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| 1996 | Oct | Nov | Dec | |||||||||
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| 1997 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 1998 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 1999 | Jan | Feb | March | April | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
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12/31/99 - Pics from last night's MSU 17 to 7 Peach Bowl victory over Clemson.
Michael Bender proposing to Jill Ferguson
Jill saying yes.
A happy Bully.
The MSU crowd.
Five dedicated fans.
Michael Haddix, Johnie Cooks, and Reggie Kelly.
MSU sidelines.
Peach Bowl Champs.
MSU tight end Donald Lee.
Wayne Madkin holding up the Peach Bowl trophy.
The players doing the Dog Pound Rock.
Wayne Madkin and Coach Sherrill during the post-game interview.
12/30/99 - Antonio "Moss"!! That is what some folks are calling Antonio Hargro, the outstanding WR from Gautier HS. Because Antonio has the same type ability and body as present pro football player Randy Moss, some folks are calling him the next Randy Moss, hence the Antonio "Moss" nickname.
In case some of you don't know this, his teammate, Ray Ray Bivines, hurt his knee during the football season. While some schools might have or could back off recruiting him, I look for MSU to honor it's scholarship offer to him. MSU has always been that type school. Ask John Hilliard, the senior MSU defensive tackle who tore up his knee during his senior season or ask present freshman quarterback Kevin Fant, who also hurt his knee during his senior season.
12/29/99 (10:30 p.m.) - Here are a few pics from the MSU pep rally at the entrance to Atlanta Underground.
Bully ringing a cowbell.
Nathan Jackson, David Crawley, Steele Davis and Dwayne Robertson doing the Dog Pound Rock.
Nathan Jackson, David Crawley, Steele Davis and Dwayne Robertson doing the Dog Pound Rock part-two.
Pep rally 1.
Pep rally 2.
Coach Sherrill.
12/29/99 (2:30 p.m.) - The Peach Bowl Parade will be between 1:30 and 2:30 Thursday. Your best viewpoint will be at the Olympic Centennial Park which is located on International Blvd. which is very close to the Georgia Dome and the CNN Building. Heavyweight boxer Evander Holyfield along with a few Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Falcons and quite a few high school bands will be in the parade.
The Coca-Cola Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Fan Fest, which will be located at the Georgia World Congress Center, will have heavyweight boxer Evander Holyfield signing autographs between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. There is no set schedule for events at the Fan Fest. It starts Thursday at 2:30 and lasts until 6:30 p.m.
12/29/99 (2:00 p.m. eastern time) - Just thought you guys would enjoy seeing a few pictures from practice. I took these prior to practice starting.
Seniors photo 1
Seniors photo 2
Tron Thomas, Kyle Wallace and Derrick Thompson
Stephon Daniels and Aaron Lumpkin
Fair, Shivers, Mooney and Womack joking around
Kevin Fant, Justin Jenkins and Kelly Shumpert
David Crawley and Kevin Fant
12/29/99 - Here is a little info on Covington, La. kicker John Marino. MSU is evaluating John.
12/28/99 (11:00 p.m.) - The MSU alumni association chapter in Tampa, Florida is having a Peach Bowl party. It starts at 6 p.m. ET and will be at the Marriott on West Shore Blvd. in Tampa. They will have a "Happy Hour" on drinks and 1/2 price appetizers. Everyone will be responsible for their own tabs. Contact John Matthews at 941-362-9966 or email him at jematt@home.com if you plan on attending.
12/28/99 (10:45 p.m.) - MSU will practice at the Georgia Dome today. Practice is closed to the public.
There is a party from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday at Underground Atlanta. Thursday, there is a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Parade and a Coca-Cola Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl FanFest (Georgia World Congress Center). I will try and get additional info and post it on my page.
If you are going to the MSU pep rally Thursday, you can purchase tickets at the door. See my front page for details.
12/28/99 - The MSU football team's seniors visited the Shriner's children's hospital yesterday. The children at the hospital ranged from infants to teens. According to my source the players and coaches (including Coach Sherrill) stayed for a little over an hour. The players and coaches wanted to stay longer but couldn't due to other Peach Bowl commitments.
12/28/99 - The entire team will get up at 6:45 today to go to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes breakfast, then head out to practice. Practice, which is at the Morris Brown College football field, should start at 9:20 a.m. It is open to the public.
12/28/99 - The Atlanta Alumni Chapter together with The Orchestra Pit in Buckhead, the official MSU bar in Atlanta, invite all Bulldogs to stop by "The O-Pit" the night of December 29th 8:30-until and on the 30th before and after the game. For those sporting Maroon and White "The O-Pit" will have "Jello Shots".
12/27/99 (11:45 a.m.) - Click here to read an excellent Clarion-Ledger article about next year's MSU defense....
12/27/99 - Guess who did their own version of the Dog Pound Rock? During the 6A Alabama football championship game, Montgomery Lee HS did their own version of the DPR. The television announcers noted that Mississippi State made the DPR famous or "infamous" as they said with tongue in cheek.
12/27/99 - MSU reserver tackle Kyle Wallace had his appendix removed after getting to Atlanta, Saturday. He is doing fine.
12/27/99 - MSU placekicker commitment John Marino was named to the LSWA Class 5-A All-State team this past Saturday.
12/26/99 (2:30 p.m.) - Click here to read a Clarion-Ledger article about MSU and the Peach Bowl....
12/26/99 - Devin Allen, a 5-10, 205-lb linebacker who is the defensive player of the year in his area, lists State as a school recruiting him. My source did not know where we fit in or if we are that interested. Devin had 178 tackles, 12 for a loss.
12/24/99 - Milton Garth, who moved from Leland, MS. to Phoenix, AZ. prior to his senior season, may be returning back to Mississippi. Milton, according to my source, is presently in contact with ASU, Auburn, and Miss. State. He has had home visits from Colorado, Northern Arizona, and Missouri, but, according to my source, his heart is in Mississippi. Milton's cousin is former Bulldog Kevin Henry. Milton made 1st Team All-Region on offense and defense. He also made All-City and was nominated for All-State honors.
Milton is not the only great athlete in his immediate family. He also has a little brother, Antonio Garth, who plays baseball and football for Leland High School. Antonio, who is a freshman, pitched for the varsity last year and played quarterback for the junior varsity this year. He stands 6-3 and weighs 165-lbs. The word is he will attend the University of Oregon Nike Quarterback camp this summer. He is a hard thrower who will be a pitcher to watch during the next four years.
12/22/99 - Advertisement: If you are looking for a great gift, you need go no farther than Charles O. Perkins Studio. Charles has the 1999 Egg Bowl Scoreboard as well as the 1996-1998 MSU/Alabama Scoreboards framed. Either one would be the perfect gift for any Bulldog fan. Click here to go to Charles' website to view the scoreboards and all the necessary info to order either one of them.
12/22/99 - Just thought I would pass along the names of the unofficial visitors from Monday's practice:
12/22/99 - Recruiting news:
12/22/99 - Thought you guys would like to read an Alliance Sports article about Pillow Academy's outstanding football player Scott Goldberg, a youngster who is a true Bulldog fan in every sense of the word.
When a school is in your blood sometimes you'll do whatever it takes to spend your college years there. Such is the case with Scott Goldberg from Pillow Academy in Greenwood.
"I've always liked Mississippi State," commented the 5-9, 160 pound running back. "I've always gone to the home games for about 6 or 7 years and I've gone to the road games. I'm just a Bulldog."
"I don't care who offered me," he said. "I'd still go to State. If State doesn't offer me I'll walk on there. Lately I've gotten a few letters (from other schools), but I just throw them in the fireplace. I don't even look at them."
The Bulldogs have offered him the opportunity to come in and prove himself. If he does well they have intimated a scholarship would be offered next year.
As a senior Goldberg led Pillow Academy to the Mississippi 4A championship while carrying the football 72 times for over 800 yards (12 ypc) and 14 touchdowns. He averaged 18 ypc during the championship game.
Scott also showed some versatility by catching 3 touchdown passes and averaging over 25 yards while returning kickoffs. He has been clocked on his high school track field at an impressive 4.38 forty and expects to play receiver and to return kickoffs at the next level.
Scott knows that his dream can come true, but it is going to take time and effort tp prove himself to the Bulldog coaches. He has already begun to prepare himself.
"I am going to put some weight on and get faster," he commented. "I have started lifting weights (with a trainer), so I can put some weight on and take a hit. I am also developing my hands a little bit better and I'm working on catching kicks. One of my good friends, (All-State kicker and Ole Miss signee) Jon Nichols has been kicking off to me to help me practice."
Goldberg projects as a full qualifier and as already obtained the necessary 17 on the ACT. He plans to retake the test untimed to improve on this score.
Reprinted with permission from Alliance Sports
12/22/99 - Advertisement: If you are looking for insurance and you live in the Jackson, Mississippi or surrounding area, give Bulldog fan Mark Doiron a call or better yet check out his website at http://agent.allstate.com/88634.
12/18/99 - Starkville HS players update, according to various sources:
12/17/99 - Here's an update on how we stand with various players based on info that I have received from different sources. These lists are not all-inclusion.
MSU Signees or commitments:
A few players that are leans to MSU:
12/17/99 - Possible walk-on at MSU this coming fall?
I have been told that Pillow Academy's Scott Goldberg, the fastest football player in the academy ranks, may walk-on at MSU this coming fall. Scott helped Pillow Academy defeat Jackson Prep for the State AAAA Championship by gaining 154 yards on 10 carries. He also scored 3 TD's. During 1999, he averaged over 11 yards per carry. As a junior, he won the North and State AAAA 100-meter dash. He has run the 40 in 4.3 seconds. According to my source, he could be an excellent receiver/kick returner in college. This sounds like an excellent pickup for MSU if Scott winds up there. Stay tuned....
12/16/99 (10:45 a.m.) - It seems Tennessee Coach Phil Fulmer is really making his rounds in Mississippi. Not only was he in Madison, MS. yesterday, he was also in Calhoun City visiting with Cornelius Wortham. Cornelius has been offered by the Vols and is now leaning that way.
12/16/99 - Peach Bowl comments by MSU QB Matt Wyatt:
"I think last week's practice was a good one, especially considering the amount of time we had off prior to that week. If you were to ask the coaches, they would probably say the same thing. There was a lot of fun and flying around by our players. I think that was probably a result of three things; 1)shorter practices, usually 15-18 periods, 2) no immediate game to get ready for, and 3) the cool weather. All those things really allowed us to cut loose and have some fun.
12/16/99 - Tennessee head football coach Phil Fulmer was seen in Madison, MS. eating at a local restaurant with the Buckles family.
12/16/99 - The word is Pelahatchie HS's fullback Ken Archie is leaning to MSU. If he doesn't pass his ACT, look for him to sign with a juco and transfer to MSU.
12/16/99 - According to several emails from sources of mine, Pillow Academy's outstanding kicker, Jonathan Nichols has committed to Ole Miss. MSU was very interested in Jonathan. Based on my sources, it appears to be solid info.
12/16/99 - Anybody know anything about Dorsett Buckles, a 5-11, 210, 4.4, linebacker, from Amite LA.? The rumor down Louisiana way is he may sign with MSU. I have only heard this from one source, so far.
12/16/99 - Here is a little info on a kicker that MSU is looking at, according to a source of mine.
Clint Ruth, Punter and Kicker, 6-1, 180-lbs. He plays for White House High School in White House, Tennessee. Season stats include 46 of 59 kickoffs in the end zone with ten 70+ yarders and seven 69 yarders, 32-36 PATS, 8-13 field goals with a long of 47 yards. Last year, he had 50 yarder in State semifinal game. He has punted 32 times for a 36.3 yard average with a long of 67 yards and 1.7 yard return average. This was his first year to punt. He was named Region 4AAA Special Teams Player of the Year this year. He is very interested in Mississippi State. He has several relatives who attended or graduated from State as well as played baseball and football there. He is a very good student who will easily qualify. MSU, Ole Miss, UT, UT-Chatt and MTSU are looking at him. He was listed in Pigskin Preps' Dixie Bluechip Report in Tennessee's Best of the Rest.
12/16/99 - MSU signs six during the early signing period.
Julius Griffith, DB, 5-11, 175, Magee, Miss. (Magee/Copiah-Lincoln [MS] CC) -- Recorded 56 tackles, including two tackles for loss, during his sophomore season at Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College . . . Registered one pass interception and one fumble recovery . . . Ranked with the top 124 junior college players in the country by Max Emfinger in his report of the nation's two-year schools . . . He was the second free safety listed on Emfinger's ranking . . . Credited with running a 4.4 in the 40 by that publication . . . Named honorable mention all-state in Mississippi's junior college ranks by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger . . . Helped lead his prep team to the Class 3A state championship during a standout senior season for head coach Danny Cowart at Magee (Miss.) High School . . . Regular member of the Magee defensive backfield, he also returned kicks during his final prep campaign . . . Returned one punt 70 yards for a touchdown . . . Also had one fumble recovery return for 75 yards and a score . . . intercepted 10 passes during his high school career, including six during his junior season . . . Totalled 86 tackles during his senior campaign . . . Made 82 stops as a junior . . . Helped his team to a two-year 25-3 mark . . . Born Julius Mondrel Griffith, 7-21-80 in Magee, Miss. . . . Son of Rev. and Mrs. Lowery Griffith . . . His fraternal twin is Justin.
Courtney Lee, OL, 6-4, 328, Austin, Texas (L.B. Johnson/Blinn [TX] CC) -- Selected first-team junior college all-America by the J.C. Gridwire recruiting magazine . . . Named second-team National Junior College all-America on the offensive line by the National Junior College Athletic Association . . . Listed as the top offensive guard in the nation's junior colleges by Max Emfinger in his Super Bluechip listing of the best 124 JC players in the country . . . Credited with running a 5.2 in the 40 and benching over 400 pounds by that publication . . . Picked to the Southwest Junior College Football Conference first-team offensive line . . . Starred on the offensive line for head coach Jim Davis at Lyndon Baines Johnson High School in Austin, Texas, during his prep career . . . Named all-district 26 4-A following his senior season . . . Born Courtney Allen Patridge-Lee, 7-4-80 in Austin, Texas . . . Son of Mrs. Rhonda Patridge and Mr. Darrell Lee.
Cory Miley, DL, 6-3, 250, Mendenhall, Miss. (Mendenhall) -- Originally signed with Mississippi State last spring . . . Enrolled part-time at MSU this past fall semester . . . Suffered a broken leg in practice prior to the Mississippi-Alabama High School all-star game and did not play football this past fall . . . Listed as the No. 113 player in Dixie, regardless of position, by Superprep in its postseason issue, after suffering through an injury-plagued senior season . . . Credited with running a 4.9 in the 40 by Allen Wallace of Superprep . . . Rated the No. 49 player in Dixie in Superprep's preseason magazine . . . Listed 10th on the Jackson Clarion-Ledger's ranking of the state's top high school players . . . Ranked 37th on recruiting analyst Kevin Henderson's list of the top players in Mississippi . . .Two-way performer who also excelled at tight end and as the team's long snapper . . . Suffered a knee injury during his senior season which limited his playing time to just two games . . . Selected to play in the Mississippi/Alabama High School all-star game . . . As a junior, he had 89 tackles and 12 tackles for loss, six quarterback sacks, seven fumble recoveries and six caused fumbles . . . His father, Mack, is a former Jackson State all-America . . . Born Cory M. Miley, 12-20-81, in Jackson, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. and Mrs. M.C. Miley.
Marco Minor, DB, 6-4, 200, Natchez, Miss. (Natchez/Copiah-Lincoln [MS] CC) -- Listed as the top strong safety in the nation on Max Emfinger's ranking of the best 124 junior college players . . . Credited with running a 4.51 in the 40 by that publication . . . Ranked No. 25 on the Jackson Clarion-Ledger's list of the state's top junior college players, the second-best defensive back in those rankings . . . Played wide receiver at Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College . . . Finished second on the team with 20 catches for 197 yards in his sophomore campaign . . . Named honorable mention all-America at wide receiver by USA Today in its preseason high school football edition . . . Earned second-team, all-South at wide receiver and ranked as one of the top five players in the Magnolia State during preseason by Forrest Davis in his Football Recruiting Annual . . . Was the highest rated wide receiver in the state by that publication . . . Made third-team, all-South in Davis' postseason edition -- at defensive back . . . Listed among the top 29 wide receivers in the South during preseason by the Collegiate Football Recruiting Experts magazine . . . Rated among the top 40 flankers in the Southeast region by Max Emfinger in his preseason National Bluechips newsletter . . . Listed as the No. 88 prospect in the Southeast by SUPERPREP magazine in its all-America postseason edition . . . Mentioned among the top 27 wide receivers in the Southeast by the G&W Recruiting Report in its preseason publication . . . Ranked No. 9 on First Down Recruiting News' postseason list of the top prospects in Mississippi, the highest rated wide receiver on the chart . . . Rated one of the top 15 players in the state by Jeff Whitaker in his preseason Deep South Football Recruiting Guide . . . Credited with running a 4.4 in the 40 and a 35-inch vertical leap by that publication . . . Called "one of the top offensive players in the South" by that magazine . . . Played for head coach Robert Raines at Natchez (Miss.) High School . . . Earned second-team, all-state honors from the Jackson Clarion-Ledger as a defensive back . . . Listed among the top 25 recruits in the state by that publication . . . Called "an Eric Moulds clone, one of the top wide receivers in the nation" by Magnolia State recruiting analyst Kevin Henderson . . . Listed No. 5 on Henderson's ranking of the state's top prospects, the top wide receiver in the ranking . . . During his senior season, he led his team in receiving, grabbing 24 passes for 652 yards (27.2 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns . . . Also ran back five kicks for scores during a standout senior campaign . . . Opened recruiters' eyes during a sterling junior season, grabbing 21 passes for 536 yards (25.5 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns . . . Also starred on the defensive side of the ball that season, intercepting three passes . . . Lettered in track and is a standout three-year starter in basketball in addition to playing football . . . Born Marco Beindorf Minor, 11-10-78 in Natchez, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Minor.
Clarence Parker, WR, 6-3, 195, Natchez, Miss. (Natchez/Copiah-Lincoln [MS] CC) -- Ranked No. 17 on the Jackson Clarion-Ledger's list of the state's top junior college players following a standout sophomore season at Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College . . . Named second-team, all-Region 23 in the juco ranks . . . Finished his sophomore season with 31 catches for 449 yards (14.5 average) and four touchdowns . . . Credited with running a 4.5 in the 40 by FansOnly Recruiting . . . Starred at Natchez (Miss.) High School for head coach Robert Raines . . . Caught 27 passes for 430 yards, a 15.9 average, and five touchdowns following his senior prep season . . . Also scored three TDs on kick returns . . . Selected to the Mississippi-Alabama High School all-star game . . . Named to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger first-team, all-state offense at wide receiver, the only one on the 22-man roster . . . Born Clarence Parker, 3-18-80 in Natchez, Miss. . . . Son of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Parker.
Tommy Watson, OL, 6-5, 310, Thomaston, Ga. (Upson-Lee/Copiah-Lincoln [MS] CC) -- Played his sophomore season at Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College . . . Was named all-region 23 after starting at left tackle . . . Ranked No. 8 on the Jackson Clarion-Ledger list of the state's top junior college recruits, the highest ranked offensive lineman . . . Ranked with the top 124 junior college players in the country by Max Emfinger in his report of the nation's two-year schools . . . Listed fourth on Emfinger's ranking of 16 offensive tackles coming out . . . Considered a dominant run blocker . . . Played his freshman season at Middle Georgia College . . . Helped lead GMC to an 11-1 record in 1998, a win over Northwest Mississippi in the Mineral Water Bowl, and a national top-10 finish in the national junior college poll . . . He keyed an offensive line that generated more than 400 yards in total offense in that win over Northwest Mississippi . . . Starred at tight end and defensive end for Upson-Lee High School in Thomaston, Ga. . . . Born Tommy Lee Watson, Jr., 3-29-79, in Thomaston, Ga. . . . Son of Ms. Molly Melton.
Reprinted with permission from the MSU Sports Media Relations Department
12/15/99 (3:05 p.m.) - MSU has officially signed six players during the early signing period. They are:
12/15/99 - MSU football commitment Jadice Moore was selected the Vicksburg Area Player of the Year. Congrats to Jadice.
12/14/99 - The MSU football team will be leaving to go to Atlanta late Christmas day. Mary Ann and I will be leaving on the 28th. I will keep you up-to-date on what is going on while we are in Atlanta.
12/14/99 - Former Mississippi State football players Art Davis and Ron Bennett were recently named to Coahoma (MS) County's All-Century sports team.
12/14/99 - I received an email from an Ole Miss fan and I agreed with a few of his comments. I agreed with him that I should have listed Leon Collins as a prime-time player in my post yesterday. This Ole Miss fan also said that Antonio Hargro is now an Ole Miss lean. As I said in my post yesterday, if a player is now leaning their way, then their strategy has worked. The real test will be what happens on his other official visits and what he ultimately decides.
Other recruiting tidbits:
12/13/99 - It appears Ole Miss has put most of their eggs in one basket by bringing in the vast majority of their prime-time recruits this past weekend. Some of the well-known players that visited Ole Miss were Doug Buckles, Vincent Strickland, Tavarus Horne, James Campbell, Trey Fryfogle, Kenneth Jackson, Antonio Hargro, Leon Collins, Darnell Jones and Jonathan Nichols to name a few. Quite a few of the players, Strickland, Horne and Campbell, were previously committed players. A few of the others, Fryfogle, Jackson, Collins are guys who were or are expected to commit to Ole Miss. However, did this bring-them-in-early-strategy work with the really prime-time guys, the guys like Doug Buckles, Antonio Hargro, Jonathan Nichols and Darnell Jones? If they are now leaning to Ole Miss, you could say it helped. However, if these players are not leaning to Ole Miss, after officially visiting, then you have to say it did not work. It will be very interesting to read the commits in the recruiting publications during the next few days.
BTW, according to my sources, the rumor is Ole Miss is really pushing the idea to Doug Buckles that he and James Campbell will be playing side by side during their time there if Doug should decides to sign with Ole Miss. However, in my opinion, Ole Miss has a problem with that approach, especially since one of the teams that they are recruiting against is MSU. MSU could easily counter this approach by saying that they already have three freshmen offensive linemen on their team that have the makings of being three of the best to ever wear maroon and white. They are Eric Thompson, Derrick Thompson and Donald Tucker. Add Doug Buckles to this group, then think about the line you would have; Eric Thompson, Derrick Thompson, Doug Buckles, and Donald Tucker. Then you have the option of putting Doug's former Madison Central HS's teammate Ben Justice in at center and you have the MSU offensive line of the future. Plus, you add Coach Jackie Sherrill, one of the greatest developers of offensive linemen in the college ranks today, to this mix and you have the potential to have one of the biggest, quickest, strongest and, ultimately, one of the most feared offensive lines in college football.
12/12/99 - MSU had four official football visitors at the basketball game yesterday. They were Marco Minor, Julius Griffith, Clarence Parker and Tommy Watson. All four are from Co-Lin CC and will sign with MSU during the early period.
12/12/99 - This may be old news but I was told last night that Amory HS football coach Bobby Hall has resigned to take the same position at Wayne County HS. There is a very real possibility that an MSU grad will be hired to take his place.
12/11/99 (9:45 p.m.) - Monday morning, the MSU ticket office will have for sale a limited number of $45 Peach Bowl tickets. You may order them by telephone if you can't go to the ticket office. Their phone number is 662-325-2600. There is no point in calling this number until 8 a.m. Monday morning. Call as quick as you can since these tickets will go quick.
12/11/99 - A couple of recruiting tidbits:
Leon Collins - WR, Amite County HS. Despite what you may read elsewhere, MSU is in the recruiting picture with Leon.
Bryan Shumaker - DB, Ackerman HS. Bryan's friendship with current Bulldog player Conner Stephens had very, very little to do with his choosing MSU over Ole Miss.
12/10/99 - Info on a possible MSU recruit for next year.
Noah Ingram, 5-10, 210 junior tailback from Ruleville Central HS, ended up with 3,411 yards rushing this year. That total ranks 10th all-time, according to the 1999 National High School Sports Record Book. He also scored 44 touchdowns this past football season.
According to a source of mine, this is what Bruce High School Head Coach Phil Ferguson said about him. "He is a great running back, an exceptional player. I thought we had seen running backs that good, but I think I was wrong. He is tremendous, so strong. Then he is so shifty that is is almost impossible to tackle him."
12/10/99- Have you heard of a youngster by the name of Scott Shurden? Trust me, you will during the next few years. Scott, who plays for Noxapater HS, might be the best young kicker (sophomore this year) in the state of Mississippi. Just this past football season, according to my source, he kicked a Mississippi state record 18 field goals. That put him third nationally. Not only can he make field goals but his kickoffs have been known to go out of the end zone. Sounds like he would be a great addition to the Bulldog team in a couple of years.
If any of you know anything else about him, email me.
12/10/99 - Thanks to one of you for these Clemson tidbits as it relates to MSU:
just wanted to pass along a couple of items about Clemson. You may be interested to know that the links between Clemson and MSU are deep. When Clemson was established, it was specifically modeled after Mississippi A&M University. In fact, South Carolina sent a delegation to MSU in the late 1800's to study it carefully before organizing Clemson. And, I believe that Clemson's charter acknowledges that it was established on the model of MSU. This was all described a couple of years ago in either the Clemson or MSU alumni magazine--I can't remember which.
You may not know that several faculty members here at Clemson are either former MSU faculty members or MSU alumni. In fact, Clemson's new president, James Barker (who was just installed this week) is a former MSU faculty member. He helped start the architecture school at MSU.
I hope our Dawgs can whip Clemson, even though I have come to admire their team. Clemson is under-sized, but quick, aggressive, and tough. I attended the Clemson-Florida State and was impressed with their abilities. They have lost and have not really been "beaten" this year; and many of the teams they lost to were very good teams. They are better than their 6-5 record indicates, and I hope our boys don't take them lightly. They don't have much of a running game, but they can pass quite well. Something intangible about Clemson may be their reaction to some recent events. One of their running backs shot himself in the head (and survived) several weeks ago. They dedicated their game with USC to the young man (Javis Austin), and it helped them stay pumped up. This undoubtedly will still be on their minds. Also, their offensive coordinator (Rodriguez) was a leading candidate for the head coach position at Texas Tech, but just withdrew his name from further consideration. So, they may want to "win one for the gipper" and show him that he made the right decision.
12/10/99 - Click here to read what Clemson's Tommy Bowden had to say about the upcoming match up between MSU and Clemson....
12/09/99 - Pillow Academy's outstanding placekicker Jonathan Nichols was at MSU's practice yesterday.
12/09/99 Check out a larger version of the front page Christmas tree and Egg Bowl trophy by clicking here and here....
12/08/99 - Look for Stephen Peterman, St. Stanislaus' outstanding tight end, to sign with either MSU, LSU or Auburn. He unofficially visited MSU for the LSU and Ole Miss games and, from what I was told, had a great visit both times.
12/08/99 - Coach Jackie Sherrill Peach Bowl Press Conference:
Comments:
What is your opinion about Mississippi State going to the Peach Bowl?
Coach Sherrill: The relationship that you have with the bowls are business ventures. There are three factors that are extremely important.
1) Can you sell it out? The Peach Bowl is already a sell out. I would say the Outback Bowl is not already a sell out. The same thing with the Cotton Bowl; it is a sell out for having Arkansas and Texas, because you have a lot of people who have a lot of memories.
2) The media coverage. What kind of media coverage will you have? That means that somebody is a drawing card.
3) Can you sell tickets to the fans? Will you sell tickets to the fans; will they get there?
There is no question that the Peach Bowl lobbied very, very hard and spent quite a bit of money trying to get us to go there. You really want to go where you are wanted.
I can say that a lot of people have inflated egos thinking that their bowl games are better than somebody else's; well they are not.
Bowl game practice question.
Coach Sherrill: We are going to move practice up. Last year, having practice back, we locked up the mid part of the day. By the time you got back to the hotel and got dressed to go out, the players didn't have any time left. So, we'll practice early in the morning and get it over with and give them an opportunity to go out in the afternoon or to rest if they want to. If they want to go to the movies, they can go to the movies in the mall. If they want to go shopping, they can go to the mall and do that.
Are the official functions that the players are required to go to less stringent than what the Cotton Bowl had them do?
Coach Sherrill: No, this is basically packed. They have the function on the 26th. And they have the FCA breakfast that they have to go to. They also have the luncheon and a dinner that they have to go to. The seniors will visit a hospital. There are a lot of things that they have to go to. And it's a short week. There is not a lot of free time.
They are announcing the Broyles Award winner tomorrow (Wednesday) night. Could you comment on that? (The Broyles Award is given to the top assistant coach in the nation.)
Coach Sherrill: (Joe Lee Dunn) deserves it. There is not question that he deserves it. It's going to be hard not to when you have coached the number one defense in the country as we have here.
Barrin Simpson was named an All-American the last couple of days. What can you say about his play this year?
Coach Sherrill: He has really been a great leader for us. The best thing that has happened is that we have played Barris Grant also. This has allowed us to give him some rest. In this league to be named first or second-team is a big honor. When you are named first or second-team all-american, that is a big plus.
GS: When you said you are going to be working with the younger plays, what, specially, were you talking about?
Coach Sherrill: We will be working on their techniques and drills. We will not be trying to get them ready to play a game but to play football.
GS: What are your feelings about being selected for the Peach Bowl?
Templeton: We are going to the place that wanted us. We are excited about it. Our kids are going to have a good time. That's the important thing.
GS: How much does it help Mississippi State, financially, to go to two straight bowls?
Templeton: Financially, we will probably spend most of what we are going to make. But, being in the revenue sharing of the Southeastern Conference and having two in the BCS is very important to us, financially. We'll come away from Atlanta with some additional revenue that we can use for facility improvements. Keeping this team here and this program going during the holidays is not cheap.
GS: How important is it for Mississippi State to be a part of the SEC?
Templeton: As far as Mississippi State is concerned, I'm not sure if you could put a monetary value on it. Probably, ninety percent of the programs in division-1 would give their right arm to be in the Southeastern Conference. The television, the bowl opportunities, the competitiveness, being able to have a 4-4 home and away schedule against the competition that we have is immeasurable. I wish you could put a value on it, but for Mississippi State it is the very best position we could be in.
GS: What would you like to tell the Mississippi State fans about the Peach Bowl and why they should go to it?
Templeton: The thing I would tell them is that we have never been to Atlanta whether it is to the Peach Bowl or the Southeastern Championship Championship Game, that we didn't help create a level of championship play and excitement. Other than the weather, there is no difference in what's going to take place in this bowl than any other bowl that we could have gone to. The conditions of watching the game and playing the game are ideal. It is in the best facility to play in for an indoor game. And this team deserves their support.
How you talked to ESPN about televising next year's (Egg Bowl) game?
Templeton: We had a conversation at the SEC Championship Game that was a very positive conversation. I think that there evaluation of the past two years was more than positive. I think that we have an opportunity to continue that relationship. There are a couple of more things that John Schafer and I want to explore, but I think that we are very close to make a decision as to whether to play that game on Thanksgiving night or not for the next two years or to change it.
Will you lock in some safeguards for the preceding Saturday's game to prevent what happened this year?
Templeton: That is a decision that is a tough one because of our television contracts. I think that we will have some discussion whether we are going to say that we aren't going to play on national television the Saturday night before that. I think that we would like to have a little more veto to that but I'm not going to get into changing the SEC television agreements based on what we want to do with this (Egg Bowl) game.
What do you mean by other options for the Egg Bowl game?
Templeton: I think that ESPN would prefer to leave it on Thanksgiving night. They asked us to look at Friday night but because of the high school playoffs in the State of Mississippi, we told them that that was not an option that we would consider.
GS: Last year, the ESPN ratings for the Egg Bowl were the highest rated Thursday night ESPN game of the regular season. Have the ratings come out for this year's game?
Templeton: Their overnight ratings were told to me by Dave Brown. The real ratings will be out, probably, the middle of the month, so we will know then. It was big, though.
12/07/99 - Here are a few recruiting tidbits for your viewing pleasure. Thanks to my sources for providing me with some of the best MSU recruiting info to be found on the internet. Please keep it coming.
12/07/99 - 1st Central Fla. Bulldog Club event:
It will be Tuesday, December 7th, at Champions Sports Bar (in the Marriott) on Westshore Blvd. in Tampa.
Some of the MSU sports legends expected to be there will be Mike McEnany, Tyrone Keyes, Nate Peoples, Don Smith, Bobby Thigpen and Pete Franzis.
12/06/99 (11:15 a.m.) - I have just talked to the Peach Bowl representative and explained to him that MSU has a little kickoff dance called the Dog Pound Rock and it would be extremely nice of them, and very beneficial to them also, if they would allow it to be put back out on the field where it deserves to be. He had never heard of it before but knows a whole lot more about it now and will find out all he can about it and let me know what their decision is as soon as he knows.
He said the Peach Bowl is extremely excited about having Mississippi State as one of its teams. He also understands that Mississippi State fans and players are disappointed that they didn't get a New Years Day Bowl but that the Peach Bowl is very, very excited about getting Mississippi State for their bowl game.
12/06/99
Mississippi State, after one of its most impressive seasons in its history, has been extended an invitation to the Peach Bowl. This is the second straight bowl game for MSU and its 5th in the last 9 years.
12/06/99 - The rumor is Florida was to have visited Madison Central HS offensive lineman supreme Doug Buckles at home last night. Not sure how it went. I was also told that the Buckles had a lot of their Bulldog relatives at the championship game this past weekend. From what I was told, there were a few cowbells heard at the game.
12/06/99 - Is this that fullback that we are wanting to sign this year?
Pelahatchie HS's outstanding fullback Ken Archie is considering MSU, Southern Miss and Alabama. According to my sources, it will probably come down to MSU or Southern Miss. Southern Miss is in the picture because they are so close to home. He likes MSU because of what they have to offer football-wise. Stay tuned......
12/05/99 - Gulf Coast Bulldog Booster Club will meet at the Holiday Inn Coliseum in Biloxi, Monday, December 6, 1999. Cocktails at 6. Dutch Treat Dinner at 6:30. Speaker and meeting at 7. MSU assistant football coach Jerry Fremin will be the speaker. Don't forget to wear maroon or you will have to ring the cowbell and pay the fine!
Other events over the next seven days:
12/04/99 - MSU offensive lineman commitment Courtney Lee was just selected to J. C. Grid-Wire's First-Team All-American team. MSU's other offensive lineman commitment, Tommy Watson, did not make either the 1st or 2nd teams, although he is considered one of the top-5 offensive linemen in the juco ranks according to PrepStar Magazine.
12/03/99 - WTVA News reported that John Michael Marlin (5-11, 170, Tupelo (MS) High School) has committed to MSU as of last night. They said that they talked to him on the phone personally and that he will be a Bulldog next year.
Wonder how this will affect the recruitment of Pillow Academy's Jonathan Nichols and Simpson Academy's Drew Boteler? These two, plus Marlin, are supposedly the the top three kickers in Mississippi this year and are being recruited by MSU, according to my sources.
12/02/99 (6:00 p.m.) - J. C. Grid-Wire Pre-Season First-Team All-American offensive lineman Courtney Lee (6-5, 310, 5.3) has indeed committed to MSU. Courtney, who is considered one of the top-5 offensive linemen in the Juco ranks, plays for Blinn CC in Texas.
P.S. Tommy Watson, MSU's other juco offensive lineman commitment, is also considered one of the top-5 offensive linemen in the juco ranks according to PrepStar Magazine.
12/01/99 - Despite what you may be reading elsewhere, Madison Central HS offensive lineman Doug Buckles is not about to commit to Ole Miss. According to my sources, it is completely untrue.
