2008 Mississippi State Bulldogs - Rec. Class

Mississippi State Bulldogs 2008 Head Coach: Sylvester Croom

Mississippi State Bulldogs

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Templeton Hardy DT 6-3 295 Como, MS (North Panola HS)
Ranked as the No. 16 defensive tackle prospect in the country prior to his senior season by recruiting web site Scout.com, the 39th-best prospect overall . . . Selected to play in the Under Armour All-Star game following his senior season . . . Listed with the top 40 offensive and defensive linemen in the Southeastern Conference area by the G&W Recruiting Report, one of only three linemen listed from the state of Mississippi . . . That publication also mentioned him as one of the top 250 players in the country, regardless of position . . . Attended the U.S. Army junior combine in San Antonio, Texas, in January 2007 . . . Ran a 5.2-second 40-yard dash at that combine, bench pressed 300 pounds, and jumped 28 inches in the vertical leap . . . Rated No. 4 on SuperPrep's post-season All-America listing of the state of Mississippi's top players, the state's top defensive lineman . . . That site had him ranked as the No. 30 defensive lineman available in the country . . . Selected to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen, symbolic of being one of the top 12 players in the state of Mississippi . . . Rated No. 9 in the state of Mississippi's Ten Most Wanted recruits by that newspaper following his senior season . . . Registered 148 tackles, including 28 for loss, nine of which were quarterback sacks, during his junior season . . . Also had one pass interception (touchdown return), three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries . . . Three-year, two-way starter for head coach Vincent Johnson at North Panola . . . Started for North Panola's basketball team as well . . . Outstanding high school student in the classroom with a 3.4 grade point average . . . Other top scholarship offers: Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Southern Cal, Stanford and UCLA . . . Committed to MSU in June 2007.

Potential Instant Impact Players

Phillip Freeman OL 6-6 290 Wesson, MS (Wesson HS/Copiah-Lincoln CC)
JUNIOR COLLEGE: Starred as an offensive tackle at hometown Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College for head coach Glen Davis . . . Earned first-team, all-state recognition at the conclusion of his 2006 freshman and 2007 sophomore seasons by the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges . . . Rated among the top 25 junior college players in Mississippi by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger . . . Credited with a 300-pound bench press max and a 5.0-second 40-yard dash time by Rivals . . . Other top scholarship offers: Arizona State, Kansas State, Boise State, Colorado and Oklahoma State . . . Committed to MSU in December 2007.
HIGH SCHOOL: Played both offensive and defensive tackle for three seasons at Wesson (Miss.) High School.

Charles Mitchell DB 5-11 187 Clarksdale, MS (Clarksdale HS)
Named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Mississippi this past season . . . Selected to play in the Mississippi-Alabama High School All-Star game following his senior season . . . Led the Mississippi team to victory by pacing the defense in tackles (nine) and recording an interception in the all-star classic . . . Chosen to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen prior to his senior season, symbolic of being one of the top 12 prospects in the state of Mississippi . . . He was rated No. 4 on that newspaper's list of state's top high school recruits . . . Selected first-team, all-state in the defensive backfield by the Clarion-Ledger . . . That site timed him a 4.58 in the 40-yard dash and with a 245-pound bench press max . . . Ranked as the No. 22 safety in the nation by recruiting web site Scout.com, he is that site's No. 8 prospect overall in the state of Mississippi, the top-rated defensive back . . . Credited with running a 4.56 40-yard dash and a 37-inch vertical jump by Scout at its New Orleans camp prior to his senior season . . . SuperPrep rated him the No. 25 defensive backfield prospect in the country in its season-ending All-America issue . . . That publication ranked him the No. 6 prospect in the state of Mississippi, the second-rated defensive back . . . Two-way standout performer for head coach Jim Hughes at Clarksdale (Miss.) High School . . . Starred as both a running back and defensive back for the Wildcats . . . Made 78 tackles, four of which were quarterback sacks, and two pass interceptions in leading Clarksdale to the second round of the state playoffs as a senior . . . Offensively, he rushed 80 times for 520 yards and nine touchdowns, and caught 14 passes for 200 yards and another score . . . Named second-team, all-state in the secondary by the Clarion-Ledger as a junior when he led Clarksdale to the state semifinals . . . Made 108 tackles and had three interceptions that season, while rushing for 1,151 yards and 12 touchdowns on offense . . . Three-year starter on the prep level . . . Solid student in the high school classroom with a 2.80 grade point average . . . Other top scholarship offers: Nebraska, Michigan, Alabama, and Ole Miss.

Rest of the Class

John Paul Alford	OL	6-3	280	Kosciusko, MS (Kosciusko HS)
Charles Bailey	WR	6-2	173	St. Augustine, FL (Bartram Trail HS)
Nick Bell	DL	6-4	230	Bessemer, AL (Jess Lanier HS)
Corey Broomfield	DB	5-10	157	Palm Bay, FL (Bayside HS)
Arceto Clark	ATH	5-10	165	Verona, MS (Shannon HS)
Kendrick Cook	TE	6-3	230	Attalla, AL (Etowah HS)
Terrance Davis	ATH	5-11	180	Conyers, GA (Salem HS)
Rashun Dixon	ATH	6-2	227	Jackson, MS (Terry HS)
Sean Ferguson	DL	6-4	225	Miami, FL (Norland HS)
Phillip Freeman	OL	6-6	290	Wesson, MS (Wesson HS/Copiah-Lincoln CC)
Kirkland Gainous	LB	6-2	205	Tallahassee, FL (Lincoln HS)
Templeton Hardy	DL	6-3	295	Como, MS (North Panola HS)
Antonio Hoskins	LB	6-2	215	Water Valley, MS (Water Valley HS)
Mike Hunt	LB	6-3	220	Meadville, MS (Franklin County HS)
Nelson Hurst	TE	6-4	240	Plainfield, IN (Plainfield HS)
Joshua Jackson	DL	6-3	294	Canton, MS (Canton HS)
Devin Jones	DL	6-2	240	Olive Branch, MS (DeSoto Central HS)
Shane McCardell	DL	6-5	220	Beaumont, TX (West Brook HS)
Charles Mitchell	DB	5-11	187	Clarksdale, MS (Clarksdale HS)
ToJo Patterson	RB	6-0	190	Corinth, MS (Biggersville HS)
Delmon Robinson	WR	5-10	180	Vicksburg, MS (Vicksburg HS)
Tobias Smith	OL	6-3	292	Columbus, MS (Columbus HS)
Trevor Stigers	DL	6-4	225	Ridgeland, MS (Ridgeland HS)
Baker Swedenburg	P	6-0	175	Columbus, MS (Heritage Academy)
Bo Walters	LB	6-1	225	Wilsonville, AL (Briarwood Christian)
Louis Watson	DB	5-10	165	Mobile, AL (St. Paul's Episcopal)
O'Neal Wilder	WR	6-5	190	Carthage, MS (Carthage)

- 2007 MSU Season
- 2007 MSU Preview
- 2006 MSU Season

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 3-9
2007 Record: 8-5

Aug. 30 LSU L 45-0
Sept. 8 at Tulane W 38-17
Sept. 15 at Auburn W 19-14
Sept. 22 Gardner-Webb W 31-14
Sept. 29 at So Carolina L 38-21
Oct. 6 UAB W 30-13
Oct. 13 Tennessee L 33-21
Oct. 20 at West Virginia L 38-13
Oct. 27 at Kentucky W 31-14
Nov. 10 Alabama W 17-12
Nov. 17 at Arkansas L 45-31
Nov. 24 Ole Miss W 17-14
Liberty Bowl
Dec. 29 UCF W 10-3

2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: Coming off a breakthrough season under Sylvester Croom, the expectations are sky-high with eight starters back on a senior-laden defense, and seven starters back on offense. The schedule gets a huge break getting Vanderbilt and Kentucky from the East, both at home, along with at Louisiana Tech, SE Louisiana, Middle Tennessee, and at Ole Miss. In other words, the slate is in place to go back to another bowl.
Why to be grouchy: Does the offense have any talent? It has experience, and the running backs are excellent, but the passing game still won't be in place to come up with any explosion. If the defense wasn't creating turnovers and wasn't dictating the game, MSU had a hard time. The problems will likely continue.
The number one thing to work on is: Throwing the ball. Michael Henig hasn't been able to stay healthy, and while Wesley Carroll was only a freshman, he still isn't an efficient passer who'll keep the chains moving without the running game working. MSU is never going to bomb away for 350 yards per game, but there can't be so many interceptions and there has to be more production on third downs.
Biggest offensive loss: C Royce Blackledge
Biggest defensive loss: DE Titus Brown
Best returning offensive player: OT Michael Brown, Sr.
Best returning defensive player: FS Derek Pegues, Sr.

2007 Recap
Recap: After three straight three-win seasons, Sylvester Croom’s blueprint for a revival in Starkville finally began to deliver tangible signs of progress.  The Bulldogs, saddled with quarterback problems all season, clawed their way to eight wins, capped by stirring victories over Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl and UCF in the Liberty Bowl, the school’s first postseason game in seven years.  Wins over Auburn, Kentucky, and Alabama were proof that Mississippi State’s breakthrough, eight-win season was not just the product of a cushy schedule.            

Offensive Player of the Year: RB Anthony Dixon

Defensive Player of the Year: DE Titus Brown

Biggest Surprise: The Bulldogs’ first national statement that they’d be a nuisance all year came in a Week 3 upset of Auburn at Jordan-Hare.  Despite losing starting QB Michael Henig to a broken hand, and allowing the Tigers to drive deep into its territory in the final minutes, Mississippi State hung on for a momentum-building 19-14 upset.    

Biggest Disappointment: The Bulldogs didn’t have much to complain about in a season that far exceeded anyone’s expectations.  If there was a low point, it came on Nov. 17, a 45-31 loss to Arkansas.  Although Mississippi State was still bowl eligible, it needed this game to ensure an invitation, but got smoked by five Hog touchdown passes.   

Looking Ahead: After becoming one of the stories of 2007 in the SEC, Mississippi State needs to build on its succees, beginning with this February’s recruiting cycle.  The silver lining in the Bulldogs’ year-long quarterback crisis was that true freshman Wesley Carroll was forced to survive a baptism under fire.  Almost an entire season of experience has hastened his development, good news for the league’s worst offense.  

Dec. 29
2007 Liberty Bowl
Mississippi State 10 ... UCF 3
Mississippi State came up with its fourth turnover of the day on a Keith Fitzhugh interception in the fourth quarter, and then the offense went on its best drive of the game going 59 yards in ten plays culminating in a one-yard Anthony Dixon touchdown run. The only other scoring came in the second quarter on a 45-yard Michael Torres field goal giving UCF a 3-0 lead, but MSU answered with a 22-yard Adam Carlson field goal off a Knight turnover. UCF RB Kevin Smith didn't break Barry Sanders' single-season rushing record coming up 62 yards short, but he ran for 119 yards. The rest of the Knight attack gained a mere 88 finishing with only 219 yards, but MSU didn't do much better gaining 199. 
Offensive Player of the Game: UCF RB Kevin Smith ran 35 times for 119 yards, and led the Knights with three catches for 12 yards
Defensive Player of the Game: Mississippi State CB Derek Pegues made four tackles, a tackle for loss and picked off two passes
Stat Leaders: Mississippi State - Passing: Wesley Carroll, 8-18, 39 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 24-86, 1 TD. Receiving: Christian Ducre, 3-10
UCF - Passing: Kyle Israel, 10-24, 88 yds, 3 INT
Rushing: Kevin Smith, 35-119. Receiving: Kevin Smith, 3-12
Thoughts & Notes ... Yes, the defenses played great, but the 2007 Liberty Bowl will be remembered for the completely inept offenses. Check that; the completely inept passing games. UCF RB Kevin Smith and MSU RB Antony Dixon were fine, but the two quarterbacks, UCF's Kyle Israel and MSU's Wesley Carroll, were miserable. How bad were the passing attacks? The two quarterbacks combined to complete 18 of 44 passes for 127 yards (with MSU getting just 39) and four interceptions. Credit the defenses for generating plenty of pressure, but the quarterbacks, at this point in the year, needed to be better. ... The storyline around Smith will be about how he didn't set the single-season rushing record, but his 119 yards on the ground should be viewed as the glass being half full. MSU threw everyone at him and he still cranked out 100 yards. ... The offensive numbers: 23 combined first downs. Six of 30 on third downs. 3.1 yards per play for UCF, 3.3 yards per play for MSU.

Nov. 23
Mississippi State 17 ... Ole Miss 14
Adam Carlson connected on a 48-yard field goal with 12 seconds to play to cap a wild comeback in the MSU win. Ole Miss got out to a 14-0 lead with a 14-yard BenJarvus Green-Ellis run and a 13-yard Shay Hodge catch, but then the roof caved in. With only four first downs up until midway through the fourth quarter, the Bulldog defense came through with a fourth and one stop and the offense capitalized going 46 yards in six plays with Anthony Dixon running for a four-yard score. With just 2:38 to play, Derek Pegues tied it with a 75-yard punt return, and MSU won it by going 34 yards in six plays. The two teams combined to convert just eight of 29 third down conversion attempts.
Player of the game: Mississippi State DB Derek Pegues made three tackles, a tackle for loss and broke up three passes, returned four punts for 75 yards and a touchdown, and returned two kickoffs for 23 yards
Stat Leaders: Mississippi State - Passing: Wesley Carroll, 13-28, 130 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jamayel Smith, 1-27. Receiving: Anthony Dixon
Ole Miss - Passing: Brent Schaeffer, 10-30, 115 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: BenJarvus Green-Ellis, 29-117, 1 TD. Receiving: Shay Hodge, 2-209, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It wasn't pretty in any way, but MSU found a way to overcome a lousy offensive performance to beat Ole Miss and be assured of a bowl bid. With a seven-win season, this might be the turning point for a program that's been so bad for so long, but consistency is still an issue. Wesley Carroll threw for 421 yards against Arkansas, and then couldn't throw a lick for extended stretches against the Rebels. The running game continues to struggle, and the defense didn't generate nearly enough pressure into the backfield. Whatever. Seven wins are seven wins. Longsuffering MSU fans aren't going to complain.

Nov. 17
Arkansas 45 ... Mississippi State 31
MSU scored first on a four-yard catch from Jamayel Smith, and then Arkansas took over through the air with Casey Dick throwing three straight touchdown passes hitting Farod Jackson from 30 yards out, Robert Johnson from 35 yards away, and Marcus Monk from 19 yards out. Darren McFadden, who was bottled up for most of the game, took a Dick pass 57 yards for a score, and connected with Johnson for a 24-yard touchdown. MSU kept bombing away with Wesley Carroll throwing for 421 yards and four touchdowns, including an 80-yard play to Smith midway through the fourth quarter, but there were also four interceptions including a pick six from Antwain Robinson to put the game away. MSU ended up turning it over five times, while Arkansas didn't give the ball away.
Player of the game: Arkansas QB Casey Dick completed 14 of 17 passes for 199 yards and four touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Mississippi State - Passing: Wesley Carroll, 29-51, 421 yds, 4 TD, 4 INT
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 17-40. Receiving: Jamayel Smith, 10-208, 2 TD
Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 14-17, 199 yds, 4 TD
Rushing: Darren McFadden, 28-88. Receiving: Darren McFadden, 4-50, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... On the plus side out of the loss to the Hogs, Wesley Carroll and the passing game was as impressive as they've been all season, and it's good to know MSU can air it out, but there were too many turnovers and the defense didn't come up with any early stops to let the Bulldog offense try out the running game. Not that it was going anywhere, with Anthony Dixon averaging 2.4 yards per carry, but after the first quarter it was all about bombing away. Against Ole Miss, it'll be vital to take the early lead. The Rebels aren't able to throw their way back into games.

Nov. 10
Mississippi State 17 ... Alabama 12
Up 9-3, Alabama was driving for an apparent late first half score, but Anthony Johnson picked off a John Parker Wilson pass in the end zone and took it 100 yards for a touchdown to change the game. Anthony Dixon ran for a three-yard Bulldog touchdown early in the second half, and MSU had all the points it would need to pull off the upset and become bowl eligible. Alabama only managed four Leigh Tiffin field goals, hitting from 39, 51, 29 and 50 yards out. Alabama only gained 274 yards of total offense, but MSU only came up with 215.
Player of the game: Mississippi State DB Antony Johnson made two tackles, broke up a pass, and and picked off a pass for a 100-yard score.
Stat Leaders: Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 16-34, 121 yards, 2 INT
Rushing: Terry Grant, 19-75. Receiving: D.J. Hall, 5-46
Mississippi State - Passing: Wesley Carroll, 9-21, 100 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 26-84, 1 TD. Receiving: Tony Burks, 2-29
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The MSU offense went nowhere against Alabama, Wesley Carroll struggled mightily to get the passing game moving, and Anthony Dixon, for the most part, was stuffed. It didn't matter. The defense came up with a gem, and the offense came up with a nice scoring drive when it was handed great field position in the third quarter, and now it's bowl time. Getting a win over Arkansas and/or Ole Miss would secure a bowl bid, but as is, the SEC is going to make sure the Bulldogs get a 13th game. This might not be a pretty team, but it can hit like a ton of bricks.

Oct. 27
Mississippi State 31 ... Kentucky 14
Mississippi State took advantage of six Kentucky turnovers with two leading to ten third quarter points in the stunning upset. Kentucky's high-powered offense was outgained 352 yards to 319, with one touchdown coming on a 37-yard Steve Johnson catch on fourth down, and the other coming in the first quarter on an 18-yard Johnson catch. MSU got an 11-yard Jason Husband touchdown catch on the game's first drive. Anthony Dixon ran for two one-yard scores, and Christian Ducre ran for a 34-yard score.
Player of the game: Mississippi State RB Christian Ducre ran 19 times for 119 yards and a touchdown, and led the team with five catches for 30 yards
Stat Leaders: Kentucky - Passing: Andre Woodson, 24-42, 230 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Derrick Locke, 11-46. Receiving: Jacob Tamme, 6-46
Mississippi State - Passing: Wesley Carroll, 17-28, 152 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Christian Ducre, 19-119, 1 TD. Receiving: Christian Ducre, 5-30
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Talk about being able to bounce back. MSU was awful in the loss to West Virginia, and then it came up with a defensive gem to shock Kentucky and get within one more win of bowl eligibility. The defense forced turnovers, six of them, while the offense didn't give them away. That turned out to be the difference, thanks to the pressure from the UK front that made life tough for Andre Woodson. The combination of Christian Ducre and Anthony Dixon running the ball should be enough to take the heat off Wesley Carroll against Alabama and/or Arkansas.

Oct. 20
West Virginia 38 ... Mississippi State 13
West Virginia rolled for 262 rushing yards, betting 64 of them right off the bat with a Pat White touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage. The Mountaineers pounded away for a 28-0 first quarter lead helped by a 12-yard Owen Schmitt run, a ten-yard Darius Reynaud dash, and a 26-yard Steve Slaton run. Down 31-0, MSU finally got on the board with a one-yard Anthony Dixon run. Reynaud caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Jarrett Brown to complete the blowout.
Player of the game: West Virginia QB Pat White completed eight of 12 passes for 61 yards and two touchdowns with an interception and ran five times for 89 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing: Pat White, 8-12, 61 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Steve Slaton, 23-127, 1 TD. Receiving: Steve Slaton, 4-36
Mississippi State - Passing: Wesley Carroll, 18-35, 169 yds
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 20-61, 1 TD. Receiving: Tony Burks, 6-41
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... MSU struggled defensively against Tennessee last week, and this week wasn't even close to slowing down the West Virginia rushing attack. The D line didn't necessarily get shoved around, but the Mountaineers were able to open up the holes with the quickness up front. Offensively, Wesley Carroll wasn't able to get things moving well enough to keep up the pace, while the running game didn't provide any help averaging 1.4 yards per carry.


Oct. 13
Tennessee 33 ... Mississippi State 21
Tennessee broke open a close game in the final 20 minutes on three Daniel Lincoln field goals, but it was Lucas Taylor, who had a huge day with 186 yards and a 51-yard touchdown, and Arian Foster, who ran for 139 yards and a score, that carried the Vols. MSU made it interesting with a 30-yard Anthony Dixon touchdown run and two Wesley Carroll scoring passes, but the balanced UT offense proved to be too much. The Vols outgained the Bulldogs 470 yards to 338.
Player of the game: Tennessee WR Lucas Taylor caught 11 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown.
Stat Leaders: Tennessee - Passing: Erik Ainge, 22-36, 259 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Arian Foster, 21-139, 1 TD. Receiving: Lucas Taylor, 11-186, 1 TD
Mississippi State - Passing: Wesley Carroll, 18-33, 203 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 26-108, 1 TD. Receiving: Tony Burks, 5-79, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... MSU might have lost to Tennessee, but the passing of Wesley Carroll, and the running of Anthony Dixon, gives the team a nice balance. Defensively, the line struggled way too much to generate any pressure on Erik Ainge, and didn't do nearly enough against the run to stop the Vol offensive momentum. With West Virginia and Kentucky up next, the team has to be ready to get into a few shootouts.

Oct. 6
Mississippi State 30 ... UAB 13
MSU scored 21 fourth quarter points on Anthony Dixon runs from ten and 12 yards out, and Anthony Johnson returned a pick 30 yards for a score, to put away UAB late. The Blazers took the lead on a 31-yard Frantrell Forrest touchdown catch, and was up 13-9 going into the fourth on a 29-yard Swayze Waters field goal. UAB outgained the Bulldogs 288 yards to 284, but penalties and tackling problems in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference.
Player of the game: Mississippi State RB Anthony Dixon ran for 152 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries.
Stat Leaders: UAB - Passing: Sam Hunt, 16-35, 217 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Rashaud Slaughter, 12-43. Receiving: Frantrell Forrest, 7-122, 1 TD
Mississippi State - Passing: Wesley Carroll, 9-12, 93 yds
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 32-152, 3 TDs. Receiving: Jamayel Smith, 4-38
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The offense was hardly a machine against UAB, gaining just 284 yards and getting nothing from the passing game. Wesley Carroll isn't going to bomb away, with the gameplan being Anthony Dixon, Anthony Dixon, Anthony Dixon, and then hoping from key plays from the defense. UAB wasn't going to do much on the Bulldogs, so the O didn't take any chances. Against Tennessee next week, the offense will have to do far, far more.

Sept. 29
South Carolina 38 ... Mississippi State 21
Down 21-17 late in the third quarter, South Carolina turned it on with 21 unanswered points on a 27-yard Kenny McKinley touchdown catch, his second score of the game, and two of Mike Davis' three touchdown runs. MSU hung around on a 28-yard Aubrey Bell touchdown catch and a two-yard Anthony Dixon score, but two late drives stalled, and another was stopped by an interception. The two teams combined to commit 20 penalties for 181 yards.
Player of the game: South Carolina RB Mike Davis ran 18 times for 59 yards and three touchdowns
Stat Leaders: South Carolina - Passing: Chris Smelley, 19-37, 279 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Mike Davis, 18-59, 3 TD. Receiving: Kenny McKinley, 4-107, 2 TD
Mississippi State - Passing: Josh Riddell, 9-21, 101 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 22-83, 2 TD. Receiving: Co-Eric Riley, 3-20
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... MSU's defense feasts off the big play, and didn't get enough of them against South Carolina. There was decent balance against a good Gamecock defense, but Josh Riddell struggled to make the consistent pass, even though he made a few big ones. When he got a chance, Wesley Carroll wasn't bad, but he didn't get anything on the move. MSU's offense has to be all about getting the chains moving, and it only converted three of 13 third down chances.

Sept. 22
Mississippi State 31 ... Gardner-Webb 15
Mississippi State took a 28-0 first half lead on two Anthony Dixon touchdown runs, a 30-yard Tony Burks catch, and a 60-yard interception return for a score from De'Mon Glanton. Gardner-Webb got most of its points in the final 20 minutes, highlighted by a six-yard Phillip Peoples touchdown run. MSU outgained G W 213 yards to 131 on the ground.
Player of the game: Mississippi State RB Anthony Dixon ran 16 times for 86 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Mississippi State - Passing: Josh Riddell, 8-11, 124 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 16-86, 2 TD. Receiving: Anthony Dixon, 3-41
Gardner-Webb - Passing: Stan Doolittle, 19-33, 191 yds
Rushing: David Montgomery, 10-42. Receiving: Dobson Collins, 6-94
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The offense might not have been anything special against Gardner-Webb, but at least it moved a little bit. In the quest to find a quarterback who can fill in for the banged up Michael Henig, Josh Riddell had a strong performance, outside of an interception, while Wesley Carroll showed good mobility in his limited time. RB Anthony Dixon is the offense, and he needs help. More downfield passing will be needed against South Carolina, but the Bulldogs didn't work much on opening it up this week.

Sept. 15
Mississippi State 19 ... Auburn 14
Mississippi State jumped out to a 13-0 lead on two Adam Carlson field goals and a Derek Pegues interception return for a touchdown, lost the lead late in the first half on a 28-yard Ben Tate run and a one-yard score from Kodi Burns, and got the lead back late in the fourth on a five-yard Christian Ducre touchdown run. The MSU defense held on as the Tigers got down to the Bulldog nine, but couldn't get into the end zone with a fourth down pass falling incomplete. Auburn outgained MSU 323 yards to 213, but turned it over five times.
Player of the game ... Mississippi State DEs Titus Brown and Avery Hannibal only combined for two tackles, but Brown's was a sack, with the two combining for eight quarterback hurries.
Stat Leaders: Auburn - Passing: Kodi Burns, 8-12, 65 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Bem Tate. 15-91, 1 TD  Receiving: Rod Smith, 4-78
Mississippi State - Passing: Michael Henig, 1-3, 16 yds
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 29-103  Receiving: Aubrey Bell, 1-16
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Offense schmoffense. Who cares that MSU only gained 213 yards against Auburn? Who cares about the total lack of a passing game? Well, MSU will as the year goes on, but for a program in desperate need of big wins, this was one of them. The defense can only hang tough for so long. Eventually, a quarterback has to emerge from the fray after Wesley Carroll, Josh Riddell and Michael Henig combined to complete five of 18 passes for 41 yards. The Gardner-Webb game next week has to be all about airing it out.

Sept. 8
Mississippi State 38 ... Tulane 17
The two teams were tied at halftime as Mississippi State got a 47-yard interception return for a score and an 18-yard Michael Henig scoring grab, and Tulane got a 39-yard Matt Forte touchdown run and an eight-yard scoring pass from Scott Elliott. And then the Bulldog defense took over, shutting down the Green Wave attack, while the offense got two Anthony Dixon touchdown runs and an eight-yard Jeremy Jones scoring grab. MSU outgained Tulane 489 yards to 243.
Player of the game: Mississippi State RB Anthony Dixon ran for 131 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries.
Stat Leaders: Mississippi State - Passing: Michael Henig, 20-31, 223 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 27-131, 2 TDs. Receiving: Jamayel Smith, 4-53
Tulane - Passing: Scott Elliott, 15-26, 197 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Matt Forte, 14-47, 1 TD. Receiving: Matt Forte, 6-49
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Basically, MSU gave up one big play to Tulane that kept it close early, and then the defense took over, holding the Green Wave to eight first downs and 243 yards of total offense. Anthony Dixon became the workhorse he needs to be to take the pressure off of QB Michael Henig, who didn't have a great game, but it was good enough considering the defense and ground attack were able to control things. To beat Auburn, Henig has to be mistake free, while the defense has to shut down the run. The team might be closer to being competitive in the SEC than it appears.

Aug. 30
LSU 45 ... Mississippi State 0
LSU's defense suffocated MSU allowing a mere 146 yards of offense and ten net rushing yards, and made it a nightmare of a night for QB Michael Henig with six interceptions. Craig Steltz picked off three passes. Despite a slow start, the LSU offense got a one-yard Keiland Williams touchdown run, his second of the first half, as time ran out to all but end the game going into the locker room. Matt Flynn connected with Early Doucet and Charles Scott on 11-yard touchdown passes in the third quarter, and Ryan Perrilloux ran for a three-yard score and threw a 15-yard scoring pass in the fourth.
Player of the game: LSU DB Craig Steltz made 2.5 tackles, one tackle for loss, forced a fumble, and intercepted three passes
Stat Leaders: Mississippi State - Passing: Michael Henig, 11-28, 120 yds, 6 INT
Rushing: Anthony Dixon, 13-29. Receiving: Arnil Stallworth, 3-33
LSU - Passing: Matt Flynn, 12-19, 128 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Jacob Hester, 14-68. Receiving: Early Doucet, 9-78, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Many will dump on Michael Henig for his six interceptions against LSU, and yes, he had problems with sailing throws that weren't drilled like they needed to be, but he had to try to press, and he had to try to make things happen. It was obvious early on that the running game wasn't going to work, ten yards isn't going to cut it, and Henig had to press. He didn't get much help from anyone. The defense did what it could, but no one can hold up with so many turnovers.