Cowbell Corner

3 Key Takeaways from Mississippi State’s 79-66 Win Over Memphis

Mississippi State secured a 79-66 win over Memphis. Here are 3 key takeaways from the Bulldogs’ impressive performance.
Pete Fiutak|
Dec 21, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Claudell Harris Jr. (0) shoots over Memphis Tigers guard Colby Rogers (3) during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Claudell Harris Jr. (0) shoots over Memphis Tigers guard Colby Rogers (3) during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

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Mississippi State BulldogsMemphis Tigers

3. MSU won the 3-point game

Memphis and Mississippi State both came into this with two of the nation’s worst three-point defenses, but the home side was among the best in the nation at hitting from the outside.

Mississippi State held Memphis to 8-of-27 from three - Claudell Harris Jr. made five - the Bulldog O hit ten, and it’ll came from pressuring the ball. MSU forced plenty of steals, the team got up fast, and it forced the Tigers to have to start bombing away. 

The flow of the game went MSU’s way early and didn’t stop.

2. The free throws …

To nitpick, it was the one big concern, besides Memphis getting hot from three.

The free throws. Memphis was slightly better on the free throw line coming into this game, but it didn’t turn out to be a problem for Mississippi State after getting up so big. 

With that said, the Tigers got to the line 26 times, MSU ten. The Bulldogs weren’t awful, but they only hit 70%.

Again, nitpicking - the team was hot enough from the field to keep that from being an issue, and now …

1. Welcome to the top 25, Mississippi State

The Bulldogs have been underrated throughout the ranking process in both of the big polls - maybe it’s because the pollsters don’t want to put in seemingly every SEC team, but now there’s a top 25 spot coming after this 13-point road win.

At 11-1, now it’s time to pad the record more before the problems kick in. Blast Bethune-Cookman next week, get past South Carolina and Vanderbilt, and get to 14-1 before mid-January with games against Kentucky, Auburn, Ole Miss, and Tennessee all in a row.

But for now, beating Memphis is a big deal. This is a win that will play huge in the NCAA Tournament seeding room in three months.

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Pete Fiutak
PETE FIUTAK

Notre Dame, Kansas, Illinois, and Mississippi State On SI. Publisher of CollegeFootballNews.com since 1998, writing more words about college football than any human ever. Worked for FOX Sports, USA TODAY, The Sporting News, and CBS Sports. America’s radio guest on ESPN, FOX, VSiN and several major market stations. Co-hosted shows on NFL Network, Big Ten Network, FOX Sports Radio, and for eight years was a talking head for Campus Insiders - now Stadium - including as an in-stadium co-host for the first four CFP National Championships. Heisman voter, FWAA Award winner, Doak Walker Award advisory board. Ordered by Keith Jackson to “call me Keith.” BlueSky @petefiutak.bsky.social and X @PeteFiutak

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