South Carolina’s defense locked in during the second and third quarters, forcing Mississippi State into eight straight misses over a nine-minute stretch. The Bulldogs, who average 18 assists per game, were held to just eight for the afternoon as USC disrupted passing lanes and smothered ball handlers.

Just when it looked like South Carolina had survived getting run over by No. 17 Mississippi State for the first 13 minutes of Saturday’s SEC opener, the Bulldogs