For Whom the Cowbell Tolls: FanPosts

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2010-03-20T00:47:55Z

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Slight Change In 2010 Football Schedule...

2010-01-08T00:53:21Z

According to Mississippi State's official website, there has been a slight change to the 2010 football schedule. The Auburn game has been moved from Saturday, September 11th, to Thursday, September 9th. The night game will be televised on ESPN and will put State in the national spotlight for their SEC opener.

Most of the games during the 2009 season filled the stadium and 2010 promises much of the same. The atmosphere for the Thursday night game should be electric since it will be the only college game televised that evening.

The last time Auburn visited Starkville, the result was a painful 3-2 victory for the Tigers.

Bulldog Faithful Should Not Be Dismayed Over Cam Newton...

2010-01-02T03:00:36Z

Okay, I'll be the first to admit that it was extremely hard to swallow when I heard that Auburn had snagged Cam Newton. Actually, I was downright mad about it. After all, just a short time ago the guy was in the Mississippi State locker room ringing a cowbell.

Having said that, give Auburn their due credit. Obviously they did a masterful job of wooing Cam on his visit there in December. There are a lot of rumors swirling around regarding exactly what it was that swayed Cam to pick the Tigers. There are some that believe it was as simple as geography. Auburn is much closer to Newton's Atlanta home. There are others that say Mullen made it clear to Newton that he would have to compete for a starting job against Tyler Russell and Chris Relf.

As I said before, these are just rumors. However, if that was indeed the case and Cam Newton was told he would have to compete for the starting job, then I applaud Coach Mullen for that. Newton is a five star recruit. If he is as good as we are led to believe then he should have no problem beating out Russell and Relf.

Of course this is all just theory, but Newton could have recognized Tyler Russell as a legitimate threat to beat him out of the starting job. If that is true, then it is clearly something for State fans to get excited about.

Cameron Newton is a bruising runner, but he has a lot to prove as a passer in the SEC. The hype generated right before the Bulldogs landed Russell was high, but the internet buzz created during the agonizing wait on Cam Newton's decision dwarfed it in comparison. Tyler Russell has a lot to prove in the SEC too, but there is considerably less pressure on him than there is on Newton.

Bulldog fans, do not get discouraged by Newton's decision on New Year's Eve. It is quite possible that Cam Newton will turn out to be a bitter disappointment for Auburn fans. When Newton returns to Starkville on September 11, 2010, the Bulldogs will no doubt do their part to make that a reality. Bring your cowbell.

Poll

Which quarterback will be more successful in 2010?

Cameron Newton

48 votes

Tyler Russell

40 votes

Chris Relf

10 votes

98 votes | Poll has closed

Nick Griffin Recruiting Story

2009-12-28T05:29:27Z

Nick Griffin, who has offers from Mississippi State, Stanford, Arkansas State, Vanderbilt, and Southern Miss, is one of the best Running Backs in Mississippi. That’s not just an opinion either, he was elected to represent Mississippi in the MS/AL all-star game. He said it was a great experience, “It was fun playing with the best guys in both states, there is no other experience like it.”

Nick is going to have a very busy month coming up, “I have visits on every weekend in January”.

He will be visiting Arkansas State first(1/9), then Mississippi State(1/16), then Vanderbilt(1/23), and then finally Southern Miss(1/31).

When asked what he likes about Mississippi State, he said “I like that they are in the SEC and the campus is cool.”

When asked what he likes about Vanderbilt and Stanford, he said “They are two of the best academic schools in the nation and are both in good conferences.”

When asked what he likes about Arkansas State, he said “They offer more playing time than most of the other schools.”

And when asked what he likes about Southern Miss, he said “They are really close to home.”

Nick said he plans on making a decision on which school he will spend the next four years of his life at he said “Some time in January after all my visits”. Nick also admitted that he probably has a favorite, “MSU probably leads right now”.

2010 Recruiting Class: Jay Hughes

2009-12-18T02:46:40Z

Jay Hughes, who is considered one of the best athletes in the state of Mississippi, just recently committed to Mississippi State along with fellow teammate Robert Johnson. See what Jay has to say about his committment.

When Jay Hughes was asked why he chose Mississippi State over offers from, Auburn, Duke, Southern Miss, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, etc., he said, "Out of all the colleges in Mississippi they have the most players from Mississippi, and I just want to be an addition to that. Plus a lot of my friends from where I used to live, Oxford, go there."

Many people assumed because his father was a coach at Mississippi State he would be a lock for State, but when asked when he made his final decision to go to Mississippi State, Jay said, "Probably some time around the beginning of December."

Speaking of his dad,(Coach Tony Hughes) - did he make his decision for Jay? What if his dad didn't coach at MSU, would he still be committed to State? Jay was quick to say nothing would be different, "I always liked State. I think if my dad wasn't coaching at State, they would have still recruited me like they did."

Jay and fellow teammate Robert Johnson committed together in a small ceremony, but appearantly that wasn't always the plan, "I said something to him before the season started about that, but he just kinda ignored me (chuckles)" said Hughes.

Jay is taking his offical visit to MSU on (1/15), and that will be his only one. He is expecting to play cornerback at State and is planning to enroll in June.

Jay's Scout Profile

Jay's Rivals Profile

One for the Books.

2009-11-06T21:49:13Z

It's hard to argue that a ten-point loss should be one for the record books. Yet the 100 yard pick six Jonathan Banks snagged off of Tim Tebow could signal the future of Mississippi State football.

Lucky Number Thirteen's explosive run wasn't during a game that will grace the walls of Dave's Darkhorse in tattered newsprint glory. It wasn't a Snow Bowl or a stunning upset over a legendary Crimson Tide team, complete with gracious congratulations by Coach Bryant. No, it was during a rough, physical game plagued with some tough calls where the underdog Bulldogs fought hard to upset the consensus number one Gators--who were led to victory by an already-legendary quarterback with a close relationship to State's own Coach Dan Mullen.

No, we'll talk about it because the freshman from Maben is just that--a freshman, and he's going to be playing for years to come. When you're in the top 100 athletes in the nation, and top 40 in Mississippi, and you run the 4.0 in 4.6--we're going to be seeing a lot of excitement in the next decade.

We won't remember the 2009 Florida game for a win. We'll remember it because that's the day we saw the promise of what Mississippi State could be one day, and the type of players who will make it happen.

Miss. State Gets Screwed

2009-10-26T23:52:58Z

(I wanted to post this on Saturday night, but found you have to wait to post on this particular site. Just a little thoughts I had on your teams good showing against Florida...)

College football and the NFL sure are different beasts. Every game I convince myself which is better, changing my mind weekly on which is superior to the other. A few weeks ago, I finally figured out the fact that you can't compare the two. The ability of one player to dominate in college is unseen in the NFL, except for a select few in select years, such as Tom Brady in 2007 and Adrian Peterson the past two years. The same goes on the team level. Only in college football can a team dominate it's competition for more than a season.

Being on Auburn fan has been tough on me the past three weeks. I have no legit reason to be a fan, but have been since I was about ten, and stuck with them ever since. After starting 5-0 and talk of challenging Alabama for the SEC West crown, the past three contest Auburn has sputtered. Their offense has looked anemic, when just weeks prior was generating talk around the nation. Their defense has been a sieve, allowing Arkansas, Kentucky and LSU, none of which are offensive juggernauts, to either punk them on the scoreboard, or score when allowing a score is not an option. And finally their special teams, which was hidden behind the wins of the early season, has been the same old as all year; not making plays and giving up plays to the other team.

So with a 31-3 score, I made the decision to stop hitting recall on the remote to just watching the Florida Miss. State game. I'd been checking it out periodically throughout the night, and saw a Bulldog team that knew what it wanted. It wanted to take advantage of a prime time game, at their house, and beat Florida in front of the whole nation. What an upset that would be, something that isn't supposed to happen to Florida. When it happened last season, the nation, and the Gators, were shocked together. One way or another, Florida wasn't going to be upset in 2009, at least not yet...

Each team played sloppy at one point or another. I saw interceptions for both sides, and poor execution at critical times. It's clear both teams play in the SEC. They have their respective well known offensive weapons, and each play tough, opportunistic defense that makes plays of their own. I saw this when Tebow was picked off in the redzone, the ball being returned 99 yards for a touchdown, making a game that seemed as if it was about to become out of reach into a manageable game at your home stadium. Suddenly everything looked great again for Miss. State, and the full support of the crowd noise could only help. Was an upset in the works. I'll tell you, I had a great feeling before the game even started. It seemed like my gut would prove to be something I could trust.

Until the play. Miss. State quarterback came onto the field needing a score to stay with Florida. His teammates on the other side of the ball had kept the high powered Florida offense in check for the better part of the night, now it was time for him to charge up his spread and score. He takes the snap, gets the ball tipped up in the air, and I, and I'm sure every other Bulldog fan in the country had their heat stop. Then everything snapped back into reality as Dustin Doe snagged the ball out of the air. He runs towards the endzone, and begins a Deion Sanders esque high step. Whether he knew it or not, a Miss. State player was closing in.

The ball was hit, came out, and did not cross the plane in the control of Dustin Doe, its as simple as that. I watched the replay numerous times, along with the pieced together replay, which by the way the referee is allowed to use to come to the correct conclusion on a play. Doe didn't have the ball, and it was not a touchdown. The correct ruling would have been a touchback, giving the ball to Miss. State on the twenty yard line, with a new set of downs.

Now in no way am I criticizing the ruling on the field, which was a touchdown. That is a call in the heat of the moment, in a prime time SEC game. There is no real way the naked human eye could correctly diagnose a call that close; I completely understand that. What I am criticizing is the horrible call made by the booth on the call. There was absolutely conclusive evidence that would overturn that call had it been assessed correctly. I'm not saying that would have won the game for the Dawgs by any means, but I must say that could have kept all the momentum in the Bulldogs favor, despite the fact they briefly regained it later in the game, when it was too late.

Say what you will, but I have formed my opinion, Mississippi State got screwed.

And Finally, A Win

2009-10-18T03:52:14Z

RB Anthony Dixon pictured @ cdn1.sbnation.com

After three big losses in a row that were mostly (if not only) due to turnovers, State was able to right the wrong against a far inferior team. So do you get excited? That's entirely for you to determine, but Florida sure looked vulnerable this weekend against Arkansas. They won with a last second field goal and they're coming to our house next weekend. This team will get tested. But back to this week.

ATTENDANCE: 23,882.

The game was at Middle Tennessee State and our Bulldogs came away with a win, 27-6.

Story from the stats

Turnovers:

The Bulldogs

0 interceptions on 20 pass attempts from QB Tyson Lee. (only person to attempt a pass for the dawgs)

no fumbles on 50 team carries.

The Blue Raiders

4 interceptions on 29 team pass attempts

0 fumbles on 25 team carries

Rushing:

The Bulldogs

50 team carries for 178 yards and 3.6 avg. 3 TD's and a long run of 57 yards.

leading rusher: RB Anthony Dixon had 27 carries for 135 yards and a long of 57 with 2 TD's. 5.0 yards per carry.

The Blue Raiders

25 team carries for 42 yards with a long of 12 yards. 1.7 yards per carry on 0 TD's scored.

Passing:

The Bulldogs

Tyson Lee completed 14/20 for 155 yards.7.8 yards per pass and 0 TD's along with 0 INT's.

The Blue Raiders

19/39 team completions for 206 yards, averaging 5.3 per pass with 0 TD's and 4 INT's.

Top Reciever:

The Bulldogs

RB Arnil Stallworth had 4 catches for 71 yards with a long of 21 yards, averaging 17.8 yards per catch. 0 TD's.

WR Chad Bumphis had 4 catches for 32 yards with a long of 14 yards. 8.0 average yards per catch.

The Blue Raiders

WR Garrett Andrews had 4 catches for 49 yards. 12.3 average with no TD's.

Defensive Playmakers:

The Bulldogs

CB #13 Johnthan Banks had two interceptions.

CB #25 Corey Broomfield also had two interceptions.

The Bulldog defense had 4 consecutive takeaways followed by stopping the Blue Raiders on downs to end the game

The Blue Raiders

yeah.

This was a great start to turning the season around, but at 3-4, the Bulldogs are in desperate need of some wins. The Florida Gators are ranked number 1 in the BCS and will prove to be a serious challenge. Extra drama is added due to our having Coach Dan Mullen. The former Offensive Coordinator of the Gators during their last two BCS National Championships.

Thanks for the win, Bulldogs.

Let's try and keep it up. Now, here's a quick pep talk from Pro Football Hall of Famer George Allen.

George Allen via www.profootballhof.com

"People of medicore ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit. Most men succeed because they are determined to." -- George Allen

-Brandon Clark

Poll

Will you be at the game against Florida next week?

yes

7 votes

no

5 votes

12 votes | Poll has closed

Anthony Dixon Is about to Bust Out.

2009-10-15T20:02:21Z

State's star running back Anthony Dixon is averaging well over a hundred yards a game, and I've got no doubt in my mind that he will break the MSU rushing record held by Jerious Norwood--and break it this weekend.

The Sun-Herald has a nice story on the Bulldog standout this week, and how he's only 48 yards off Norwood's record high of 3,212. Consider that record broken by the second quarter, if things go as expected against the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee State.

Yeah, it didn't end well--but if No. 24 hadn't been there, it wouldn't have even been a heartbreaker.

Way back in the day, before graduating from Terry High, Rivals.com had Anthony as the number 22 back in the country, and the tenth best in the Magnolia State. More importantly, he's just gotten better as time goes by--in 2006, he was hitting 4.0 yards on average per carry. The next year that dipped a bit to 3.7 (offset by a personal best number of touchdowns), but roared back in the disappointing '08 season to grab 4.4 yards per run. This year, he's averaging 5.2 yards per carry, and his total yardage this season puts him twentieth best in the nation.

Sometimes it's rough watching State go through the critical phases of rebuilding--but having a back like Anthony Dixon eases those growing pains by a country mile. All hail Number 24! I wish to heck he'd be around in 2010.

Miss State loses SEC Home Opener to LSU

2009-09-30T20:42:11Z

I bought the shirt, but not the hype. Yet, here I was in the fourth quarter...

It was about to happen. Hype was about to meet reality. All of Dan Mullen's talk was beginning to come true. We had all heard the,"I'll see you in Atlanta" speeches during halftime at the basketball games. We all knew that the guy could coach talent. We just questioned if he could coach what we perceived to be, well, "not Florida" talent. Because only a team like Florida could hang with LSU. But we had a real chance. We were in this game! We just needed 4 inches.

The 4th quarter had not started well for us Bulldog fans. We watched Tiger safety Chad Jones return a punt for 93 yards. Yet somehow, our offense came back and answered. Largely in part to a 46-yard completion from QB Chris Relf to WR O'Neal Wilder. It was pretty. Unfortunately, it was followed by a trick play that never should've happened (involving Bumphis) and we settled for a Field Goal.

On the next drive, Zack Smith (I'm surprised too) came up with a big sack on LSU QB Jordan Jefferson that was the defensive catalyst to stalling that particular Tiger drive. The fans went nuts. We all knew that we had a real shot of beating LSU. That Dan Mullen might start 1-0 against overrated teams, and teams in the top-10 in general.

With 8:11 left in the game, we took the ball. Senior QB, and former walk-on, Tyson Lee went 2/6 and RB Anthony Dixon had 2 rush for 6 yards. Heath Hutchins punted 52 yards and as I watched the ball go through the air and land in Chad Jones' hands, a feeling that can only be described as the death of hope washed over me. Thankfully, Jones was tackled for a loss of one yard on the Tiger 3 yard line. Long story short, they found themselves with 4th and 13 from the 12. Yeah.

Then the drive that would have a name if we would've won happened. This is from ESPN.


Mississippi State at 3:53		LSU	MSST
1st and 10 at MSST 50	Tyson Lee rush for 6 yards to the LSU 44.	30	24
2nd and 4 at LSU 44	Christian Ducre rush for 11 yards to the LSU 33 for a 1ST down.
1st and 10 at LSU 33	Christian Ducre rush for 13 yards to the LSU 20 for a 1ST down.
1st and 10 at LSU 20	Christian Ducre rush for no gain to the LSU 20.
2nd and 10 at LSU 20	Tyson Lee pass incomplete to Chad Bumphis.
3rd and 10 at LSU 20	Anthony Dixon rush for 18 yards to the LSU 2 out-of-bounds for a 1ST down.
1st and Goal at LSU 2	Anthony Dixon rush for 1 yard to the LSU 1.
2nd and Goal at LSU 1	Timeout LSU, clock 01:22.
2nd and Goal at LSU 1	Anthony Dixon rush for no gain to the LSU 1.
3rd and Goal at LSU 1	Timeout LSU, clock 01:14.
3rd and Goal at LSU 1	Tyson Lee pass incomplete, broken up by Chad Jones.
4th and Goal at LSU 1	Tyson Lee rush for no gain to the LSU 1.
DRIVE TOTALS: MisSt drive: 10 plays 49 yards, 02:45 MisSt DOWNS

When you read "... and goal at LSU 1". It really means "... and goal at LSU 4-inch mark". It was hard to watch. How many times does a team make it inside the other teams one and not get in after 3 tries. We only need those 4 inches and we win.

I remember it. Anthony Dixon from the 2 to the 1. Obviously they're going to give it to him again, right? Play action fake to Dixon as Lee rolls out to the right. He's got a man open, he throws... OH NO!!! It was tipped by that guy that ran the punt back. WOW! Yes, Chad Jones (Tiger safety) is clutch.

Just a little note, a TD would have been scored if Lee would've have pump-faked or stepped to the right one step or run way out to the right and scored by the pylon with his feet. Or if they would've have given it to Dixon who, on the fake, jumped straight through the pile and successfully landed in the end zone, just without the ball because it was a fake.

Final play. 4th and goal from the LSU "1". After watching the replay, I feel comfortable saying this was a run-option to the left. Lee had two men out wide open in the flat to his left. He did the Tebow. I don't mean run up the middle and overpower LBers and score. I mean the fake run. The tuck the ball, dip the shoulders and then take a step backwards to throw. Except it was getting a little crowded. Lee saw a small opening in front of him and decided to go. As he went forward people fell on his ankles and Lee tucked the ball into his chest as he leaned forward. A TD woud've been scored if he stretched his hands out of if he threw it left to Dixon and whoever else was in the flat. It's really just too bad.

Then LSU got the ball. They ended their drive with their punter running out of bounds to give us a safety, making the game 30-26 Tigers. They then punted deep and we looked like the Miss State of old with 4 incompletions that started with a dump-off pass. We were on our 32 and needed a TD. A dump pass was not the best of ideas.

The Good News

LSU had 30 yards rushing to our 151.

Anthony Dixon had 27 carries for 106 yards and 2 TD's. (3.9 avg)

The Bad News

We still can't stop the big play. This was evident against Auburn. If we could, I feel that the Auburn game would've come down to the wire.

LSU WR Brandon LaFell (#1) had 6 receptions for 102 yards and 2 TD's.

Starting QB Tyson Lee had 3 interceptions in the first half. Backup HB Arnil Stallworth fumbled in the first half. That's 4 first half turnovers and we lost by 6. (really 4, but had we scored then the safety wouldn't have happened.)

Stallworth is not credited with a fumble on ESPN, but I'm about 99% sure it was him. I have only seen the game once and I have not read anything except the stats.

Edit: I want to add one more thing....

QB Comparison

Bulldogs:

Tyson Lee: 15/38, 172 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT (the pick 6 was not his fault)

Chris Relf: 1/1, 46 yards

Tigers:

Jordan Jefferson: 15/28, 233 yards, 2 TD's

The QB really is the most important position in sports, and as the stats show, the most important factor in this game.

Dear Bulldog Faithful,

We may have lost but I want to remind you that we hung in there with the number 7 team in the country. I want to remind you that we were competitive with LSU for the first time in what feels like a decade. I want to remind you that Dan Mullen needs Tyler Russel to be very good next year and that if he is, I'll see you in Atlanta.

-Brandon Clark

Poll

Did you see positives in the game Saturday?

yes

16 votes

no

4 votes

20 votes | Poll has closed

Is Dan the Man? week1

2009-09-06T06:30:18Z

via media.commercialappeal.com

Mississippi State Bulldogs versus the Jackson State Tigers. State wins 45-7.

It started with the traffic. I have never seen Starkville with so much traffic. I was getting frustrated but it was balanced by the wow factor of having so many people in attendance. I can't find the numbers, but at the stadium it was announced that this was the third largest attendance in Davis Wade Stadium history... Let's take a minute and soak that in as the last few years have not been great for ticket sales.Today was.

I have a picture that i will upload tommorrow and it shows only about 40 people missing on the student side of the stadium (I let a friend take my phone with them so it wouldn't get soaked). It was truly something to see.

After I noticed all the people, I noticed the hype. The banners, the TV ads, the T-shirts. I got nervous, hype is a double-edged sword. Would we cut with it or get cut? After all, hype has failed us before.

As the rain came, foreshadowing was on my mind but I couldn't help but be excited. The smoke filled the tunnel, the rain drops flooded, and the players ran out to a screaming crowd of over 52,000. I loved it. I had not seen this much excitement in Starkville since the kicker i can't remember made a big field goal and we went to the SEC Championship. My 11 or 12 year old self went and hung on the field goal as drunk frat boys and pocket protectors alike brought it down. I will always remember that. Would this new coach bring that kind of excitement back?

Once the players rushed out, they were sent right back in. That's right, a lightning delay. When that happened, I was sure we would lose people. If you didn't know, a lightning delay causes a 30-minute break-mandatory. Not cool. I was soaking wet in blue jeans and everyone around me had the same look on their face-a smile. We couldn't help it. Eventually the game started. I wanted to take notes but the rain ruined my legal pad, sorry if the facts aren't facts. I'm going by memory and it should be very close.

The Offense

Tyson Lee is the incumbent at QB and seemed a little off and on. His height has always been an issue. He stands around 5'9" and that causes problems throwing over the lineman. He played the first few drives alternating with back-up Chris Relf who took over mid-second quarter or so and started the rest of the game.

The first half was not pretty as it was held up by penalties. Their were a few turnovers, penalties stalled drives and they seemed lifeless at times. They recovered in the second half.

Relf was used in a Tebow-esque fashion minus the deep balls. Relf would throw a dink and a dunk, not normally more than a 5 yard toss. Next he would run or option it off to a HB. It was a true spread-option offense. He was solid enough but never spectacular. You have to wonder if it would've been enough against next week's opponent, Auburn.

I later found out after the game through a Dan Mullen radio interview that the reason Tyson Lee was out. He was having shoulder spasms on his throwing arm. The trainers said that he could play if needed but it wasn't necessary to play him. JSU was outmatched.

My favorite player on the offense was the guy that was the most consistent-HB #2 Robert Elliot. His stats were 11 carries for 80 yards and a lone TD. I can't remember how many downs he either converted or made convertable. Most of these will not be remembered because the officiating brought him backwards nearly as much as he brought us forward. He was a stud.

Freshman WR Chad Bumphis caught two TD's but had a big drop. His drop would've converted first down and had he hit the nearing sideline correctly, it may have been another TD. I have to think he was celebrating in his head before he got the ball in his hands. No matter, he will be an asset all season. The rest of the receivers did nothing worth writing home about in this game, but with how horrible the officiating was, who could blame them.

The offensive line was solid for the most part after 3 false starts in the second and third drive of the game combined.

Special Teams

Wow! Just wow! I do not remember ever seeing any team have a special teams unit with that amazing of coverage on kickoffs. Our kicker, who missed two field goals, seemed to put the ball on their 5 nearly every time. Our coverage unit was so fast that it would meet their returner near the 15 yard-line almost every time. It was spectacular!

The punt coverage was similar. WR Leon Berry returned the opening kickoff about 40 or 50 yards and almost cut loose for a TD despite being tripped up. The place went nuts! He never got another kick return because our defense was too good. He had one punt return but was hit immediately.

The kicking team was terrible. Our new kicker, #37, whoever he is was impressive in the spring game, yet abysmal today. Yes, abysmal. He went 1/3 only making a 25-yarder. The two that he missed were in no way long-shots. I was so disappointed.The punter, however, was a boomer. JSU couldn't return anything.

The Defense

I am in my early twenties, so when I say the best tackling I have ever seen, then you have to understand I haven't seen as much as "average-aged fans", but I welcome them to show me better. It was outstanding! Our tackling was truly a force. They would run up the middle and hope they got tackled forward because that was their best shot at gaining yardage. Their was only two bad plays the whole night on defense. Twice we let a guy behind our secondary. When JSU scored, they were mostly playing third stringers with a few second stringers-I believe.

Back to the good news, our defense created fumbles, they intercepted, they scored, they held them to 8 first downs the entire game.They held them to 194 total yards. To make that more amazing, Jackson State's QB most likely runs a 4.5 sec 40-yard dash. The kid can fly and that helped him escape the first two or three tackles in the backfield, only to be tackled by two or three more. These guys can play.

The Bands

I feel obligated to talk about the bands. The top thing for Jackson State is their band-the Sonic Boom. They combine a lot of urban elements into their marching band and make for a great show-or so I heard. It was a large disappointment to me but still came out as the better of the halftime shows.

Our own "Famous Maroon Band" chose to throw in the towel and play alongside a local bluegrass/country band. It was an experiment that should remain just that.

The Officiating

I would enjoy hearing how many flags were thrown and a count by quarter. I would bet over twenty-five flags were thrown and somewhere around 8 in the last 5 minutes. It was as if the refs did not want the game to end. This disrupted the game experience for the fans and players alike. Its sad that the refs truly get in the way sometimes.

Summary

Right now, I would have to say that yes, Dan is the man. I'm full of confidence in the defense and coverage units. The only worries I have are the deep ball on offense and the field goal unit. Yeah, carry overs from last year that still hang around. Both units should improve. Our offense is not seasoned with this style of approach and I look for them to get better every week. The kicker, well we can hope, right?

Starting tailback Anthony Dixon will return next week against Auburn and his bruising style should place more defenders around the line of scrimmage in the "box". This should help open up the deep ball. Back-up HB Christian Ducre fumbled twice and wasn't half as effective as Elliot. Look for Elliot to move up the depth chart.

Tyson Lee should be back in action and I look forward to seeing him improve throughout the season. Growth really is a journey and I'm looking forward to traveling with the Bulldogs in 2009. Join the ride.

Last Tidbit

Near the end of the game, the quarterback for JSU, Dedrick McDonald, threw it deep. The ball sailed threw the air and DB #25 for the Bulldogs came down with it. He ran about 55 yards straight, sideways, backwards and all of the above to return it for a touchdown. It was exciting, but it was not near as exciting as what happened in the end-zone. A MS State D-lineman found himself getting punched by #74 for JSU. This caused a small fight. As I turned and looked, I saw the referee tackle the big o-lineman. I am not making this up. He tackled him, then covered him and held him down. It was like watching a man tackle a grizzly bear and seeing the grizzly bear lay limp almost in astonishment that the man had the guts to tackle him. I wish I could've taken a picture.

-Brandon Clark

Poll

Were you pleased with the Bulldogs first performance of 2009?

yes, they got me really excited

27 votes

yes, but i need to see more

23 votes

no, this was Jackson State, only known for the band

9 votes

59 votes | Poll has closed

Pictures of the New TV

2009-06-19T21:02:29Z

If you haven't seen the TV at Scott Field, it's something to just stare at. New football recruits were courted with this thing. Yes, they sat in the press box and watched game film on the big screen. It was debuted in the Kentucky gam where I watched our beloved bulldogs lose 14-13. We missed an extra point (it was blocked) along with a field goal (bad kicker). No, I have no idea who that guy is and I didn't feel like taking another picture. The video they did for Super Bulldog Weekend was great. It included highlights over the last few years, highlights from 2008, and hype for new head coach Dan Mullen.

This is the Kentucky game.

Poll

Do you like the new screen?

yes

5 votes

no

0 votes

5 votes | Poll has closed

Bulldog Goes Pro: LB Dominic Douglas to the St. Louis Rams

2009-04-28T14:33:44Z

via cache.gettyimages.com

Link

Former Mississippi State LB Dominic Douglas has signed on to play for the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent (UDFA). Douglas played linebacker in college at 225 lb.'s. He will have to gain weight or lose weight and gain speed (for the purpose of playing safety) if he wants to stick. Once again, I bring up special teams play. This is where Douglas could lay some dudes out and make a name for himself. Every coach loves a guy who can hit!

Good luck Dominic! Represent them Bulldawgs!

-Brandon Clark

Bulldog Goes Pro: S Keith Fitzhugh to the New York Jets

2009-04-28T14:09:12Z

via cache.daylife.com

Click here for Fitzhugh article

Former Mississippi State starting SS Keith Fitzhugh has signed on as an Undrafted Free Agent (UDFA) to play for the New York Jets where he will vie for a roster spot.

Terms of contract have not yet been disclosed. When they are released, they will be at this link

Fitzhugh will always be in my mind as a hard hitter and this may be what keeps him in the NFL. He will first have to prove his worth in any way possible, even if it means a position switch. I doubt this happens but it's no doubt something to be aware of. He may only be a special teams player. He has to use his tenacious hits on kick coverage to prove his worth. He has to show he wants it more as he is not guarenteed to be there come august.

Best of luck to you Keith! Represent them Bulldawgs!

On another note, S/RS Derek Pegues still remains unsigned. Hold out hope for another Bulldog to show up on an NFL roster.

-Brandon Clark

Bulldog Goes Pro: WR Lance Long to the Arizona Cardinals

2009-04-27T05:50:40Z

via www.azcardinals.com

WR Lance Long was the only bulldog taken at the 2009 NFL Draft and he wasn't drafted. The second and final day concluded with Lance Long being signed as an Undrafted Free Agent (UDFA) to the Arizona Cardinals. Link

Lance Long reportedly only played one season for Miss State. Does anyone know who he is?

Safeties Derek Pegues and Keith Fitzhugh remain unsigned. This absolutely shocks me. Pegues played at the Senior Bowl and in my opinion played very well. His tackling was much improved and I thought he would be drafted. I especially thought my Jaguars wouldve taken an undrafted flier on him after coaching him at the Senior Bowl. What an odd thing to happen.

-Brandon Clark

Poll

Are you shocked that Derek Pegues has not been signed?

Yep

17 votes

Nope

5 votes

22 votes | Poll has closed

First Impressions: 2009 Mississippi State Spring Game

2009-04-19T03:46:31Z

via photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net

After attending the Maroon vs White game tonight, I've come away with hope for this team and its fan base. Dan Mullen has instilled discipline, focus, and tradition in this football team. This was immediately obvious from the pre-game warm ups and on. I saw a team that was ready to play, a team that was, well alive. This was seen by the announced 31, 606 people in attendanc.

I went to the game ready to take notes. I seceded to just jotting down players that stood out. It wasn't long before my mouth dropped as Tyson Lee threw a bomb to start the game. I'm not sure who caught the deep seam pass, but if i had to guess, I would say Leon Berry. Tyson's only major fault from the night was him locking in on Berry. It was a great connection, however, as Leon Berry was smooth and reliable the whole game.

Berry was not the only WR that stood out. #81 O'Neil Wilder made some great catches. The converted track star made a name himself from early on. He used amazing concentration to catch a tipped ball in the first quarter. He made the play. How many times have you heard that here. He made the play. He later added to his attempts to make Chris Relf look good by catching a deep ball. He had to come back on the route, leap up and reach over the DB's head to catch it, but he made the play. His only problem, so far, is that he is slow off the line. You will recognize him because he is the only receiver that puts his hands up to beat press coverage at the start of every play, regardless of coverage. Another WR that played well was Terrance Davis, #19. He has a great spin move and seems to be a slot WR. Tyson seemed to feel comfortable with him.

Chris Relf played well enough. I initially was getting more excited over Relf than Lee, but as I watched Relf, I just became dissapointed in the waste of athleticism. Chris Relf, at 6'3" 235 pounds has prototypical quarterback size. Problems do exist, however. When i saw him warmup, I noticed that he threw the ball with no zip. I was confused but i wrote this off to "just warming up". On the sideline, he threw the same way. Slow release, all upper-body and no drive from his legs. His deep ball was slow and off target. When he steps into his throws, its a mere placement of his outside leg forward and not a forceful step for strength.

There was great defensive line play by both teams. The man that stood out the most was pass-rushing DE, #99, Sean Ferguson. Ferguson routinely blew by ROT #76 Philip Freeman, who is more of a road grader. Ferguson was too speedy for him. Ferguson had two sacks in three plays. The one play he didn't get a sack, he penetrated into the backfield and chased Relf into another defender. Ferguson stands 6'3" and weighs in at 245 pounds. He has reportedly gained around twenty pounds since last season.

Dear all state fans, please welcome our kicker. Thats right, we have one! #37 Sean Brachle kicked a 48 yarder in-game and a went 1 for 2 from 57 yards during a kick competition. It was fascinating to see, especially after the kicking woes our football program has experienced over the past few seasons.

The player that stood out to me most was Wilder (WR #81), but my backup favorite was the TE. Kendrick Cook, #88, stands 6'1" amd weogjs om at 250 pounds. He was a great red zone threat with at least one touchdown. Maybe you noticed his extra large shoulder pads. He looked menacing. With the ball in his hands, he wouldnt hesitate to run over you.

At the end of the game, it was tied 21-21 with the white team moving down the field. Backup QB Riley Saunders threw the ball to his left. It was a deep throw but he came up significantly short. I wouldnt expect to see any worthwhile playing time from him this season, especially if he doesnt put on some weight. He only weighs 180 pounds and would get crushed by the brutal SEC defenses. On that same drive, he threw an on-taget pass that was tipped into a defenders hands. The maroon team's offense picked back up from there with new-comer Aaron Encalade under center. Encalade is a journeyman JuCo QB who has always dreamed of playing for Miss. State. Encalade threw excellent short to intermediat throws to TE Cook, but never had a throw over ten yards, so I cannot comment on his deep ball touch. He seemed to put no effort needed into these throws and they were extremely accurate. He is still, at best, third on the depth chart behind 2 Relf and 1 Lee. Encalade was mobile in the pocket and "ok" at running his 240 pound body, but he had the sloppiest hand-offs i have ever seen. It was as if he ran into the back every time he handed it off, with two hands too.

The big thing this weekend was that Mullen wanted to get the students back into the football games. I praise him for this. He has a few new traditions, and some we are already familiar with. The "Dawg Pound Rock" will be re-instated. If youre old enough, you may remember the special teams dance from the late 90's before they would take the field. That is the "Dawg Pound Rock". It's back!! :)

This is an older video of the "Dawg Pound Rock", maybe you remember our special teams and Kanzaki Jones.

Another new tradition is that after every win, the team will stand in front of the band and listen to the band play the Alma Mater. Great move, Mullen! You offically have me excited about Bulldog football in 2009 and beyond.

Please comment anything you saw that I didn't.

-Brandon Clark

Poll

Has Coach Mullen given you hope?

yes

30 votes

no

8 votes

38 votes | Poll has closed

And then there were 10

2009-02-12T22:53:58Z

A hearty welcome from Team Speed Kills. (Okay, so also a self-promoting welcome, but anyway...)

I'm glad to see we continue to add high-quality SEC bloggers to our ranks. We now have 10 team-specific blogs, in addition to TSK, which means the conference is nearly complete. And when we finally get Houston Nutt's Twitter page set up, that will make 11.

Enough with the jokes. Glad you've joined us at SBN -- Mississippi State Sports Blog provided quality coverage of the program, and I would expect nothing less here.

Welcome to SB Nation

2009-02-12T22:44:17Z

Welcome to SB Nation! Hey good folks, Welcome from over at Rollbamaroll...... Now I can not say that I have ever had a good time at your school (only time I was there was in 2007.... DO NOT BRING IT UP!!) But welcome, its a fun place and you'll get all kinds of news from around the SEC.... Drop over at RBR anytime you want some civilized discussions...Roll Tide, I hope you guys win every game except one each year