine and tears in my eyes when I saw the thousands of lights and sang along with the crowd, “Don’t Stop Believing.”

The Alabama fans could feel the spirit, too.

Those sitting around me pulled out their cell phones to video the scene.

And just so everyone knows, the Mississippi State Bulldogs walked away as the winners at last week’s game.

We may not have scored the most points, but we were certainly winners!  I was never more proud to be a Mississippi State Bulldog.

After the game, I started thinking about all those Alabama fans.

They are all so used to coming out on top week after week, and I wondered if they were anesthetized to winning and possibly missing out on something even more rewarding.

Coming out ahead is, no doubt, exhilarating, but there is also something great about experiencing hope and determination against all odds and finding your true character in the midst of the struggle!

Don’t Stop Believing.

Terri Cowart Frazier is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. You may reach her at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.