SB Nation - Jamar Chaney

Kentucky vs. Mississippi State: Breaking Down the Bulldogs

Ken Howlett — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:05:20 -0000

With Kentucky sitting at 4-3 (1-3 in the SEC) and dates with Eastern Kentucky and Vanderbilt to follow, tonight's 7:00 p.m. EST game at Commonwealth Stadium versus the Mississippi State Bulldogs (3-5, 1-3) carries with it tremendous ramifications. A UK win will put the 'Cats clearly in the drivers seat to gain at least seven victories, which should translate into an upgraded bowl game (hopefully one not played in the state of Tennessee). Lose, and UK will be faced with having to beat Georgia on the road or Tennessee at home, in order to attain the magical seventh victory.

New Mississippi State head coach (and former Florida offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach) Dan Mullen has breathed much-needed oxygen back into the lungs of the Bulldog football program with an exciting brand of offense (he employs a spread-option look), and a defense that can most aptly be described as a work in progress. And after averaging only 15.2 points per game and 274.9 yards of offense in Sylvester Croom's swan song at State last season, Mullen has rewritten the playbook in 2009 to the tune of 100 more yards of offense per contest, and just over 11 more points per game.

For a closer look at what promises to be a nip-and tuck affair, and an examination of how the two contestants stand within the SEC, as well as a complete breakdown of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, join me after the jump:

Statistical Comparison -- UK vs. MSU (SEC rank in parenthesis)

UK MSU

Points Per Game -- 26.1 (9) 26.4 (8)

Scoring Defense -- 23.0 (8) 24.6 (9)

Total Offense -- 337.3 (9) 371.1 (7)

Total Defense -- 352.3 (8) 357.4 (9)

Rush Offense -- 186.3 (5) 203.1 (5)

Rush Defense -- 174.1 (12) 142.2 (7)

Pass Offense -- 151.0 (11) 168.0 (10)

Pass Defense -- 178.1 (8) 215.1 (10)

Kick Return Avg. -- 23.0 (7) 24.7 (4)

Punt Return Avg. -- 13.4 (3) 10.5 (5)

Interceptions -- 8 (7) 11 (2) Four returned for a touchdown

Punt Avg. -- 35.3 (6) 34.0 (9)

Kickoff Coverage -- 40.8 (7) 41.5 (6) Net Averages

Sacks By -- 12 (10) 13 (9)

Sacks Against -- 7 (2) 12 (7)

3rd Down Conversion -- 8.2% (9) 33.9 (10)

Opp. 3rd Down Conv. -- 43.1 (12) 33.6 (7)

Turnover Margin -- --1 (t7) -- 5 (10)

Red Zone Score% -- 86.4 (7) 78.6 (10)

Red Zone TD% -- 72.7 (2) 46.4 (9)

Red Zone Def/Scores -- 73.1% (4) 82.1% (8)

UK/MSU Players in SEC Top 10

Rush Yards Per Game -- MSU RB Anthony Dixon is 3rd -- 107.7; UK RB Derrick Locke is 5th -- 70.7.

All-Purpose Yards Per Game -- UK's Locke is 3rd -- 144.0; MSU WR Leon Berry is 8th -- 121.8; MSU's Dixon is 9th --112.1.

Touchdowns Scored -- UK ATH. Randall Cobb is 2nd -- 9; MSU's Dixon is 3rd -- 7.

Points Per Game -- UK's Cobb is 5th -- 7.7.

Reception Yards Per Game -- UK's Cobb is t6th -- 4.0.

Passing Yards Per Game -- MSU QB Tyson Lee is 10th -- 140.8.

Kick-Off Return Avg. -- MSU's Berry is 5th -- 26.3.

Punt Return Avg. -- UK's Cobb is 2nd -- 13.6.

Tackles Per Game -- UK LB Micah Johnson is t8th -- 7.9; MSU LB Jamar Chaney is 10th -- 7.2.

Tackles For Loss -- UK DL Corey Peters is t5th -- 7.5; MSU DL Pernell McPhee is t5th -- 7.5.

Sacks -- UK's Peters is t7th -- 4.0.

Interceptions -- MSU DB Jonathan Banks is 1st -- 4; MSU DB Corey Bloomfield is t4th -- 3; UK DB Calvin Harrison and LB Sam Maxwell are t8th -- 2.

Passes Defended -- UK's Maxwell is 2nd -- 9 (7 breakups and two interceptions); UK DB Randall Burden is 5th -- 8 (seven pass breakups and one interception).

Meet the Offensive Dogs

Tyson Lee -- 5'10", 200 lb senior quarterback: The diminutive signal-caller has thrown for 1,126 yards on 102-172 passing (59.3%). Lee has thrown only three touchdown passes, and has nine interceptions. He's also carried the ball 54 times for 163 yards, and two touchdowns -- Last season versus UK, Lee threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns (one interception) on 26 of 42 passing.

Lee threw three picks in Mississippi State's 29-19 loss to Florida last weekend. For his career, in 16 starts, Lee has thrown 14 interceptions and 10 touchdowns. He performed very well against a good Georgia Tech team, though, going 20-30 for 278 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Against Houston, Lee ran for 68 yards on 12 carries (5.7 yards per carry). Lee is highly mobile and is willing to take risks, whether it be with his arm or his legs.

Chris Relf -- 6'3", 235 lb sophomore quarterback: On the year Relf has completed 15 of 26 passes (57.7) for 213 yards. He's tossed three touchdown passes and two interceptions. He has also rushed 41 times for 232 yards (5.7 ypc), and one touchdown.

Relf, coming off an injury, has missed MSU's last two games. He will probably see some playing time tonight, though, if only as a change-of-pace for the Bulldog offense. As with Lee, Relf is adept at scampering away from pressure, and/or running the option game with aplomb.

Anthony Dixon -- 6'1", 235 lb senior running back: Dixon has rushed for 749 yards on 149 carries (5.0 ypc), and seven touchdowns. He's also caught seven passes for 36 yards (5.1 yards per reception).

Dixon, the No. 1 rusher in Mississippi State history, has run for 3,352 yards in his career, and 37 touchdowns. He also ranks 15th in SEC history in rushing yards. He's run for over 100 yards five times this season, with a season-high 135 yards (and two touchdowns) against Middle Tennessee State. Dixon nearly matched that output versus Houston, with 134 yards and another two touchdowns -- Last year against UK, Dixon rushed 15 times for 48 yards (3.2 ypc): In '07 versus Kentucky, he ran for 75 yards on 25 carries (3.0 ypc).

Dixon is a powerful, yet very quick running back. He can run through the middle, or, he'll beat you to the edges with his 4.5 - 40 speed. With UK giving up 174 ground yards per game, Dixon poses the biggest threat to 'Cat fans having a hauntingly good Halloween. If UK's middle linebacker Micah Johnson can't go this evening, backup Ronnie Sneed will have his hands full ... hopefully full of Dixon's jersey.

Christian Ducre' -- 6'0", 200 lb senior running back: This season Ducre' has rushed 42 times for 254 yards (6.0 ypc), and one touchdown. He's also caught eight passes for 124 yards (15.5 ypr), and one touchdown -- Versus UK in 2007, Ducre' had a huge day, running for 119 yards on only 19 carries (6.3 ypc).

Arnil Stallworth -- 5'9", 205 lb senior running back: Stallworth has rushed 23 times for 92 yards (4.0 ypc), and caught eight passes for 112 yards (14.0 ypr) -- Versus Kentucky last year, Stallworth caught eight passes of 71 yards (8.9 ypr).

For his career, Stallworth has rushed the ball 81 times and caught 55 passes. A poor man's Rafael Little, he has amassed 550 receiving yards to 300 rushing yards. Obviously he's versatile, and UK's defense, especially LB's Sam Maxwell and Danny Trevathan, must know where Stallworth is on every play.

Robert Elliott -- 6'0", 210 lb sophomore running back: Elliott has run for 110 yards on 31 carries (3.5 ypc), and one touchdown.

Coming out of high school, Elliott was the No. 8 rated running back in the country by Scout.

Chad Bumphis -- 5'10", 195 lb freshman wide receiver: Bumphis, MSU's leading receiver as a true freshman, has caught 24 passes for 270 yards (11.2 ypr), and three touchdowns. He has also returned five kick-offs for a 25.4 yard per return average.

Bumphis was rated the No. 16 wide receiver prospect in the nation last year by Rivals, and the No. 109 ranked prospect overall. He was heavily recruited (including by UK) by such powers as Alabama, LSU, Florida, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. For his career at Tupelo High School in Mississippi, he had 2,034 receiving yards, 1,348 rushing yards, and 568 passing yards.

Since a six catch, 123 yard (one touchdown) performance against Georgia Tech earlier in the year (three game ago), Bumphis has made only eight catches for 78 yards.

Leon Berry -- 6'0", 195 lb junior wide receiver: The JUCO transfer has played quite well in his first year with the Dogs, making 14 catches for 170 yards (12.1 ypr). He also serves as MSU's primary punt and kick returner: Eight punts returned for 67 yards (8.4 ypr), and 28 kick-offs returned for a 26.3 yard average (one touchdown).

Berry, a Second Team JUCO All-America, caught 59 passes for 1,003 yards and nine touchdowns for East Mississippi Community College last season.

Brandon McCrae -- 6'4", 205 lb senior wide receiver: The Morehead State transfer has snagged 11 passes for 97 yards (8.8 ypr).

As a freshman at Morehead, McCrae led the team in receiving with 28 receptions for 361 yards (12.9 ypr) and one touchdown.

O'Neal Wilder -- 6'5", 215 lb redshirt freshman wide receiver: Wilder has caught 10 passes for 140 yards (14.0 ypr).

Coming out of high school, Wilder ran a 4.5 - 40, and ran a state (MS) best 48.3 in the 400 meters.

Marcus Green -- 6'1", 235 lb sophomore tight end: Green has made 21 catches or 258 yards (12.3 ypr) and two touchdowns.

Meet the Defensive Dogs

Jamar Chaney -- 6'1", 240 lb senior linebacker: Chaney is MSU's leading tackler with 58 (24 solo), to go along with 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, two pass breakups, and two quarterback hurries -- Against UK in '07, Chaney, playing on a bum ankle, recorded three tackles; Versus Kentucky in '06, he made six tackles.

Released from his scholarship by Georgia prior to his freshman season, Chaney has made the most out of the change: For his career he's made 256 tackles, with 14.0 tackles for loss. He missed all but one game of the 2008 season because of a broken leg.

K. J. Wright -- 6'4", 215 lb junior linebacker: Wright has executed 55 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, and 2.0 sacks -- Last season versus UK, Wright recorded seven tackles.

Pernell McPhee -- 6'4", 275 lb junior defensive lineman: McPhee leads the Bulldogs with 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, and five quarterback hurries. The JUCO transfer from Itawamba (MS) CC, has recorded 33 tackles (21 solo).

Another major junior college talent, McPhee was heavily recruited by Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan and West Virginia. In his two-year JUCO career, he sacked the quarterback 33 times.

Chris White -- 6'3", 245 lb junior linebacker: Yet another JUCO transfer, White leads the team with 29 solo tackles (48 overall). He also has 3.5 tackles for loss, and one pass breakup.

White was First Team JUCO All-America last season out of Mississippi Gulf Coast CC. In his two years on the JC circuit, he recorded 204 tackles, four interceptions and four fumble recoveries (two returned for TD's).

Jonathan Banks -- 6'2", 170 lb freshman defensive back: Another true freshman contributor, Banks leads the SEC with four interceptions, with two "pick-sixes." He's made 16 tackles (11 solo).

Banks was considered the No. 63 "athlete" prospect out of high school by Rivals, and the No. 69 safety by Scout. He runs a 4.6 - 40.

Corey Bloomfield -- 5'10", 170 lb redshirt freshman defensive back: Bloomfield has made 13 tackles (9 solo), and picked-off three passes. He also has one pass breakup.

Bloomfield has some hops -- 34.1 inch vertical -- and some speed -- 4.5 - 40. He was rated the No. 56 cornerback prospect out of high school by ESPN.com.

Dog Biscuits

Florida ran for 249 yards against MSU last week ... Florida quarterback Tim Tebow was 12-22 with two interceptions ... Auburn's Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb rushed 36 times for 271 yards (7.5 ypc) against the Dogs in Auburn's 49-24 win versus State ... MSU held Auburn quarterback Chris Todd to only 10-23 for 186 yards ... Georgia Tech running back Jonathan Dwyer (2008 ACC Player of the Year) ran 16 times for 83 yards (5.2 ypc) in a 42-31 Jacket win versus MSU ... Yellow Jacket quarterback Josh Nesbitt threw for 266 yards and one touchdown, on 11-14 passing against the Bulldogs ... Houston Cougar running back Bryce Beall ran 15 times for 94 yards (6.3 ypc) and one touchdown in a 31-24 Cougar victory over State ... Cougar quarterback Casey Keenum threw for 434 yards and four touchdowns on 39-52 passing ... MSU lost to then-No. 7 LSU, then-No. 25 Georgia Tech, No. 1 Florida, and Houston, by an average of 8.0 points per game ... UK is 9-10 against MSU since 1990, but the 'Cats have won three of the last four contests ... MSU head coach Dan Mullen has coached No. 1 NFL pick Alex Smith (Utah), 6th round draft choice Josh Harris (Bowling Green University), former Florida quarterback Chris Leak, and current Gator QB Tim Tebow.

CliffsNotes Analysis

Tonights match-up promises to be a tight one -- Both team run the ball exceptionally well, yet neither defense stops the run with consistency. Both teams struggle with the passing game ... both offensively, and defensively. Both teams have an indispensable running back (Locke and Dixon), and both teams have indispensable hybrid athletes (Cobb, and a combination of Berry, Stallworth, and Bumphis).

Because of the "even-Steven" nature of the two combatants, turnovers and special teams could be the deciding factor in this most important of contests. UK Punter Ryan Tydlacka must (consistently) be on his game tonight, the 'Cat ball carriers must hold the pigskin smartly, and the coverage unit must fill their gaps, or risk costing the 'Cats the victory.

I'm sure coach Mullen has seen the tape of UK's victory over Auburn, and took note of the emasculation of the Tiger offense at the hands of the UK defense. So 'Cat fans, expect some Mullen creativity in an effort to foil the Wildcats' bid to shut down the State offensive attack. UK, as they did so well against Auburn, must "stay home" and fill the lanes, or it could be a long, cold, night of fear in Lexington.

Fearless Prediction

Kentucky 27 Mississippi State 24

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

Five Questions With For Whom The Cowbell Tolls

mlmintampa — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:00:25 -0000

We exchanged questions and answers with SB Nation Mississippi State writers For Whom The Cowbell Tolls. We did not ask if Anthony Dixon puts his pants on, just like the rest of us, one leg at at time. Except once his pants are on, he makes gold records.

1. Mississippi State finished 2008 as 113 in total offense. They are now 53rd. How much is this due to Dan Mullen and how much due to just using the talent that was there?

I think it is a combination of the two. Croom had a complicated offensive scheme and was unwilling to adapt his playbook to the talent level on the team. Mullen is just the opposite. He knows that we have average talent, and has adapted his spread offense to put us in the best position to win ballgames. A big key to that adaptation is making Anthony Dixon the feature of the offense. Also, now that we are spreading the field a little more, the pressure on the offensive line is less than it was last year, giving them the opportunity to open up running lanes that didn't exist last year because the defense could just stack the box on us. We also have some freshmen and JUCO transfers that have been able to step in and contribute right away. Players like Leon Berry and true freshman Chad Bumphis. We also have a pretty good stable of running backs in addition to Dixon: Christian Ducree, Robert Elliot and Arnil Stalworth.

2. Anthony Dixon is on pace to be a 1000 yard rusher. Can he be stopped?

Dixon has been a man on a mission since missing the season opener against Jackson State. He has already set the new career rushing record, surpassing Jerious Norwood this past weekend against Middle Tennessee. The big difference this year is his size. He has slimmed down about 20 pounds from his playing weight last year, so he is more agile but still able to deliver those explosive hits at 235 pounds.

3. How much trust does Miss State have in Tyson Lee to pitch it around if the Bulldogs fall behind?

At this point in the season, we HAVE to trust Tyson Lee. He has had several bad games where he turned the ball over too many times and made some bad option reads (the LSU goal line play comes to mind), but he is our most experienced QB and has adapted well to Mullen's new offense. He is definitely more accurate on his throws than Chris Relf (the other QB that has seen playing time this year), but his arm is not as strong.

4. Miss State is in the bottom third of the SEC in defense. What schemes do they rely on and who is the standout that could cause problems for UF?

The defense seems to be playing in a 3-4 scheme this year. Occasionally they will go with 4 down linemen, but seem to stick with the 3-4. Our big playmakers on defense are Pernell McPhee, Kyle Love and Jamar Chaney. McPhee is just a monster at 6-7 270 pounds. He is a JUCO transfer from ICC and was one of the first to players that Dan Mullen visited when he started at State. So far this season, he has 19 solo tackles and 2 solo sacks, as well as 1 assist sack and 10 assist tackles.

5. What is it about Starkville that would make it such a terrible place for Florida? Is the water bad? Are cowbells really that annoying? Are there no good supermarkets or dry cleaners nearby? (It's not just football. Corey Brewer, Al Horford and Joakim Noah hated the place, too.)

Reading that article you linked to, I can say that the Hump can get pretty loud. It is a smaller arena and the fans are much closer to the court. As for football, the Gators have not has much success there at all. I think they have only won 3 of the 10 games they have played there. Steve Spurrier never won there, and you will probably recall the favor we did for you a few years back with Ron Zook. We all hope that Meyer has just as much success this Saturday.

Mississippi State Bulldogs v. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: The Morning After

jeremyflint — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:20:41 -0000

At least you can say that the team did not stop fighting, but not matter how many yards you run or throw, no matter how many touchdowns you score, you just can't win if you turn the ball over 4 times to a team like Georgia Tech. Oh yeah, Tyson Lee threw an INT late in the 4th, but it was already over by then.

There were a few positives to take away from tonight's game. I can't wait to see what Chad Bumphis does for this team over the next 3-4 years. He made plays tonight when it looked like they were dead. Leon Berry was also able to finally return a kick-off for a touchdown without any flags littering the field behind him.

The defense stepped up and made Tech throw the ball more. Too bad our free safety is only 5' 10" and was matched up against Lurch. Kyle Love was a man on a mission tonight, as was Pernell McPhee. I just think we are 2 DBs shy of a truly great offense. If only we had 1 more year with Derek Pegues.

So anyway, the moral of the last two weeks is you can't win if you are going to turn the ball over. If we can get better discipline on offense, stop making those mistakes, we could be a great football team.

Now, lets see what everyone else has to say...The Morning After.

First up, some video. Here is Dan Mullen at his post-game presser:

Next, here are some post-game comments from QB Tyson Lee and WRs Leon Berry and Chad Bumphis:

The Links

On the links, Chris Low of ESPN says that even thought Dan Mullen has turned the offense around, the defense has to be a disappointment so far this season. Think about that for a second. When was the last time that the offense and special teams were the highlight of a football team at Mississippi State?

The Quotes

Dan Mullen on...

Ball Control

"It was a poor job by us for not emphasizing it more in practice, not making sure we’re stripping the guys enough during practice as they are running plays. Even in walk thrus we are doing a poor job in not making sure that ball control is taking care of in every play."

On Dixon's fumbles

"He’s a senior and he’ll battle back from that. We’re going to coach that hard this week, not that we don’t every week. Obviously I haven’t done a good enough job of coaching and we are going to get after that. Anthony is going to come back and respond. It’s something that he will do as a senior. He’s done everything that we’ve asked him to do since I’ve been here, so I have no doubt that Anthony is going to practice hard this week and respond to that. "

Chad Bumphis on his impressive performance

"Coach put us in the right position to win. We were running corner routes and [Georgia Tech] would start to jump it, so once I broke back to the middle of the field nobody was there."

Jamar Chaney on preparing for Houston next week

"We just have to go out there, put it together and come out hungry against Houston. We want to win every game, not just play close. We go out there to win the game and that’s we’re going to do next week. We’ll forget about this loss and try to bring back a winning streak."

Anthony Dixon on his two fumbles

"One of them I tried to go left and I tried to open it up. When I did I swung my arm up and [Georgia Tech defenders] caught me from the back. The second one I was going to the hole and I made a cut, and my arm dropped a bit. I should’ve had two hands on it. I just got to squeeze tighter and go back to the basics."

That about does it for this edition of The Morning After. I may post more links later today if I see anything of interest. Other than that, we will start working towards next week's match up with Houston.

Mississippi State Bulldogs v. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: Hump Day Linkage

jeremyflint — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:27:47 -0000

it's Wednesday. That means it is time to filter out all the junk and show you the best links so far this week. But first, a photo to show you what we are up against this weekend.

Obviously, these guys have been staring at their calculators for way too long. On to the links!

Following in the grand southern tradition of ladies first, lets see what the Georgia Tech folks are talking about.

The AJC has a good writeup of what GaTech fans can expect from this year's Mississippi State team - and we aren't the same team as last year.

This isn't the same team that the Jackets hammered last season. MSU can actually move the ball this season, something it couldn't do last year.

Staying in Atlanta, the AJC also says that the Bulldogs are ready for Tech's rushing attack. Especially Jamar Chaney.

"It’s going to be a great experience because I didn’t play against them last year," said MSU senior linebacker Jamar Chaney, whose 24 tackles rank second on the team. "They put up 400 yards on us last year just in rushing yards. We gave up 390 yards rushing already to Auburn this year, but that is something that should never happen."

The Yellow Jackets are also dealing with some injuries on defense - LB Kyle Jackson (foot) and DE Robert Hall (knee),

Tech Blogger Doug Roberson is also warning the Jacket faithful that this year's game won't be easy.

But the difference is Mississippi State’s proved that against teams that are actually decent, unlike the Tar Heels (with the exception of ECU). The Bulldogs have held three of their past four opponents to 194, 157 and 263 yards. That includes LSU, now considered to be a top 5 team.

And finally, our fellow SBN bloggers over at "From The Rumble Seat" have a little history lesson the the Ramblin' Reck of Georgia Tech. We will have a Q/A session posted with them sometime tomorrow, so watch out for that.

MSU linkage is coming up later today.

Mississippi State Bulldogs v. Auburn Tigers Game Day Linkage

jeremyflint — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:20:47 -0000

GAME DAY INFO
Kickoff: Saturday at 6 p.m.
Television: Fox Sports Net
Radio: Mississippi State Bulldog Network,
Auburn Radio Network
Satellite Radio: XM 201, Sirius 217 (AU feeds)
Live Audio Streaming: Maroon to the Max
Live Stats: auburntigers.com
Weather: Gameday Forecast | Current Radar
Game Notes (PDF): MSU | Auburn

I am in MIssissippi today for my brother's wedding, and he decided to have it right as the MSU/Auburn game kicks off. Needless to say, I won't be able to provide as much coverage today as I did last week, but still look for a full game recap later tonight and morning after linkage tomorrow.

With that disclaimer out of the way, lets take a look at some game day linkage - and boy, do we have lots of it.

This year's SEC opener also marks the debut of Anthony Dixon - who is ready to return with a vengeance - in the new Dan Mullen offense. Dixon missed the JSU game, serving a 1-game suspension for a July DUI arrest. His return puts state 4-deep at the RB position. Don't forget that QB Chris Relf was the team's leading rusher in their win over JSU.

The Bulldogs are heading to Auburn, where they hope to break a losing streak on SEC-openers dating back to 1999. They are also trying to go 2-0 for the first time since 2000, when they opened up with wins against Memphis and BYU.

Evan Woodberry of the Mobile Press-Register says that both teams are looking for more offensive output than last years 3-2 match.

The Press-Register also has an article about Chris Relf, who was a stand-out at G.W. Carver High School in nearby Montgomery.

Jay Coulter talks about what to expect from Auburn on tonight over on Track 'Em Tigers.

The Dothan-Eagle talks about Auburn preparing to face off with State's QB tandem of Tyson Lee and Chris Relf.

The Montgomery Advertiser says that the key matchup of the game will be Jamar Chaney and Chris Todd, both 5th year seniors.

Jim Mashek talks about the SEC opener for both of the new coaching staffs at MSU and Auburn, and how much emphasis they are putting on the 3-2 decision from 2008. The Starkville Daily News does the same.

Marcus Green is coming back from an injury last year and making an impact at the tight end position - he caught 3 passes for 40 yards last week against JSU.

Kyle Veazey gives us a look into the minds of 2 Auburn beat writers in his Q & A session.

Mississippi State Bulldogs v. Jackson State Tigers: The Morning After

jeremyflint — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 12:59:50 -0000

The fans showed up in the form of the third largest crowd ever at Scott Field at Davis Wade Stadium. The team showed up, even if they did have a slight case of the first-game gitters. The coach definitely showed up, giving us a look at the new spread-type offense that we can expect from the Bulldogs with Dan Mullen at the helm.

First, lets all soak in the the highlights of our win over JSU thanks to this highlight reel from MSU Athletics.

Now, here is what everyone else is saying - the morning after.

Rick Cleveland of the Clarion-Ledger talks about how long State fans have waited to see just how "exciting" Dan Mullen was going to make this season for the Bulldogs.

Kyle Veazey says that Chris Relf seized the day - but State will still be a two-QB system. Tyson Lee sat out the second half because of shoulder spasms.

Veazey also has a great article on the return of Jamar Chaney this year. Chaney broke his leg in the 2008 season opener against LaTech and was granted a medical redshirt.

Also check out Brad Locke's game recap for the NEMS Daily Journal

Chris Low of ESPN says that true freshman WR Chad Bumphis was impressive in his first game for the Maroon and White.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal also has a look at Dan Mullen's first game as a head coach.

SEC West Pre-Season Breakdown

Richard Pittman — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:49:13 -0000

The first goal of the season for LSU this year is to win the SEC West. The task will not be at all easy. There are good teams in this division, and while Alabama and Ole Miss have gotten a lot of attention, I believe Arkansas and Auburn will probably be dangerous opponents as well. Arkansas moreso than Auburn, but don't mark a check in the W column for our game against Auburn yet.

Anyway, here is a brief breakdown of how I see our opponents in the SEC West, the obstacles they have in front of them and their strengths as we all are preparing to start another big season in the SEC.

Alabama: The defensive front seven should be outstanding, probably the best in the conference. They will make tons of plays and be in the backfield much of the night. The secondary struggled towards the end of last year, and the loss of Rashad Johnson at free safety is a significant blow. If there was one position on the defense that Alabama fans considered to perhaps be below par last year, it was cornerback, and some are expecting true freshman Dre Kirkpatrick to come in and be an immediate upgrade. I always find claims that a true freshman can come into a top program and immediately become a key player at a tough position somewhat dubious, but we shall see.

On offense, the big questions are how will Alabama replace John Parker Wilson at quarterback, and how will the offensive line perform? Junior Greg McElroy will be a more-than-adequate replacement for Wilson, who frankly wasn't that good. The real concern, though, is at offensive line. No team has to replace more of its offensive line skill than Alabama. Everyone knows about the loss of All-American left tackle Andre Smith, but the Crimson Tide lost two other starters on the offensive line as well, including All-Conference center Antoine Caldwell, who was the leader of the group. If you can't block effectively, you can't do much of anything on offense. If they get the blocking, the running backs should be about as good as last year, but they continue to struggle to find receiver depth behind Julio Jones.

Bama is probably the toughest competition in the West. I think they have questions like a bunch of other teams, but unless the offensive line is a disaster or injuries devastate their team, they will be a very tough opponent again this year.

Arkansas: I find this team pretty scary. It's not just that they beat us last year, though that certainly affects things. It's the fact that they have good players at a lot of positions. Running back Michael Smith may be pocket-sized, and needs to cut down his carries if he hopes to stay healthy, but he is perhaps the most dangerous back in the conference. Arkansas's receiver corps, led by TE/WR hybrid DJ Williams is as good as anyone's in the conference. Bobby Petrino is an outstanding offensive coach, and if Ryan Mallett is as good as advertised, this Arkansas team will put up some offensive fireworks.

The defense has a long way to go. There are some good players on this defense, but it was a unit that ranked dead last in run defense last year, and 10th in pass defense. To make matters worse, one of their expected starting corners is lost for the season to a torn ACL. The defense will need to play much better than it did last year, but they were very young in 2008. You can expect some natural improvement between the seasons.

The short story here is that I think of Arkansas this year pretty much exactly what I thought of Ole Miss last year: not talented enough to run with the big boys but with enough good players at key positions to be dangerous. Do you remember how that turned out for Ole Miss? The schedule is awfully difficult for this team though, as they travel to LSU, Bama, Ole Miss, and Florida, and also have to play Georgia. They play every team in the SEC that is expected to be good, and get 4 of them on the road. That's brutal.

Auburn: Last year was a train wreck, leading to a mid-season coordinator firing and then a post-season head coach-firing, and a second train wreck when a new coach was hired. The offense was awful in 2008, ranking 2nd to last in points per game. Auburn went and added a couple nice receivers on signing day, but for the most part the personnel is going to be the same on that side of the ball. Chris Todd will be the starting QB again. Much of last year's starting offensive line returns. They just hope that Gus Malzahn can get more out of these same players than Tony Franklin and his successor were able to get. That's actually a pretty tenable position.

Defensively, Auburn had a pretty solid group last year, but they have a fair bit to replace, especially in the middle of the field, as Auburn loses its two best defensive tackles and its middle linebacker. I think this year will be a struggle for Auburn, but if Chizik is at all up to the job (no guarantees there), I think they should be able to win a couple conference games and maybe sneak into a bowl game. An upset of a better-regarded team is not out of the question. But then again, a 4-win season is not out of the question either.

Mississippi State: Has disaster written all over it. The Bulldogs were the worst offensive team last year, scoring only 15 points per game, and were one of the worst defensive teams last year as well. It is hard to name one particularly dangerous offensive player. Senior running back Anthony Dixon is entering his 4th year as MSU's primary running back, but has a pretty pedestrian average of 3.98 ypc over the course of his career. He's also never really had a very good offensive line, but nothing should change there. He also enters the season with an off-season DUI under his belt and may be suspended for the first game or two.

Add in that the Bulldogs do not have an outstanding quarterback and are trying to transition from a power running game to a spread under new coach Dan Mullen, all without really having the wide receivers to run it yet, and you have the makings of a poor offensive season as they transition to the Mullen system that was so successful in Florida.

Defensively, the Bulldogs should be respectable as always. Last year's poor stats are deceptive, because so much of the blame rests with an offense that could not keep the defense off the field, but they lose a good number of starters from last year's unit. The strength of the team is in the linebackers, where Jamar Chaney and K.J. Wright are arguably the best players on the team regardless of position. The secondary should be a nightmare, however.

Ole Miss: They still have one of the best QBs in the conference, and a very good set of wide receivers, but I wonder if the overall talent level is all that high. I think Ole Miss snuck up on some teams last year and caught LSU in a down year, but they won't be able to use that formula for success this year. Jevan Snead, Dexter McCluster, and Shay Hodge form a great nucleus for a passing team, but the offensive line has to be completely rebuilt, and no running back on the team is particularly scary. I'm sure the Red Cup Rebellion guys will love hearing that.

Defensively, the front 4 is very good if healthy. Greg Hardy may be the best defensive lineman in the conference if he can ever get his foot completely healed, and he's actually pretty effective in a limited role even when he's not healthy. Kentrell Lockett and Marcus Tillman round out a very good 3-end rotation, and Ted Laurent is a solid veteran defensive tackle. They will be counting on Jerrell Powe to build on his solid freshman campaign. Behind the defensive line is a lot of question marks. Ole Miss had the worst passing defense in the conference on a "per game" basis, though the overall defense was solid, and they managed to stop the high-powered Texas Tech offense in their bowl game. Looking through their roster, it is hard to pick out a linebacker or defensive back who looks like a difference-maker.

Ole Miss has the easiest rout to Atlanta of any of the most-discussed contenders. They miss Georgia and Florida and they get Bama and LSU at home. They could potentially lose one of those two games and still win the West outright if they don't stumble against a lesser opponent.

Of course, we're going to have to see how all of this shakes out. Every team, even the good ones, have questions and areas of concern, including us. Also, injuries can derail anyone's season, including ours. Upsets are also possible, each and every week. I think we have as good of a shot at winning the west as anyone, except that our tough schedule looms large.

Q&A with the Mississippi State Sports Blog

Truzenzuzex — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:00:07 -0000

Jeremy of the Mississippi State Sports Blog kindly consented to do a Q&A with us, and we really appreciate it. So far this season, we have been able to arrange a Q&A with every single one of our SEC opponents, and that has been great for us. Kentucky plays Mississippi State this weekend in Starksville, and it is a big game for both programs.

My answers to Jeremy's questions can be found at this link. Jeremy's answers to my questions are below, as usual my questions are in boldface:

Mississippi State went to it's first bowl in a while last season. Why do you think the Bulldogs have not been able to continue their upward momentum this year?

There have been numerous reasons. Before the year even began, we had some players dismissed from the team as well as some injuries that affected our offensive line, in particular.

Wes Carroll, who had a pretty good season last year, was not playing well, probably being rushed to make plays because of missed assignments on the O-line. We would get behind early in games, and abandon the run (or main strength) and try to make stuff happen, which would cause over/under thrown passes, bad checks and reads, etc.

We also lost Jamar Chaney for the season in the first game against LaTech. He was our starting linebacker and a leader on the defense. He was replaced by a rotation of less-experienced guys.
As you may know, Kentucky has struggled on offense this year. But Mississippi State is dead last in the SEC in scoring offense, and despite giving up 63 points to Florida, UK is still 7th in scoring defense. What does MSU have to do to put points on the board against the Wildcats?

We really rely on our defense to make plays and put our offense in a good position to score, so we will need to be smart and force turnovers. Our offense also needs to be able to keep a drive going long enough to rest our defense. When the offense is going 3 and out, the defense gets tired and that is when we lose the game.

I think if we can establish the run early, control the line of scrimmage, and make plays, we will be able put some points on the board.
Kentucky and Mississippi State both have great pass defense this year, ranking second and third in the league respectively. I know what makes UK's pass defense so tough, but what is it that makes the Bulldogs so good against the pass?

Our entire defense is fast. Our linemen can put great pressure on the QB and give him very little time to sit back and make reads. Pegues and Fitzhugh are excellent at their safety positions as well. We have 8 seniors on defense, including 3 in the secondary, and FS Derek Pegues has 11 career interceptions.
Mississippi State was really tough back in the late 1990's. What has changed to bring them so far down after looking like they were moving up to becoming one of the SEC's stronger programs?

A lot of folks say that Jackie Sherrill's use of the JUCO players brought a lot of discipline problems into the program and it just sort of spiraled down from there. Croom was able to come in and really bring some of that back to the program, even as far as cutting some players that did not fall in line with team rules.
What player on offense should the Wildcats be most concerned about? On defense? And finally, predict the final score.

Our new starting QB Tyson Lee seems to be doing well. He has the ability to break out of the pocket and run for 4 or 5 yards when pressured and has a pretty good arm on him. Of course, our running backs are the main feature of our offense - Anthony Dixon and Christian Ducre. Throw in Arnil Stalworth, who can roll out as a receiver, and our backfield is pretty strong.

Dixon will just line up and run over you. Ducre is more of a finesse runner and can also catch pretty good.

On defense, Jesse Bowman is a monster on the d-line. Derek Pegues is probably the most talented player on our entire team, and also returns kick-offs and punts for us and has been successful in that role.

With both teams having such great defense, I can see this being a tough game. I am going to go with a Bulldog victory, 17-14.

Thanks again to Jeremy for working with us on this. Here's to a well-played and injury-free game on Saturday. Your comments are, as always, welcome and appreciated.