Mississippi State vs Texas Tech: AutoZone Liberty Bowl prediction, game preview, how to watch
Mississippi State vs Texas Tech: AutoZone Liberty Bowl How To Watch
Date: Tuesday, December 28
Game Time: 6:45 ET
Venue: Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, TN
How To Watch: ESPN, Live stream on ESPN+
Record: Mississippi State (7-5), Texas Tech (6-6)
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Mississippi State vs Texas Tech AutoZone Liberty Bowl Preview
– Mike Leach going against his old team will be the narrative, but that will quickly go away once this starts and the high-octane passing attacks get going.
Now the former Red Raider head man has settled into the Mississippi State job with his all-pass-all-the-time offense doing what it’s supposed to. The Bulldogs are last in the nation in rushing, but that’s because it’s third in passing averaging 386 yards per game.
– There’s nothing happening down the field – the offense has the second-lowest yard-per-completion rate in college football. It’s a ball control attack that dominates the time of possession battle, and unlike Leach’s former stops at Washington State along with Texas Tech, he has the defensive talent now to hold up on the other side.
– Texas Tech is in a transitional period as the Joey McGuire era starts right after this. But before that, former Leach quarterback Sonny Cumbie will stay on before taking over the Louisiana Tech head coaching job.
– The Red Raiders will run a wee bit, but this is a high-powered passing team that will try keeping up with Mississippi State throw for throw. On the flip side, though, Texas Tech will push the ball down the field more, and time of possession is meaningless.
Why Mississippi State, Texas Tech Will Win
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NEXT: Why Mississippi State Will Win, Why Texas Tech Will Win, AutoZone Liberty Bowl Prediction
Why Texas Tech Will Win The AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Who knows how to hold up better against the quick-hitting Mississippi State passing game than Texas Tech?
The secondary has’t exactly been a rock, but the run defense doesn’t have anything to worry about. The Red Raiders have issues when they get picked apart – more on that in a moment – but they have bigger problems when they can’t stop teams on the ground.
Mississippi State is dead last in the nation in rushing – not having future NFL starting OT Charles Cross around won’t help the matter. It might give it a shot once in a while, but that’s just to add something a little different to the mix.
It’s Texas Tech’s offense, though, that needs to take over the game.
There’s not a whole lot coming from the Bulldog pass rush to bother the quick Red Raider attack. It’s not as efficient as the Mississippi State passing game, but the deep shots are there, and there’s enough of a running game to at least not be one-dimensional.
However …
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Why Mississippi State Will Win The AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Mississippi State does a whole lot of things Texas Tech doesn’t.
Yeah, this is a fast-styled attack, but it’s also meant to control the tempo and the clock. Texas Tech wants to keep defenses on their heels, but Mississippi State want to keep the clock moving – Mike Leach’s team should have the ball for at least 35 minutes.
It might be a whole lot worse than that.
Will Rogers and the Bulldog passing game should be on fire throughout. The Texas Tech secondary doesn’t come up with enough stops, Rogers in too accurate, and the nation’s third-best passing game will have few problems against the Big 12’s worst pass defense.
The other side should be terrific, too. The Mississippi State defense will give up passing yards – Texas Tech will have its moments – but it’s able to get off the field.
Texas Tech is among the worst teams in the nation at coming up with third down stops.
Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
NEXT: What’s Going To Happen, Mississippi State vs Texas Tech Prediction, AutoZone Liberty Bowl History
Mississippi State vs Texas Tech: AutoZone Liberty Bowl, What’s Going To Happen
The Mike Leach angle will be played up, but it won’t be that big of a deal – if any – during the game.
The system will work, the passing game will rock against the leaky Red Raider defense, and both sides will throw and throw some more – running game aficionados need not watch.
Mississippi State will be a whole lot sharper, the defense will be a whole lot more efficient, and the team will be in control of the game throughout.
The Texas Tech team that lost four of its last five games will have a few good moments, but not enough to overcome a massive day from Will Rogers.
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Mississippi State vs Texas Tech Prediction, Lines
Mississippi State 41, Texas Tech 20
Line: Mississippi State -9.5, o/u: 59.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3.5
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AutoZone Liberty Bowl History
Dec. 31, 2020 West Virginia 24, Army 21
Dec. 31, 2019 Navy 20, Kansas State 17
Dec. 31, 2018 Oklahoma State 38, Missouri 33
Dec. 30, 2018 Iowa State 21, Memphis 20
Dec. 30, 2017 Georgia 31, TCU 23
Jan. 2, 2016 Arkansas 45 Kansas State 23
Dec. 29, 2014 Texas A&M 45 West Virginia 37
Dec. 31, 2013 Mississippi State 44 Rice 7
Dec. 31, 2012 Tulsa 31 Iowa State 17
Dec. 31, 2011 Cincinnati 31 Vanderbilt 24
Dec. 31, 2010 UCF 10 Georgia 6
Jan. 2, 2010 Arkansas 20 East Carolina 17 (OT)
Jan. 2, 2009 Kentucky 25 East Carolina 19
Dec. 29, 2007 Mississippi State 10 UCF 3
Dec. 29, 2006 South Carolina 44 Houston 36
Dec. 31, 2005 Tulsa 31 Fresno State 24
Dec. 31, 2004 Louisville 44 Boise State 40
Dec. 31, 2003 Utah 17 Southern Miss 0
Dec. 31, 2002 TCU 25 Colorado State 3
Dec. 31, 2001 Louisville 28 BYU 10
Dec. 29, 2000 Colorado State 22 Louisville 17
Dec. 31, 1999 Southern Miss 23 Colorado State 17
Dec. 31, 1998 Tulane 41 BYU 27
Dec. 31, 1997 Southern Miss 41 Pittsburgh 7
Dec. 27, 1996 Syracuse 30 Houston 17
Dec. 30, 1995 East Carolina 19 Stanford 13
Dec. 31, 1994 Illinois 30 East Carolina 0
Dec. 28, 1993 Louisville 18 Michigan State 7
Dec. 31, 1992 Mississippi 13 Air Force 0
Dec. 29, 1991 Air Force 38 Mississippi State 15
Dec. 27, 1990 Air Force 23 Ohio State 11
Dec. 29, 1989 Mississippi 42 Air Force 29
Dec. 28, 1988 Indiana 34 South Carolina 10
Dec. 29, 1987 Georgia 20 Arkansas 17
Dec. 29, 1986 Tennessee 21 Minnesota 14
Dec. 27, 1985 Baylor 21 LSU 7
Dec. 27, 1984 Auburn 21 Arkansas 15
Dec. 29, 1983 Notre Dame 19 Boston College 18
Dec. 29, 1982 Alabama 21 Illinois 15
Dec. 30, 1981 Ohio State 31 Navy 28
Dec. 27, 1980 Purdue 28 Missouri 25
Dec. 22, 1979 Penn State 9 Tulane 6
Dec. 23, 1978 Missouri 20 LSU 15
Dec. 19, 1977 Nebraska 21 North Carolina 17
Dec. 20, 1976 Alabama 36 UCLA 6
Dec. 22, 1975 USC 20 Texas A&M 0
Dec. 16, 1974 Tennessee 7 Maryland 3
Dec. 17, 1973 N.C. State 31 Kansas 18
Dec. 18, 1972 Georgia Tech 31 Iowa State 30
Dec. 20, 1971 Tennessee 14 Arkansas 13
Dec. 12, 1970 Tulane 17 Colorado 3
Dec. 13, 1969 Colorado 47 Alabama 33
Dec. 14, 1968 Mississippi 34 Virginia Tech 17
Dec. 16, 1967 N.C. State 14 Georgia 7
Dec. 10, 1966 Miami 14 Virginia Tech 7
Dec. 18, 1965 Mississippi 13 Auburn 7
Dec. 19, 1964 Utah 32 West Virginia 6
Dec. 21, 1963 Mississippi State 16 N.C. State 12
Dec. 15, 1962 Oregon State 6 Villanova 0
Dec. 16, 1961 Syracuse 15 Miami 14
Dec. 20, 1960 Penn State 41 Oregon 12
Dec. 19, 1959 Penn State 7 Alabama 0
Mississippi State vs Texas Tech Preview
Why Mississippi State, Texas Tech Will Win
Prediction, What’s Going To Happen, History
AutoZone Liberty Bowl Top Players To Know
