Smoot, a 6-1, 179-pound senior from Jackson, Miss., is one of three finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation's premier defensive back. He has already been named first-team all-America by Football News magazine.

Smoot was one of just two Southeastern Conference players named to the prestigious Walter Camp team. Senior defensive tackle Richard Seymour of Georgia was the only other league player to be named to the 22-man Camp team.

Smoot is joined in the Walter Camp defensive backfield by Jamar Fletcher of Wisconsin and Dwight Smith of Akron, the other two finalists for the Thorpe Award, and by Louisvillešs Anthony Floyd.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Athletic Department

On December 9th, 1990, Jackie Wayne Sherrill was named head coach of the Mississippi State University football program. Critics immediately went on the attack saying that Sherrill was crooked, and his hiring would result in the demise of Mississippi State football. The media hyped that Jackie Sherrill was using Mississippi State as a stepping stone to get back into coaching, and would not stay in Starkville more than a couple of years.

Jackie Sherrill immediately went to work. As students waited to get in the Humphrey Coliseum to watch the LSU-MSU basketball game to decide the 1990-1991 SEC Championship, Jackie passed out doughnuts to the students, taking time to talk with them. As he would later explain, the student body is one of seven key components that a football program must have to succeed. The other key components cited by Sherrill are coaches, players, faculty, administration, fans and media.

The student body was quick to accept Sherrill as he started his career at Mississippi State with a 47-3 win over Cal State-Fullerton. The following week saw students and fans surviving scorching heat briefly interrupted by a thundershower as the Bulldogs defeated Texas in a nationally broadcast game. Along with thrilling wins at Louisiana State and Auburn, and a home victory over Ole Miss, Jackie Sherrill quickly gained the support of the fans, and began to involve the faculty and administration. A 7-4 record along with a berth in the Liberty Bowl brought more attention to Starkville. The media chose to take a negative slant, saying that this would be Jackie's last year at Mississippi State. The media added he was a solid coach, and would be offered more lucrative jobs at other big name schools. Jackie said he was going nowhere.

1992 brought wins over Texas, Auburn and Florida, another 7-4 season, and a Peach Bowl berth. Again, the media was complementing Jackie Sherrill as a head coach, but refused to give any respect to the Mississippi State football program. Certainly Sherrill had proven himself and would be off to greener pastures after this season. Jackie said he was going nowhere.

1993 brought a season of struggle. The loss of numerous key seniors and offensive coordinator Watson Brown brought significant challenges to Starkville. A new high-octane offense was installed by Bruce Arians, the new offensive coordinator. The Bulldogs struggled to finish with a 4-5-2 record. The media chose to turn its back on Jackie and attack him. Faculty and administration took notice of the fact that Jackie was not only a football coach, but one that made sure that player did not forget the student part of "student-athlete". This would be the foundation of tremendous success for academics in Mississippi State football.

In the 1994 preseason, ESPN's Lee Corso said "Watch out for Jackie Sherrill's Mississippi State Bulldogs, he is loaded with talent this year". People across the nation watched as Jackie guided his team to a thrilling win over Tennessee as his team finished with an 8-3 record. Again, the Bulldogs headed to the Peach Bowl - the third bowl game in four years for Jackie Sherrill at Mississippi State. For the first time, the national media began to acknowledge that perhaps Mississippi State was a force to be reckoned with.

While 1995 would produce two first-round NFL draft picks in All-SEC performers WR Eric Moulds and CB Walt Harris, the loss of numerous seniors from the 1994 squad would result in tough times in Starkville. It became obvious that quality depth was the only thing holding back Mississippi State from success annually. These Bulldogs would finish with a 3-8 record as the media began to hover over Jackie Sherrill.

The high-octane offense that many SEC programs adapted because of Steve Spurrier's success at Florida with the Fun N' Gun was put back on the shelf in 1996. That style of play calling is not Jackie Sherrill football, and he went back to an old friend in former assistant Lynn Amadee to take over as offensive coordinator. Perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle was the addition of Joe Lee Dunn as defensive coordinator. Dunn's legendary defenses had hurt the Bulldogs during his days at Ole Miss and Arkansas. The conference opener at South Carolina resulted in the Bulldogs winning and losing. On the scoreboard, the Bulldogs won, however, the loss of tailback Keffer McGee to a torn anterior cruciate ligament proved to be a significant loss. In just ten quarters of football, McGee had rushed for almost 500 yards. The Bulldogs would struggle for the rest of the 1996 season, finishing 5-6. The season finale, a 17-0 whipping of Ole Miss in Oxford provided a glimpse of things to come. While the media began to take hard shots at Jackie Sherrill, the Bulldog family saw their team beat Alabama for the first time in 15 years, and the first time ever at Scott Field.

Jackie Sherrill was confident that his all-star tailback McGee would be ready for the 1997 season, but could not take the chance of not having quality depth at tailback. J.J. Johnson, an All-American junior college transfer, enrolled in time to participate in Spring drills. Johnson anticipated learning from McGee while residing second on the depth chart. Johnson's plans would dramatically change the night before two-a-day practices began. Keffer McGee was the victim of a tragic drowning accident. The entire Bulldog family mourned the loss of one their most beloved players in their history. At a point where most would expect the team to not recover from the loss of a leader like McGee, Jackie Sherrill pulled his troops together to finish 7-4, winning games at Auburn and at Alabama. For the sixth straight year, Mississippi State graduated 70% or better of their football players, a feat only matched by the University of Virginia. That, in combination with the players wearing patches representing the college (Education, Arts & Science, Engineering, Business, etc) that each respective player was attending won all of the Faculty and Administration over. A new addition to the coaching staff came from Florida State. David Wilson, serving as recruiting coordinator and tight-ends coach made an immediate impact in Bulldog recruiting. Another key newcomer to the Bulldog staff was strength coach Mike Grant. Grant's Spring conditioning program concluding with the Iron Dawg competition not only built the physical level of the players up, the Iron Dawg program brought a new level of mental confidence to the players. Again, the media took note of Jackie's success. Many recruits from high school and junior college also took note and joined the Bulldogs.

1998 proved to be the year of the Bulldog as Mississippi State won the Southeastern Conference Western Division in a thrilling style. The legs of J.J. Johnson provided a single game school-record 237 yards rushing, and another 75 yards in receptions as the Bulldogs defeated Alabama for a third consecutive year. With Johnson sidelined due to injury, the rest of the team stood strong to face a 9-1 Arkansas team.The Bulldog Defense, Kicking team, and Offense all did what it took to win. The defense held down the potent Arkansas offense, while placekicker Brian Hazlewood went 5-5 on field goal attempts, including the game-winner with seconds left. Were it not for crucial receptions by WR's Kelvin Love and Kevin Cooper from redshirt freshman QB Wayne Madkin, and hard-nosed running of backup TB Chris Rainey, the Bulldogs would not have been in position to win the game. A season-ending victory at Ole Miss sent the Bulldogs to Atlanta, where they faced the eventual National Champions, Tennessee, in the SEC Championship game. An electric fourth quarter 83 yard punt return for a touchdown put the Bulldogs ahead 14-10 in the fourth quarter. Once again, Jackie Sherrill drew praise from the media, while maintaining a solid relationship with the students, fans, faculty, administration, and alumni. A meager 10 years earlier, Mississippi State finished the horrific "Tech and Ten" season. This year, they would finish the regular season at 8-3, earning a trip to the Cotton Bowl, the first traditional New Years Day bowl for the Bulldogs since the 1941 Orange Bowl. J.J. Johnson was awarded the 1998 Conerly trophy, awarded by Mississippi Sportswriters to the best collegiate football player in Mississippi.

1999 would give the Bulldog faithful the ride of a lifetime. With hard and steady play under new offensive coordinator Sparky Woods, and the stellar defense of Joe Lee Dunn, the Bulldogs would start the season off with eight consecutive wins. Tough road losses at Alabama and Arkansas were quickly forgotten as the Bulldogs rallied to beat Ole Miss on a Scott Westerfield field goal with seconds remaining. That win gave Mississippi State its first nine win season since 1980. Winning the Peach Bowl against Clemson resulted in the first 10 win season since 1940 (10-0-1) for the Bulldogs. Jackie Sherrill once again overcame adversity, tragedy, and grief to put another notch on his belt. Once again, the underdog commanded respect from the media, and got it. Finally, after winning ten games, and graduating 70% or better of its players for nine consecutive years, Jackie Sherrill put the seven pieces together at Mississippi State that he said it would take to be a winner. Joe Lee Dunn's defense would finish the 1999 season ranked as the #1 overall defense in NCAA Division I-A football.

The 2000 season started off slowly as the Bulldogs managed a meager 127 yards of offense at Memphis. The defense was smothering, leading the nation early in the season, allowing only 29 yards per game rushing. The next game at BYU was telecast nationally on ESPN. Broadcasters Mike Torico, Lee Corso, and Kirk Herbstreit raved about the Bulldog defense, comparing it to that of Florida State. A tough last-second loss at South Carolina was followed up with back-to-back wins over two unbeaten teams in #3 Florida and #15 Auburn. A heartbreaking loss at LSU in overtime was followed up with wins at Kentucky and a home crushing of Alabama 29-7, the largest margin of victory over Alabama in school history. This would also push Jackie Sherrill over the top as all-time winningest coach at Mississippi State, earning his 66th win as head coach of the Bulldogs. Jackie's troops would lose their last home game of the 2000 season, snapping a 16 game home winning streak. Back-to-back physical games against Arkansas and Alabama took their toll on the Bulldogs, losing DOG safety Pig Prather to a knee injury for the season, DL Dorsett Davis to a knee sprain, DL Ellis Wyms to an ankle sprain, and CB Kendell Roberson to nagging knee injuries. Wyms and Roberson played only a few snaps at the season finale loss at Ole Miss. The media that predicted a 4-7 finish for this Bulldog squad once again was proven wrong as they finished the 2000 campaign 7-4. Speculation that Jackie Sherrill would accept the head coaching job at Alabama didn't last long as Jackie said "You're stuck with me, I'm not going anywhere".

Neither are we coach. How can we help? Thanks to the commitment of Jackie Sherrill as head coach and the generosity of Davis Wade and his family, Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field will be expanded to an excess of 51,000 seats for the 2001 season. This presents the opportunity for Bulldog fans to shatter the 1999 season-ticket sales record. This team has fought for and deserves respect and a stadium packed with Mississippi State fans every home game start to finish. Two of the three finalists for the 2000 Conerly trophy are Bulldogs Fred Smoot and Dicenzo Miller, reflecting on the quality recruiting under Sherrill. Filling the stands directly impacts our players and recruits. The coaches and players are doing their part, we need to do ours!

David Magee is one-half of the Two Daves website. Click here to visit his website. If you would like to contact David, his email address is magee@datasync.com

11/28/00 - Here are the latest pictures of the stadium expansion. Click here to view them.

Recruiting News:

11/27/00 - Football News:

Recruiting News:

11/26/00 - Recruiting News:

11/25/00 - Thanks goes out to cman for doing the legwork in finding this info.

Expected Bowl Game Payouts for 2000-01 (in order of highest paying to games which pay the minimum $750,000)

FedEx Orange Bowl (National Championship- $12 million
Nokia Sugar Bowl- $12 million
Tostito's Fiesta Bowl- $12 million
Rose Bowl presented by AT&T- $12 million
Citrus Bowl- $3.8 million
Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl- $2.5 million
Outback Bowl- $1.9 million
Culligan Holiday Bowl- $1.8 million
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl- $1.6 million
Toyota Gator Bowl- $1.4 million
Alamo Bowl- $1.2 million
AXA Liberty Bowl- $1.2 million
Sanford Independence Bowl- $1.2 million
EA Sports Las Vegas Bowl- $1.2 million
Sun Bowl- $1 million
Music City Bowl- $900,000
Jeep Oahu Bowl- $800,000
Jeep Aloha Bowl- $800,000
Insight.com Bowl- $750,000
Micron PC Bowl- $750,000
Humanitarian Bowl- $750,000
Ford Motor City Bowl- $750,000
GMAC Mobile Alabama Bowl- $750,000
Galleryfurniture.com Bowl- $750,000
Silicon Valley Football Classic- $750,000

11/24/00 - What they are writing on the internet about last night's 45 to 30 Ole Miss victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

AP - Deuce McAllister ran for three touchdowns and threw for another score to lead Mississippi to a 45-30 victory over No. 23 Mississippi State on Thursday night in the highest-scoring game ever between the rivals. Ole Miss (7-4, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) snapped a two-game losing streak in the annual Egg Bowl - named for the Golden Egg Trophy that goes to the winner. Mississippi State (7-4, 4-4) ended the season on a two-game losing streak........complete AP story here.......

ESPN - With the Golden Egg on the line, Deuce broke loose. Deuce McAllister ran for three touchdowns and threw for another score to lead Mississippi to a 45-30 victory over No. 23 Mississippi State on Thursday night in the highest-scoring Egg Bowl game ever between the rivals. "Players want to play in big games and this was definitely a big game," McAllister said....... complete ESPN story here......

CNNSI - Deuce McAllister came up golden in the "Egg Bowl." McAllister ran for 121 yards and three touchdowns and threw for another score as Mississippi roared back from a 16-point deficit and surprised 23rd-ranked Mississippi State, 45-30, in the 72nd "Battle of the Golden Egg.".........complete CNNSI story here.....

FOX SPORTS - Game Boxscore......

The Independence Bowl Chairman and a Selection Committee member visited with MSU Athletic Director Larry Templeton and Head Football Coach Jackie Sherrill immediately after the game last night. They talked to the media afterwards and said that they would like to have Mississippi State or LSU in their bowl. They mentioned MSU vs Texas A&M as a possible matchup.

11/23/00 - Football News:

Recruiting News:

11/22/00 - Tuesday Press Conference Quotes:

Wide Receiver Davey Crawley:
You come from an Ole Miss family? How will it feel to you playing against Ole Miss at Ole Miss this Thursday?
Davey Crawley: It is going to be very weird walking into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and looking up at where our box seats were, practically where I was raised up. We had box seats on the fifty-yard line. I was there every game watching Baldwin, Show and Luke play. You name it. I watched the great 38 Chuckie Mullins and Cassius Ware. I grew up watching them.

I didn't know any State players until I got up here and started playing. Now that I am at State, there is nothing better I would like to do but be in the maroon and white. It is a feeling that I can't explain and that no one will ever be able to take away from me.

I assume your parents are now Bulldog fans. Have you converted any of your other relatives?
Davey Crawley: My sister and her family are all State fans. My grandparents, on the other hand, when I talked to (my grandfather) he kind of chuckled and said that "I am going to be pulling for you". The key word was you. We kind of chuckled about that.

Linebacker Mario Haggan:
Talk about the importance of the MSU / Ole Miss game.
Mario Haggan: This may decide the recruiting war in the state of Mississippi. If they win they could have the upper hand in recruiting so this game is very important to us. It is not going to be hard to get up for them and I'm sure it won't be hard for them to get up. Both of us are playing for bowl positions. We are playing to see who can come out with the best record in Mississippi. It's going to be real fun Thursday night.

Talk about so many players been hurt and how this could affect MSU?
Mario Haggan: It is a great opportunity for some guys who haven't gotten a lot of chances to play this year to step up and make a name for themselves. We are going to depend on players like Jason Clark and George White to step up and make plays.

Is there any chance MSU's defense might underestimate Ole Miss' offense because of how they have played the last two weeks?
Mario Haggan: If you underestimate Ole Miss' offense, they can get wide open on you. They have two good running backs Deuce McAllister and Joe Gunn. Deuce hasn't had the same type year that he has had in the past but don't expect him not to run hard against Mississippi State. The past two years he has carried the ball about 70 times against Mississippi State and we don't expect it to be any different Thursday night.

If it wasn't Ole Miss would you still be able to get up for this last game?
Mario Haggan: No, not at this point in the season. We can't go to Atlanta and that was our offseason goal but we have a chance to go to a good bowl game and establish ourselves as a winning program in college football going into next season.

You don't ever want to lose a football game. Even if we were one and nine we would still be playing for pride and want to win the football game. This game is going to determine what kind of heart this football team has.

We have a lot of guys injured but that is why you recruit. You have to have guys to come in for the starters that are injured. After watching practice the past two days, do you think that the entire team is focused on Ole Miss after such a heartbreaking loss to Arkansas? Obviously you are but do you feel the entire team is?
Mario Haggan: We did not underestimate Arkansas. You have to give them credit for coming out and playing a good game. They confused us come on offense and made some good plays against our defense. The main thing is we have to go back in and have the same focus against Ole Miss but play better. From my standpoint, I believe we will be focused due to the fact that we have a lot of injuries and we know that we are going to have to step our game up.

Have you thought much about what bowl you might go to?
Mario Haggan: We all want to go to a great bowl and we will gladly accept an invitation to a bowl but out main focus is to win the Egg Bowl. That is the first bowl that we want and everything else will fall in place.

Talk about your last injury in the Arkansas game from the beginning of the play until you would up in the ambulance.
Mario Haggan: I was trying to make the tackle and I felt that I had someone riding my back. When I hit the running back to try and tackle him his knee hit my helmet and with me being pushed toward the running back and he coming toward my helmet, my head went in the opposite direction of my body. Once I get in the head with his knee, I kind of lost it. I was knocked out.

When I woke up I saw the trainer and I was ready to go back into the game but they wouldn't let me. I figured it was precautionary. I had hurt my shoulder earlier in the game and they just wanted to make sure no additional injury had occurred. I'm glad the doctor took care of me the way that he did.

Did you hear the fans cheer and clap for you as you were taken off the field?
Mario Haggan: Yes, I let them know that I was alright by raising my hand.

I wanted my teammates to go ahead and win this game because it was a very important game for us. Unfortunately after I came out of x-ray, I found out that we had lost. It kind of broke my heart but I knew that we had to get over it and get ready for this Thursday.

How long did it take you to get over the Arkansas game and start thinking about the Ole Miss game?
Mario Haggan: I thought about it until about ten the next morning. I knew that I had to come to practice that afternoon to get ready for Ole Miss. I knew that it was going to be a short week and that we would have to watch film that day.

Recruiting News:

11/21/00 - Football News:

11/20/00 - Football news:

11/19/00 (8:30 p.m.) - Saturday's press conference quotes:

Coach Jackie Sherrill:
Questions and Answers:
Question about Arkansas' defense?
Coach Sherrill: No, we didn't have enough time to work on it. We just didn't come off the ball. In retrospect, we probably should have gone to no-back or one back like we did in the first part (of the game) and made them spread it out but we didn't. We had some chances but we missed the linebacker here or we didn't block the inside linebacker there. Our offensive team didn't have an opportunity before the game to see some things that were happening to them (during the game). We still had the chance to win it at the end but you have to execute.

Question about the officials?
Coach Sherrill: The officials called it very tight. That's OK.

Were you confused on offense?
Coach Sherrill: No, we weren't confused. Like I said, we would let a linebacker in on a critical down....there were a lot of reasons. You can't just put it on one.

Question about the reason why the last missed field goal attempt was blocked?
Coach Sherrill: It was the snap, hold and the kick. It was a low snap. Dicenzo normally can pick it up but he had a hard time picking it up and putting right where he wanted it. Scott started and stopped and just didn't get it up in the air. You execute there, you win the game.

Question asked about the injuries to Mario Haggan and Pig Prather? Coach Sherrill: They think that Mario is going to be ok. It is more precaution and I hope so. Doctor Linton is usually very, very accurate. He was knocked out and had some tingling. (Taking him out on a stretcher) is what you usually do in a case like that. I am concerned about Pig because he has a knee (injury). Dorsett Davis has a slight knee (injury) but he came back and played. We also have Dicenzo Miller with a shoulder (injury). Those are four big players that you can't afford to lose.

Wide receiver Larry Huntington:
Their defense really seemed to shut down the MSU offense today?
Larry Huntington: Yes, they knew coming into the game that we had a strong running game. The only way to stop our running game was to pile everybody up on the line. Unfortunately (for us), they did what they had to do to stop us. We couldn't really run the ball.

You have a very short time to get ready for Ole Miss?
Larry Huntington: Yes, we can't worry about this loss now because we have to come in Sunday and start getting ready for Ole Miss. We have to get prepared and get all of our players healthy in four short days. We have to get our feet under us and go to Ole Miss and win the Egg Bowl.

Defensive back George White:
Talk about a short week to get ready for Ole Miss?
George White: This is a very big rivalry. We have a lot of seniors on this team and we definitely want to win that game.

A lot of defensive regulars are hurt. You don't know the status of their conditions so a lot of guys may have to step us this week?
George White: Yes, we have to step up but we have some good players, great players, who can step up and make the plays. We have to practice hard and try and get ready.

This was a tough loss. The seniors now have to get the team focused for the Ole Miss game. How tough will that be?
George White: It was a tough loss but we have to bounce back. Bouncing back after a loss is the true test of a winner. We have to practice hard, get focused, watch film and get ready for Ole Miss.

Defensive back Fred Smoot:
What do the seniors do now to get the team focused?
Fred Smoot: Our goal is now to win out and see what bowl they give to us. There is nothing that I have to do or say to get this team fired up for Ole Miss.

Defensive lineman Toby Golliday:
Does it make it tougher now that the SECCG is out of the picture?
Toby Golliday: Yes, it makes it tougher. We have one more game left and the bowl game. We just have to play hard.

What was it like in the locker room afterwards?
Toby Golliday: Everybody was sitting down with their heads down. We were stunned. We knew we were going to score when we were at the goal line at the end.

11/19/00 - MSU football news:

11/18/00 - MSU Sports and Other News:

11/17/00 - MSU Sports News:

11/16/00 (2:45 p.m.) - Here are the latest pictures of the stadium expansion. Click here to view them.

11/16/00 - More Press Conference Comments:

Redshirt Freshman Wide Receiver Justin Jenkins:
Talk about how big of a game the Arkansas game is?
Justin Jenkins: It is a big game. Even though they have a losing record, we know that they are capable of coming in here and beating us. We are going to approach it like a Florida or an Alabama. They could shock us. If you come to play, you can win. They have the athletes to do it. They've just gotten some bad breaks.

How do the fans energize the team?
Justin Jenkins: We have a meeting before we leave the motel. Once we get here for the walk-through, everybody is so loud. When we get on the field and they play "Who Let The Dawgs Out", it really energizes us.

Does he have that tough offensive line mentality that MSU offensive linemen seem to have?
Michael Fair: He does. I think, across the board, our starting five does.

How good can Derrick be?
Michael Fair: As good as he wants to be. He has all the talent in the world, speed, quickness, strength. Whatever you want an offensive tackle or guard to have, he has it. It is up to him to make the most of what he has. Hopefully, he will do that.

What kind of game do you expect from Arkansas?
Michael Fair: They are big and strong up front. It is going to be like Alabama. We expected to play physical against Alabama and we did. We don't expect anything different against Arkansas.

Does them losing 63 to 20 against Tennessee make it more difficult to be as focused as you should be?
Michael Fair: No, they are an SEC team. You can't overlook any SEC team. I don't care who they are. They beat us last year. They kind of took us out of where we wanted to be last year. And they have the opportunity to do the same thing to us this year.

What you have accomplished over the past three years has to be something special for you because you and I both know there have been times when some fans have doubted you. Now no one doubts you because you have proven that you are a winner. That has to be something that you are very proud of?
Wayne Madkin: I take pride in my faith and belief in myself. It has made me a stronger person and helped me realize what I can accomplish. Even when some people did not believe in me, I always believed in myself. I am happy in my progress.

Have you changed any since you have been at Mississippi State? What I'm getting at is do you feel that you have possibly built a small wall around yourself because of how fans have been so fickle toward you at times?
Wayne Madkin: I would think so but people who know me know that I am a nice guy. You sometimes have to watch what you say and do around people. You can't be cold-hearted in this world and I'm a forgiving person. The biggest thing is that you are secure in what type person you are and knowing where you came from.

11/15/00 - Tuesday Press Conference:

Coach Sherrill Comments:

Is Pork Chop practicing?
Coach Sherrill: Yes, he is on the practice field and walking through his assignments. We won't let him practice full speed until next week. He is ok and whatever he can tolerate is (what we will allow) him to do. What will probably be the hardest thing for him to do is deal with the fatigue factor. Having an operation and not being able to workout will hurt his stamina.

Question asked about Dontae Walker's ankle injury?
Coach Sherrill: You never know about an ankle injury until a day later. The swelling has been reduced but on an ankle, if you force it too much, it starts swelling back up.

Do you think the game that Arkansas had against will affect how your team reacts to them?
Coach Sherrill: Not with what Arkansas has done to us in three of the last four years. We were in the drivers seat last year and let it go.

How important has the atmosphere at Mississippi State become to the team?
Coach Sherrill: It has become very hard to play here. And it is getting tougher and tougher. Our students and fans have done a great job making sure that they are doing their part. There is no question that they get into the game and enjoy it. It helps an awful lot.

Wayne Madkin wasn't highly recruited coming out of high school. What did you see in him that others didn't?
Coach Sherrill: Wayne was recruited more after he committed to us. Alabama was already zeroing in on (junior) Tyler Watts and were afraid that if they signed Wayne it would effect them getting Tyler the next year. However, they, along with Auburn, got on him after he committed to us.

He had a very good arm. He threw for over 5,000 yards. Plus, he was 6-4 and ran a 4.5 forty. He had an awful lot of natural ability.

Question was asked about the huge salaries that his counterparts are getting and what it means to him to make less than them.
Coach Sherrill: My first job paid $7,500. That tells you how old I am. (Laugh). You can't compare institutions and how much they pay.

Here are several questions that I asked Coach Sherrill after the press conference:

Before I asked him any questions, he asked me, with a smile on his face, how I kept the white towel idea a secret. That question led me into my first question.

What do you think about the white towel idea?
Coach Sherrill: First of all I don't know how you kept it a secret. I had no idea. When I looked up and saw them I thought it was great. In 1991 I tried to get that started but I didn't get any support from any other people to really push it. It really is something that we should look at. It does make a difference. The players see it. The opponents see it. I wouldn't mind seeing everybody bring a towel this weekend. Have a towel in one hand and a cowbell in the other. Maybe we can put a logo on them and let it be a part of our tradition.

What determines the quality of life for a head football coach? I know money figures into it.
Coach Sherrill: It is not salary. The big thing is whether your family is happy. Do they have an avenue to stay busy and have friends? My daughter had gone to school here and gotten a degree. Peggy has gone to school here and gotten a degree. The quality of life is whether you are comfortable and how you are treated.

11/14/00 - The MSU football assistant coaches:

Now that Coach Sherrill has let it be known that his loyalty is to MSU and that he will retire here, it is time we think about a more pressing matter; our assistant football coaches.

The year was 1997. MSU had just come off a 5-6 season. Coach Sherrill had hired defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn to handle the defense the year before. After Coach Sherrill hired Coach Dunn, the MSU record went from 3-8 to 5-6, an improvement of two wins. Coach Sherrill knew more improvement was needed so he went out and hired coaches Craig Stump, David Wilson, Jerry Fremin and Glenn Davis. These coaches, along with the most recent addition, Sparky Woods, were the final pieces of the puzzle that has taken MSU football to heights that we have never seen before at MSU.

What have all of these coaches help do? From 1997 through today, MSU has a 32-13 record. That's right, 32-13. That is almost unheard of in MSU football history. During this same period, only two other teams in the SEC have better records, neither of which is from the Western Division. During these four years, MSU will go to three bowls, two of which will probably be New Years Day bowls.

This season is almost over for most college football teams and there are a lot of schools that will be looking for new head coaches and assistant coaches. MSU's success over the past few years makes MSU's assistant coaches very attractive to a lot of schools.

What am I attempting to tell you? I am telling you that MSU's administration, with the backing of Coach Sherrill, has an obligation to make sure that each of our assistant coaches are paid as well as any assistant coaches in the SEC.

Will it be easy for our administration to give them raises? It sure as heck won't with the current MSU budget, which is probably the lowest in the SEC.

What can be done to go a long way to helping solve this financial problem? We fans need to step up to the line of scrimmage and do our part. How do we do that? If you are already a Bulldog Club member, increase your giving as much as you possible can. If you aren't contributing, then please, please start. If you aren't buying season tickets, then start next season. If you haven't purchased a club level seat in the stadium expansion, then do so if there is any way that you can afford it. Each one of these things matters very much and in combination will go a long way in helping the MSU assistant football coaches receive raises.

To contribute to the Bulldog Club or purchase club level seats, contact the Bulldog Club by calling 662-325-3074. If you want to go ahead and contribute, then you can use a form that I have on my page. Click here to go to it.

When you decide to do any of the above, please call the Bulldog Club immediately because you and I both know the longer you put it off, the less likely you will do it.

When you have done one of these things, put a little note in the envelope telling the Bulldog Club folks that the reason that you are increasing your contribution, contributing for the first time, or buying club level seats is because you want to see the MSU football coaches receive raises.

Mailing a letter to Coach Sherrill, AD Larry Templeton and even MSU President Dr. Portera would also help. Make sure you let them know that you have provided additional revenue whatever way you did.

If you are already a significant financial contributor to the MSU athletic department, and I know there are many on this page, then please contact one of more of these folks personally letting them know your personal feelings.

Coach Sherrill's and Larry Templeton's addresses are MSU Athletic Department, P. O. Box 5327, Mississippi State, MS. 39762. Don't forget to include their names on the front of the envelope. If you want to email them, then email me at swindoll@genespage.com and I will give your email to the appropriate person. Because of the potential of a large volume of emails, it is better that you send them to me. It bogs down MSU football's email system when you email them directly. I know this from past experience.

The bottom line is that we, as fans, are the ones that are in a very real sense directly responsible for making sure our football assistant coaches receive the raises that they very much deserve. There is no question that MSU has the best football coaching staff in the SEC (the past four years prove that) and we need to keep every single one of them as long as we possibly can.

Now it is time we show our loyalty to them. This is not a request but a necessary demand.

More Football News:

11/13/00 - Football News:

11/12/00 - Football News:

Post-game press conference quotes:

Alabama head coach Mike DuBose:
"Congratulations to Jackie Sherrill and the Mississippi State football team. He has done an outstanding job with (the MSU) program. He needs to be congratulated for that. They play a tough style of football that can be very intimidating."

"This is the best team we have played all year, without a doubt. We knew that it would be difficult coming in here, and that is because of the program that he has built and the job that he has done. It's not all about coaching. They have some very talented players."

"Mississippi State's offensive line controlled our defensive line. Their defensive line controlled our offensive line."

"Andrew (Zow) didn't have a lot of time to throw the football today. That affected his play. But give credit to Mississippi State. They controlled the line and made the plays."

Our head coach, Jackie Sherrill:
Comments:
"First, I would like to say congratulations to the coaches and players. They worked very, very hard. This has not been an easy year to this point because we had a lot of young players to get prepared to play."

"As long as we stayed physical, we were ok. We tried to do some things finesse-wise in the second quarter and it kind of took us backward."

"My hat off to the defensive guys, especially the guys up front. They dominated the line of scrimmage."

"Sparky (Woods) did a great job calling the plays but it comes back to Wayne. Wayne dictating about 90% of the plays while he was in the game. He make some big throws. He controlled the game."

"We had two players who had over 100 yards rushing again. There was no question that Dontae (Walker), if he had not gotten hurt, would have moved that up to near 200 yards. He was running very, very well."

"The offensive line, especially number 66, played really, really well. They dominated some really great players. Alabama has some very talented players."

"I really appreciate the students and the fans for their help. They have built this place into a place very, very tough to play."

Linebacker Mario Haggan:
How special is for you to be on the team that set the MSU career win record for Coach Sherrill?
Mario Haggan: It is very special. Coach Sherrill is a great coach. We love Coach Sherrill and every player wants to play under a coach like him.

Offensive lineman Derrick Thompson:
Was it special to you to be on the Coach Sherrill team that set the MSU records for most wins in a coaching career?
Derrick Thompson: It was very special because Coach Sherrill is a good man and a good coach.

Defensive back Eugene Clinton:
You are in a unique position because you been a fifth-year senior have been at MSU for half of Coach Sherrill's MSU career. How special is it for you to play on the team that helped him set a career record for most victories?
Eugene Clinton: It feels wonderful. Coach Sherrill is an excellent guy. He has done a lot for the team and a lot for the school.

If you could talk to all the recruits that MSU is recruiting what you would you tell them is the reason or reasons that they should choose MSU over all the other schools that is recruiting them?
Eugene Clinton: The coaches care and are dedicated to you.

Quarterback Wayne Madkin:
How special was it to you to receive the first game ball for this record-setting victory for Coach Sherrill?
Wayne Madkin: It was very special. I am just glad to be a part of (his record).

I remember the day he came to the house recruiting me. They were coming off a losing season. He told me that I could be a part of bringing this program back to respectability. I took the challenge and everything that he said came true.

11/11/00 - Football News:

11/10/00 - Football News.

Just thought you would like to know that recruiters continue to call the Clinton HS duo of Clarence McDougal and Coco Hodge even though they are MSU commitments and are dead set on signing with MSU.

The Houston, Texas chapter will be meeting this Saturday, Nov. 11, at SRO near the intersection of Gessner and Westhiemer for the game with Alabama. Game time is, of course, 11:30 and the meeting time is 11:00. SRO has reserved the VIP room for the MSU faithful. If anyone has any questions you can email Richard Bryant at r_bryant70@hotmail.com or any of the other Houston chapter officers.

MSU Press Release: Mississippi State senior cornerback Fred Smoot and senior place-kicker Scott Westerfield have been named semifinalists for the individual awards given for their specialty, it was announced Wednesday. Additionally, Westerfield was again rewarded for his academic and athletic achievements. Smoot was named one of 12 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation's most outstanding defensive back in college football. He is one of just two Southeastern Conference players named on the select list, joining Andre Lott of Tennessee. Three finalists will be named Nov. 21. Westerfield is one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, presented annually to the nation's premier place-kicker. Westerfield is joined by SEC kickers Jeff Chandler of Florida, Steve Hanson of Kentucky, and Alex Walls of Tennessee on the list. The winners of the Thorpe and Groza Awards will be invited to the 2000 Home Depot College Football Awards Show at Disney World, an event to be telecast live on ESPN, Dec. 7. Westerfield has also been named to the Verizon All-Academic District VI first-team as a place-kicker by the College Sports Information Directors of America, the organization announced Wednesday. This award advances Westerfield to the national vote for the Verizon Academic All-America team. With a 3.93 grade point average in civil engineering, Westerfield has been the Bulldogs' regular place-kicker for the past two years.

11/09/00 - Here is an updated list of players that may attend the MSU vs Alabama game this weekend. (A ? by the name of the player means he may or may not attend the game.)

Rico Bennett - Cornerback from Brandon HS.
CoCo Hodge - Fullback from Clinton HS.
Clarence McDougal - Defensive secondary player from Clinton HS.
Chris McNeil - Offensive lineman from Petal HS.
Jerious Norwood - Junior running back from Brandon HS.
Spencer Pennington ? - Quarterback from Fayette (AL) HS.
Fred Perkins - Athlete from Brookhaven HS.
Freddie Roach - LB/DE from Brooks HS (Killen, AL.).
Jeremy Ruffin - Defensive player from Meridian HS.
Chris Spencer ? - Offensive lineman from Madison Central HS.
Trey Stallings ? - Offensive lineman from South Pike HS.
Will Prosser - Quarterback/defensive back from Starkville Academy.
James Cobb Wallace - Junior DT/TE from Simpson Academy.
Milford Brown ? - Offensive lineman from East Miss. CC.
Thad Cribbs ? - Cornerback from East Miss. CC.
Tim Love ? - Defensive lineman from East Miss. CC.

Other MSU football news:

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11/08/00 - Names of some of the unofficial visitors coming to State this Saturday.

If any of you know of others, please email me their names at swindoll@genespage.com.

MSU Football Coach Jackie Sherrill:
Comments:

Questions and Answers:
Question about being at Mississippi State and building the program.
Jackie Sherrill: I was lucky to play football in this state. I knew about Mississippi State. When I came here I said Mississippi State can win and deserves to win and we will win. Is this an easy job to build? No. It has taken some time but we are at a point now where we can be very consistent. This group of seniors is a group that has not had a losing season. That is a big plus. That is what it really takes to establish yourself. There are a lot of assets (at MSU) here that are a big, big plus. We have a great quality of life for our players. They fit in very well. The recruiting classes for the last four years have been very, very good. Being able to redshirt some young players last year such as Justin Jenkins was good to be able to do. He is going to be here for three more years and is is very gratifying to have that kind of talent. Also being able to redshirt the three big linemen (Tucker, Thompson and Thompson) certainly has helped.

Question was asked about Eugene Clinton.
Jackie Sherrill: He is a player that would be there when the whistle started the game and when the whistle blew to end the game. Another pleasing thing about him is he is going to get his degree. Every place that he has worked during the summer, everyone of those people have called me to tell me he is the best worker that they have ever had. A couple of them have told him, when he finishes school, they have a job for him if he wanted to come back.

Have you ever had another player as well-conditioned as Eugene Clinton?
Jackie Sherrill: No, I haven't and probably will not again. Probably one of the best athletes that we have had here was Eric Moulds. Even the first two years that he was in the pros, he had about 4% body fat and weighed 220 pounds. Then I saw him in the office and he had no body fat and he was an all-pro. Does Eugene have any body fat? Not very much. It is amazing to watch him go through practice in 115 to 120 degrees weather and compare him to everybody else. There was nobody else on his side. He is a different individual both mentally and physically. It comes back to your mentality.

Why are you not interested in the Alabama job?
Jackie Sherrill: I answered that the other day publicly and I can answer it privately if you want.

The reason this program is where it is now and why it will stay there........is the students and the fans and what they have done. Their loyalty and commitment means quite a bit.

Talk about what you think about (Alabama quarterback) Zow?
Jackie Sherrill: He is a real good player. He is getting rid of the ball a lot quicker. He has a strong arm. He is also very athletic. He is bigger than Wayne (Madkin). I don't know if he is as fast as Wayne. Wayne is a true 4.5 guy. Zow is probably a 4.6, 4.7.

Question was asked about the perception people had of Mississippi State.
Jackie Sherrill: People's perception of Mississippi State years ago was probably different than it is now. People on the west coast, who saw us on tv against BYU, probably perceive us differently now. Same thing on the east coast. There are programs with a lot more advantages but there are a bunch of programs with a lot less advantages also.

Question was asked if Coach Sherrill felt the perception people had of him has changed from his earlier years?

Jackie Sherrill: That was probably why a lot of administrators were afraid of me. I could care less what they thought of me. I care about things because it is the right thing to do, not just the politically correct thing to do. I have never been political and I am not going to change.

This week, we have a big challenge. Their offensive line probably averages about 330 to 340 across the line. We have to be quicker on the first step than they are.

Has MSU faced a team similar to Alabama?
Toby Golliday: They do the same thing that Auburn did. Their offensive line is real big, real big. They are probably 360, 346, 330, 310. And all of them are like 6-7, 6-6, 6-4, 6-5.

11/07/00 - To all of you who have contacted me by email asking me if Coach Sherrill will wind up at Alabama next season, he once told me privately that when he told me something that I can trust him. He told me that he plans on staying at Mississippi State. He has also told numerous media, his players, and various clubs where he has spoken that he plans on retiring at Mississippi State. As far as the Tim Brandos and Tony Barnharts of the world are concerned, what they offer are their opinions, probably based on things that they have heard from an Alabama source of theirs who happens to be wealthy and wants Coach Sherrill (who doesn't have a rich Alabama source right now), and not Coach Sherrill's opinion. You can believe them or you can believe Coach Sherrill, who has repeatedly said, both privately and publicly, he will retire at Mississippi State.

Now, it is time to get back to talking about the outstanding season that we are having this year.

Other news:

11/06/00 - An update on Brookhaven HS athlete Fred Perkins:

Fred rushed for 3 TDs (one 76-yard run) and 171 yards in leading Brookhaven over Lawrence Co. HS. Brookhaven will face Gautier this coming Friday night as they begin their playoff.

The rumor is Fred will be unofficially visiting MSU this coming weekend. It is also rumored that Fred is looking at quite a few colleges, including MSU, LSU, USM, Tennessee and Louisiana-Lafayette.

If any of you know of other players who will be unofficially visiting the MSU vs Alabama game this coming weekend, please email their names to me.

11/05/00 - MSU 35 - Kentucky 17. Game reviews.

11/04/00
One correction to the Houston, Texas MSU at Kentucky game viewing party. They have moved it from Knucklehead's to SRO's.

Add one more group party to my list:
Charlotte, NC - The Charlotte Bulldog Club has arranged, through the MSU Alumni Association, for the MSU/KY game to be viewed at Baileys Sports Grille. Anyone interested in watching the Dawgs and having a good time please come to Baileys Sports Grille. Baileys Sports Grille 8500 Pineville/Matthews Rd. Pineville NC (1/2 mile north of I-484 and Hwy 51).

MSU's ten public commitments to date:

I have heard rumors that MSU will very likely sign more than 25 players during the combined December and February signing periods. It appears, like I said earlier, MSU's dilemma this recruiting season is to figure out who they will or will not offer. According to my sources, the demand for scholarships by excellent players is more than the number of scholarships that MSU has available. The excellent success the past couple of seasons and this season and Coach Sherrill putting to rest the rumors about his leaving to go to Alabama seems to have really struck a cord with the players that MSU is recruiting. Recruits now know he is strongly committed to staying at MSU until he retires.

11/03/00 - Here are all the locations that I know of that will have the MSU vs Kentucky game available for viewing either through alumni chapter parties or available by pay per view purchase.

Denver, Colorado - The Denver alumni chapter will be watching the game at Jackson's All-American Sports Bar/Grill at 675 Kipling Ave. Cost will be determined upon how many alums show up, but not to exceed $20. Most folks have already been contacted, however, any that were accidentally left off please call David Wier at 303-357-1647 if you have any questions.

Dallas, Texas - The Dallas (TX) Dawgs will be watching the game at Damon's on Central Expressway, North of Meadow Road between Leadership Ford and Holiday Inn Select. We are asking everyone to contribute $5 to $10 to help pay for the cost of receiving the broadcast. Anyone who wants further information can send an e-mail to Charlie Winfield at cwin@flash.net or can call me at 214-912-2761.

Mobile, Alabama - Mobile, AL MSU Alumni Chapter is meeting at Bleacher's Restaurant, 6700 Airport Blvd, to watch the game.

Mississippi and Memphis Cable Companies Offering Pay Per View - Gulfport and Long Beach (Cable One), Pearl (Susquehanna) and Ripley (Ripley Video Cable) are the most recent cable systems added to the telecast, bringing to 32 the number of cable outlets carrying the game. Those four join Aberdeen, Amory, Booneville, Guntown, Nettleton and New Albany (Galaxy Cablevision), Brookhaven, Caledonia, Cleveland, Columbus, and Grenada (Cable One), Corinth, Fulton, Hattiesburg, Meridian and Tupelo (Comcast Cable), Forest, Philadelphia and Starkville (Northland Cable), Greenville (Cox Communications), Greenwood, Indianola, Moorhead and Sidon (Philadelphia), and Jackson, Memphis, Southaven and West Memphis (Time-Warner). Brandon will also have it available. Additional cable systems may be added prior to game day.

Big Dish Owners - Home satellite dish owners (large C-band dishes) located outside the service areas of the participating cable systems may order the game by calling (800) 887-8277, beginning Wednesday, Nov. 1.

Nashville, Tennessee - The Nashville Chapter will show the MSU v KY game this Saturday via pay-per-view telecast at CrossCorners Bar & Grill in Brentwood. To help cover the cost of the telecast, they are charging $10 per person for the game (kids can come for free, as long as you plan to enroll them at MSU when they graduate). To get your name on the list or for more information, please e-mail John Wilson john.wilson@medifax.com or call him at 615-565-2358.

Washington, D.C. - Washington, D.C. area alum can watch the game at:
"Grevey's Sports Bar.
8130 Arlington Blvd (although really off Gallows road at the intersection).
Falls Church, VA 22042.
Phone: 703.560.8530.
Contact Mark Dumas at 703.217.2864 for more information.

Houston, Texas - Mississippi State University Alumni Association-Houston, Texas Chapter, or HOUDAWGS as we are called, will be watching the MSU vs. UK game at Knuckleheads in Houston, Texas. We will have a chapter meeting prior to the game starting at 11:30 a.m. For more information, people can contact me, Richard Russo at 713-622-6326 or via e-mail at dawgbear@houston.rr.com, thanks and GO STATE!

Atlanta, Georgia - Atlanta, Georgia Chapter, Jocks-N-Jills, 10th and Peachtree in midtown.

Huntsville, Alabama - Huntsville, Alabama Chapter, Bobby G's on University. Donations will be accepted to cover viewing costs. Questions: Call Karen Dugard 830-9065.

Birmingham, Alabama - Birmingham, Alabama Chapter. Damon's, Hwy. 31 in Hoover. Contact Terry Clem at 631-2536.

Memphis, Tennessee - Memphis Maroon Club. Eagle's Nest, 6102 Macon Rd., Memphis.

The Memphis Maroon Club has arranged for the MSU vs UK game to be shown at the Eagle's Nest which is located at 6102 Macon Road at the Sycamore View exit of I-40 East. Kickoff is set for 12:30 pm.

The Memphis Maroon Club is paying $225 to Mississippi State for the broadcast. We will be charging $5 per head or $10 per family to view the game. All profits on the event will go to our scholarship fund which awards scholarships to MSU students from the Memphis area.

Please note that you can also order the broadcast from Time Warner for $30 for viewing at home. This alternative is not available to the Eagle's Nest.

Please RSVP to the following email address so they can get an estimate on attendance. memphismaroonclub@yahoo.com

Coach Jackie Sherrill:

Comments:
We talked to our team during our staff meeting this morning about the next three and a half weeks when we have four games. We talked about not overworking our players. We want to make sure we don't lose any players in practice and hopefully we won't lose any during the games.

We have been having Monday night football where we allow the younger players to scrimmage. This has been a big favorite for them. You always run the risk of young players getting hurt during the scrimmage. We had a player, Darnell Jones, get hurt that we were redshirting that we were trying to get ready to play. Darnell will be out two weeks with an ankle injury.

While you want to keep them healthy, you have to do certain things to get them ready to play.

Kentucky will spread you out throwing the football, although they have been in two back sets this year.

They have some great receivers with tremendous speed. One of their receivers, Quentin McCord, did some things against some teams with an awful lot of speed; Florida for example.

Their offensive line have been, pretty well, intact. They have done a good job of pass-protecting.

Their is no question that their quarterback gets about every snap in practice. We have not seen him in person but he is probably bigger than all of our defensive players except for Dorsett Davis. And he is bigger than all of our offensive players except for three. He is really a big, big player with excellent arm strength. He also has good movement for a person that size.

Going into this game, we know field conditions will be very slick. The grass will be very long. They (Kentucky) offsets that by practicing on their game field a lot, so they are accustomed to it. It is something that we can't get accustomed to because we don't have that kind of surface. It effects you with the field goal kickers and kickoff kickers. It is an advantage for them.

They have played some good teams. The Georgia game could have gone either way. The same can be said about the South Carolina game. They were playing catchup against LSU and they were playing catchup against Mississippi. Against Florida, they made two turnovers right before the half when it was a three-point game. The game got out of hand after those two turnovers.

Questions and Answers:
Question was asked about playing someone as big as Kentucky's quarterback on the scout team.
Coach Sherrill: (Laugh) We don't have anybody that big other than putting one of our offensive linemen or Dorsett Davis back there. Plus, he is lefthanded and we don't have any lefthanders.

What do they do good on the defensive side of the ball?
Coach Sherrill: They do a very good job with their free and strong safeties. They line up in an odd man front; five down people and two linebackers. They will put their strong safety and free safety on the line and, at times, they look like they have nine people on the line of scrimmage. They do a great job of reading the blocks.

Question about whether offensive lineman Derrick Thompson will have to sit out the Kentucky game.
Coach Sherrill: The rule is if the penalty occurred during the first half, you sit the second half. If it is in the second half, you sit out the first half of the next game.

Question was asked about offensive lineman Donald Tucker's play during the Middle Tennessee State game.
Coach Sherrill: Donald played well. What was really impressive was he had played guard all this time up until last week at practice. It helped, no question about it. It not only helped Donald but it helped us also. You are always trying to get younger people ready to play. You anticipate playing younger players but it doesn't always turn out that way.

Who will start at tackle this week, Derrick or Donald?
Coach Sherrill: Derrick Thompson will start.

Question was asked about John Michael Marlin's kickoffs not going into the endzone.
Coach Sherrill: This past game his timing was off.

Like in baseball pitchers and hitters sometime go into slumps, do you believe the defense is in a slump? A team doesn't just go from playing good to bad in two games.
Coach Sherrill: I don't think bad is the right word. The effort is there. They played a very good football team this past Saturday. Their receivers have done it against everybody. Their running back has done it all year. In eight games, he has run for over a hundred yards in six of them.

Have certain individuals played as well as they have in the past? No, they haven't. That will be corrected.

The thing that we didn't do Saturday is the same thing that we didn't do the week before, our underneath coverage was not very good, especially inside. We also didn't knock the receivers around like we have in the past. We played very passive and not very aggressive in the secondary. That is something that we have to do. You have to be willing to play very aggressive. I think that we will play very aggressive.

Talk about the improvement of the offense.
Coach Sherrill: It has improved. Last year our defense was ranked number one but we never put them in a bad situation. The offense did not score a lot of points last year but they ran a lot of time off the clock.

Very, very rarely will you ever have, unless you have a great, great football team, a defense that is ranked very high and their offense is putting a lot of points on the board.

Question was asked about the improved play of the two junior college players on the MSU offensive line.
Coach Sherrill: There is no question that Tommy (Watson) has played very, very well. He was the MVP of the game last week. Courtney Lee is getting back to doing some things. There is no question that those two have certainly helped us in our running game.