November 1998 Unofficial MSU Football Skuttle-Butt

11/30/98 - To answer all who have asked:
Kevin Fant, Dontae Walker and Eric and Derrick Thompson have not committed to the Bulldogs, yet.

11/30/98 - I was contacted by the SEC office yesterday. Because this is an SEC game, the SEC will have security on hand who will be searching bags and purses at the gates for cowbells. Any cowbells found will be confiscated and not returned to you. In other words, if you bring a family heirloom or expensive cowbell to the SEC Championship game, it will be taken away and not returned to you. Although bags and purses will be searched, I was told security will not frisk you. I was also told if you do somehow get a cowbell in, it will be taken away from you by security if they see you ringing it during the game. According to the SEC official I talked to, if you ring it after the game is over, they will not take it away from you. Whatever you do, please don't cause a scene. Remember, this game is on national television and you never know when a camera might be pointed your way.

11/30/98 - If you are interested in contacting any of the December 31st or January 1st bowls that have shown an interest in MSU, here are their website addresses:

Peach Bowl
Outback Bowl
Cotton Bowl

11/30/98 - The MSU football team will be staying at the Renaissance Hotel Concourse in Atlanta. If you would like to fax them a good luck message the fax number is 404-209-7031 (sorry, no email address). By the way, the team received about 75 faxes this past week. Great job Bulldog fans! Let's see if we can do even better this time. When you fax your message to the Bulldog team, make it attention to Mississippi State University Head Football Coach Jackie Sherrill.

If you want to email the team prior to their leaving Friday morning, you can email a message to David Wilson at his email address: DWilson@Academics.Athletics.MsState.Edu

11/30/98 - Advertisement: Before the SEC Championship Game this Saturday, if you would like to show your support for a fellow Bulldog and have a great meal as well, visit CiCi's Pizza in Jackson. CiCi's Pizza, located at 2895 McDowell Road in McDowell Square in Jackson, Mississippi, is part-owned and operated by Mississippi State Bulldog fan Ray Downey.

11/29/98 - MSU is the talk of the town.

Mary Ann and I went to MSU's basketball game yesterday and 95% of the folks I talked to said they are going to Atlanta. That was to be expected. This next part wasn't. We went to a movie last night and while walking across the street after leaving the movie, a couple on a motorcycle, who obviously saw my MSU sweatshirt, hollered out "Go Dogs." What a great time to be one of the chosen ones.

MSU has done it in basketball (Final Four) and in baseball (CWS in 1997 and 1998). Now we are doing it in football. What amazes me is our coaches have done this on one of the smallest budgets (maybe smallest) in the SEC. To say our coaches have done a herculean job is an absolute understatement. Now we, the fans, have to do our part. All of you who support the Bulldogs and are not Bulldog Club members, please join immediately. And all of you who are already Bulldog Club members need to dig a little deeper in your wallet and mail additional money to the Bulldog Club. We have got to do our part. We cannot expect our coaches to continue to do miraculous work without our help. Please, please do your part: Join the Bulldog Club, now! You can find a Bulldog Club membership form by clicking here. Please fill it out now and mail it in immediately. Don't say you can't afford it because you can pay as little as $8.34 per month by bank draft. Isn't the feeling you now have worth at least $8.34 a month? The longer you wait , the less likely you will do it.

11/29/98 - CWT/Travel First, Inc. (Starkville, MS.) is sponsoring travel arrangements to the SEC Championship Game. They have 1 and 2 night trips available. You can contact them by phone at 1-800-748-9621 or 324-0200 if you live in Starkville. Click here to see what hotel you will be staying at. Mary Ann and I chose the 2 night trip.

11/28/98 - Guess who is copying MSU's kickoff team's Bulldog Dance? South Panola that's who. Last night, at the beginning of the second half, their kickoff team did the Bulldog dance. First I see high school players doing the dance in the stands at MSU. Now, even in a Rebel recruiting stronghold like South Panola HS, high school players are copying our Bulldogs. Could this have an effect on recruiting? In recruiting every little bit helps. Looks like MSU is becoming the team to identify with in the State of Mississippi. Don't you just love it, Bulldog fans, don't you just love it?

11/28/98 - All but 1,200 of the 15,900 SEC Championship tickets MSU was allocated have been sold as of 5 p.m. Friday afternoon. The remaining tickets should be sold today.

11/27/98 - Thought you would like to read this column by Geoff Calkins of the Commercial Appeal (Here's the actual link if you want to go to it):

OXFORD, Miss. - Let me say right here that the coach isn't leaving.

He isn't going to Oklahoma.

He isn't going to South Carolina.

He isn't going to Clemson.

And he sure as heck isn't going to Auburn.

No, Jackie Sherrill is planning to serve out the duration of his contract at Mississippi State. How's that for a novel concept?

They interrupted the Tommy Tuberville coaching search just long enough to hold a football game Thursday night. And at the end of it, it wasn't Tuberville who was smiling, pumping his fist and celebrating his very first SEC West title.

No, it was Sherrill, the crusty, resilient coach at Mississippi State.

"I'm proud of this team," said Sherrill, in the wake of State's crushing 28-6 win over Ole Miss. "This is what we've worked for for 364 days. I'm going to enjoy this tonight."

Hey, why shouldn't he? Why shouldn't he savor it just a little bit?

Everyone raves over the work that Tuberville has done at Ole Miss. He may be poised to parlay it into yet another fat contract. But the truth is, Sherrill may have done an even better job this past year in Starkville.

Just two years ago, Sherrill's job was in jeopardy. Some boosters wanted to get rid of him. Some fans started to wonder. But Sherrill rebounded with seven wins last season. And this season, he's been better than ever.

Nobody thought State had a real shot to win the SEC West heading into the year. Too little defense. But the next thing you know, Sherrill was leading State to one big win after another.

He beat Auburn (something Tuberville couldn't do). Then he beat Alabama (something Tuberville couldn't do). Then he beat Arkansas (something Tuberville couldn't do, either).

So by the time Thursday's game rolled around, State and Ole Miss were in very different situations. Ole Miss players were hoping they might not lose their coach. State players were hoping they might win a title.

Is that the main reason State prevailed? Well, no. That would be overstating matters. But it couldn't have hurt the players to know their coach was more interested in this job than in the next one.

State pounded Ole Miss from the start, hammered the life right out of them. A James Johnson touchdown run gave State the lead. A devastating 98-yard touchdown drive effectively ended it.

"That was big," said Johnson. "To go the length of the field and score like that, that hurts a team bad."

By the end, State fans were dancing and laughing, ringing their contraband cowbells. Four players hoisted Sherrill to their shoulders. The coach hoisted the golden trophy.

Now, none of this means Sherrill is a genius, mind you. He still does dumb things. He still makes bizarre calls. He still commits heinous crimes against the English language.

But if you want to judge the work of the two Egg Bowl coaches this year, just look at what each has on his calendar this morning.

Tuberville may be headed to an interview at Auburn.

Sherrill is headed to a title game in Atlanta.

To reach columnist Geoff Calkins, call 529-2364; E-mail: calkins@gomemphis.com

11/27/98 - Here are several articles about yesterday's game:

  11/27/98 - MSU 28 - Ole Miss 6.

The highest compliment I can give Ole Miss' Deuce McAllister is he is a young James Johnson in the making. The Ole Miss offensive line played outstanding pass blocking last night until the 4th quarter. I like the looks of the expanded stadium, although Ole Miss needs to add restrooms to accommodate the larger crowds. Enough about Ole Miss.

What can I say about the MSU football team? They knew what they had to do and they did it. Like Coach Sherrill said in his postgame interview with Jim Ellis,, for the past three weeks MSU has been in a single elimination type situation and came through each time. Hats off to a team with a big heart.

There was a huge MSU crowd (1,000+) at the stadium gate to greet the MSU football team. The MSU fans (12,000 to 15,000 strong) were loud and into the game the entire time. Mary Ann and I sat behind the MSU band and they did not let up with their music the entire time. They were great even if we were right behind them and had to stand the entire game and look around the tuba players on occasion. To Ole Miss' credit, although they had quite a few guys (not security) watching you as you walked in, presumably looking for cowbells, they did not search my black bag nor did I see them search anyone else's bag or purse. And when the cowbells did start ringing near the end of the game, no one came up to take them away. Although many Rebel fans thought we would, MSU fans did not storm the field after the game ended, although I really believed they could have since almost all of the security were standing around the goalposts to prevent anyone from attempting to tear them down. We just stayed in the stands and watched our SEC Western Division Championship football team celebrate. To the credit of both schools' fans, I saw no incidents of significance last night. Obviously, there was some rubbing it in by some MSU fans and some sour grapes by several Ole Miss fans, which is to be expected, but I only saw one very minor incident and it ended very, very quickly.

On to Atlanta, Georgia to take on the number 1 team in College Football.

P.S. - Ole Miss had a lot of recruits at the game. Think our fans and team might have impressed them just a little bit? (:

P.S. (Part 2) - I received an email from someone (a State fan) who said he was in the same section with the recruits and he said a lot of them cheered for our Bulldogs. (This next part is for all of you curious as to the Tuberville situation.) This same person also said he was in the Ole Miss field house after the game and had the chance to see and hear Tommy Tuberville after the game and this is his impression of what Tuberville said and the mood in the field house, and I quote: "Gene, from the mood in the field house after the game, Tuberville is gone! He told his players that he loved them and Ole Miss, but the next three days would be tough on all of them. He and the assistant coaches were crying during this speech. Reports in the field house have Tommy going to Auburn today to work out his contract with them and to make an announcement."

11/26/98 - JJ will not be at full speed but will play. My source could not tell me if he was 60% or 90%. Groin injuries are difficult to predict.

11/26/98 - Guess what? I do believe the recent improved play of quarterback Wayne Madkin has been noticed by those who will benefit the most. I have been told by a very, very reliable source that 2 of the 3 top wide receivers in Mississippi and two of the top 15 in the South have decided to cast their lot with Miss State. Hattiesburg (MS) HS teammates Keshun Fudge (6-0, 185, 4.3) and Terrell Grindle (5-11, 175, 4.31), supposedly, have verbally committed to MSU. If this turns out to be true, it looks like MSU may be about to dominate the state of Mississippi once again as far as recruiting is concerned. BTW, both of these players have attended Miss State's last two summer football camps and have attended at least two MSU football games this fall.

Keshun, according to Pigskin Preps, is the 15th best wide receiver in the South. They had this to say about him in their preseason reference guide: "This guy has drawn rave reviews from everyone who has seen him play as a junior. He is a super talent with exceptional speed and agility. His athletic ability is second to none and he can catch the football. The sky is the limit for this guy."

Terrell, according to Pigskin Preps, is the 12th best wide receiver in the South. They had this to say about him in their preseason reference guide: "Terrell is an awesome talent from a program that always seems to be blessed with speed and athleticism. He is no exception! Over the summer, he was clocked at 4.31, 4.30, and 4.29 in the forty. He has great hands and runs even better routes."

11/25/98 - The Bulldogs are staying at the:
Holiday Inn
1796 Sunset Drive
Grenada, MS. 38901
Fax (601) 226-5058

Wouldn't it be great if some of you in the Grenada area greeted (with cowbells in hand) the team as they arrived in Grenada? Greet them not only at the inn, but along the highway as they came into town. Make this a truly special time for our team, fellow Bulldog fans!

BTW, tickets are still available for the SEC Championship Game. Better hurry, or you won't have one to buy.

11/25/98 - Former Bulldog great Greg Favors started his first game at middle linebacker for the Chiefs last Sunday and had 4 tackles and a sack. According to my source, Greg has been a terror on the special teams all season. Look for more to be heard from Greg as the season progresses.

11/25/98 - Florence HS wide receiver Chris Jones finished the season with 933 total yards (697 receiving yards and 236 rushing yards). He also had 4 interceptions. BTW, he visited Miss State for the Arkansas game. According to my source, Chris will easily qualify academically.

11/25/98 - Memorandum:

TO: Dallas Dawgs, MSU Alumni Association

FROM: Calvin Hull, 972-770-2672, or chull@dallas.cushwake.com

NEXT GAME DATE: Thursday, November 26, 1998

SUBJECT: Thursday, November 26, 7:00pm (CST)
(Thanksgiving evening) Mississippi State University Bulldogs vs. arch rival University of Mississippi Rebels

Mississippi State's victory over Arkansas this past Saturday was huge! State must now play its archrival, UM, Thursday evening November 26th at 7:00pm (CST). Please join other Dallas Dawgs at Damon's, 214-373-6000, to watch the game. State must win this game against UM to win the Western division of the Southeastern Conference and earn the right to compete against Eastern division champion, Tennessee, for the Southeastern Conference Championship. The "SEC Conference Championship" game will be played in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday evening, December 5, 1998. Assuming Mississippi State wins the UM contest, please join Dallas Dawgs at Damon's again for the contest against University Tennessee to determine the Southeastern Conference Football Championship Winner.

Mississippi State is in a position to have a very special season, maybe the best ever! Please show your support to the University by making sure you're an active member of the Mississippi State University Alumni Association. Please forward a minimum of $25.00 to the Mississippi State University Annual Fund c/o of Mississippi State University Alumni Association, Office of Annual Giving, P.O. Box AA, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762-5526. Unfortunately, the Dallas Dawgs' MSU Alumni Association membership is at a historic low. Please confirm that you are an up to date Alumni Association member by forwarding a contribution to the Mississippi State University Annual Fund today!

For up to date information on Mississippi State sports, please refer to www. genespage.com.

11/24/98 - The team will stay in Grenada Wednesday night (don't know the lodging location) and arrive at the Ole Miss stadium at approximately 5 p.m. We have to be there to meet them. Make sure you are there. Also, since you have to believe Ole Miss will have many of their prime recruits at the game (many of whom we are also recruiting), we need to be as enthusiastic and loud as possible. Let's continue to give these recruits a strong reason to choose MSU as the school they decide to attend. I mean, our team is playing for the chance to play in the SEC Championship game. Let's make sure everybody in that stadium knows that by our spirit.

11/24/98 - The latest on JJ: James Johnson is day to day and, in my opinion, will not be near full speed even if he plays. Also, it is no ploy that Romaro Miller is injured. He is. Both teams' top player is out or not anywhere near 100% so it about evens out. This game is not going to be a gimme for either team, so look for a classic battle by two very good teams. Expect a war on the field Thursday night.

11/24/98 - Excellent column by Rick Cleveland in yesterday's Clarion-Ledger:

The Golden Egg would be enough incentive. Heaven knows, we've experienced so many Novembers when that old oval trophy was all at stake for Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

That, and some poor wretch's job.

But this Thanksgiving night, the Egg Bowl offers much higher stakes and more subplots than Gone With the Wind.

A national television audience will view surely the most intriguing State-Ole Miss matchup since TV has existed.

Stakes? They're high. If State wins, the Bulldogs clinch at least a share of the Southeastern Conference title and a berth in the SEC Championship game at the Georgia Dome.

Given the emotional-charged nature of this rivalry -- last year the biggest brawl took place before the game -- State's championship shot might provide Ole Miss as much incentive as it does State.

But the Rebels have plenty at stake without considering anything maroon. Ole Miss is gunning for its seventh victory. With Florida's loss to Florida State Saturday probably limiting the SEC to one team in the Bowl Championship Series, the Rebels need every victory possible to ensure a bowl berth. The SEC may now have more bowl-eligible teams that it has bowl tie-ins.

Again, this works both ways. The Rebels' 15-14 victory over State last year not only put Ole Miss in a bowl, it kept State out. And don't you know the Bulldogs would love to return the favor?

All the subplots make the game all the more intriguing. To mention a few:
1) Quarterback Romaro Miller, who was poised to break most of Ole Miss' season passing records, can't play. He was hurt on the final play at Georgia Saturday, leaving Egg Bowl duties to little used walk-on freshman David Morris. The Ole Miss quarterback must make many calls at the line of scrimmage. Morris will get a crash, three-day course on all those calls.

Asked about Morris' makeup Sunday, Tuberville joked, "I didn't even know him until three weeks ago. I'm about to get to know him a lot better."

"David's mobile. He's got a good arm," offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone said. "The good thing is we've been running the ball well. It'd be different if we just threw it all the time. Our guys will rally around David. We'll do the best we can."

2) State running star J. J. Johnson vowed Saturday he'll play against Ole Miss. Don't be so sure. Pulled groin muscles do not often heal quickly. The guess here is Johnson will be limited at best for the biggest game of his career.

That said, State freshman quarterback Wayne Madkin has evolved into a player who can make game-winning plays on his own. Put it this way: The loss of Miller hurts Ole Miss much worse than the loss of Johnson would hurt State.

3) Tuberville's job situation. Might this be Tuberville's last game at Ole Miss? Alabama sports writers are all but writing that Tuberville will be named Auburn's next coach. Rumors run rampant that both Clemson and Oklahoma also may seek Tuberville's services.

Asked directly about the Auburn rumors Sunday, Tuberville responded, "I'm not even going to take questions about it this week. There's nothing to it. And we've got enough to worry about in this short week without worrying about that. We'll spend this week trying to win a football game."

Meanwhile, Ole Miss sports information director Langston Rogers tries to figure out how to fit all the Alabama into a press box jammed with Mississippi sports writers and sportscasters.

Another new twist for the Egg Bowl.

11/24/98 - From Andy K (TopDog):

The Bulldogs will arrive at Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium on Thursday at 5PM. Bulldog fans wanting to greet the team should be in place by 4:45PM near the east side of the stadium. The MSU dressing room is in the southeast corner of the stadium. We need a minimum of 1,000 cowbell ringing, pom-pom shaking, MSU Flag waving fans there to greet the Bulldogs when they arrive. Remember, this is the biggest game for an MSU team since 1941. Let's show our Bulldogs we have SEC Championship caliber fans.

Also, any MSU fans wanting to tailgate near other MSU fans should go to the parking lot just north of Oxford-University (baseball) Stadium on Old Taylor Road. Several Bulldogs will be there tailgating before and after the game.

11/24/98 - Advertisement: Please support those that support my page. Check out the webpages for these great Bulldogs:
Mark Doiron Insurance Agency
Monroe-Tufline
Optical 2000
Tradewind
Mountain Air Products

11/23/98 - As I'm sure all of you have, Mary Ann and I celebrated the Arkansas game victory. It was a great, great victory. Without a doubt, one of the greatest in MSU football history.

Now, forget Saturday's victory over Arkansas for the next four days. Although it will go down as one of the greatest victories in MSU history, it will mean very little, temporarily, if we don't win Thursday night at Ole Miss. With that said, let's talk Ole Miss / MSU football. Andy and I will post on our webpages when the team will arrive at the Ole Miss stadium this coming Thursday. We absolutely have to have 1,000's of MSU fans greet this outstanding team when they get off the bus. If you haven't purchased your tickets to the Ole Miss and SEC Championship games, call the MSU ticket office at 601-325-2600 immediately. This is a SEC Championship Game caliber team. Be a SEC Championship caliber fan by buying an Ole Miss ticket and a SEC Championship ticket now!! MSU, as a (potential) participating team in the SEC Championship Game, is allowed 15,000 tickets (cost is $45 per ticket). Let's buy them all and help The Dancing Kickoff Team rock Atlanta.

11/23/98 - Yes, it is true, Moss Point quarterback supreme Kevin Fant was at the game Saturday. According to a fan who saw him after the game was over, Kevin was on the field having a grand old time amongst the MSU fans.

11/23/98 - The word is MSU coaches are looking at two players from South Pike HS and South Pontotoc. The player from South Pike is Elgin Andrews, a 6-1, 220, 4.63-speed, linebacker. Other schools he is considering are Ole Miss, Southern Miss, LSU and Arkansas. The other player, who hails from South Pontotoc HS, is J. T. Brown. J.T. has received letters from Ole Miss and Arkansas.

11/22/98 - Here are several articles about yesterday's game:

My comments:

11/22/98 - Recruits at the game:

I will list more as each of you who saw a recruit, emails me.

11/22/98 - The word is MSU and Alabama are the finalists for Pascagoula HS's outstanding TE Casey Gilbert. Casey has great size and hands.

11/21/98 - Oink, oink, be at 5 Points, Saturday, 9:30 a.m.!

11/21/98 - Recruiting info on several Starkville High School players:

BTW, don't be surprised if Clark and Ward are on next years Clarion-Ledger Dandy Dozen.

11/20/98 - Once again I say BE THERE! Be at the 5-Points Intersection at 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning. This is too important of a game to be anywhere else. Bring your cowbells.

11/20/98 - Correction: One of the things the Insider mentioned on my message board has turned out to be incorrect. Miss State has, indeed, renewed their contract with NIKE and will not be switching to ADIDAS.

11/19/98 - IBBC Update: There are still about 120 people registered with the IBBC who have yet to pay their annual membership dues. Please remember, to be a charter member of the IBBC, your membership dues must be post marked by midnight, November 30th, and be received on or before December 7th.

We have sent out nearly 340 e-mails acknowledging receipt of membership applications and checks. If you have not received an acknowledgement, (and you feel you should have received one), please send an e-mail to: IBBC@IBBC.NET. Andy Kalinowski will contact you immediately, with verification, and an explanation.

Also remember that both Andy and I have full time jobs during the day, and attend most MSU games. Normally, we process all IBBC actions during the evening hours.

11/19/98 - Have you made arrangements to be at 5 Points West this Saturday at 9:30 a.m? If not, why not? It's time to step up and be counted, so be there to greet our players. Bring a couple of friends with you.

P.S. There will be no recruit walk this weekend.

11/19/98 - I don't know who the insider is but he or she posted some interesting comments on my message board and I thought I would post them here for all to see:

1) (Tyrus) Boswell will be ready to go December 17.

2) The football players are as serious right now as I have ever seen them.

3) Alonzo Lane will sign without a doubt.

4) All the players are desperate to have a packed house and want the cowbells there worse than we do.

5) If you want to know about some players we are recruiting in the Chicago area let me know by e-mail.

6) Mississippi State will be switching to all adidas next year, who will provide us fans with a full line of apparel like Tenn.

7) This could be the best woman's basketball team we have had, so come watch them play.

8) We will continue to do the kickoff dance, since Sherrill has talked to the conference.

9) Come on the field after the game because the players love to sign autographs.

10) Michael Gholar will be starting by January, Coach Stansbury just wants to get Bart a few starts since he is a senior.

GO DAWGS!!! Remember 21!!!

11/19/98 - Matthew Pulliam, an outstanding Long Snapper/Center form Clinton HS, has unofficial visited Miss State, Alabama, Southern Miss and Delta State this football season. Alabama has shown the most interest so far.

11/19/98 - The rumor going around the internet is Moss Point QB Kevin Fant has silently committed to Miss State and, as another rumor has it, to Ole Miss. Sorry, both are incorrect, according to my sources. I'm sure both schools would absolutely love to receive a commitment from this outstanding quarterback but it hasn't happened yet.

BTW, hold your horses on the Bobby Garner will be a Bulldog rumors. According to my sources, it is just that, a rumor. For those of you who don't know who Bobby is, he is a 6-3, 195-lb QB from Gulfport HS.

11/19/98 - Normally I don't post this kind of info, but, what the heck, even I deserve to talk "out there" rumors once in awhile, so here goes. (Oh, the emails I will get for posting this info.)

As the college football regular season gets near it's end, the coaching carousal rumors start to heat up. Here are a few unconfirmed rumors that I have heard the last couple of days, Remember, these are unconfirmed rumors, so take them with a grain of salt:

Oh well, enough about all of these unconfirmed rumors I am hearing. Just thought you guys would enjoy reading a little info I hear but rarely post.

11/18/98 - Be there! In what is becoming one of the most important games in Miss State history, your presence is needed at the five points intersection in front of the Leo Seal building at 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Our players arrive at that time, and they deserve to see at least 5 thousand people awaiting their arrival. In fact, I think we ought to block the road so that they have to leave the bus on the road and walk down the road right by all 5 thousand of us. If fraternities and sororities students read my page, tell other members about this and come out of your houses and support the Bulldogs. Now is the time to show your support in a way you never have before. Be there!

11/18/98 - Other top recruits at last Saturday's game were:

11/18/98 - One of our own, Paul Brown, will be at the MSU Campus Bookstore this Saturday between 9:00 a.m and 10:30 signing his new book, Paul Brown's Wild Visions. If you would like to know more about the book, click here to go to a link.

11/17/98 - No, the answer is no, Dontae Walker did not commit to the LSU Tigers yesterday. Good grief, some of you will believe anything you read. If you want to know the truth, read my skuttle-butt sections. BTW, I was told by a couple of folks who sat near Moss Point quarterback supreme Kevin Fant, that Kevin actually got up and cheered for our Bulldogs several times during the Alabama / Miss State game. They both said he really seemed to have had a great time at the game.

11/17/98 - What about it? Wouldn't this weekend's game be a great game to set a new attendance record? If you haven't purchased a ticket, do so today or tomorrow. Show our players and coaches how much you care about them.

PS, I will answer all of your emails tonight. Mary Ann and I didn't get home until 10:30 last night and I didn't get through updating until 12:30. Because of that, I wasn't able to answer any of your emails.

11/16/98 - Game Notes from The Clarion-Ledger and The Commercial Dispatch:

11/15/98 - Notice we didn't tear down the goalposts this time? I guess, although it is nice to defeat Alabama, it just isn't the same as it was two years ago. Anyway, we have a bigger game next Saturday: Arkansas.

Back to the Alabama game. A friend of mine, Lowell Easterling, and I were lucky enough to have sideline passes. I bought them in a raffle quite a few months ago at a Bulldog Club meeting in Tupelo. While the sideline is a great vantage point for certain things, it is a terrible vantage point to actually watch the game. I spent most of my time watching the Jumbotron. The advantages to watching on the sideline is you notice the noise the fans make. The players really do hear you and they respond. BTW, you were very loud yesterday. Another thing you notice is the number of fans in the stands. As a fan, sitting in my stadium seat, I have trouble figuring out how many fans are really on my side of the stadium and how many fans are in the upper deck. From the players vantage point, they see both sides and the upper deck, which, yesterday, appeared to be packed. A stadium that is full has to have a positive impact on our players just as a partially empty stadium must have a negative impact. Plus, there are other things you get to see and hear while standing on the sidelines.

You get to see and hear the coaches' and players' reactions throughout. You see who the vocal leaders are on the team. You see the offense coaches going over plays with their players while the defense is on the field or vice versa. You are standing just 10 or so feet from the players and can see the looks in their faces and hear them say things about messing a play up or telling the coaches things they notice that may help the next time they go on the field. You also hear when a coach praises a player or, in some cases, shall we politely say, discusses a blown play with a player. You also hear and see the reactions of players as they come off the field. One thing that stands out in my mind is what one player said after MSU scored a touchdown against Alabama: "That'll teach them to talk that ****". There's no point in saying what the last word was because I'm sure you can figure it out. Another things that amazes me is how in the world do these coaches keep up with what player/s should go in and what player/s should come out after each play. The players are standing along the sideline, behind a coach, waiting to go into the game. After every play, a player or several players, in some cases, go out and others take their place. To do this and do it as well as our coaches do is truly organization at its finest. On top of this, our offensive and defensive coaches are having to make split second decisions as to what play to call. This almost boggles my mind.

Enough about the sidelines. Wasn't JJ, the fullbacks and offensive linemen great yesterday? 36 attempts and 237 yards, that speaks of amazing running and great blocking. Other SEC teams may think they have the best running back in the SEC, but they are only kidding themselves. JJ may not have sprinter's speed (does Emmitt Smith? does Jerry Rice?), but the man can find the open hole and then go a long way before anyone can catch him. And, even then, it usually takes more than one to take him down. Plus, he has the hands to make great catches. Now, that's the kind of running back I want on my team. And wasn't Wayne Madkin (10-17, 192 yards) great at times? He showed the mobility that I saw in a couple of preseason practices. It'll take time (he's only a redshirt freshman, folks), but he has the makings of a very good quarterback. BTW, did you notice OC Lynn Amadee was back in the coaches' box and not on the sidelines? And who has a more talented group of receivers than Miss State? Alabama's secondary had so much trouble covering Kevin Prentiss, Kelvin Love and Kevin Cooper, they had to resort to interfering with them throughout the game. BTW, for those of you who didn't know this, James Johnson is now the MSU record holder for the most yards in a season, passing Wayne Jones, one of the all-time greats in Miss State history.

Wasn't the MSU defense outstanding? Once in a while Alexander would make a good run or Zow make a good pass, but, for the most part, the MSU defense had their way with the Alabama offense. Although Miss State allowed one long drive late in the third quarter, they regained their intensity and proceeded to shut Alabama's offense down. BTW, did you see that great one-on-one play where safety Ashley Cooper tackled Shaun Alexander behind the line of scrimmage? He goes one-on-one against one of the best backs in the SEC and just, flat out, athleticism him. If Cooper isn't considered for All-SEC, I don't know who should be. And Robert Bean really showed why he was so highly recruited by MSU and Alabama. Another thing that stood out is the defense played without preseason All-SEC linebacker Barrin Simpson, who was in his street clothes on the sidelines.

All in all it was a great game by a very good MSU football team.

11/15/98 - Here are several articles about yesterday's game:

11/15/98 - Players at the game:

An up and coming sophomore quarterback from Ripley (MS) HS, Brandon Roberson, was also supposed to be at the game, although I wasn't lucky enough to see him. This youngster is going to be one of the top QBs in Mississippi and, possibly, the South by his senior year.

BTW, it sure was nice seeing Dontae Walker and Kevin Fant talking to each other prior to the game (talking about their future years at MSU, hopefully). In fact, Dontae walked around with Kevin on the sidelines introducing him to other players.

That's just a few names. If you know of others, let me know about them.

11/15/98 - BTW, Miss State received a commitment from one of the top DLs in the Kansas Juco ranks with the commitment of Willie Blade, a 6-3, 280-lb defensive lineman. According to The Clarion-Ledger, Willie's defensive coordinator said Willie was the fastest man on the team for the first 10 yards and was a great leader and absolutely destroyed his opponents this season. Add him to the other two Juco defensive linemen commitments, Toby Golliday and Dorsett Davis, and you have to believe MSU's defensive line is going to be a very tough unit next season.

11/14/98 - Don't forget to greet the players when they arrive at the stadium today. For all the details, check out Andy K's site by clicking here.

Even though it is raining, please support the team by attending the game. A day like today is when the true Bulldog fans show their true dedication. I know it would be easy just to sit back and watch the game on television but sometimes a fan has to sacrifice just as our players have done all summer and fall by making practices at 5:00 a.m., etc. Please, please be in the stands when the game starts today.

11/14/98 - Is MSU recruiting this player? Word is they may be. WR/PR Chris Davis is a very fast (4.4) 6-1, 175-pounder who has caught 48 passes for 1,059 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. He is currently ranked 3rd in the state of Louisiana. He plays for St. Helena Central HS in Greensburg, La. He is an unknown because this is his first year to play high school football, according to my source.

11/14/98 - Another player MSU is supposedly recruiting is P. J. Washington, a senior from McClain HS. This season, P. J. led his team in interceptions and was second in tackles. Ole Miss is also looking at him, according to my source.

11/11/98 - Saturday's game is a HUGE game for MSU football. Each one of you need to be at the game and not in front of the television. Our football team and coaches have worked extremely hard and, without question, deserve your support.

11/11/98 - Injury Update: Ashley Cooper will play although he is not completely healthy. Tim Nelson is doubtful.

11/11/98 - I heard from an Alabama fan last night the Vegas gambling crowd is picking MSU to lose to Alabama 28-10. I'm not a bettor myself, and don't follow the Vegas crowd, but if this is true it definitely doesn't show much respect for our players and coaches, to say the least. I sure hope our team finds out about this.

11/11/98 - Expect up to 500 recruits and high school coaches at this Saturday's game. Each of us can make a difference by letting these recruits know we appreciate their visiting our university. Remember, you cannot give them anything other than a very warm MSU welcome. BTW, check out Andy K's site for the Recruit Walk (starts at 10:05) details by clicking here.

11/11/98 - Speaking of recruits. Expect three of the top Mississippi Juco players to be making official visits this weekend. According to solid sources, defensive linemen Dorsett Davis, Toby Golliday and defensive back Eugene Liger will be making their official visits to MSU this weekend. If you see them at the game, MAKE SURE you let them know you are very, very appreciative of their commitment to MSU football.

11/11/98 - More recruiting rumors:

11/10/98 - Latest recruiting rumors (MSU and a little Ole Miss):

More recruiting info tomorrow.

11/09/98 - Info found in The Clarion-Ledger. Written by MSU Beat Writer Sekou Smith:

1) Mississippi State isn't likely to sit home for a second straight bowl season as long as they're bowl eligible, said one bowl scout here (Lexington, KY.).

"Mississippi State would be awful attractive at 7-4 or even 6-5," said Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl representative George Morris, a Vicksburg native. "They brought 17,000 and a half, 18,000 people to our bowl in 1995. I would think Mississippi State has a much sounder chance to go to a bowl this season," said Morris, one of four bowl representatives in the Commonwealth Stadium press box Saturday night.

Representatives from the Citrus, Outback and Motor Bowls were also in attendance.

"There's no question that Mississippi State would be attractive to us," Morris said. "But there's no question some other bowls will be salivating at the idea of Mississippi State. Especially the Cotton Bowl, with the prospect of a Jackie Sherrill coached Mississippi State team playing Texas A&M."

2) State junior safety Tim Nelson injured his left ankle in the first quarter and spent the rest of the game on the sidelines with his foot wrapped in ice.

3) Next up for MSU: Alabama (6-3, 3-3); Starkville; 11:30 a.m. (JP Sports); last meeting: MSU 32, Alabama 20.

11/09/98 - Advertisement: Check out my newest advertiser, Myers Enterprises. Terry Myers would love to help bring Mississippi to you by selling you some sweet potatoes grown in the "Sweet Potato Capital of the World", Calhoun County, Mississippi. Click here for more details, including order information.

11/08/98 - Here are several articles about yesterday's game:

11/08/98 - According to a source who has seen Leflore County HS's Eric and Derrick Thompson play many times, both twins have a world of potential and are being looked at by quite a few schools, including several traditional powers. This source has heard that the Eric and Derrick are leaning to Miss State at this time.

11/08/98 - A source who has played against MSU commitment Dorsett Davis said he, along with another MSU commitment Toby Golliday, are the two best juco defensive linemen he has seen in the state of Mississippi this year.

11/08/98 - Advertisement: Looking for a very qualified hunting guide service company in the state of Mississippi? Then look no farther than Ole South Guide Service. For details, visit their website by clicking here.

11/06/98 - According to yesterday's Clarion-Ledger, Mississippi Delta CC teammates Toby Golliday and Eugene Liger have both committed to MSU.

11/06/98 - Here is a preview of what one Bulldog fan from the Kentucky area thinks about the upcoming game:

While I am not a prognosticator, I do think I have a good feel for UK's program. And while I do think that they are improved, after much thought, I have changed my mind and think MSU will win this game. Here is why:

I was basing my assessment of UK on their performances against LSU and Georgia. I think both proved last week that they were way overrated when both were in the top 10.

I attended the Ole Miss - LSU game and while it pains me to say this, I am much more impressed with Ole Miss than I am with UK. I like Tuberville's offense better than I do Mumme's and Ole Miss has much better athletes on defense than UK does.

And I think MSU is every bit as good as Ole Miss based on last year's game.

The keys are as follows:

When MSU has the ball: UK's weakness is in their secondary. I read recently where Joe Lee Dunn said good defenses don't blitz a lot. I agree with that. And UK blitzes a whole lot. They gamble just as much on defense as they do on offense and they are not nearly as talented on defense. If Madkin has grown up the last couple of weeks, he could have a huge night. If he does, look for JJ to take over in the second half like Faulk did against UK last year.

When UK has the ball: They are going to throw and they are going to put up big numbers. That is a given. And you are not going to get to Couch. As I explained before, the whole scheme is designed to protect him and if nothing is open after his first or second look, he dumps it off to his back. I hear the fans from the opposing team say all of the time that "we have got to get to the quarterback." Well you ain't gonna get to him much and when you do, Couch is capable of making it up on the next play. Believe it or not, I do not believe that the key to stopping Kentucky is stopping Tim Couch.The key to stopping UK is stopping their backs. Running and receiving. The linebackers will get a big test, and if they are up to task, MSU should hold UK in the twenties.

Special teams: A huge weakness for the Cats. Sometimes I think Mumme wants the other team to have a short field so his offense can get back out. The only thing they do well is the fake punt. If special teams are as big a part of the game as coaches say they are - then MSU has a huge edge here.

The other thing that gives me the feeling that MSU will win is this: UK fans think this is a gimme. And in my years of following UK football - that usually spells doom for the Cats.

If MSU can score in the thirties, I think they will win.

11/06/98 - Here are the latest stats on MSU football player Larry Campbell's brother Jason Campbell (QB, Taylorsville HS).
116-for-197 (59%), 1,856 yards, 22 TDs.

BTW, Larry is 95% healthy.

11/06/98 - Advertisement: If you live in the Jackson/Madison, Mississippi area, give Bulldog Mark Doiron a call if you are looking for insurance. Mark will give you a Bulldog deal. Check out his website at this location.

11/05/98 - IBBC Update: I have tentatively scheduled the following columnists, within the next three weeks, David Wilson (weekly football), Bill Ball (weekly basketball), Wesley Reed (Bulldog Club), Jimmy Abraham (MSU enrollment, etc.). I am working on having many other columnist but will wait until I am pretty certain they will come aboard before mentioning their names. I promise all of you who are IBBC members, you will be some of the most MSU informed people in the world.

All I ask from each of you is your patience, understanding and support . It takes time to create what we are trying to create with the IBBC.

BTW, the IBBC contributed $1,000 to the Bulldog Club today. I mailed the check Wednesday. It is a small pittance compared to our long-term annual goal of $1,000,000 per year, but it is a statement to the Bulldog Club we are serious. For those of you who have joined the IBBC, if you decide you want to join the Bulldog Club, give us time to post a Bulldog Club application from on the IBBC that has the IBBC's name on it. We want to receive credit from the Bulldog Club for any new members we generate. We will have it online late this weekend.

Thanks to all of you who have joined the IBBC (397 members and counting). We hope many, many more of you will decide to join soon.

11/05/98 - The Memphis Maroon Club has reserved an area at the Eagle's Nest for Dawg fans to watch the game together in Memphis. The Eagle's Nest is located at the intersection of Sycamore View and Macon Road just off I-40.

Other MSU groups have scheduled television parties in Buckhead and Dallas. Check out my Events page for additional info. If you live in these areas, go have fellowship with other Bulldog fans.

11/05/98 - The rumor is three of Miss. Delta CC's top players were at Ole Miss last weekend. The three are rumored to be MSU commitment DL Dorsett Davis, soon to be MSU commitment DB Eugene Liger and, hopefully, future MSU commitment DL Toby Golliday.

11/05/98 - The rumor is LSU is coming after Moss Point HS quarterback Kevin Fant hard.

11/05/98 - Supposedly, MSU is doing pretty good with the outstanding QB from Atlanta: Latrez Harrison. Latrez is considered by some to be one of the top 3 QBs in the South.

11/05/98 - The word is MSU is doing very well in the Kansas juco ranks. Several outstanding players are giving MSU serious looks. Don't be surprised if we come away with a few of them.

11/05/98 - Advertisement: If you live in the Jackson area, a great place to eat before or after the game this weekend is CiCi's Pizza in Jackson. Bulldog fan Ray Downey loves to talk MSU sports with other MSU fans. Give him a visit soon. CiCi's is located at the address listed below:

11/03/98 - Have you heard of Don Prince? Well you are about to. Don is a 6-8, 320-lb OT/OG from Lee HS in Huntsville, AL. Don runs a 5.4 forty and has very high ACT (30) and SAT (1300) scores. He is planning on majoring in Computer Sciences/Engineering in college. Schools that are looking at him are UAB, North Carolina State and Georgia Tech. He is also interested in Miss State, Auburn, Alabama and Tennessee. The word is he may attend the MSU/Alabama or MSU/Arkansas game. If you are a recruiter, this youngster is definitely a player you have to take a look at because of his tremendous size and intelligence.

11/03/98 - The Alabama/Miss State football game has been picked for the 11:30 Jefferson Pilot game of the week.

11/02/98 - IBBC Update: We currently have 345 members signed up. Please do not sign up again if you can't get into the Members Only Section. You are not allowed into the Members' Section until we receive your check and credit your account. You will receive a confirmation from Andy K. telling you he has received your check and your username and password will be on that confirmation. For all of you who have not received your confirmation letter and have mailed your check, please email Andy at ibbc@ibbc.net. There have been several emails that have come back and we need to receive a good email address from you. For those of you who have asked, we plan on eventually having up to a column a day from MSU athletic and academic officials. Hopefully, even the president of MSU will do a column every so often. The IBBC membership will be the most well informed group of MSU fans around. BTW, if you aren't a dues paying member, you are missing a great column by our very own David Wilson. We hope to have Coach Sherrill write a column for us within the next couple of weeks. Better hurry and sign up. Go to my front page and click on the IBBC link to find a signup form. Hope to see you soon.

11/02/98 - Info received from a Florida source (MSU is recruiting both of these players):