MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Thousands of Mississippi State fans proudly clanked their cowbells, but in the end, their Bulldogs did not ring the Liberty Bell.
The Red Raiders defeated the Bulldogs 34-7 in the 63rd annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl, and will head back to Lubbock with the bell.
Tahj Brooks scored on a 19-yard touchdown run to cap off a 2-minute, 20 second opening drive to hand Texas Tech a 7-0 edge, a lead they would never surrender.
The announced attendance of 48,615 marks the highest-attended sporting event in Memphis since the pandemic began.
The win is a full-circle moment for Tech interim head coach Sonny Cumbie. The 40-year-old was Mike Leach's starting quarterback in Lubbock. Together they won the 2004 Holiday Bowl against an Aaron Rodgers-led Cal Golden Bears team.
In his final game before starting his head coaching job at Louisiana Tech, Cumbie ends his interim tenure with a bowl win over his former head coach.