September 1998 Unofficial MSU Football Skuttle-Butt

09/30/98 - For all of you who have emailed David Wilson, he wants you to know he will be back into the office today. He has been with his family, who live in Pensacola, Florida, the last few days. As you know, Pensacola had some damage due to hurricane Georges. However, David and his family are safe, although they do have some yard cleaning to do this coming weekend.

09/30/98 - Advertisement: For those of you who live in the Jackson, Miss. area, don't forget Optical 2000 is where you can purchase contacts and eyeglasses from a fellow Bulldog. Go here to visit their webpage.

09/29/98 - The Auburn / Miss State game has been moved to 11:30 to accommodate television.

BTW, if any of you would like to take a 2.5 hour train trip after the East Tenn. State / Miss State (Oct. 17th), the Luxapalila Valley Railroad, located in Columbus, Miss. (24 miles from Starkville) is having a desert train starting at 5:30 p.m. (if enough folks from the game want to ride, they will delay the train up to thirty minutes). To learn more about the trip visit this site.

09/28/98 - Jordan Pettit, a player Miss State is looking at, is having a great year and is receiving a lot of attention. He had coaches from Auburn, Arkansas, Memphis, and Kentucky visit this week.

09/27/98 - MSU 38 - USC 0.

09/27/98 - Here's the latest update on Pickens Academy (AL) junior running back Jody Wright. Against Bessmer Academy Friday night, Jody had 247 yards on 8 carries and 4 touchdowns. His touchdown runs were for 27, 84, 48, and 55 yards. On the season he has 58 carries for 766 yards. He is averaging 13.2 yards per carry with 14 TD's. Pickens Academy is 6-0 for the season. BTW, Jody may take an unofficial visit to MSU for the Auburn game.

09/26/98 - Game stories from various sources:

Official MSU site info
Access Atlanta
ESPN Sportsline
USA Today
Tupelo Daily Journal

09/26/98 - I checked out the West Point HS / Neshoba Central HS game last night. It was the first time I had the chance to see West Point's outstanding kicker, Nick Dimino (a player MSU is interested in). I came away very impressed. Nick kicked a 32-yard field goal that would have been good for 50 yards. He also kicked both of his kickoffs, in the first half (I had to leave at halftime), 5 and 8 yards deep into the end zone.

I was also told that West Point has a senior defensive lineman who has D-I potential. Tim Love (6-3, 290) is playing his first year of football at West Point has quick feet which makes or breaks a lineman as far as the recruiters are concerned. Look for Tim to go the Juco route and, if he continues to improve, to be a D-I recruit coming out of Juco. Tim is hurt so I didn't get a chance to see him play.

I also noticed a couple of Neshoba Central players. Marlos Cole, a 6-3, 245, junior defensive end, moved well for a big man. Also, the kicker, Timothy Fieber, a 5-9, 145, sophomore, showed a strong, but inconsistent leg. Both of these kids definitely have potential.

09/25/98 - Please note the two links directly above this post. I have linked Andy K's game day page and Rob Hammond's unofficial MSU football page to this page. Check them out for the latest info on MSU football.

09/25/98 - I received word, from a solid source, that Lamar (Tx.) HS defensive lineman standout Cedric Hillard (6-3, 290) actually has Miss State 5th or 6th on his list of colleges he is looking at instead of the 3rd I posted earlier. What was a surprise to me is he has Ole Miss 4th. There's a story behind the Ole Miss ranking. None other than his mother lives in Oxford, Mississippi. In case some of you don't remember my earlier post about Cedric, he is considered one of the best defensive linemen in the country. A few observers say the best.

09/24/98 - One of the best kickers in the south goes to school at Citronelle HS in Citronelle, AL. Steve Lee (6-0, 160) has already kicked a 57-yarder this season. The word is Miss State is very interested in Steve.

09/24/98 - (Advertisement) After the game this Saturday, visit CiCi's Pizza located in Jackson, Miss. for the best pizza in Jackson. I'm sure Bulldog fan Ray Downey (part owner of CiCi's Pizza) would love to talk MSU sports with you.

09/23/98 - Dawg News:

09/23/98 - Info received from a South Carolina Bulldog. First you will read what the South Carolina newspaper The State says, then what the talk shows are saying about our Bulldogs. It seems the talk shows don't think much of Miss State and it's players.

QUARTERBACK: Starter Matt Wyatt has begun the season predictably slow. The Bulldogs are 11th in passing in the SEC, just ahead of USC. Wyatt does not rate among the top 10 in the league in passing efficiency. (Talk shows mention that we clearly have the worst QBs in the SEC)

RUNNING BACK: Through its first two games, the Bulldogs got 61 percent of its offense from the running game and most of that came from James Johnson, who was averaging 151.5 yards rushing. Johnson, a JUCO transfer, has 1,372 yards in his 13 games at MSU. (Talk shows indicate that they feel USC RB Troy Hambrick is a much better back than JJ)

RECEIVER: Kevin Cooper and Kevin Prentiss must feel pretty lonely in Mississippi State's ground-oriented attack. Prentiss lead the team with 11 catches entering the Oklahoma State game.

OFFENSIVE LINE: This is clearly a line that likes to blow opponents off the ball. This group averages 6-4, 310.4 pounds. But they've allowed six sacks in two games, not good for a team that rarely throws it. (Talk shows mention that our OL are really fat and slow, and cannot pass block and that we will give out in the 4th quarter - a quote - " if any of the offensive lineman were any good, they wouldn't have gone to MSU ")

DEFENSIVE LINE: All the beef is on offense. MSU's defensive front goes about 250 pounds a man. Defensive end Larry Campbell, a 6-2, 230-pound senior, is the best of the bunch. He was tied for second on the team in tackles through two games. (Talk shows indicate that USC thinks they can run on MSU, and that their balance will beat us due to our lack of size and quickness)

LINEBACKER: Barrin Simpson is an all-SEC candidate at middle linebacker. He had 19 tackles through two games. Simpson also is a candidate for the Butkus Award, given annually to the best linebacker in college football. (Talk shows indicate that with the loss of Simpson, they hold the upper hand here)

SECONDARY: Senior cornerback Anthony Derricks already has two interceptions, including one he returned 37 yards for a touchdown against Vanderbilt. (Talk shows indicate that only the turnovers from the last game are all that USC needs to fix, they point to the yardage gained by passing in the last game)

09/22/98 - The word out of Pearl, Mississippi is Miss State is very interested in Pearl HS senior QB Justin Jenkins. My source didn't say if State was interested in him as a QB or another position.

09/22/98 - Remember this name: Jordan Lesley (6-3, 215, 4.6-4.7), a junior linebacker from Fulton (MS) HS, is receiving frequent letters from Auburn and has also drawn interest from Ole Miss and Miss State. This youngster, according to my source, is a great kid, an excellent student and has a great work ethic. The word is he would like to stay instate. He has no preference as to which instate school he would like to attend. My source said he and his family have no ties to any college.

09/21/98 - Dawg news and opinions (my own):

09/21/98 - Did you know Miss State commitment Dorsett Davis, of Miss. Delta CC, was named to the 1998 First Team Pre-Season All-American Team by J.C. Grid-Wire? The only other Mississippi CC player named to the first team was running back Terrance Williams of Hinds CC.

MS CC players named to the second team were running back Kevin Jones (5-8, 180, Northwest), wide receiver Shalando Jones (6-2, 195, Itawamba), and defensive back Anthony Sessions (6-0, 200, Co-Lin). I'm not sure if MSU is recruiting the Jones but I have heard State is very interested in Sessions.

09/21/98 - This has nothing to do with Miss State but Friday night I went with Mary Ann to the South Lamar vs. Lamar County (AL) HS (where Mary Ann teaches) game and came away extremely impressed with LCHS's quarterback Spencer Pennington (6-4, 165). What did Spencer do that impressed me so much? It really wasn't what he did statistically (stats sometimes don't tell the tale) but the talent level he showed.

During pre-game practice, Spencer was throwing the ball, with a perfect spiral most of the time, 45 to 50 yards in the air. Now, most of you will say, that's OK but most great quarterbacks can throw the ball 60 to 70 yards. Keep reading, folks. During the game, Spencer showed very quick feet and good enough moves to fake defensive linemen and linebackers off. He ran around the corner several times and showed he is fast enough to outrun linemen and linebackers (reminds me of former Bulldog quarterback John Bond). He also showed he can take vicious hits (another Bond trait). In fact, after one tremendous hit, he got up clapping, running back to the huddle. Another impressive thing about him is his ability to understand his offense well enough to run around in the pocket and look for his secondary receivers. He also showed leadership ability when he led LCHS on a very impressive drive which ended in a touchdown at the end of the first half (this reminded me of the leadership ability of former Bulldog quarterback Rockey Felker). The only thing I saw that he definitely needs to work on is his tendancy to throw in a crowd. He obviously knows he has a good arm and believes he can throw it between defenders. Eventually, he will have that kind of arm strength, but, as of now, he doesn't.

BTW, he is an A and B student and a good kid whose brother is former Crimson Tider offensive lineman Jeremy Pennington (I was told his family are strong Alabama fans but are even stronger fans of their kids, so that could leave the door open for other college programs that show a sincere interest in Spencer.). One other thing: He has been the starting shortstop on LCHS's varsity baseball team since he was an 8th grader.

This is the part that is going to knock your socks off about Spencer and the reason I believe he will get much stronger and better: He is a 15 year old sophomore who was starting his third high school football game. Folks, this kid has a chance to be one of the very best quarterbacks to ever come out of Alabama.

I sure hope someone tells Spencer, because he is a football student/athlete, he can obtain free tickets (up to three) to any Miss State game he would like to attend by calling the MSU football office at (601) 325-2536. He can attend as many games as he wants to.

09/20/98 - Oklahoma State 42 - Miss State 23. Next Saturday you start Wayne Madkin at quarterback and throw short passes to build his confidence up. Madkin has the physical talent but lacks the game experience. Now is the time to allow him to gain that experience. We all know Wayne or Brandon Butler is the quarterback of the future, so let Wayne have his chance over the rest of the season to prove he can or can't do it. It is obvious, even to someone like me who knows very, very little about the technical aspects of football, the two things this team needs to be a very good offensive team is an effective quarterback and play calling to fit the talent on offense. The talent at quarterback (Madkin) and, hopefully, the coaching ability and experience (Amadee) is there for both.

09/20/98 - Game stories from various sources:

Official MSU Site Summary, Stats, Etc.
The Sun Herald Online
Access Atlanta
ESPN Sportsline
USA Today
Tupelo Daily Journal

09/18/98 - More Cedric Hillard (DL, Lamar (TX) HS) info:
A source close to the situation believes MSU is among Cedric's top three choices. This source also said Cedric is a very high quality young man. Several recruiting publications rate Cedric the top defensive lineman in the country. BTW, Cedric's true height and weight is 6-3, 290.

09/18/98 - More names of players that Miss State is known to be looking at, according to my Georgia sources:

If you know anything about either of these youngsters, email it to me.

09/18/98 - Allstate insurance agent Mark Doiron is ready to meet with any of you Bulldog fans who are looking for insurance. Contact Mark via his website, which can be found by clicking here.

09/17/98 - According to a couple of source, here are the names of two more high school football players MSU is evaluating for recruiting purposes:

If any of you know anything about either of these players, email me your comments.

09/17/98 - According to Dawgs' Bite, Miss State is among the leaders for the signature of Lamar HS (Arlington, TX) DT/LB Cedric Hilliard. Cedric, according to someone who watched him play on television, had a monster game against Rutherford HS (Fla.). Lamar defeated Rutherford which was the top rated team in Florida at the time.

09/17/98 - Need an air purifier in your home or office, don't look any farther than Mountain Air Products' webpage for the best one on the market. Click here to go to their page. Do your part by supporting Jack D'Arcy, a fellow Bulldog!

09/16/98 Super Bulldog Weekend (SBW) is the weekend of April 9th-11th. Make sure you set aside that weekend for SBW.

09/16/98 - According to a one of you, Miss State is sending weekly letters to Evans HS (Augusta, Ga.) linebacker Brad Milford (6-2, 220, 4.7, 330-bench).

09/16/98 - Don't forget to contact Monroe-Tufline for your farm implements. Please visit their webpage by clicking here.

09/16/98 - Visit Tuxes, Too for the best formal wear in Jackson and the surrounding are. Please visit their website by clicking here.

Please support your fellow Bulldog fans by purchasing from them whenever you can.

09/15/98 - James Johnson is fine and will start this coming weekend.

09/15/98 - Look for Miss State to take a long look at East Miss CC kick returner / defensive back Larry Huntington (5-10, 180). This young man is very, very fast and is an outstanding kick returner.

09/14/98 - I found out this weekend that Winona High School's Kyle Billingsley was at the Vanderbilt/Miss State game. Kyle, a big (6-5, 280) offensive lineman, is being looked at by quite a few schools.

09/14/98 - Just thought you guys would like to know while you were spending time with your family Sunday afternoon, the Miss State football coaches were hard at work preparing for next Saturday's football game. Mary Ann and I drove over to State to take pictures of the baseball stadium (I will have the pictures on my page Tuesday morning) and we saw the coach's cars in the Bryan Building parking lot.

09/13/98 - Game stories from various sources:

Official MSU Site Summary, Stats, Etc.
The Sun Herald Online
Access Atlanta
ESPN Sportsline
USA Today

09/13/98 - I was at the game Saturday. While it was a very unimpressive victory, it was a victory nonetheless. For most of the day, Miss State played with very little emotion or enthusiasm. Obviously, every team has days like this. The bottom line is we did what we had to to win.

LB/DE Larry Campbell continues to perform very, very well. Defensive back Ashley Cooper has a chance to be All-SEC. Running back James Johnson played a solid game and looked his best on the last drive when we needed him the most. Kelvin Love showed possibilities of becoming a big-time receiver. Wayne Madkin continued to show flashes of great potential. He is very inconsistent at the moment but he has all the physical ability to become a quality SEC performer. Miss State's defense continues to play well, once again not allowing a touchdown. BTW, the redshirt is off true freshman defensive lineman Kenny Sears since he played yesterday. With the improved play and development of newcomers cornerback Robert Bean, safety Ashley Cooper, defensive lineman Alvin McKinley and linebacker Conner Stephens, look for our defense to continue to improved. Hopefully, the offense will improve once our quarterbacks start playing better. Even with a poor passing game by our quarterbacks and receivers yesterday, we scored enough to win.

I believed, before the game, that it would be a blow out, but as my friend Tom Hollomon said, Memphis always plays Miss State tough. Obviously, they did, but we still prevailed, 14-6. 2 and 0......I'm sure not going to complain about winning, no matter how unimpressive of a win it was.

09/11/98 - Look for Memphis to be more athletic than MSU's first opponent, Vanderbilt. The problem Memphis may have is their lack of depth. I expect State to win because they have much better depth. Also, don't be surprised to see State play a two-man quarterback rotation.

09/11/98 - One of you talked to Co-Lin wide receiver and former Miss State signee Marco Minor last night and Marco said he hopes to sign with State in December of 1999.

This same source said Co-Lin defensive back Anthony Sessions, a player MSU is recruiting, is a player. He made numerous tackles behind the line on sweeps and closes fast. BTW, Co-Lin defeated Northeast, 14-13.

09/11/98 - Just thought you guys would like to know that Moss Point quarterback Kevin Fant, a player Miss State is recruiting, only has one ligament partially torn. If you remember, he injured his knee during the Moss Point / South Panola game.

09/11/98 - Bet you didn't notice this in The Clarion-Ledger: MSU tight end commitment Donald Lee caught 4 passes for 123 yards last week. That is almost 31 yards per catch.

09/10/98 - According to someone who visited with the coaches yesterday, they are really excited about the upcoming game and season. My source, who has been following MSU sports for many, many years, can't remember our coaches being so excited about a team as they are about this one. BTW, he was told defensive lineman John Hilliard is definitely doubtful for this weekend's game. Looks like what I said Sunday about John been OK for the upcoming game was incorrect after all.

09/10/98 - I will be in Picayune, Mississippi, Friday night watching the Pascagoula / Picayune game. Picayune play-by-play announcers Carey Meitzler and Barry Harper have been very kind and have asked me to interview with them prior to the game and at halftime. I plan on meeting them at Stonewall's Restaurant in Poplarville at 4:30 p.m. for dinner, then we will head to the game. I'm really looking forward to seeing all of you Picayune and Pascagoula folks.

If there is anyone else within a two hours drive of Columbus, Mississippi, who would like to talk MSU sports or Mississippi high school sports with me on the radio, give me a call at 601-329-7735 (work) or at 601-356-9160 (home) and I'll do my best to arrange it. The reason for the two hours maximum is because I'm running out of vacation days and it is difficult for me to take off from work.

09/09/98 - Thanks to several of you for providing these names of other players who were at the game Saturday:

09/09/98 - Don't look for Clinton HS's awesome running back Dontae Walker to commit to the Bulldogs any time soon. But do look for him to commit to the Bulldogs before signing day. Many schools will try and change his mind but his heart is with the maroon and white of Miss State.

09/09/98 - If you are interested in joining a college football picking contest, go to Justin Thornton's website which can be found by going here.

09/08/98 - Thanks to TopDog (Andy Kalinowski) for this info:
SEC Defensive Player of the Week was Miss State DE Edward Smith. Smith registered a career-high 9 tackles (5 solos, 4 assists) with a tackle for a loss (-1), a caused fumble and a sack (-13) in the Bulldogs’ 42-0 win over Vanderbilt in the SEC opener for both squads.

09/08/98 - Look for junior standout RB/DB Jody Wright (5-9+, 182, Pickens Academy in Alabama) to take an unofficial visit to the Miss State/Auburn game. Jody has carried the ball 20 times for 298 yards (14.9 average) in PA's first three games. He has scored 7 TDs and has returned 2 punts for 78 yards. The word is he will camp at Alabama, Miss State, West Alabama and possibly Southern Miss, UAB and Ole Miss next summer.

09/08/98 - Watch out for Brian Hazelwood's "little brother" Brett, who is a 6-1, 240-lb fullback from Clinton HS. He has a chance to be a top recruit next season.

09/08/98 - Here are a few names of players I saw at the game, Saturday:

Please email me if you know of other players that were at the game.

09/08/98 - Check out my new advertiser, The Possumneck Company, at their website www.possumneck.com. They have some of the best tasting green peanuts in the South as well as southern fried pocket pies and vine ripen fruit jams which are all waiting to be delivered to your home. Tell them Gene sent you.

09/07/98 - Miss State is 27th in the AP poll and 33rd in the USA Today/ESPN poll. Jeff Sagarin's poll is not out just yet.

09/06/98 - Go here to read the official MSU game coverage, including team stats (offense and defense).

Go here to read the Sun Herald Online's article about yesterday's game.

Go here to read what USA Today said about our game.

Go here to read the AccessAtlanta article about the Bulldogs game yesterday.

Go here to read ESPN's game recap.

09/06/98 - The Bulldogs defeated Vanderbilt, 42-0.

Positive Notes:

09/06/98 - I heard from a reliable source that Taylorsville's outstanding junior QB Jason Campbell may not be an Alabama lean after all. Considering he is only a junior, it really is too early to speculate with any real accuracy.

09/06/98 - According to a source who lives in the Jackson area, Clinton HS running back Dontae Walker (his name is not spelled Dontay) is truly outstanding. He not only has outstanding speed and moves, he also has great balance and a true love for the game. BTW, according to Friday's edition of The Clarion-Ledger, Dontae was quoted as saying he is close to committing to MSU but he still wants to enjoy the recruiting process by taking his five official visits. His reason for liking MSU so much is because he has friends and family connections to MSU.

09/06/98 - Did you know that a Baton Rouge source of mine said he is being told by LSU fans that they feel their two toughest games this year will be Florida and MSU?

09/05/98 - Bulldog Practice Notes:

09/05/98 - Don't forget, Recruit Walk 1998 (RW '98) begins today at 3:00 p.m. at the Sanderson Rec Center. You can make a difference so be there.

BTW, the 200 student/athletes who will participate in RW '98 will not be the only students in attendance today. MSU will also have about 300 students and their parents in for Scholars' Recognition Day. These students were invited because they all have at least a 28 or better ACT test score.

09/05/98 - The rumor out of Taylorsville (MS) is QB Jason Campbell and TE Kory Thigpen (6-4, 230, 385 bench) is being recruited very heavily by Alabama. My source was also told they both may be slightly leaning to Alabama at this time. Thigpen, according to my source, is an excellent receiver and even better blocker.

09/05/98 - Check out Rob Hammond's MSU football site by going here.

09/04/98 - I went to the Pickens Academy / Patrician Academy game last night. It was the first time I had seen Pickens Academy junior running back Jody Wright (5-8, 181) play. I tell you guys right now, this kid can play. He is very fast with great quickness and very strong. Even though he played with a hip pointer, he ran the ball with great authority in the second half. Jody is definitely one to watch for the next two years. Look for him to unofficially visit at least one of Miss State's games sometime this year.

09/03/98 - Remember a MSU defensive player by the name of Glen Collins who played at MSU in the early 1980's? Of course you do. Well, guess what? There is another Collins who plays football for Provine HS in Jackson, Miss. His name is Monty Collins and he is a freshman lineman. Folks, his nickname will never be tiny. He is 6-6 and 305-lbs. He is Glen's cousin and Provine HS Head Football Coach Willie Collins son.

09/02/98 - Football News and Notes:

09/02/98 - I am now a member of the Greater Jackson Bulldog Booster Club and the Starkville Quarterback Club. If you would also like to join either of these MSU booster clubs, contact Mark Doiron (Greater Jackson Booster Club) via email at Jaxbulldog@aol.com or the Starkville Quarterback Club by visiting their internet site at http://www2.msstate.edu/~boo/sqbc.html

09/01/98 - Thanks to TopDawg for this info. Below you will fine the route for Saturday's Recruit Walk 1998:

A home football game allows Mississippi State the opportunity to welcome the top high school and junior college student athletes to our campus for unofficial (and in some cases official) visits. Please welcome our special guests.* One day some of these young men may be wearing the Maroon and White.

* NCAA rules do not permit MSU Alumni, friends, or fans to actively participate in the recruiting process. Please do not offer our guests anything other than a warm Mississippi State welcome.

Please do your part in the recruiting process by welcoming these young men to Mississippi State.

09/01/98 - I have added the link above but just in case you didn't notice it, The Tupelo Daily Journal has added an SEC section to their online newspaper. It also has high school scores and the Mississippi HS AP Top 10. Go here to link to it.

09/01/98 - For those of you who have asked, Amite County HS lineman Brad Weathers did not walk-on this fall.

09/01/98 - Freshman sensation Mario Haggan practiced yesterday and is doing fine. His minor knee injury seems to have healed.

Ashley Cooper is healing faster than expected and could possibly play by the Memphis game.