.......

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

09/24/02 - MSU-LSU Football Game Notes.

Mississippi State opens its Southeastern Conference road schedule Saturday, Sept. 28, when the Bulldogs journey to Baton Rouge, La., for a Western Division match-up with the LSU Tigers. Kickoff in Tiger Stadium is set for 11:30 a.m. CT. The game will be televised in the southeast region by Jefferson Pilot Sports.

BULLDOGS GET RARE EARLY TUBE TIME SLOT
Mississippi State will appear on Jefferson Pilot Sports for just the second time since late in the 2000 season. The Bulldogs were televised by JP just once in 2001, a 24-17 loss to Alabama at Tuscaloosa. Prior to that telecast, it had been one calendar year since the Southeastern Conference's regional syndicator aired an MSU contest (a 29-7 win over Alabama in Week 9 of 2000).

STATE SPORTS A 15-10 RECORD ON JP SPORTS
Mississippi State has recorded 15 wins in its 25 games televised by JP Sports since the Charlotte, N.C.-based network became affiliated with the Southeastern Conference in 1992. The Bulldogs have won 11 of their most recent 14 games televised by JP. MSU and LSU have not met on a JP telecast since the two teamsą 1996 meeting, a 28-20 LSU home win.

MSU EYES HALT TO 2-GAME SEC ROAD OPENER SKID
Mississippi State hopes to win a Southeastern Conference road opener for the first time in three years. The Bulldogs started 2001 (at Florida) and 2000 (at South Carolina) with league losses in their initial SEC road games. Prior to that two-game stretch, however, MSU had won three of its previous four conference road openers.

MSU EYES REVERSAL OF LSU, TIGER STADIUM TREND
Mississippi State has won just two of its last 11 games with Western Division foe LSU, and has won just once in Baton Rouge since 1983 (a 28-19 MSU victory in 1991).

MSU, LSU WAGE WAR FOR THE 96TH TIME
Mississippi State and LSU meet on the gridiron for the 96th time this Saturday, tying for the 26th-longest Division I-A rivalry in the country. In fact, only Mississippi has been a more frequent opponent (99th meeting in 2002) than LSU.

MISSISSIPPI STATE-LSU TICKET UPDATE
A sellout crowd is expected for Mississippi State's Southeastern Conference-road opening game with LSU in Tiger Stadium (91,600 capacity). Only a limited number of tickets remained for the game as of Friday, Sept. 20.

HALLMAN, HENDRICK, LEWIS RETURN TO LSU
Three Mississippi State assistant coaches have served on coaching staffs at Louisiana State University during their careers. MSU defensive secondary coach Curley Hallman was the head coach at LSU from 1991-94. State defensive line coach John Hendrick coached the Tiger tackles and tight ends in 1989 and 1990. MSU's tackles and tight ends instructor Terry Lewis worked at LSU from 1984-86.

3 BULLDOGS HEAD HOME TO PELICAN STATE
Three Mississippi State players call the state of Louisiana home. Starting defensive players T.J. Mawhinney (Madisonville) and Ronald Fields (Bogalusa), as well as true freshman place-kicker Keith Andrews (Bastrop), all hail from the Pelican State.

CONNECTIONS EXIST BETWEEN TWO STAFFS
Mississippi State head coach Jackie Sherrill and offensive coordinator Sparky Woods have working knowledge of a pair of LSU assistant coaches. Tiger assistant head coach and linebackers tutor Kirk Doll served as linebackers coach on Sherrill's final Texas A&M team in 1988. MSU defensive line coach John Hendrick was also on that Aggie staff. Doll also worked one year with Woods when the two were assistants at Iowa State. LSU associate head coach and wide receivers instructor Stan Hixon worked as in the same capacity for Woods when the latter was head coach at Appalachian State (1983-88) and then South Carolina (1989-92). State centers/offensive guards coach Carroll McCray was a member of both those staffs.

HAGGAN 1 HIT SHORT OF DOUBLE DIGITS VS. AU
Senior inside linebacker Mario Haggan (Clarksdale, Miss.) showed that a return to the inside linebacker position on State's defense this season would produce all-America-type numbers. Haggan has had 39 tackles in the season's first three games. He opened the season with 17 tackles at Oregon, easily the best defensive numbers on the field. In addition to his double-digit tackle performance, he also forced one fumble, which was recovered by the Bulldogs. Haggan made 13 hits against Jacksonville State, including one-half tackle for loss (minus 1 yard) and another caused fumble. The 6-3, 253-pounder was just one tackle shy of reaching double figures for the third straight week this past Saturday against Auburn. In addition to his nine tackles, he had one-half tackle for loss (minus 1 yard) vs. the Tigers. In 2001, Haggan split time between defensive end and linebacker, and despite the adjustment, still led the team in tackles (95 in 10 games played). He made 72 tackles in the season's final seven weeks, the last six back home at his inside linebacker position. During those last seven games, he totaled 11 tackles for loss (minus 50 yards), of which three were quarterback sacks (minus 27 yards). Overall, Haggan has produced 15 double-digit tackle games in 23 career starts, including eight in the last 10 games dating back to last fall.

MORGAN ADDS TO HIS TACKLE FIGURE VS. AUBURN
Senior free safety Josh Morgan (Vicksburg, Miss.) has been a steadying influence on the Mississippi State secondary for three years, a trait which belies his big-playmaking ability. Morgan continued that type of play in State's season-opener at Oregon, recording eight tackles, a pass deflection and one fumble recovery. In the win over Jacksonville State, he was credited with one-half of a tackle for loss (minus 2 yards) among his seven hits, a stop that registered a safety for the Bulldog defense. Morgan returned to double-digit tackle production with 10 hits against Auburn this past Saturday. It was his fourth career game with at least 10 tackles. Like Haggan, he has produced more than 200 career tackles (230), and has a chance at reaching State's all-time top 10 in that category (needs 89 in nine games). He has now recovered five fumbles during his career, totaling 120 yards in returns and two touchdowns. He has also made five pass interceptions.

FANT TOPS 200 YARDS IN FOURTH-STRAIGHT START
Mississippi State junior quarterback Kevin Fant (Moss Point, Miss.) completed 19-of-31 passes (.613) for 215 yards against Auburn this past Saturday. It was his fourth-straight start with at least 200 yards passing, dating to Week 10 of the 2001 season. Against Jacksonville State in his junior season's first start, Fant completed 15-of-26 passes (.577) for 336 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. His 154.7 current passing efficiency rating points would be second in the Southeastern Conference if he met league minimums. In the final two games last fall, he completed 34-of-49 passes (.694) for 609 yards, four touchdowns and just one interception. In fact, when he began to receive substantial playing time under center at midseason, he completed 74-of-119 passes (.622) for 1,096 yards, all eight of his seasonal touchdowns and only four interceptions. His 155.01 passing rating over that time span, if accomplished over the entire season, would have ranked second in the league behind only Rex Grossman of Florida.

GRINDLE ADDS TO HIS MSU CAREER CATCHES
Mississippi State senior split end Terrell Grindle added two catches in State's Week 3 game with Auburn and now has 93 career catches, good for sixth on the school's all-time receiving list. He needs 10 grabs to move into the No. 5 spot, surpassing Bill Buckley (102; 1971-73). Against Jacksonville State, he led the club with three pass receptions (118 yards) and a touchdown. With 21 yards receiving against Auburn, he now has 1,310 yards for his career, ninth on the school's all-time chart. He needs 82 yards to surpass Willie Harris (1,391; 1989-92) for the eighth spot on that list.

GRIFFITH RECORDS BACK-TO-BACK PERSONAL BESTS
Mississippi State senior fullback Justin "Cokey" Griffith (Sanatorium, Miss.) rushed eight times for 46 yards (5.8 yards per rush) against Auburn this past Saturday, his second-straight personal rushing high. He carried seven times for 43 yards (6.1 average) and one TD in the Bulldogs' win over Jacksonville State, 9/14. With two pass receptions against AU, Griffith now has 70 for his career, four shy of matching Willie Harris' 74 catches (1989-92) for 10th on the school's all-time ranking.

WALKER INCHES UP BULLDOG RUSH, TD CHARTS
Mississippi State senior tailback Dontae Walker (Clinton, Miss.) added 17 yards to his career rushing total against Auburn this past Saturday and now stands 11th on MSU's career rushing list with 1,814 yards. He surpassed Tom "Shorty" McWilliams (1,808; 1944, 46-48) and now needs just 52 yards to reach the school's all-time top 10 in that category (1,865; Wayne Jones, 1971-73). With a pair of scoring runs vs. AU, Walker passed McWilliams (19), Michael Haddix (20, 1979-82) and Walter Packer (20, 1973-76) on the rushing TD list with 21. He currently stands in a fifth-place tie with Don Smith (21, 1983-86) in that category.

COOK DUELS DUVAL TO A NEAR DEAD-HEAT
Mississippi State sophomore punter Jared Cook (Columbus, Ga.) matched Auburn all-America punter Damon Duval nearly kick for kick this past Saturday. Cook, who entered the game second in the conference and ninth nationally in punting average (44.3), kicked five times for a 48.0 average against the Tigers. In the process, he matched his career long with a 63-yard boot. Duval averaged 48.3 yards per punt.

MAWHINNEY TURNS IN SOLID GAME VS. AUBURN
After finishing behind only Mario Haggan in total tackles during Mississippi State's first two games this season, junior linebacker T.J. Mawhinney (Madisonville, La.) led the team in that category this past Saturday against Auburn. Mawhinney posted 12 tackles against the Tigers, including one for loss (minus 2 yards) and a half-sack (minus 2 yards). It was his second double-digit tackle game this season (10 vs. Oregon) and the eighth in his last nine games dating back to mid-2001. He now has had nine double-digit tackle games in 11 career starts.

Reprinted with the permission of the MSU Media Relations Department

09/19/02 - Former Mississippi State running back Karl Williamson died Sunday on his 33rd birthday. He was injured in a weekend motorcycle accident in Haywood County.

Williamson, a 1989 graduate of Haywood High, was a Haywood County sheriff's deputy. He was not on duty when injured. Funeral services will be at noon on Saturday at the Haywood High School gymnasium.

Williamson played for the Bulldogs three seasons in 1991-93. He totaled 701 yards and five touchdowns on 136 carries. His best season was 1991 when he gained 303 yards on 72 carries.

Source: Jackson (TN) Sun newspaper