11/30/99 - Comments and opinions:

11/28/99

As I was walking around the field after the game, I noticed what appeared to be an altercation where the Ole Miss cheerleaders had been located throughout the game. I started walking that way thinking I might help stop whatever was going on. When I got within about 25 feet, I noticed Wes pulling a guy, whose clothes were half ripped off, out of the pile by the shirt, then leading him away. While he was leading him away from the cheerleaders, the guy was yelling back at the Ole Miss cheerleaders. And the Ole Miss cheerleaders were also yelling back at him (I got a couple of pictures of them yelling at him).

What led up to the fight, I don't know. The one thing that I do know is Wes Shivers came to the defense of a guy who was in a fight with more than one person and got the guy away from the fight before something really bad happened. If some folks want to spread rumors and say Wes got into a fight with the Ole Miss cheerleaders, then so be it. But the fact remains that Wes was just doing what, I hope, most decent people would do, come to the aid of a fellow human being who was involved in what appeared to be an unfair situation.

11/26/99 - Game recaps:

11/26/99 - Several recruits, other than the ones that I mentioned yesterday, that were at the game:

11/25/99 (12:30 p.m.) - According to a source of mine, George County WR Trey Fryfogle is having Thanksgiving dinner with his family and will not attend today's game.

11/25/99 - Click here to read a very nice article about former Bulldog running back J. J. Johnson....

11/25/99 - Did you know that half of our senior football players will graduate in December?

11/25/99 - MSU and Ole Miss are among five schools that are competing for the signature of Blinn (TX) CC juco All-American offensive lineman Courtney Lee.

11/24/99 (2:30 p.m.) - Here are the names of a few of the players (all are seniors unless noted otherwise) that are unofficially visiting MSU Thursday.

Carl Higgins - Offensive lineman, St. Benedict in Memphis.
Jonathan Nichols - Kicker, Pillow Academy.
Ken Archie - Running back, Pelahatchie HS.
William Fairly - Player, Pelahatchie HS.
Micky D'Angelo - Quarterback, Long Beach HS.
Robby D'Angelo - 15 year old sophomore offensive lineman (6-2, 260), Long Beach HS.
Trey Fryfogle - Wide receiver, George County HS.

If you know of others, please email me their names. I have a feeling there will be between 250 and 400 players at the game. I would like to post as many names as possible.

11/24/99 - MSU press conference link....

11/24/99 - Mississippi State senior Ashley Cooper has been named second-team, all-America by Football News, according to a release by the national football publication Tuesday. Click here for the complete story....

11/23/99 - The Starkville Quarterback Club will have former Tennessee head football coach Johnny Majors as its quest speaker tonight. Click here for more info.

11/23/99 - Ken Archie and William Fairly, a couple of Pelahatchie HS players, will be unofficial visitors for the MSU/OM game this Thursday.

If any of you know of other players that will be visiting, please email me at swindoll@genespage.com

11/22/99 - My observations from this past weekend:

1) The offense finally showed signs of a running game. They are still a long way from what we wanted them to be but they showed positive signs. The offensive line, while not up to the standards of a typical MSU offensive line, looked better.

2) Matt Wyatt and our offense kept everybody in their seats until the end of the game.

3) The defense looked great most of the game. If the secondary had the hands of Love, Grindle, or Milas Randle, we would have easily won this game just due to all the interceptions they would have had. Plus, you take out the penalties (I now look the field over for the yellow flag after every play) and we might have had a shutout. Did Fred Smoot and the rest of the secondary do a great job or what? Fred is definitely NFL material. Arkansas WR Lucas is good, Smoot is better.

4) I believe Jeff Walker is back to his old self.

5) Scott Westerfield is just about automatic within 45 yards.

6) For the most part, 95% of the Arkansas fans are like any other fans, they love their team and show their support in a positive manner. The other 5%, who seemed to have found my message board yesterday, need to learn to be good sports. But then we all have that 5% of fans who need to learn to grow up.

7) I love the Dog Pound Rock, but doing it on the side lines just isn't very exciting at away games. Just do it at home. It is awesome at home.

8) Mary Ann and I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on McCain. Great hotel. We were very impressed.

9) War Memorial Stadium's parking reminds me of the stadium in Jackson, MS. Not enough public parking.

10) Mary Ann and I got lost trying to find the football stadium. We asked two people directions. Very nice folks. I was impressed with just about everyone I talked to in Little Rock, including the two Arkansas fans who were sitting behind Mary Ann and me at the game.

11) The folks in Little Rock need to learn to be safer drivers. From my experience, only Memphis rivals them when it comes to taking chances in traffic.

12) It is nice to see teams like Alabama and Arkansas celebrating so enthusiastically after a victory over our Bulldogs. I remember the pre-Jackie Sherrill era when MSU was just another team on the schedule for most SEC schools. Now, we are one of those that they mark on their calendar. Plus, it is nice to know we are now the standard by how other coaches judge how physical their team is. We've come a long way.

13) It is amazing what this team has done with a below average offense. Just goes to show you what a great defense and an above average kicking game can do for you. With what I have seen of the freshman on the offensive scout team, I look for MSU to have a chance to be something really special in two years.

14) Ole Miss losing to Georgia shocked me. I had no doubt that they would defeat Georgia, especially after it was reported that the Georgia head football coach would be headed to North Carolina after this season is over with. I guess that just goes to show you a coach leaving is a poor excuse to use for a team losing to another team.

15) BTW, it looks like both Romaro Miller and Wayne Madkin will lack mobility for the upcoming Golden Egg Bowl. It appears both have injured ankles. Madkin came out of the Arkansas game due to his injury while I have been told Miller played the second half with an injured ankle.

16) Why do so many fans drink beer and liquor at games then drive in some of the worst traffic you could possibly drive in? More effort needs to be used to stop alcohol from being allowed in stadiums. Artificial noise makers can't even compare to a few drunks in the stands. I have never understood why fans want to drink at games, anyway.

11/20/99 - Click here to read a Sun Herald.Com article about today's game.

11/20/99 - Click here to read a Northwest Arkansas Morning News article about today's game.

11/20/99 - Click here to read a Wholehogsports article about today's game.

11/20/99 - Click here to read a couple of good articles from today's Arkansas Online newspaper.

11/20/99 - Click here to read a really nice Clarion-Ledger article about MSU's John Hilliard.

11/20/99 - Received this email from one of you. It is a a personal observation of two Dandy Dozen players. MSU is recruiting both of these players.

I just got home from the Ackerman-Taylorsville game. I have been watching Ackerman HS football all my life. Jason Campbell is the best quarterback I ever remember seeing in high school.

He changed plays at the line and read the defense like a pro. He had spectacular vision of the field and could find open receivers like no HS quarterback I have seen.

As for Bryan Shumaker, the news is not good. He went down at the close of the 1st quarter with a knee injury. He will go to the orthopedist tomorrow (Saturday).

11/20/99 - Click here to see what the Little Rock weather is supposed to be today and tonight.

11/18/99 - The bridge just west of Brinkley, AR. on I-40 is closed down to one lane each way. This will create horrible traffic conditions because of the many 18-wheelers that run that road. My source suggest that Bulldog fans going that way exit I-40 at Brinkley and take US 70 West to next I-40 access. My source believes you can get back on in about 10-12 miles.

Please pass this info on to other Bulldog fans who you know are going to the game this weekend.

11/18/99 - Redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Fant showed excellent zip on his passes yesterday. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Milas Randle made a couple of excellent catches while I was at practice yesterday.

11/18/99 - The strong rumor is Jason Campbell, Taylorsville's outstanding quarterback, has Auburn (possibly the leader at this point), Georgia, LSU and MSU at the top of his list.

BTW, for those of you who live within a short or medium drive of Ackerman, Taylorsville plays at Ackerman this Friday night. Game time is probably 7 or 7:30. You ought to drive over and watch Jason and Ackerman's Bryan Shumaker play. We still have a shot at both of them. Wear maroon.

11/17/99 - STARKVILLE - Walking through the parking lot of Mississippi State's Shira Field House, Wayne Madkin doesn't look so young. He's got a face decorated with a peach-fuzz five o'clock shadow and a serious look as he saunters toward the door....(click here for more)...

11/16/99 (10:00 a.m.) - The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame will be showing the MSU v. Ark. game on their big screen TVs Saturday night? Cost of admission is $8.00 in advance and $10.00 at the door. Beverages (including beer) and "stadium concessions" will be available. The last event where they showed the 1980 MSU/Ala. game was a big hit and drew a lot of MSU fans. For additional info, please call either 601-982-8264 (local to Jackson) or 1-800-280-3263 and ask for Margaret Ferris.

11/15/99 - MSU Football Notes from the MSU Media Relations Department:

A win over Arkansas would also give MSU six SEC triumphs, a feat that was accomplished for the first time by the Bulldogs' SEC Western Division championship team last fall. This 1999 Bulldog club joined just three former MSU teams (1942, 1980, 1994) that won five league games in one season.

MSU has been victorious in 11 of its last 12 regular-season games, dating back to 11/14/98. The Bulldogs have not produced a streak of such magnitude since Allyn McKeen's teams won 13 in a row from 1942-44 (no team in 1943 due to World War II). The best previous post-war winning skein was an eight wins in nine regular season games roll from 10/18/80-9/26/81.

Likewise, a win over Arkansas this Saturday would give Mississippi State a 6-1 SEC record for the first time ever. The Bulldogs' current 5-1 slate matches MSU's 1980 conference final mark. MSU was 4-2 at this point in the league season a year ago en route to a 6-2 loop finish.

Mississippi State must sweep its final two SEC opponents, at Arkansas this weekend and against Mississippi Thanksgiving night at Scott Field, to put itself in position to repeat as SEC West champions. Even with those two victories, State still needs an Alabama loss at Auburn this week to win the division outright. For the third-straight season, MSU is in a position to qualify for the league's title game with two games remaining in the regular season -- the only Western Division team that can make that claim.

The MSU-Arkansas game will be the seventh time in the State's 10 games this season that the Bulldogs have appeared on network television. State is 15-4 in regular-season televised games, dating back to the 1997 season, and has won eight of its last nine regular-season TV contests. MSU is 3-4 in games televised by ESPN2.

The Mississippi State-Arkansas game will the 55th time in Jackie Sherrill's 103 games at the head of the Bulldog football program that the school has appeared on live network television. State has won 12 of its last 15 regular-season television games, and are 20-10 on the tube since 1996. MSU is now 28-26 on television since 1991.

When Mississippi State meets Arkansas under the lights in Little Rock, the Bulldogs will be looking for their sixth-straight night win of the 1999 season. Earlier in the year, MSU defeated Kentucky, LSU, South Carolina, Memphis and Middle Tennessee. The Bulldogs have won six in a row at night, dating back to last season (at Mississippi).

The Bulldogs have now scored in 27 straight games dating back to mid-1997. State's current scoring streak is the fifth-longest in school history. MSU's shutout at Georgia two years ago ended a 76-game scoring skein that was the longest in the SEC at the time, and second-longest in school history. The Bulldogs surpassed two 26-game streaks in the 1950s and need four more games in which they score to move up to a tie for fourth on the longest streaks without being shutout list.

In holding its first nine foes to just 115 points (12.8 points per game), the Bulldog defense has held all but two teams to one touchdown or less. Only Kentucky and Alabama have scored more than one TD on the Bulldog defense this season. Subtracting points scored on Bulldog turnovers, State's defense has allowed just 95 points in nine games (10.6 ppg). In 128 possessions against MSU's defense thus far, opponents have been held to three plays or less 61 times (47.6 percent), and have gained less than 10 yards on a series 67 times (52.3 percent). In fact, State's defense has allowed just 10 drives of 50 yards or longer in nine games, and permitted only four scores that did not follow a blocked punt or turnover. MSU's defense leads the nation in total defense (211.4), is ranked fourth in the country in scoring defense (12.8), and is fourth in pass efficiency defense (90.7). In MSU's last 10 regular season games, the defense has held the opponent to one TD or less eight times.

With Mississippi State's one-point win over Kentucky, the Bulldogs have now won four games this season decided by three points or less. In fact, State has won its last five games decided by that margin, dating to last year. Under head coach Jackie Sherrill, State is 9-6 in games decided by three points or less.

Mississippi State has posted a 24-8 regular-season record in its last 32 games, dating back to the final contest of the 1996 campaign. Over that time span, that record is easily the best in the Southeastern Conference's Western Division. State's 24-8 mark ranks ahead of Mississippi (20-12), Arkansas and Alabama (19-13), Auburn (17-15) and LSU (14-18) during that time frame. MSU's record in the most recent 32 regular-season games trails only Tennessee (29-3) and Florida (27-5) in the league as a whole. State's record matches Georgia over that time period, and is ahead of Kentucky (17-15), Vanderbilt (10-22) and South Carolina (6-26).

MSU has recorded a 16-7 win-loss ratio against SEC competition during the past two-plus seasons, again the best mark against league foes by anyone in the SEC's Western Division. State's league slate over that period is four games better than Alabama (12-11), five games in front of Arkansas and Mississippi (11-12), seven games better than Auburn (9-14) and eight games up on LSU (8-15). Again, only Tennessee (20-3) and Florida (19-4) rate ahead of MSU. Georgia's 16-7 mark matches State, while Kentucky is 10-13, USC and Vanderbilt are 3-20.

Following MSU's loss at Alabama, the Bulldogs fell from eighth to 12th in the Associated Press Sportswriters Poll and seventh to 15th nationally in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. MSU's poll position prior to the Alabama game matches the school's highest ranking ever, a No.7 ranking during the eighth week of the 1981 season.

Mississippi State's bid for a perfect season came to an end this past Saturday, as 11th-ranked Alabama downed the seventh-ranked Bulldogs 19-7 in Tuscaloosa. The loss broke MSU's 11-game, regular-season win streak which started with the Bulldogs' win over the Crimson Tide last season in Starkville. Mississippi State was unable to rally from a double-digit deficit for a fourth-straight week. Despite taking a 7-3 second quarter lead, MSU hurt itself with offensive inconsistency and penalties in its special teams, and trailed 13-7 most of the way. Alabama scored the game-deciding touchdown with 6:04 left to ice the contest. The Bulldogs had earlier rallied from a 16-0 margin to win at Auburn, bounced back from an early 10-0 deficit to beat LSU, and trailed 19-7 before beating Kentucky.

11/15/99 - MSU is 12th in the latest AP Top 25 Football Poll and 15th in the USA Today/ESPN Football Poll.

11/14/99 - MSU/Alabama game summaries found on the internet:

11/12/99 - It looks like MSU is doing well with Robert Spivey (LB/DE, 6-3, 225, 4.6) and Adari Haulsey (DB/RB/WR, 6-2, 195, 4.5, has great football speed) of Clarksdale (MS) HS.

11/11/99 - Excerpt from the Q&A session after Tuesday's football press conference (premium site info).

Quarterback Matt Wyatt:

How did you keep your head up after you lost your starting job last year?
Matt Wyatt: Every since I was a youngster, my folks taught me that your relationship with God was the most important thing in your life. That was first before everything else. I think growing up that way you kind of learn that everything else just kind of falls into place, including football. When I came to State I made the decision based on what I thought God wanted me to do. Things went really well for me at first, then things went downhill. But I made the decision that I have never doubted the Lord before and I'm wasn't doubting him then. I still felt I was where the Lord wanted me to be. I think that now, with everything that has happened in my life, meeting my wife here, having great opportunities after school is over, and to play and be a part of an 8-0, I know that I made the right decision.

Did you ever think of leaving?
Matt Wyatt: No, I never thought of leaving. I knew that I had decided to come here and I knew with all of my heart that I had prayed about it and this was where God wanted me to be. When things weren't going so good, it was a case where I had to make a conscious decision that I wasn't going to doubt what I had prayed about.

How meaningful is it to you to do what you did late in the game against Auburn and Kentucky?
Matt Wyatt: It's really neat because I think I will be able to look back after the season is over and enjoy it a little more, cherish it a little more. Right now, every week is a challenge. I really don't have time to think about it a whole lot.

GS: Can this team continue to get up emotionally after playing three very emotional games the past three games? It's got to take something out of you.
Matt Wyatt: I don't think that it does. To be honest with you, when you win like that, it gives you so much confidence. It's such a great experience that, to me, you just want to get back out there that much more. You realize, especially since you haven't lost a game yet, you have an opportunity of going to the SEC Championship Game if you win this game, it just adds to the excitement of the guys.

GS: Do you feel that this type game puts too much pressure on a team?
Matt Wyatt: It's going to be a challenge. It's something we dreamed about at Mississippi State. I think the good thing is that we have a team full of senior leadership, not necessarily all of the seniors playing but really strong senior leadership, guys who understand how to control their emotions getting ready for a big game. I think that it will help us that we played in the championship game last year. That was a huge game and the Cotton Bowl. Those were firsts for us. We kind of learned the hard way. We have learned not to let the hoopla get to us.

Can you compare your situation to Alabama's Tyler Watts?
Matt Wyatt: It's kind of the same situation where you have to go in and play. He did a really good job. He probably didn't have the advantage of having already played very much. The experience factor makes it easier for me.

GS: Are you comfortable in your role now?
Matt Wyatt: The competitor in me wants to play all of the time. I know that the best thing for our team is for Wayne to be our starter. I think that has been proven to be true. I am very comfortable in my position now. I've always played better coming off the bench, even when I was a freshman. I'm really comfortable with it.

Is Alabama's defense better than last year's?
Matt Wyatt: I think they are a much better defense, if for no other reason than playing together for a year. They play really fast. You watch the tapes of them and they are flying around. Whenever I watched the Tennessee game, for the first half of the ball game, they were playing much faster than Tennessee's offense. But Tennessee's offense had so many strengths, that it came through in the end. Tee Martin kind of won the game himself.

Coming into the game, how long does it take for you to get into the flow of the game?
Matt Wyatt: I don't mean to sound boastful but I've never had a hard time getting loose. I don't have to spend a lot of time stretching to get loose and stay warm. When you go in there, it's better if you can get hit or hand off the first couple of plays so that you can get used to the speed. For some reason, it has not been a problem for me to get into the flow of the game.

As fans, we like to sometimes think ahead to things like the championship game. How difficult is it for you guys not to think about things like that and to think one game at a time?
Matt Wyatt: It's pretty tough. I think a certain amount of that is really good for you. You then realize what could be riding on this game. You can't think about it too much, because, if you do, then you'll start thinking about the two games after this one. That's not important, what is important is to watch as much film on Alabama as possible and try to be ready to go out and execute against them.

11/10/99 (1:40 p.m.) - According to a source of mine, the MSU-Bama game will be shown in 65% of the country, Notre Dame-Pitt will be shown in 35%. Notre Dame-Pitt will be shown in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and the New England area.

11/10/99 (12:20 p.m.) - Click here to read a Mississippi State article found in the Dallas Morning News....

11/10/99 - - Advertisement: If you are looking for equipment to work in the garden or on the farm, look no farther than Monroe-Tufline, a Mississippi-owned and operated company located in Columbus, MS.

11/10/99 - For those of you who would like to greet the team this Saturday, MSU will arrive at the stadium two hours prior to the game. The arrival location is at the northwest end of the stadium. Look for a green and yellow Mayflower truck with MSU on it to confirm that you are at the right gate.

11/10/99 - Although our football coaching staff doesn't like it, the MSU/Arkansas game has been officially moved to 8 p.m. so that it can be televised by ESPN2.

11/10/99 - Click here to read some of Alabama coach Dubose's press conference.

11/10/99 - Click here to read what one Pittsburgh sports writer thinks about Coach Sherrill and how lucky MSU is to have him.

11/09/99 (10:45 a.m.) - Very interesting comments by an Alabama player on television last night.
Last night, on NBC 13 in Birmingham, they interviewed Alabama's safety, Dixon I believe, and he said "At Bama, we have so much talent, people just step in and fill shoes when somebody goes down. We're not worried about Mississippi State. Look at who we have played and who they have played. Just look at their last three games. They've barely squeaked out wins against poor teams. Mississippi State hasn't played anybody. There is no doubt that we are the better team."

11/09/99 - Alabama injury update.
Defense:
DE Kenny Smith - Out for the season.
DE Canary Knight - Out for the season.
LB Marvin Constant - Out for the season.
CB Kecalf Bailey - Was back at practice, Monday.
S Tony Dixon - Will be held out of practice but should play.

Offense:
RB Shaun Alexander - Will probably play.
QB Andrew Zow - Will probably play.

MSU injury update.
Defense:
S Tim Nelson - Held out of practice, but will probably play.

No other MSU injuries reported. Just a bunch of minor bumps and bruises.

11/09/99 - Pillow Academy standout senior fullback Josh Whelan had a good game last Friday night. Josh, who is receiving letters from quite a few colleges (MSU included, I believe), showed good speed on his first touchdown by outrunning the defensive back and good strength on his second touchdown when he ran over a defensive player. Josh also has a younger brother, a sophomore, who made several good plays during the game. Not sure what his name is.

11/09/99 - Normally I post Noah Ingram (5-11, 210) info on my high school skuttle-butt. Today is different. Read the post below to see why.

Quotes from the Bolivar Commercial:
"Noah Ingram, the 5-11, 210 junior tailback, carried the ball 36 times for 480 yards and 7 touchdowns en route to setting a new Mississippi high school single game rushing record. His performance eclipsed the previous mark of 467 yards in a game set by Maben High School's Randy Bell in 1998. Ingram, who has rushed for 2,907 yards and 39 TD's, needs just 30 yards to break the single season record of 2,936 set by Velma Jackson senior Marvin Vaughan last year. Ingram is also just 8 TD's away from tying the single season TD record of 47 set by current MSU RB Dicenzo Miller......he is already peaking interest of college teams such as Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and LSU - has indicated that he would like to play at the next level in Mississippi, but that will have to wait one more year."

Ruleville plays Friday night in Ruleville in the first round of the playoffs. Noah will break the record Friday night.

11/09/99 - Defending Southeastern Conference Western Division champion Mississippi State, having opened the month of November with a come-from-behind win over Kentucky, visits Tuscaloosa this Saturday, Nov. 13, for an SEC West showdown with Alabama. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised by CBS Sports.

Should Mississippi State defeat Alabama this Saturday, the 1999 Bulldog team would join just three former MSU teams to win nine or more games. State last won nine football games in one season in 1980. The Bulldogs also were victorious nine times in 1974, and in 1940, the school's football team won 10 contests. State became just the 12th MSU team ever to win eight or more games in one season with its triumph over Kentucky. MSU has never been 8-0 in school history, and the football program has now won eight games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1980-81.

A win over Alabama would also give MSU six SEC triumphs, a feat that was accomplished for the first time by the Bulldogs' SEC Western Division championship team last fall. This 1999 Bulldog club joined just three former MSU teams (1942, 1980, 1994) that won five league games in one season. Like the 8-0 overall record, State's 5-0 SEC start is a first in school history.

MSU has been victorious in 11 straight regular-season games, dating back to the Bulldogs' win over Alabama, 11/14/98. MSU has not won more than 11 straight regular-season games since Allyn McKeen's teams won 13 in a row from 1942-44 (no team in 1943 due to World War II).

The Bulldogs' eight-game winning streak to open the 1999 season ties for the third-longest victory stretch in school history. A winning habit that followed MSU's Cotton Bowl loss to Texas, it matches the eight straight won by MSU's 1918-19 teams (11/28/18-11/8/19). State has not won nine or more straight games since the early 1940s.

Mississippi State will appear on CBS Sports for the first time since the network became the SEC's national broadcasting partner in 1996. In fact, it is MSU's first appearance on CBS since 1982 when the Bulldogs lost a 29-22 game to Georgia at Scott Field. State has appeared on CBS just two other times, Sun Bowl games vs. North Carolina (1974) and Nebraska (1980).

The MSU-Alabama game will be the sixth time in the first nine games this season that the Bulldogs have appeared on network television. State is 15-3 in regular-season televised games, dating back to the 1997 season, and has won its last eight straight regular-season TV contests. MSU is 1-2 in games televised by CBS Sports.

The Mississippi State-Alabama game will the 54th time in Jackie Sherrill's 102 games at the head of the Bulldog football program that the school has appeared on live network television. State has won 12 of its last 14 regular-season television games, and are 20-9 on the tube since 1996. MSU is now 28-25 on television since 1991.

Mississippi State has won its last three games away from Scott Field, dating back to the Bulldogs' season-ending win over Mississippi. That mini-streak includes games at Vanderbilt and Auburn this season. State has not won four consecutively on the road since 1994-95 (South Carolina, Kentucky and Mississippi in 1994; Baylor in 1995).

Jackie Sherrill has been named a semifinalist for the Football News magazine Coach of the Year for 1999. He joins Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech), Bobby Bowden (Florida State), June Jones (Hawaii), Steve Logan (East Carolina), Glen Mason (Minnesota), Tom O'Brien (Boston College), Joe Paterno (Penn State), Bill Snyder (Kansas State) and Tyrone Willingham (Stanford) on the list.

Junior place-kicker Scott Westerfield, who is second in the SEC and ranks seventh nationally with 1.75 field goals per game following the season's first eight games, provided the game-winning points in the Bulldogs' triumph over Kentucky. Westerfield connected from 45 yards out with just five seconds remaining to hand State its one-point win. The former junior college all-American is now 14-of-19 (.737) on three-pointers this year. With that connection, he stands alone in fifth place in single season three-pointers (14). He needs just one field goal to catch Brian Hazelwood (15; 1998) and Chris Gardner (15; 1992) for a tie for third. In just eight Division I college games, Westerfield stands alone in 10th place in career field goals made at Mississippi State. The junior from Brandon, Miss., was recently named one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, given annually to the nation's premier place-kicker.

Mississippi State senior Dog safety Ashley Cooper continues produce career-best defensive efforts as the 1999 season rolls along, and was named the SEC's Defensive Player of the Week for a second time this season in the win over Kentucky. Cooper recorded a team-best 13 tackles, including four tackles for loss (minus 12 yards), two quarterback sacks (minus 15 yards) and was credited with two passes broken up. Earlier this year, he was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week after State's shutout win over South Carolina.

Jeff Walker, Robert Bean and defensive tackle Kevin Sluder have been extended invitations to play in the 2000 Senior Bowl all-star classic in Mobile, Ala.

Source: MSU Athletic Department Media Relations:

11/08/99 - In the lastest polls, MSU is ranked 7th (ESPN) and 8th (AP).

11/08/99 - Check out a few additional fan photos from the Kentucky game.

Kentucky game fans photo 1.
Kentucky game fans photo 2.
Kentucky game fans photo 3.
Kentucky game fans photo 4.

11/08/99 - Advertisement: If you live in the Jackson, MS. area and you need formal wear for a wedding or any other formal event, click here to visit Doug Douglass' Tuxes, Too website. Doug is looking forward to fulfilling all of your formal wear needs.

11/07/99 (3:00 p.m.) - According to the latest NCAA stats, MSU's defense is ranked:
#5 in Scoring Defense (12.0 PPG)
#2 in Passing Efficiency Defense (87.7 POINTS)
#1 in Rusing Defense (54.0 YDSPG)
#1 in Total Defense (198.5 YDSPG)

11/07/99 - Photos from the last two weeks:

Pep rally photo from two weeks ago.
Kentucky game photo.
Kentucky game photo.
Kentucky game photo.

11/06/99 - Premium site tidbit.

Player Quotes:

Matt Wyatt

A question was asked about winning the game in the last few seconds.
Wyatt: I hope it is not a regular deal. We said after the Auburn game we have to win some like this. The teams that win championships wins games like this. I don't know if we expected to win three this way. It's just a positive thing when everybody can pull together over and over to win a ballgame.

Do you think that this team works better under pressure?
Wyatt: I don't know. You would probably have to ask each guy that question. Different people react different ways when under pressure. So far, I would have to say we have reacted pretty good under pressure at the end of these last three ball games.

How do you keep yourself prepared to come in when the game is on the line?
Wyatt: You prepare during the week during practice. If you practice well, learn the offense, watch film, learn their defense, then you go into the game and you know that you are prepared. You know that you won't be surprised by anything that they might do. What I try to do is prepare that way. If it comes down to me having to go into the game, then my goal is for us not to lose anything when I go in there. That's my goal.

What was Kentucky doing defensively on that last drive?
Wyatt: The entire game they played a tight defense, four down linemen, three linebackers coming. They were really in there pretty tight. They played man the whole game on our receivers. On the last drive, because of the time and that we were in a two-minute drill, they began to alternate between two free safeties and one. They were giving softer corners to our wide outs. That was the key I think because we were able to complete some and get out of bounds to stop the clock.

Did you see that at the line?
Wyatt: Yes, when you got to the line you could see that. It was almost a guess to see if we were going to be able to throw some out there close to the sidelines and get out of bounds.

Can you describe the huddle on that last drive?
Wyatt: No talking, a lot of focus. There was kind of an electricity. We all felt very confident that we would get within field goal range.

Talk about Kelvin Love's night.
Wyatt: If you asked him, he would talk about that one he didn't catch. He wouldn't talk about all of those that he caught. In the two-minute drill he made a huge catch, out jumping the guy and hanging onto the ball. First, he beat the guy off of the line. I was reading that side and when I saw how open he was, I was kind of surprised. He's the kind of guy who really comes through.

Do you think a win like this will help you get some of that respect you deserve?
Wyatt: I think if we had won by several touchdowns it would have been more convincing but I still think it is a mark of a good team to come back and win at the end.

Matt's comment about Rob Morgan hold on that winning field goal.
Wyatt: You need to go back and watch the hold on the last field goal. It was a bad snap. There aren't many guys who could get the ball off of the ground as quickly as Rob Morgan did. He caught the ball right on the ground and everybody kind of took a deep breath. He's just so good at it. It's just a huge part of it. It was a great hold and that's something that gets overlooked.

11/05/99 - Game Recaps:
ESPN
Access Atlanta
Official MSU site

11/04/99 - The MSU - Bama game will be televised regionally at either 11:30 a.m. CST by JP Sports or 2:30 p.m. CST by CBS. The decision will be made on Monday, November 8th. If the game is on CBS it will also be broadcast with the Notre Dame - Pittsburgh game, so depending on your area of the country, you may or may not receive the game on your local CBS affiliate. If the game is carried by JP Sports, it will be part of the ESPN Gameplan package and available on satellite/cable pay-per-view systems.

11/02/99 - How good is place kicker Jonathan Nichols of Pillow Academy? I was told that he was kicking his kickoffs 15 yards out of the end zone during one game this year. This info comes from someone who actually saw him doing it. Look for Jonathan to chose either MSU or Ole Miss.

11/01/99 (1:30 p.m.) - Thought you guys would enjoy reading this J. J. Johnson info:

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The tailback-by-committee system is back for the (Miami) Dolphins. As evidenced by Sunday's 16-9 victory over the Oakland Raiders at Network Associates Coliseum, Dolphins coach Jimmy Johnson has decided to give backup tailback J.J. Johnson an expanded role in relief of starter Cecil Collins. J.J. Johnson finished with more carries (21) and yards (86) than Collins (15-49) and was the running back the Dolphins used when trying to run out the clock late in the fourth quarter. Johnson's three successive carries gained 13 yards -- including a four-yard pickup on third-and-1 -- to insure the Dolphins would keep a perfect 4-0 record in road games. Click here for the entire story.....

11/01/99 - MSU Football Notes:

Defending Southeastern Conference Western Division champion Mississippi State, having ended the month of October with a come-from-behind win over LSU, stays at Scott Field this Thursday, Nov. 4, as SEC East opponent Kentucky visits Starkville. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. (CT). The game will be televised by national cable network ESPN as part of its Thursday college football package.

A win over the Wildcats would also give State a 5-0 start in the Southeastern Conference. Only four former Bulldog teams won five or more league games in one season. Like the 7-0 overall record, State's 4-0 SEC start is a first in school history. MSU's 1940 and 1941 teams began their league seasons 4-0-1.

MSU has been victorious in 10 straight regular-season games, dating back to the Bulldogs' win over Alabama, 11/14/98. Prior to State's current skein, the Bulldogs had never won more than four in a row since an 1980-81 streak in which MSU won eight straight (10/18/80-9/26/81). MSU has not won more than 10 straight regular-season games since Allyn McKeen's teams won 13 in a row from 1942-44 (no team in 1943 due to World War II).

Since assuming the head football coaching reins at Mississippi State, Jackie Sherrill's teams have posted a 14-5 record (.737) in games following an open date. State has won five of its last six contests played following an off-weekend.

The MSU-Kentucky game will be the fifth time in the first eight games this season that the Bulldogs have appeared on network television. State is 14-3 in regular-season televised games, dating back to the 1997 season, and has won its last seven straight regular-season TV contests. MSU has appeared on ESPN 10 previous times (4-6).

The Mississippi State-Kentucky game will the 53rd time in Jackie Sherrill's 101 games at the head of the Bulldog football program that the school has appeared on live network television. State has won 11 of its last 13 regular-season television games, and are 19-9 on the tube since 1996. MSU is now 27-25 on television since 1991.

Mississippi State has posted a 15-12 record vs. teams from the Eastern Division of the SEC since the league went to the divisional format in 1992. The Bulldogs have won six of their most recent eight regular-season games against teams that comprise the SEC East. A win over Kentucky would give MSU a sweep of Eastern Division teams in 1999, a feat only accomplished one other time (1994) in the last eight seasons.

In holding their first seven opponents to just 74 points (10.6), the Bulldog defense has been stifling. In MSU's season-opening win over Middle Tennessee, the lone touchdown allowed by the Bulldogs came on the final play of the game; against Memphis, the only six-pointer came on a 23-yard drive set up by a blocked punt; Oklahoma State's only score came on an interception return; and the defense shut out South Carolina. In Weeks 5-7, the MSU defense permitted just one TD per game. Therefore, State's defense has allowed just 54 points in seven games (7.7). In 97 possessions against MSU's defense thus far, opponents have been held to three plays or less 47 times (48.5 percent), and have gained less than 10 yards on a series 50 times (51.5 percent). MSU's defense leads the nation in total defense (201.7), is ranked third in the country in scoring defense (10.6), and is second among Division I-A schools in pass efficiency defense (84.3). In MSU's last eight regular season games, the defense has held the opponent to one TD or less.

With Mississippi State's one-point win over LSU, the Bulldogs have now won three games this season decided by three points or less. In fact, State has won its last four games decided by that margin, dating to last year. Under head coach Jackie Sherrill, State is 8-6 in games decided by three points or less.

Mississippi State has posted a 23-7 regular-season record in its last 30 games, dating back to the final contest of the 1996 campaign. Over that time span, that record is easily the best in the Southeastern Conference's Western Division. State's 23-7 mark ranks ahead of Mississippi (19-11), Arkansas (18-12), Alabama (17-13), Auburn (15-15) and LSU (14-16) during that time frame. MSU's record in the most recent 30 regular-season games trails only Tennessee (28-2) and Florida (25-5) in the league as a whole. State's record matches Georgia over that time period, and is ahead of Kentucky (16-14), Vanderbilt (10-20) and South Carolina (5-25), which round out the Eastern Division.

MSU has recorded a 15-6 win-loss ratio against SEC competition during the past two-plus seasons, again the best mark against league foes by anyone in the SEC's Western Division. State's league slate over that period is five games better than Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi (10-11), and eight games better than LSU and Auburn (7-14). Again, only Tennessee (19-2) and Florida (17-4) rate ahead of MSU. Georgia's 15-6 mark matches State, while Kentucky is 9-12, USC and Vanderbilt are 3-18.

For the second-straight time, Mississippi State rallied from a double-digit deficit to keep its 1999 season perfect 10 days ago against LSU. The Bulldogs had to rally from a 16-0 margin to win at Auburn, and then bounced back from an early 10-0 deficit to beat LSU. The Bulldogs began their comeback with a blocked punt out of the end zone for a safety, MSU's first special teams' score of the season. MSU's defense stood firm following LSU's first drive, and the Bulldogs tacked on the game-winner with 1:39 remaining. So dominant was MSU's defense that LSU was able convert just three-of-12 third downs, with all of those successes coming on that first Tiger offensive series.

When the Kentucky Wildcats visit Starkville, the Bulldog defenders will oppose former State offensive line coach Guy Morriss. An assistant at MSU in 1996, Morriss joined the Kentucky staff as offensive line coach for the 1997 football season. He had previously worked with UK head coach Hal Mumme at Valdosta State in 1992-93.

Mississippi State head football coach Jackie Sherrill, now in his 22nd season as a collegiate head coach, is in his ninth campaign in Starkville. He has now been a head coach longer at Mississippi State than at any of his previous three stops and has matched legendary former Bulldog head coach Allyn McKeen for the longest tenure of a Bulldog head football coach. Sherrill, who is second only to Florida head coach Steve Spurrier in current longevity with a Southeastern Conference school, was boss at Texas A&M for seven seasons. He also was head coach at Pittsburgh for five seasons, after beginning his coaching career with one year at Washington State.

Mississippi State head football coach Jackie Sherrill has now won 56 games overall at the top of the Bulldog football program, and is among the top 25 winningest SEC coaches. With the win over LSU, Sherrill moved into 24th-place all-time, catching Harold "Red" Drew, who won 56 games from 1946-54, at Mississippi (1946) and then Alabama. Bill Battle (59, Tennessee 1970-76) ranks immediately ahead of Sherrill on the SEC list. Sherrill's 34 SEC games-only wins is already 17th in league annals, tying Drew in that category as well. He needs two triumphs to reach No. 15 Ray Graves (36, Florida 1960-69). Sherrill's 56 wins at MSU are good for second place on the school's all-time coaching victory list. Allyn McKeen's 65 wins top the chart. Sherrill's 34 SEC wins have surpassed McKeen's 29 league victories for the most in school history.

Since becoming the Bulldogs' head coach prior to the 1991 season, Jackie Sherrill has led Mississippi State to a 56-37-2 regular-season record. In the 95 regular-season games prior to Sherrill's arrival, the Bulldogs were 35-60. Sherrill has directed MSU to a 34-32-1 SEC mark during that time frame. In the 67 league games prior to his arrival, the Bulldogs were 17-50. Sherrill has led the Bulldogs to a 34-17-1 (.664) overall home record during his eight seasons in Starkville, the best record at State over that length of time since the 1940s.

Mississippi State senior punter Jeff Walker, a consensus preseason all-SEC selection at his specialty, will culminate his career as the school's all-time best punter. Walker entered his senior year with a 43.9-yard average on 89 career punts, a figure that was more than a yard ahead of the current career punting leader Todd Jordan (42.80; 1989-93). The two-time, all-league performer punted six times against LSU (for a season-low 37.2 avg.), but, in so doing, finally reached the SEC minimum number of punts per game (3.8 per game). He is now averaging 43.0 yards per boot, a figure that leads the conference and ranks 17th nationally in his specialty. He has permitted opponents just 9 punt return yards on those 27 kicks (does not include 16 yards on blocked punts).

Since arriving on the Mississippi State campus, Walker has handled all kickoff duties. Last year, 27 of his 62 kickoffs (44 percent) went for touchbacks, including 21 of his first 40 attempts through the sixth week of the season. In this season's first seven games, 17 of his 40 kickoffs have gone for touchbacks (43 percent), and the opponents' average starting position on those that were returned was just the 23-yard line.

Mississippi State senior Dog safety Ashley Cooper continued his big-play ways in the Bulldogs' victory over LSU. Cooper recorded six tackles, including two tackles for loss (minus 13 yards) and was credited with two passes broken up. His final pass deflection came on LSU's final desperation throw into the end zone at the close of State's win. Earlier this year, he was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week after State's shutout win over South Carolina.

Walker, Bean and defensive tackle Kevin Sluder have been extended invitations to play in the 2000 Senior Bowl all-star classic in Mobile, Ala.

Mississippi State senior inside linebacker Barrin Simpson has been named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award, the honor given annually to the nation's top linebacker. He is one of just 11 semifinalists nationally, and one of only two semifinalists from the Southeastern Conference named by the Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando.

True freshman split end Terrell Grindle celebrated his first collegiate start at Auburn with the first 100-yard receiving day of his career in the Bulldogs' win over the Tigers. Grindle had six catches for 109 yards. It was the first 100-yard receiving game by a Bulldog since Kevin Prentiss turned in a 132-yard performance last year against Arkansas. Like his diminutive predecessor, Grindle has developed an early knack for making the big play. His 36-yard pass-and-run play from quarterback Matt Wyatt on State's first play of their game-winning drive set the Bulldogs' comeback in motion. Against LSU, he hauled in a Wayne Madkin throw on a third-and-9 from the MSU 46 on the game-winning drive.