The Utah Runnin' Utes suffered a hard-fought loss to Mississippi State, falling 78-73 in the Mid-South Showdown on Sunday night in Southaven, Mississippi. Despite leading by 11 points at halftime, the Utes couldn’t hold off a second-half surge from the Bulldogs,

Utah’s first matchup with a power conference opponent ended up giving the Runnin’ Utes a taste of what Big 12 play could be like. It’s a lesson that came in a loss, as Utah, which led 39-28 at halftime,