Lightning struck a satellite receiver in Starkville, Miss. the night before one of Mississippi State's biggest games in school history, knocking the area's CBS affiliate station off the air.
Saturday No. 3 Mississippi State welcomed No. 2 Auburn to town for a nationally-televised game. It's the first time a pair of top-five teams are squaring off in Starkville.
Unfortunately, lightning damaged the WCBI-TV's transmitter.
"The major damage has taken us off the air," wrote the station on its website Friday. "Our engineers are working around the clock to repair the damage."
As a result, WCBI authorized all satellite and most cable companies in the viewing area to carry an alternate CBS affiliate while WCBI was off the air.
The area’s biggest cable provider, MetroCast, said Saturday morning that the game would be available on a different channel. Hours before the game, WCBI announced that DISH Network would make the CBS signal available.
CBS is also streaming the game on its website.
Fortunately for Starkville residents, the Bulldogs started off strong: late in the first quarter the score stood at 21-0 Mississippi State.
