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Football Links of Interest:

1999/2000 Signees and Commitments01/23/00 | 2000 Prospects01/23/00 | 1997 Signees | 1998 Signees | 1999 Signees

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02/29/00 - This info was emailed to me. I thought you guys would find it interesting.

Since the Dogs have swept Umiss in football and basketball, many are speaking of sweeping the series in baseball for a "year sweep". While this would be great, such a sweep is more rare than people think. This has only happened once. Umiss swept MSU, 9-0, in 1971-72, (football 0-1, basketball 0-2, baseball 0-6).

There have been football-basketball sweeps on 18 occasions. MSU sweep: 1915-16, 1918-19, 1924-25, 1964-65, 1974-75, 1994-95 and 1999-2000. Umiss sweep: 1931-32, 1948-49, 1951-52, 1966-67, 1969-70, 1971-72, 1972-73, 1979-80, 1981-82, 1992-93, 1997-98.

There have been four near sweeps, all by MSU: 1915-16 (6-1), 1918-19 (6-1), 1924-25 (6-1), 1964-65 (6-1).

There have been two times where a team has been swept in football and basketball only to win enough baseball games to either tie or win the series. Both times MSU was the team that did it. They trailed (0-3) in 1948-49 and swept four games in baseball to win the year (4-3) and they trailed (0-3) in 1979-80 and won the baseball series 5-2 to tie for the year (5-5).

02/24/00 - I happened to see redshirt freshman free safety Josh Morgan at the basketball game last night. He was gracious enough to allow me to do an interview with him immediately following the basketball game.

GS: Josh, could you tell me how you did this past season?
Morgan: The first part of the season I played spot duty. They were just trying to get me ready. I worked hard to get to where I was and when my opportunity came along, I just tried to take advantage of it.

GS: You had an outstanding performance against Ole Miss. How did you make 21 total tackles during that game?
Morgan: They couldn't put a hat on everybody. They tried to take our Dog Safeties out of the game, so I had to make the tackles.

GS: What do you think your strengths are?
Morgan: Tackling. If I can get my cover skills down, I will be happy.

GS: What position will you be playing next season?
Morgan: Free Safety. They will move Pig to Dog Safety.

GS: I was at the Columbus, MS. Rotary Club this past Monday and someone asked Coach Dunn about his defensive players. He mentioned that he felt you would be one of the best players in the country next year. What do you think about him saying that?
Morgan: That is a heck of a compliment coming from Coach Dunn. It is going to be a heck of a defense to play on and I just hope that I can live up to his expectations.

GS: What are your hoping to do next season?
Morgan: I want to work hard and try to be the starter next season. It is awesome what has happened to me after walking on.

GS: Have you received a scholarship?
Morgan: They put me on this fall.

GS: Thank you, Josh.

02/22/00 - I had the chance to listen to MSU Defensive Coordinator Joe Lee Dunn at the Columbus, MS. Rotary Club luncheon yesterday. He mentioned once again how good of a linebacker Barris Grant is. He also mentioned that sophomore-to-be defensive back Josh Morgan is going to be an excellent player.

02/18/00 - The football stadium expansion has been approved by the College Board. MSU will now send out bids.

02/18/00 - Here is an excerpt from my premium site interview with assistant football coach John Hendrick.

GS: How about talking about the signees that you will be coaching, Demotto Youngblood, Jadice Moore and Ron Fields?
Coach Hendrick: I like all three of them.

Ronald Fields is a big, strong kid, who runs real well, changes directions well, and uses his hands well. I think that he brings some things to the table like some of the guys we have here now, Dorsett Davis and Toby Golliday.

I think that Youngblood is a big, tall youngster who we recruited last year. He has gotten bigger and taller. He is now up to 275. He runs real well. I think that he will be a fabulous football player.

Jadice reminds me of Ellis Wyms. I think that Jadice is what Ellis Wyms was as a freshman.

02/17/00 - Here is an excerpt from my premium site interview with assistant football coach Jim Tompkins.

GS: We also signed J.J Grant, another linebacker from Mississippi. How about talking about him?
Coach Tompkins: Coach Davis recruited J.J. We've all seen him play on tape. J.J. is a very athletic guy. I think one of the best things that you can say about him is he is athletic. He makes plays and has a lot of potential. He can probably play a number of positions; it might be linebacker or it might be another position. He has a lot of potential and can be an outstanding college football player. He is one of the better players in the state. It looks like football comes easy to him and is kind of natural for him. I don't see any reason why he won't be a great college player. We are excited about him coming here.

We really enjoyed he and his family on their visit here. He has a very nice family. I think that they all really liked Mississippi State and felt real comfortable with him coming here. I think that they had a really great visit here.

GS: Do you remember the first time that you saw him on film and what your initial impressions were?
Coach Tompkins: I think it was last spring. What I saw was a guy making plays. Usually, we all say if a guy makes plays in high school, he, more than likely, will keep making plays in college. If he doesn't make plays, then it is probably going to be hard to teach him how. It's like when pro folks come in here, they may come in and ask who is this guy making all those plays. When a guy makes plays, it catches your eye.

02/16/00 - Don't forget, I am scheduled to be on "The Score" radio show this afternoon from 4:15 to 5:00.

Recruiting tidbits:

02/15/00 - Due to technical difficulties caused by a lightning storm the night before, the radio show "The Score" was off the air yesterday. Because of that, I have been rescheduled to appear Wednesday. Mike Nemeth, MSU Assistant AD/Media and Public Relations, will be on the show today. The show airs from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. and is presently on radio stations WSSO 1230 AM in Starkville and WJWF 1400 AM in Columbus. As most of you know, "The Score" is the first local sports talk show in the Golden Triangle area (Columbus, West Point and Starkville) that focuses primarily on Mississippi State athletics.

02/15/00 - Here is an excerpt from my premium site interview with assistant football coach Craig Stump.

GS: What can you tell me about McKinley Scott, our other wide receiver signee?
Coach Stump: McKinley is qualified, academically. He is a quiet kid and a good person. He comes from a good family. Being in Mississippi only three years, I have noticed that there are a lot of guys like McKinley, guys that, for whatever reason, don't get recruited but the next time that you hear about them, they are in the NFL. Examples are Jerry Rice and Walter Payton, but there are a lot more than those two. Those two are the most famous. We also have one, Milas Randle, on our roster who didn't get much press. Milas can play for anyone in the nation but no one recruited him heavily.

McKinley is 6-2, 190+ pounds, strong, and a very physical guy. His athletic ability is hard to match. He returned kicks for touchdowns. He can jump out of the gym. That is the kind of guy that you look for when you write down what you want in a wide receiver. He is just like Antonio, but just not as tall. He is like Milas in that he has big, strong hands. He has such strong hands that when the ball reaches his hands, it just stops. When you watch him on tape, he makes plays. He jumped over people to snag balls out of the air.

GS: Was McKinley at any of MSU's football camps? Was not going to college football camps part of the reason for him not receiving much publicity?
Coach Stump: No, he never attended any of our camps. That was probably part of the reason that he didn't receive much publicity. If he had been at a bigger school or town, he would have been recruited by everybody in the nation.

02/13/00 - I am scheduled to be on the radio show "The Score" this Monday. The show airs from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. and is presently on radio stations WSSO 1230 AM in Starkville and WJWF 1400 AM in Columbus. As most of you know, "The Score" is the first local sports talk show in the Golden Triangle area (Columbus, West Point and Starkville) that focuses primarily on Mississippi State athletics.

02/12/00 - Here is a quote from MSU Coach Craig Stump, who I interviewed Friday. (The interview will be on my premium site in a day or two.)

"Recruiting is not a sprint, but a marathon." - Craig Stump.

What he meant by this is just because you don't have a lot of commitments by December doesn't mean you are losing the recruiting race. Recruiting is often a long race when you are recruiting the great players.

02/11/00 - Lacorey Street, a lineman from George County that MSU recruited for awhile, has signed with MS Gulf Coast CC.

02/11/00 - I had the chance to talk to someone in the know about Fayette, Alabama senior-to-be quarterback Spencer Pennington. Some of you probably remember me mentioning Spencer a couple of years ago. Spencer, at the time, was a freshman quarterback at Lamar County HS in Vernon, Alabama. Mary Ann is a school teacher at LCHS. One Friday night she was working the ticket booth so I decided to go with her and watch the game while she was working. That was the first time that I got to see Spencer play. After that night, I knew that he would eventually be a special talent because of his combination of size, great arm and good mobility. Looks like I was right. According to my source, Spencer is receiving a lot of attention from colleges. It wouldn't surprise me if he will be one of the most highly recruited quarterbacks in the south next season. He is now in the 6-3 to 6-4 range in height and weighs in the 190ish range. Look for him to be up over 200 pounds when football season comes back around. His older brother, Jeremy, played for Alabama.

02/10/00
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2000 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Hamilton, Browning
Senate Concurrent Resolution 535

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING THE NATIONALLY RANKED MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY BULLDOG FOOTBALL TEAM FOR ITS OUTSTANDING 1999 SEASON AND ITS PEACH BOWL VICTORY.

WHEREAS, the Mississippi State Bulldogs defeated the Clemson Tigers in the exciting Peach Bowl victory; and WHEREAS, the Bulldogs tied a school record with 10 victories in a season; and WHEREAS, the Bulldogs finished with a 10-2 record and as the highest nationally ranked football team in the state; and WHEREAS, the Bulldogs finished 13th in the Associated Press poll and 12th in the USA Today/ESPN poll; and WHEREAS, the never-say-die Bulldogs closed out the season with a thrilling come-from-behind Egg Bowl victory over the Ole Miss Rebels; and WHEREAS, the Egg Bowl victory was characteristic of the way the "cardiac" Dogs thrilled fans throughout the season with their heart-stopping fourth quarter rallies; and WHEREAS, the tenacious Bulldog defense finished the year as the nation's No. 1 team in total defense; and WHEREAS, the Bulldogs were televised nine times during the 1999 season, and WHEREAS, Coach Jackie Sherrill was named a semifinalist for National Coach of the Year and was named GTE Region II Coach of the Year; and WHEREAS, Defensive Coordinator Joe Lee Dunn was named a finalist for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation's top assistant coach; and WHEREAS, it is with pride that we recognize the Mississippi State Bulldogs who have brought recognition and honor to the university, the community and the State of Mississippi: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we commend and congratulate the Mississippi State University Bulldog Football team for its outstanding 1999 season, its Peach Bowl victory and its national ranking. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be presented to Coach Jackie Sherrill and the MSU Bulldog Football team and forwarded to the Athletic Director and President of Mississippi State University and the Board of Trustees of Institutions of Higher Learning.

02/10/00

GS: Coach Wilson, how about giving Bulldog fans a general overview of the year 2000 football recruiting class, then give a more detailed analysis of the class by position.
Coach Wilson: My first impression of it is this: It is a very balanced class. When I say that I mean it is balanced on both sides of the ball, offensively and defensively. I think for the last two years, with the exception of some key talent on offense, we have gone predominately for a defensive type class. This year we have signed great skilled players, offensive linemen, and quarterbacks on offense. Then, on defense, we signed the cover people and safeties that we wanted and the defensive ends and line to give us good balance on defense as well. That is what I mean when I talk about the balance of this class.

Another thing that I think is so impressive about this class is the hidden talent that is in it. When I talk about hidden talent, I am talking about guys like Gabe Wallace, Darnell Jones, Will Rogers, McKinley Scott, Slovakia Griffith; those types of guys. I'm probably leaving some out. Hidden talent means that maybe they weren't recognized by the so-called services and recruiting gurus. But after our coaches went out and evaluated them, they knew that they were SEC-caliber players and that is why we signed some guys that people may not have heard of.

Another area that we are very well satisfied in is the kicking game. The kicking game of Jared Cook, a fine punter that we signed, and John Michael Marlin, who is an excellent place-kicker, will be the future of this program. That was a great need and concern of ours.

The last thing that I am so happy about are the walk-on players that we have coming. I think that they are tremendous additions to this team. Kyle Watson, from Neshoba Central (via East Central CC), is presently enrolled in school and going through the off-season workouts. He played in the junior college all-star game out in Las Vegas. He played in the Mississippi/Alabama all-star game two years ago. He will give us depth on our offensive line. Another one that is enrolled is Chris Weems, a punter out of East Central CC. I think that he is the top student, academically, at ECCC. He is also in the top six, nationally, in punting average in junior college. We have several others who have been admitted to school or have expressed an interest in walking-on but I can't talk about them at the moment. They will be here in the fall. They will also be excellent additions to the team.

GS: Since MSU signed so much, as you call it, hidden talent, how did you discover it?
Coach Wilson: We discovered these players by going out in May and watching practices in the spring. Then, going to games on Friday night and evaluating film. There are a lot of names that pop up from the various computer lists and recruiting services but Coach Sherrill and I trust our coaching staff to go out and evaluate and bring the kids in here that we know will be successful at Mississippi State.

GS: Who are past and present MSU players whom you would consider to be hidden talent?
Coach Wilson: Ellis Wyms is one, Kenric Fairchild and Michael Fair are two others. Robert Hicks and Randy Thomas are two that weren't highly recruited but our coaches went out and saw what they were capable of. Another one is Josh Morgan. We definitely wanted him as part of our team.

(The entire interview, which discusses individual signees in more depth, can be found on the premium site. - Gene)

02/09/00 (5:20 p.m.) - Former Bulldog Fred McCrary to have his high school jersey retired. Read the complete story by clicking here......

02/09/00 - To answer a question posed to me, yes, Jamaal Dinkins has been moved to the fullback position. I was told this during my interview with MSU Recruiting Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach David Wilson yesterday, I hope to have his complete interview on my premium site late this afternoon.

02/08/00 - Super Bulldog Weekend info. Please make plans to attend if possible.

02/08/00 - Perry Central HS player info according to one of you:

RB/LB Edward McCoy - Junior, 6-3, 240-lbs, 4.6. Recorded 143 tackles this past season. Rushed the ball from a "belly back" position for 864 yrds and 9 touchdowns. He has already made a qualifying ACT score. He is receiving interest Southern Miss, MSU, Florida, Florida State and Kentucky.

Running back Ervin McCoy - Sophomore, 5-10, 220-lbs, 4.5. Rushed the ball for 822 yards and 8 touchdowns in only seven games.

02/06/00 - Click here to read Sekou Smith's analysis of this year's recruiting class.

02/06/00 - I recently hired former MSU quarterback Matt Wyatt as a writer for my premium site. His latest article, which mainly focuses on Matt's personal relationship with God, is so moving and inspiring that my premium site readers felt it should also be posted on my free site for all to read. Click here to read it.....

02/05/00 - There will be two very important meetings next Thursday in Tupelo, MS. and Birmingham, AL. All MSU alumni and friends are invited to these meetings which will discuss where MSU stands in regard to the football stadium expansion. Be prepared to commit if you plan on attending the meetings.

There is NO CHARGE for this special, informative event, which will also feature Chuck Beddingfield, MSU's new associate athletic director for marketing and promotions; Wesley Reed of the Bulldog Club; a member of the football coaching staff and an academics representative. Also making an appearance in Birmingham will be the architectural model of the upcoming Scott Field expansion.

Here are the details...
DATE: Thursday, February 10
TIME: light hors d'oeuvres at 5 p.m., program begins at 5:45 p.m. and should end by 7:30 p.m.
PLACE: Inverness Country Club
NO ADMISSION CHARGE!!!
SPECIAL GUESTS: Larry Templeton, Wesley Reed, Chuck Beddingfield, member of the football coaching staff and others.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jim Farrar (879-7510, jim@whiteheadassoc.com) or Jason Cook (969-5608, cookjd@mindspring.com)

02/05/00 - Thought you guys would be interested in this new Mississippi State sports talk show.

It is called "The Score" and is the first local sports talk show in the Golden Triangle focusing primarily on Mississippi State athletics.

The show debuts Monday, Feb. 7th.

It will be on Monday-Friday from 4:00-5:00 p.m.

It will be on "The Team" WSSO 1230-AM in Starkville and WJWF 1400-AM in Columbus. The two radio stations are combining to form a simulcast called "The Team." "The Team" will carry 1-on-1 sports (on both stations).

The primary focus of the show will be Mississippi State athletics, followed, in order, by Southeastern Conference athletics, national sports, and local high schools.

They will have at least one guest per show. Monday, they have John Bond lined up and hope to have a football signee as well. During the first week, they have Sharon Fanning and Bailey Howell lined up and are working on getting Jack Cristil and Pat McMahon.

There are five people hosting the show: Aaron Sones, Marshall Harris, Alex Wheelock, Bert Young, and Bo Bounds. Sones works in the Athletic Media Relations Department and Bounds is the sports editor of the Reflector. All five co-hosts are MSU students who know a lot about MSU sports as well as sports in general. Sones is the daily anchor while the other four will join him on different set days to form a 3-man crew each day.

They will take calls from listeners and encourage folks to call. The number to call is 323-1231.

They have live remote plans lined up at Abners and would love to do them at other locations. If your business is interested in hosting the show, you can call Aaron Sones at 324-5048 or email him at asones@hotmail.com. They are currently looking for sponsors. If your business would like to buy an ad, you can contact Bob Greene of Charisma Communications in Columbus.

You may want to tune in just to listen to the intro. It will definitely fire up any Bulldog fan (Jack Cristil's calls from over the years and Jim Ellis' call of Master's grand slam).

Again, it is called "The Score, on The Team, AM 1230 WSSO in Starkville and 1400 AM WJWF in Columbus."

02/03/00 Recruiting press conference comments and quotes:

P.S. Don't forget to click on a large and small banner. Thank you.

02/02/00 (11:00 a.m.) - List of signees as of 11:00 a.m.

KICKERS/PUNTERS (2)
Jared Cook - 5-11, 185, Jordan HS (Columbus, GA).
John Michael Marlin - 5-11, 170, Tupelo (MS) HS.

QUARTERBACKS (2)
Ray Ray Bivines - 6-0, 185, 4.5, Gautier (MS) HS. Academics are a question mark. Dandy Dozen selection. Top football athlete in the state of Mississippi. Schools: Tennessee, LSU, MSU, and UM.
Chris Giacone - 6-0, 185, 4.3, Westfield (NJ) HS. Schools: MSU, Central Florida.

RUNNING BACKS (2)
Darnell Jones - 6-0, 230, 4.6, Greenwood (MS) HS. Schools: MSU, Arkansas, UM.
Fred Reid - 5-11, 185, 4.45, King HS (Tampa, FL.). Schools: MSU, Others.

WIDE RECEIVERS (3)
Antonio Hargro - 6-4, 180, 4.5, Gautier (MS) HS. Dandy Dozen selection. Schools: MSU, UM, LSU, Tennessee, Miami, FSU, Florida.
Clarence Parker - 6-2, 190, 4.45, Co-Lin (MS) CC via Natchez, MS. Schools: MSU, Ole Miss, Southern Miss, Auburn.
McKinley Scott - 6-1, 185, 4.5, Rosa Fort (MS) HS. Schools: MSU, UM.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (4)
Courtney Lee - 6-5, 300, 5.2, Blinn (TX) JC. 1st Team J. C. Grid-Wire All-American. Schools: MSU, Ole Miss, Colorado, Kansas State, Oklahoma State.
Will Rogers - 6-5, 295, 5.1, Creekside HS (Fairburn, GA.). Schools: Mississippi State, Maryland, Georgia Southern, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Boston College.
David Stewart - 6-7, 290, 4.8, Lawrence County HS (Moulton, AL.). Schools: MSU, Auburn and South Carolina.
Tommy Watson - 6-5, 315, 5.3, Co-Lin CC. Juco All-American.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (3)
Cory Miley - 6-3, 250, Mendenhall (MS) HS.
Jadice Moore - 6-4, 260, 4.6, Port Gibson (MS) HS. Top-25 Clarion-Ledger list.
Robert Spivey - 6-3, 220, 4.6, Clarksdale (MS) HS. Academics are a question mark. Also plays linebacker. School: MSU, Marshall, UM.

LINEBACKERS (2)
Jason Clark- 6-2, 235, 4.7, Starkville (MS) HS. Dandy Dozen selection. Super Prep has him listed as one of the top-100 (97th) players in the South. Schools: Ole Miss, MSU, South Carolina.
J.J. Grant - 6-4, 225, 4.6, Clinton (MS) HS. Super Prep has him listed as one of the top-60 players (59th) in the South. Grades are a concern. Schools: South Carolina, Clemson, MSU, Notre Dame, Ole Miss.

DEFENSIVE BACKS (6)
Jonathan Bell - 6-1, 175, 4.45, Tupelo (MS) HS. Also plays WR. Schools: South Carolina, MSU, UM, Tennessee, Arkansas State, and Southern Miss. Might be a draft pick in this summer's major league baseball draft.
Julius Griffith - 6-0, 180, 4.4, Co-Lin (MS) CC via Magee, MS.
Dale Hall - 5-9, 180, 4.4, Garden City (KS) CC. Schools: MSU, Maryland, Alabama, Kansas State.
Marco Minor - 6-4, 215, 4.51, Co-Lin (MS) CC via Natchez MS.
Bryan Shumaker - 5-8, 205, 4.5, Ackerman (MS) HS. Dandy Dozen selection. Super Prep has him listed as the 17th best DB in the nation. Schools: Ole Miss, Florida, FSU, MSU, Alabama.
Gabriel Wallace - 6-2, 185, 4.5, Greenwood (MS) HS.

02/02/00 - If you want to go to a recruiting party today, click here to see the complete details about each party. Cities that are having parties include Memphis, Tupelo, Hernando (MS), Meridian, Hoover (AL), Jackson and Biloxi (Feb 3rd).

02/02/00 - Thought you guys would be interested in this new Mississippi State sports talk show.

It is called "The Score" and is the first local sports talk show in the Golden Triangle focusing primarily on Mississippi State athletics.

The show debuts Monday, Feb. 7th.

It will be on Monday-Friday from 4:00-5:00 p.m.

It will be on "The Team" WSSO 1230-AM in Starkville and WJWF 1400-AM in Columbus. The two radio stations are combining to form a simulcast called "The Team." "The Team" will carry 1-on-1 sports (on both stations).

The primary focus of the show will be Mississippi State athletics, followed, in order, by Southeastern Conference athletics, national sports, and local high schools.

They will have at least one guest per show. Monday, they have John Bond lined up and hope to have a football signee as well. During the first week, they have Sharon Fanning and Bailey Howell lined up and are working on getting Jack Cristil and Pat McMahon.

There are five people hosting the show: Aaron Sones, Marshall Harris, Alex Wheelock, Bert Young, and Bo Bounds. Sones works in the Athletic Media Relations Department and Bounds is the sports editor of the Reflector. All five co-hosts are MSU students who know a lot about MSU sports as well as sports in general. Sones is the daily anchor while the other four will join him on different set days to form a 3-man crew each day.

They will take calls from listeners and encourage folks to call. The number to call is 323-1231.

They have live remote plans lined up at Abners and would love to do them at other locations. If your business is interested in hosting the show, you can call Aaron Sones at 324-5048 or email him at asones@hotmail.com. They are currently looking for sponsors. If your business would like to buy an ad, you can contact Bob Greene of Charisma Communications in Columbus.

You may want to tune in just to listen to the intro. It will definitely fire up any Bulldog fan (Jack Cristil's calls from over the years and Jim Ellis' call of Master's grand slam).

Again, it is called "The Score, on The Team, AM 1230 WSSO in Starkville and 1400 AM WJWF in Columbus."

02/01/00 - I talked to one of my sources last night. Here are a few recruiting tidbits: