.......

....... .......

03/29/02 - MSU football practice scrimmage update.

The first part of the scrimmage was dominated by the first and second team defenses. The offense could do nothing more than score a 50-yard field goal by John Michael Marlin during its first 11 possessions, most of which were against the first team defense. To give the offense credit, they did have a few solid drives (50, 34, 50, 54) during the 11 possessions, but usually saw the drives fizzle due to an incomplete pass or sack of the quarterback. All of the possessions were started at the 45 or 4 yard lines.

For the last nine possessions of the scrimmage, the second team defense, playing every possession, matched up with the first and second team offenses and allowed a score, mostly TDs, everytime. While it sounds like the second team defense didn't play well, you have to take into consideration that most of the possessions started at either the 35 or 9 yard lines so they were all very short drives. Please keep in mind that because of injuries to key players and one player having to go home due to a death in his family, the second team defense consisted of several walk-ons.

Kevin Fant led the first team unit while Kyle York led the second team unit except for the last two possessions. Walk-on quarterbacks Thomas Brown and Joey Judge shared the duties those two possessions.

Two wide receivers (Antonio Hargro and Justin Jenkins) were out due to injuries.

During warmups, walk-on junior college kicker Brent Smith kicked a 57-yard field goal that easily made it through the uprights. I liked what someone near me said about him, "he has thunder in his foot." Maybe we ought to call him Thunderfoot.

03/26/02 - MSU football practice update.

Mississippi State went through two hours of drills, including individual drills, one on one drills and team drills late yesterday afternoon.

Sophomore offensive linemen Will Rogers, Brad Weathers and David Stewart had some very good moments during the Oklahoma drill. Finally back practicing was offensive lineman Eric Thompson. He had a couple of good plays during the Oklahoma drill. Senior Carl Hutchins injured his ankle during the Oklahoma drill. Not sure how long he will be out of practice. Tight ends Donald Lee, a senior, and Keith Walker, a redshirt freshman, went one on one against linebacker Mario Haggan in the Oklahoma drill. Both blocked him. Walker, who looks to be in the 255 to 265 pound range, has been very impressive. He really looks like he is going to be an excellent tight end. He showed the ability to catch the ball and run with it during the recent scrimmage and has looked showed good blocking in the OK drill. Juco transfer OL Manuel Dickson had his best day blocking in the Oklahoma drill.

During the one on one DBs against WRs drill, WR Terrell Grindle had a good day. Ray Ray Bivines and Antonio Hargro had a few good plays during the drill. Walk-on DOG safety David Carter had several good plays, as did senior cornerback Korey Banks. DOG safety Bryan Shumaker played well during the one on one drill. Bryan has been playing well this spring. Jonathan Bell had a couple of good plays including an interception during the drill.

03/24/02 - Mississippi State goes through first scrimmage of the spring.

With a team depleted due to injuries (7 projected starters), Mississippi State went through its first scrimmage of the spring.

Quarterbacks Kevin Fant and Kyle York were 9-21 for 107 yards and 1 TD and 5-11 for 94 yards with 1 INT. York also ran for 2 touchdowns. He showed some very position things during the scrimmage.

Mississippi State's running game was one of the hardest hit positions due to injuries coming into the scrimmage, with starters Justin Griffith and Dontae Walker and backup fullback Darnell Jones sitting out due to minor injuries. Taking up the slack was walk-on Elmo Wonsley (16-73, 2 TDs) and Fred Reid (11-53, 2 TDs). Fred, as he has in the past, showed exceptional quickness and a great knack for finding the holes. Veteran walk-on Greg Jack played fullback quite a bit and showed good blocking ability.

With top receiver Justin Jenkins out due to a minor shoulder injury, Ray Ray Bivines took up the slack by recording 6 receptions for 74 yards. Veteran receiver Darius Tubbs also caught 2 passes for 43 yards, while Terrell Grindle also caught 2 for 44 yards.

Tight ends Donald Lee and redshirt freshman Keith Walker also had a good day catching the ball. Lee caught 3 passes for 24 yards and a TD while Walker caught one pass for 17 yards. Walker's running after catching the pass was impressive. Now weighing in the 255 to 260 range, he eluded one potential tackler and almost eluded a second one before going down. Watch this kid, he has a chance to be a good one. By the way, Lee made two huge and very loud blocks on Brandon Downing and Michael Oyefesobi. The block on Downing allowed quarterback Kyle York to score a touchdown.

Although he has only practiced twice during the spring, Michael Gholar showed excellent athletic ability while recording five tackles - two unassisted - during the scrimmage in limited playing time. He is currently playing free safety.

The leading tacklers on the day were Lennie Day and Glen Thompson with 6 apiece.

A defensive player that stood out was redshirt freshman walk-on cornerback Derrick Crockett. He recorded 3 tackles, intercepted one pass and broke up another one. He was in good position to make the play most of the scrimmage. Veteran DOG Safety Milas Randle was also in on a few plays and really showed that he has come to play. He recorded 4 tackles. I can guarantee you that the guys he hit knew they were hit. He really laid some licks on them.

Defensive lineman Dannie Snyder, when he was in, showed excellent quickness. Look for him to be a factor next season. Demotto Youngblood also showed good quickness during the scrimmage. If he could gain about 40 more pounds and keep his quickness he could be a very good defensive lineman for State.

Complete list of injured players:

LB T. J. Mawhinny (groin)
DL (starter) Kahlil Nash (thigh bruise)
RB (starter) Dontae Walker (thigh bruise)
NG (starter) Ronald Fields (ankle)
WR McKinley Scott (knee)
DS (projected starter) Walter Burdett (shoulder)
FB Darnell Jones (shoulder)
FB (starter) Justin Griffith (sick)
WR (starter) Justin Jenkins (shoulder)
OL Eric Thompson (knee)
OL (starter) Derrick Thompson (knee)
DS Clarence McDougal (knee)
OL Carl Higgins (leg)
OL Kevin Sijansky (concussion)

03/22/02
An update on Columbia HS running back Cory Jones. Cory, a MAC 4A second-team All-State selection this past season, played for Florence (MS) High School last season. Cory's father Steve Jones recently took over the football program at Columbia HS after coaching at Florence HS.

Schools contacting Cory as of 3/21/02:
MSU, Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, LSU, Arkansas, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Florida, USM, Tulane, Colorado, Memphis, Notre Dame, Stanford, Nebraska, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Villanova, Middle Tennessee, Memphis, La. Tech, Central Florida, Marshall, and West Virginia.

Cory has been invited to the SE Region Nike combine (Tuscaloosa, April 27) and the Louisiana Combine at LSU (May 11). He has unofficial visits set for Auburn, April 6, and USM, April 13. He also plans on attending camps at LSU, Notre Dame, USM (1 day), Auburn (1 day), Alabama (1 day) and Colorado.

03/20/02 - MSU spring practice update.

Since the linemen go against each other at the same time the wide receivers and defensive backs go one-on-one against each other, I had to choose which ones I wanted to key on during yesterday's practice. I went with the linemen because that seems to be the area where we need to improve on the most.

During the Oklahoma drill, senior offensive lineman Michael Allen blocked well. Allen has been having very good practices and looks to be one of the starters on the offensive line next year.

Another offensive lineman who wants to play next season is redshirt freshman Chris McNeil. Yesterday, McNeil starting showing the potential that everybody talked about coming out of high school. He had a fairly good day blocking whoever he went up against. Like Stewart, he didn't stop until the whistle stopped.

On the defensive side of the line of scrimmage, Ronald Fields, Kahlil Nash, Dannie Snyder and Tommy Kelly had some good plays. It wouldn't surprise me if Fields turns out to the best of the bunch. Fields suffered a sprained ankle that put him out of practice. Not sure how soon he will be back.

03/02/02
STARKVILLE, Miss. ­ Mississippi State's football team opens its 2002 spring football practice period, Monday, March 4.

The Bulldogs will practice 15 times during the five-week spring session, which concludes with a final scrimmage on Saturday, April 6, as part of Super Bulldog Weekend activities. State's other two NCAA-permitted spring scrimmages - both of which are closed to the public - will occur Saturday, March 23, and Thursday, March 28. Head coach Jackie Sherrill will have 55 lettermen and 17 starters returning from 2001, the most veterans and returning regulars he has had at his disposal since the Bulldogs' 1998 Southeastern Conference Western Division championship team.

State will practice the week of March 4-8 before taking the following week off for spring break. The team will continue work from March 17 through April 6.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department