MSU News & Notes | Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Do me a favor, will you? At some point today, do the following exercise for maximum funness:

1. Open one web browser window to THIS.
2. Open THIS in another browser window.
3. Basically just watch and re-watch it all day (idea via winstoncountysfinest)

• After registering 10 solo tackles and 12 total stops Saturday against Kentucky, RS-Fr. Benardrick McKinney was named Co-Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week yesterday. According to HailState.com, McKinney leads all SEC freshman in tackles per game with a 7.2 average. It's wonderful to watch McKinney already enjoying such success as a freshman, and knowing he will only get better, bigger and stronger as his seasons in a bulldog uniform accumulate.
• Yesterday was Dan Mullen Monday press conference day as usual:

• Here's a few highlights from his chat yesterday, via HailState.com:

Opening Statement

"I'm excited about this game. An eight o'clock kickoff and it will be a great a environment here. I know our fans are going to be fired up and our student body is going to work hard to give us the home field advantage-which is critical. You want to put yourself in a position to win championships, so you have to win home games. We will surely have our hands full with the challenge of the team we will be playing this week. When you look at Tennessee, the first thing that jumps out to you is the explosiveness of their offense. They have NFL type players in every position. They have great receivers, their quarterback, running backs-just a very experienced offensive line. They can put up a lot of points. They've played Georgia and Florida in the SEC so far and put a bunch of points up on both teams. When you look defensively, the challenge is that the two teams that have beaten them really relied on the big play. They've been beaten with a bunch of 70 and 80 yard touchdowns. Coming off of a bye-week I'm sure that they've had time to adjust that stuff and get things done. It's going to be a great challenge for our team and we're looking to our fans for a great home field advantage this week to push us through. It should be a really fun and entertaining game [...]"

On player matchups

"I think it will be a great challenge for our guys. They're the two best receivers we've played so far this year. And on top of that, the best passing quarterback we've played this year. So, that combination is definitely going to be a challenge for our secondary, and it should be fun. Those are the guys that you depend on as the strength. Along with all of the leadership experience that we have on the back end they are going to have to step up and play great. "

On Offensive Opportunities...

"Well, last week I would've liked to have had more points on the board. I thought we moved the ball pretty well, but we missed some opportunities to score. We finished the game down there in the red zone. I saw two other possessions that I think we really should have had touchdowns on. I think when Bumphis dropped a big pass down the middle of the field would have been a big play. So I think theirs is some big play potential for us but you're not going to always have lots of opportunities for big plays. When you do, you better capitalize on them, and if you don't you're going to be in battle. You have the opportunity to make the big play-when it is already hard to score in this league-you HAVE to take advantage of them. "

• You can read more on the Mullen's Press Conference here, as well as here, oh and also here!
• Tennessee coach Derek Dooley also had his press conference yesterday. He talked about MSU's ability to produce takeaways, cowbells, and more.
• Video interviews with Les Koenning, Chris Wilson, and Johnthan Banks from yesterday.
• Good read from our friends over at Rocky Top Talk on how Mississippi State, an unlikely Mississippi State, is a must win game for Tennessee.
• BIll Connelly ranks college football's remaining unbeaten teams, and MSU comes in at #11:

Dan Mullen's Bulldogs needed some turnovers luck to hold off Troy, and they beat Kentucky by only 13. Being undefeated in the SEC typically means something, but in this case it really doesn't. MSU can prove a little something by taking out a solid Tennessee squad at home this weekend, but the real test will come on October 27 with a trip to Tuscaloosa.

• And because I think yous guys need to diversify your reading material, here's The Verge's story on how the US Air Force had to declassify plans for a flying saucer they were working on around 1956 (!!!!). /puts on tin foil hat [again]
  

Have a great Tuesday!