Alabama Edges Mississippi State: 5 Key Takeaways from the Tide Win

Mississippi State had its chances, but it couldn't keep up with the Alabama offense in an 88-84 Tide victory.
Jan 29, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs center Michael Nwoko (23) and Alabama Crimson Tide center Clifford Omoruyi (11) jump ball to start the gameat Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images
Jan 29, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs center Michael Nwoko (23) and Alabama Crimson Tide center Clifford Omoruyi (11) jump ball to start the gameat Humphrey Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images / Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

5. Mississippi State just couldn’t resist getting into an offensive shootout

And why not? Mississippi State has the offensive talent, it had the energy of the crowd, and it had the game flow going its way enough to matter.

But you can’t beat Alabama by making it about cranking up the O.

Coming into this, Alabama was 14-0 when scoring 83 points or more, 3-3 when scoring fewer …

Alabama 88, Mississippi State 84. But …

4. Again, it’s hard not to make this a firefight when you’re making your shots.

With that said, KeShawn Murphy … DUNK THAT.

The Bulldogs had a shot late, Murphy floated in for the layup to and the lead, and he missed it.

Even with the misfire, Mississippi State had a shot and stumbled at the end. The team struggled from the free throw line, but it hit 50% from the field and was able to keep pace with the high end offense all game long.

Again, though, that wasn’t the play. You beat Bama by controlling the tempo better, and the Bulldogs didn’t do that.

3. Mississippi State … REBOUND

The Bulldogs usually aren’t bad on the boards, but they got killed by South Carolina on the offensive glass giving up 18 offensive boards. That was after allowing ten on the offensive glass against Tennessee.

Alabama came up with 17 offensive rebounds making it three straight games when the Bulldogs didn’t get it done on the defensive glass. They got the points at the rim, but were outrebounded overall 41-35.

2. Josh Hubbard was really, really good.

And it’s not like the rest of the Bulldogs were bad. There was great ball movement, the defense overall wasn’t bad considering how high-scoring this way, and Murphy was strong with 18 points - it REALLY should’ve been 20.

But this was Hubbard’s day.

In the back-and-forth fight, he was too quick for the Tide, got the to the rim too easily, was 6-of-15 from three, and the 38 points made him the player of the game. He did everything needed to keep pace with Bama’s Mark Seals and the rest of the deep team.

And now …

1. At some point, Mississippi State has to prove it's a player.

Obviously this is a good team, but where’s that amazing win?

Memphis? McNeese State? The rankings all love the Bulldogs, but this game makes it four losses and two overtime wins in the last six games. 

Of course it’s tough night-after-night in the SEC, but Vanderbilt took down Kentucky and Tennessee. Ole Miss just beat Texas. It’s possible.

Alabama is a top four team, but this was the chance for Mississippi State to make a statement, and it didn’t. The Missouri game on Saturday now means everything to avoid any thoughts of a repeat collapse like last year.

That won’t happen, the team is that good, but … beat Mizzou.


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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