Mississippi State at Memphis Week 3 College Football Matchup Mississippi State at Memphis Matchup - Week 3
Sat, Sep 18 2021 · Week 3 · 🏟 Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN · Turf · 62,380 cap
Mississippi State✈ 133 miSame TZ
29 31
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📊 Punt & Rally Projection
Mississippi State
34
MSST -3
Memphis
27
P&R Line Mississippi State -7
P&R Total O/U 60
Confidence 86 High
Vegas Mississippi State -3 · O/U 63.0
Matchup Prediction
Toss-up — no clear edge
Neither metric shows a meaningful pre-game edge in this matchup.
Momentum Control
58.4%
Lean
Game Control
76%
Memphis wins
Strong
Vegas Spread
Mississippi State -3
O/U 63.0
teamrankings
Advanced Stats
PPA + Success Rate agree → Mississippi State · 73.9% ATS historically
↓ See full breakdown
Mississippi State 2021 Schedule
Mississippi State's 2021 Schedule
DateMatchupSpreadTotalResultO/UCover
Sat 9/4Mississippi State vs Louisiana Tech-20.5W35–3452.5W35–34ON
Sat 9/11Mississippi State vs NC State+1.5W24–1055.0W24–10UY
Sat 9/18Mississippi State at Memphis-3.0L29–3163.0L29–31UN
Sat 9/25Mississippi State vs LSU+1.5L25–2854.5L25–28UN
Sat 10/2Mississippi State at Texas A&M+7.0W26–2245.5W26–22OY
— Bye Week —
Sat 10/16Mississippi State vs Alabama+17.5L9–4959.5L9–49UN
Sat 10/23Mississippi State at Vanderbilt-21.0W45–653.0W45–6UY
Sat 10/30Mississippi State vs Kentucky-1.0W31–1747.0W31–17OY
Sat 11/6Mississippi State at Arkansas+4.0L28–3154.0L28–31OY
Sat 11/13Mississippi State at Auburn+6.0W43–3451.0W43–34OY
Sat 11/20Mississippi State vs Tennessee State-44.0W55–1056.5W55–10OY
Thu 11/25Mississippi State vs Ole Miss-2.5L21–3165.0L21–31UN
Tue 12/28Mississippi State vs Texas Tech-10.0L7–3458.5L7–34UN
Memphis 2021 Schedule
Memphis's 2021 Schedule
DateMatchupSpreadTotalResultO/UCover
Sat 9/4Memphis vs Nicholls-22.5W42–1768.0W42–17UY
Sat 9/11Memphis at Arkansas State-5.5W55–5065.0W55–50ON
Sat 9/18Memphis vs Mississippi State+3.0W31–2963.0W31–29UY
Sat 9/25Memphis vs UTSA-3.0L28–3166.5L28–31UN
Sat 10/2Memphis at Temple-11.0L31–3458.5L31–34ON
Sat 10/9Memphis at Tulsa+3.0L29–3560.5L29–35ON
Thu 10/14Memphis vs Navy-11.0W35–1755.5W35–17UY
Fri 10/22Memphis at UCF+1.5L7–2463.5L7–24UN
— Bye Week —
Sat 11/6Memphis vs SMU+3.5W28–2572.0W28–25UY
Sat 11/13Memphis vs East Carolina-4.0L29–3058.5L29–30ON
Fri 11/19Memphis at Houston+9.0L13–3159.5L13–31UN
Sat 11/27Memphis vs Tulane-5.5W33–2858.0W33–28ON
Fri 12/24Memphis at Hawai'i-10.056.0
Advanced Stats
Advanced Analytics Matchup
Matchup-adjusted (offense vs opponent defense) · 2021 season
Mississippi State PPA Edge
Agreement Signals — When All Metrics Agree
Elite · 83.1% ATS
PPA + PPO + SR + Havoc
Split
Metrics disagree
Elite · 82.4% ATS
PPA + PPO + Havoc
Split
Metrics disagree
Elite · 73.9% ATS
PPA + Success Rate
Both Agree
→ Mississippi State
Individual Factors — Ranked by Predictive Strength
PPA Overall
Points added per play · Elite predictor
Mississippi State
+0.454
Memphis
+0.423
Mississippi State Edge
PPA Passing
Pass efficiency edge · Strong predictor
Mississippi State
+0.571
Memphis
+0.600
Memphis Edge
Havoc Total
Def. disruption rate · Strong predictor
Mississippi State
0.155
Memphis
0.155
TFLs, sacks, PBUs, forced fumbles — higher is better
Even
Points Per Opp
Drive-finishing edge · Strong predictor
Mississippi State
+7.873
Memphis
+7.633
Mississippi State Edge
Success Rate
Play consistency edge · Solid predictor
Mississippi State
+0.933
Memphis
+0.816
Mississippi State Edge
Field Position
Avg start (lower=better) · Solid predictor
Mississippi State
70.3
Memphis
71.4
Avg yards from own endzone to average start — lower is better · longer bar = better field position
Mississippi State Edge
Advanced stats sourced from CFBD · 2021 season · Edges are matchup-adjusted (offense vs opponent defense)
Power Ratings
Team Power Ratings
Overall · Offense · Defense ratings · Updated as season progresses
Memphis Rated Higher
Overall Power Rating
Mississippi State
-2.1
Memphis
3.1
Offense Rating
Mississippi State
14.2
Memphis
16.9
Defense Rating (lower = better defense)
Mississippi State
16.3
Memphis
13.7
Power ratings updated throughout the season as results accumulate
Momentum Control (CSS)
Consecutive Scoring Sequences Who builds scoring momentum?
Avg sequences created per game
Mississippi State #23
1.00
Memphis #60
1.00
Avg sequences allowed per game (lower is better)
Mississippi State #62
0.50
Memphis #72
1.00
Mississippi State +0.00
CSS Edge (season-to-date)
Teams with this edge win 58.4% of games historically
Based on 1 game this season
Game Control (GC)
Win Probability Dominance Who controls games start to finish? Memphis Edge
Avg GC score per game (offense)
Mississippi State #1
62.7
Memphis #1
91.7
Avg GC score allowed per game (lower is better)
Mississippi State #73
21.1
Memphis #49
5.0
Memphis +29.0
GC Edge (season-to-date)
Teams with this edge win 76% of games historically
Based on 2 games this season
Spread Context
ATS Historical Context
Based on 2021–2025 backtest · FBS vs FBS · Regular season

Both metrics agree on Memphis with a large edge. Historically, dominant teams like this are fully priced into the spread — the agreed-upon team covers just 50.2% of the time. The metrics predict game control better than they beat the number.

ATS data is informational only. Past cover rates do not guarantee future results.

Coaching Matchup
Mississippi State
Mike Leach #1
6–8 (43%) · Yr 2 at school
OC Mike Leach Yr 1 #1
DC Zach Arnett Yr 1 #1
Staff Rating
0.00 #1
Memphis
Ryan Silverfield #1
11–4 (73%) · Yr 2 at school
OC Kevin Johns Yr 1 #1
DC Mike MacIntyre Yr 1 #1
Staff Rating
0.00 #1
About these metrics
Advanced Stats shows matchup-adjusted factor edges (offense vs opponent defense). Combination signals — when PPA, PPO, Success Rate, and Havoc all point the same direction — have historically predicted the SU winner in 95–97% of games and the ATS winner in 82–83% of games (2021–2025, FBS vs FBS, regular season).
Impact: Advanced Stats are the best performance based metric used to predict the outcome of games.

Momentum Control (CSS) measures consecutive scoring sequences — when a team scores, holds the opponent scoreless, then scores again. Teams entering a game with a CSS edge of +1.0 or more have won 71–78% of games historically (2021–2025, FBS vs FBS).
Impact: Momentum Control is a great measure for predicting game outcome but NOT an ATS advantage, data shows this is already considered when lines are set.

Game Control (GC) measures win probability dominance — how thoroughly a team controlled the game from start to finish. Teams with a GC edge of +12 or more have won 67–76% of games historically. When both metrics agree, combined confidence is higher. When they split, treat as a lean at best.
Impact: Game Control is another great measure for predicting game outcome but NOT an ATS advantage, data shows this is already considered when lines are set.

Power Ratings are a custom-built composite of a Teams Talent, Experience & Production, Coaching & Performance Metrics. These are updated constantly with roster changes, performance once the games start for the 2026 season, injuries the team is dealing with and scheduling situations.
Impact: There are a wide range of power ratings available, we think ours is the best, you can decide for yourself