Content provided by All Things Maroon – A MSU and SEC blog.

Tomorrow will mark the first time since 2001, that 2 ranked opponents have squared off on the surface of Scott Field. #13 Arkansas comes to town as one of the hottest teams in the SEC, and are winners of 4 straight.

#21 MSU, is trying to build on their 7 win season, and is coming off a loss to Bama, that snapped a 6 game winning streak. Even though there is only 5 losses between the 2 teams, neither is eligible for the SEC Championship game, but both are focused on bettering their postseason bowl destinations. Want a history lesson?

• Arkansas leads series 13-6-1
• Average Score-  Ark  22  MSU  16
• Last 2 Meetings- (2009) Ark  42-21  (2008)  MSU  31-28
• MSU is 4-5vs Arkansas in Starkville

With history aside, let’s take a look at what the experts are saying about the Hogs and Dogs. As always we will be referring to what the odds-makers at College Gameday Stats has to say. Info@collegegamedaystats.com

• MSU Scoring vs Ark Opponent Scoring: Advantage Hogs
• MSU Pass Off. vs Ark Pass Def.: Advantage Hogs
• MSU Rush Off. vs Ark Pass Def.: Advantage Bulldogs
• Ark Scoring vs MSU Opponent Scoring: No Advantage
• Ark Pass Off. vs MSU Pass Def.: Advantage Hogs
• Ark Rush Off. vs MSU Rush Def.: Advantage Bulldogs
• College Gameday Stats Pick:  MSU

 Keys to Victory

(1) Run-Dawgs-Run: State faces the most explosive offense they’ve seen all year in Arkansas’ on Saturday. With as much that is said about Arkansas’ ability to score with relative ease, one thing that is ignored is their ability to control the clock when they want to. State has done an excellent job of keeping the ball away from most teams, by wearing down defenses with their 18th ranked rushing attack. But as much as people focus on that aspect of State’s game plan, the Hogs rank just one spot below the Bulldogs in Time of Possession. State needs to run the football effectively, and keep the chains moving. Just weeks ago, it was the UK Wildcats that gave the Dawgs a dose of their own medicine, rushing the football and eating up clock. State cannot allow that to happen on Saturday. This game comes down to one thing for MSU, and that’s the play of the OL. JC Brignone and Derek Sherrod will be taking Scott Field for the final time on Saturday, and they will have to be the catalyst for State. QB Chris Relf, RB Vick Ballard, and RB LaDarious Perkins will have to have success in running the option. And, I would like to see short passes to those RBs, as an extension of the run game. Even in a 30-10 loss to Bama, there were some nice blocks and runs at times. State had some success on 3rd Downs (50%), and Ballard and Perkins were just a step away from breaking loose on more than one occasion. If the Dawgs take those positives into account, and the fact that they are on their home turf (5-1 at home), good things could happen. State needs 5 guys doing their job, so that they can impose their will on the Hogs. Doing just that, will keep the ball away from Arkansas’ Ryan Mallet and RB Kniles Davis. Running the ball also means minimizing room for mistakes such as turnovers. The last thing we need, is to Mallet with extra possessions and opportunities. Hand it off, and as my dad says, “Let that dog eat!”

(2) Redzone Focus: State’s D has to buckle down on the Arkansas Offense inside the 20 yd line. The Hogs have scored on 37 of 40 opportunities in the redzone this season, good for 92.5%. On the other hand, State must take advantage of Arkansas’ Defense in the the redzone, where the Hogs give up scores 85% of the time (23-27). State has failed to convert trips into points this season Offense, only scoring 77% of the time (27-35). Mann Diaz’s D though, is doing a nice job of only allowing scores 73% of the time (22-30). Which I believe is good for 3rd in the conference.

(3) DL Must Pressure Mallet: Arkansas has an outstanding QB in Mallet, but they also have a number of dangerous targets. WRs Joe Adams, Jarius Wright, Cobi Hamilton, TE DJ Williams, all have right at 400 yards receiving or more. And, to make it worse, RBs Ronnie Wingo and Kniles Davis have good hands, and are dangerous in open space. The Bulldogs will have to pressure Mallet up front, and attack him before the likes of Adams and Wright can break away from coverage. Petrino does an excellent job of misdirecting opposing defenses-not with the run, but with the pass. State cannot allow sections of the field to go unmanned. Manny Diaz must make sure that Mallet is getting hit in pressure situations, not just hurried. The 6-6 QB, has struggled after taking a few hits during the past 2 seasons, and the Dawgs must attack early and often. Doing so, has the ability to force QBs into mistakes, which State will need a few of on Saturday.

(4) Win the Special Teams’ Battle:As important as Offense and Defense is to a game, Special Teams is KEY. It’s what happens on plays in this facet, that can earn you points, or set the stage for the upcoming possession. P Heath Hutchins has to keep the field position tuggle in MSU’s favor, and we cannot afford to give Mallet the short field. State needs to stay true in punt coverage, where the Bulldogs have only given up 52 yds all year. One major area, K Sean Brauchle must stay away from kicking the ball out of bounds on kick offs. Believe or not, but MSU only allows 22 yds per return on kick offs, but it’s the depth of the kick that usually makes things appear worse than they are. PK Derek DePasquale is on fire in his last 3 games, hitting 7 straight FGs. We will need everything we can get, and I see De-Paq playing a major role on Saturday night. As for our kick off return team, Perkins and Bumphis have to run with a purpose and brains. Bumphis has appeared very hesitant this season in accerlating and avoiding contact. Perkins on the other hand, just needs a few blocks, and State will start at the 45-50 all night. Like I said, run with purpose.

(5) Must Be Able to Throw the Ball: It sounds so simple doesn’t it? But, for MSU passing is not a strength for starting QB Chris Relf. I expect Arkansas to stack the box, since they know as well as we do, that we want to run the ball and control the clock. That means that we are going to have some opportunities to make plays in the passing game, and we must. Les Koenning needs to keep it simple, and RUSH the ball on 1st Downs. Short, high percentage passes are what we need to try and execute. Use the screen game to our advantage, slants, drags, and outs as well. Many people think that Tyler Russell makes us one-dimensional, but might I remind them that on ALL of Tyler Russell’s scoring drives this season, State had a big run on the drive (20+ yds). I wonder if we will see more of Tyler on Saturday? By that I mean a series or two more. 

(6) Make the Play: The Bulldogs’ play at homethis year hasn’t been the prettiest, but it’s been clutch when we needed it. Be it a timely forced fumble, interception, sack, catch, or 3rd Down run, the Dawgs have come through in Davis Wade Stadium (5-1). We can’t have drops in the passing game or in the Defensive secondary; if there’s a loose ball we have to claim it; make our kicks; make good choices in the option and passing game.

(7) Get Loud: And finally, as fans we have to BRING THE NOISE! I was impressed with the level of noise we created vs UK. We’ll need that again. We are on ESPN, as in ESPN 1 these days, so let’s help our team show out.

My Thoughts: Something tells me that our Seniors will not allow State to lose this one. JC Brignone and Derek Sherrod, who anchor the O-Line, will be looking to make Saturday’s game (their last in Davis Wade), one for the ages. FB Patrick Hanharan, who is also responsible for much of the Dawgs’ success on the ground, will lead the charge as well. On Defense, 2 of the best in recent years to put on an Maroon jersey will do so for the last time (depending on location of the bowl game), in LBs Chris White and KJ Wright. Their intensity and leadership on D, has propelled the Dawgs thus far, and I don’t see a drop off coming on Saturday. DE Pernell McPhee has had much more of a quiet career at State than anyone imagined, but I think he will pressure Mallet non-stop. I mentioned 2 weeks ago, that even though State has won 7 games, that not adding to that win total would result in disappointment. I think the Bulldogs know that, and will come into the Arkansas game ready to play. They have the opportunity to end up as a mediocre team, with just 8 wins to their name, OR as one to be remembered throughout MSU history. State could truly turn ’the corner’ with a WIN against the Hogs, find themselves in a much better bowl game, and lay the foundation for those to come. Do it for Bell and Berry!

My Prediction:  Hogs  28  Dogs  24. That’s my score prediction, but keep in mind that I’m being superstitious and picking the Hogs to win, so that State can (not really, actually I am, you get the picture). My superstitions also keep me from making my individual performance predictions, but I hope you do.

Your Prediction? Keys to Victory?

______SEC Weekend______

TSUN @ LSU   31-10

UT@ Vandy  34-17

Troy  @  South Car  42-13

Appl. State  @  UF  31-14 

WHO ya got?

In case yall missed it this week, which I think a lot of you did…

-Here’s some of the expansion ideas for Davis Wade. (Thanks, Buzzard) Link

-There have been some breaks in the Cam Newton story. Here’s an in-depth look at Auburn, Dirty Money, Football, and Politics. Link

-Kenny Rodger’s lawyer, confirms that Cecil Newton was involved in soliciting money. Link

-We also talked about HOW desperate Houston Nutt’s speech was on Monday.

-And we also talked about how much playing time that Tyler Russell should get.

-The Men’s B-Ball team is in action on Friday night vs Appl. State. Link

You can comment on any of those items as well.

Go Dawgs!!!

Content provided by All Things Maroon – A MSU and SEC blog.

We are officially 2 days away from kick off between #22 MSU and #13 Arkansas. I’m sure that Dan Mullen is doing his best to prepare the Bulldogs for Arkansas’ dynamic aerial attack, while Bobby Petrino is focused on stopping the Bulldogs’ ground game. To clarify, the Hogs’ pass offense ranks 1st in the SEC, while MSU’s rush offense·ranks 3rd. With that said, let’s take a look at how these 2 teams stack up against each other, and the rest of the nation as well.

There are indeed some interesting match ups that we’ll have to keep an eye on come Saturday. Here are some things that come to mind immediately, when I look at the stats:

-Ark Pass Off.·vs·MSU Pass Def.- The Hogs average 116 yds more than·the Dawgs give up, but State has yet to see a QB as potent as Mallet.MSU Rush Off.·vs·Rush Def.- The Dawgs average 59 yds more than the Hogs give up, but outside of Auburn, the Hogs have yet to see a better rushing offense than MSU’s.

-MSU Rush Def. vs·Ark Rush Off.- The Dawgs give up 27 ydsless·that Arkansas averages,·but extra focus on Mallet and the passing game, could result in a nice day for Kniles Davis. For the record, State has yet to allow a 100 yd rusher on the season.

-As much as MSU will want to hold on to the football and control the tempo of the game, Arkansas will be looking to play the same type of game. The Hogs rank one spot below MSU in Time of Possession. That really surprised me.

-The Scoring Defense between the 2 teams, leans in MSU’s favor by 3 points (18 ppg – 21 ppg). I·really think that the team that has the better day rushing the football will win this game.

What intrigues you about the stats and Saturday’s match up?

_____Break in the Cam Newton Story_____

A day after John Bondtalked with the FBI, andKenny Rogers talked with NCAA investigators, Bill Bell dropped a bomb on the on-going Newton saga. Bell, played football with both Bond and Rogers at State, and his name had come up during some recent allegations. It turns out that what Bell has to offer to the NCAA and other investigating parties, might be the most incriminating evidence against the Newtons thus far. Here’s a report from ESPN.com, by Mark Schlabach, Chris Low and Pat Forde:

[Bill Bell, a Mississippi State booster and former player at the school, told the NCAA he received a text message from a man claiming to represent Cam Newton's father that outlined a payment plan designed to bring the quarterback to the Bulldogs.Bell said former teammate Kenny Rogers told him Cecil Newton wanted money for his son to play at Mississippi State. Bell told ESPN.com he also shared a series of voice mail messages from Rogers with the NCAA last week. Bell said Cecil Newton never specifically asked him for money, but that Newton was present during three-way calls in which Rogers discussed a pay-for-play scheme. Bell said he told the NCAA that Rogers sent him a text message outlining a payment schedule. Bell said the text included a request for $80,000 the day after Cam Newton signed with Mississippi State, $50,000 30 days after that and another $50,000 30 days later. "When he asked for it, it was like 'Bam!'" Bell said. "He told me this kid's dad is going to want money and the next day he sent me a text message. He didn't say anything other than 'This is what I want and I want it in three installments.'" Bell said he kept Rogers' text message on his old cell phone, which was damaged by water, but he is currently trying to retrieve the text message through his cell service provider. Bell also said he has recordings of several voice mail messages from Rogers, which he played for NCAA investigators. "[Cecil Newton] didn’t come out and say, ‘I want $180,000,’” Bell said. “He inferred it and talked about it, but not directly. Kenny would talk about it in front of him, and [Cecil Newton] never corrected him or said, ‘No, that’s not what we’re doing.’” Bell said the initial contact to him was made by Rogers, who played football with Bell in college. But Bell, a Florida businessman, said he also had several conversations with Cecil Newton during his son’s recruitment. He said it was going to “take more than just a relationship with [Mississippi State coach] Dan Mullen and that Cam’s relationship with Mullen wasn’t what Mullen thought it was,” Bell said. “That’s when he said, ‘Dan Mullen is going to have to put a smile on my face if he thinks he’s going to get my son.’” Bell said the reason he’s providing details of the alleged scheme is because he wants to make sure everybody knows Mississippi State didn’t break NCAA rules during its recruitment of Cam Newton. Bell went on to say, “It was probably three phone calls or so before Kenny said, ‘They’re going to want money,’” Bell recalled. “It just seemed like he didn’t know what he was doing, like it was the first time he’d ever done something like that. I really believe it was Mr. Newton asking Kenny to do it. I don’t think it was Kenny’s idea.”]

Now, there’s a large camp of people who want to protect Cam Newton in all of this, who believe that he was unaware of his father’s actions. I couldn’t disagree more, due to the fact that an MSU recruiter or insider said that Cam seemed upset in his father’s decision for him to attend Auburn over MSU, because the “money was too much.”· In my opinion, that MSU recruiter or insider, was probably Jody Wright (former MSU Asst. AD), who is now a G.A. at Bama. I don’t believe that conversation was manufactured to fuel the story forward, but that it actually happened. If that quote can be linked to show that Cam Newton was aware of his father’s monetary solicitations, and that his services were purchased, then Cam and Cecil both are in ‘hot water.’ That also confirms that Auburn paid for Newton’s talents, and we know where it all goes from there. FBI please?·

Hopefully you guys woke up from yalls’ afternoon nap yesterday, and will punch the keys today (JJ).

Anyway, your thoughts on the stat match up between the Hogs and Dawgs?

Cam Newton saga’s newest twist?

Content provided by All Things Maroon – A MSU and SEC blog.

As Saturday’s match up between #13 Arkansas and #22 MSU approaches, I figured we’d take a midweek look at what’s being talked about in the 2 opposing camps. MSU’s Dan Mullen spoke about a variety of topics, and we also have some quotes from Arkansas’ Off. Coordinator Garrick McGee, and Bulldogs’ Def. Coordinator Manny Diaz. We will also look at the Hogs’ top players thus far. Saw where the ticket count is down under 600, so it’s gonna be a packed house for Senior Night at Davis Wade Stadium.

_____Dan Mullen Speaks_____

On Practice: “I think our last two games are 6:00 games so when you get to this time of year it’s actually good to get out here and make sure we’re practicing around our gametime, so our guys get used to playing…For us just a regular Tuesday, get back in our game routine. It was first down/play action mix, full pads, good hitting. We did some tackling but we didn’t change a routine that’s been very successful for us. So it was get out here, get after them, get back into that mindset of what we need to do to win. We got in a great routine in that winning streak, had a bunch of other things happen to get us out of that routine,” Mullen said. “Now we’re trying to get back on focus.”

On Relf: “Chris saw the chances. We went back and looked, he was 8-of-16 with four drops, two open receivers that he missed. So there were a lot of opportunities there, and for the receivers, everybody. We had a chance to watch it and see; in our winning games we were making those plays. If you don’t make them you’re not going to, against great teams.”

On Zach Smith (Injured): “He’s adamant that he is playing, to me…You can joke with him but he doesn’t even think it’s funny to joke with him. It was like ‘how come I’m not listed #1 on the punt team today?’” I said it’s because you’re not practicing. He said but I’m playing, so list me as #1.”- Gotta respect Zach Smith’s heart.

_____Hogs’ Off. Coordinator Garrick McGee_____

“Our kids are playing at a really high level right now,” Coach McGee said. “When we are set behind the chains, they’ve found ways to make plays and convert third downs. I know Ryan (Mallett) hit Cobi (Hamilton) on an in-cut on third-and-10 last week and it seemed really simple when he did it. We’ve just got to continue to play well on first down. Third downs become simple.” On State’s Defense: “Their defense is really complex. They would call it a multiple defense, I bet. They play three down. They play four down. They have four defensive linemen in the game in a three-down structure, with one of their defensive linemen standing up and floating around. They have a really interesting scheme that’s going to be a challenge for us.”

• During Arkansas’ 4 game win streak, they are averaging 46.5 ppg, and have converted 54% of the time on 3rd Downs during that stretch. SCARY.

_____Mann Diaz on Stopping the Hog Offense_____

“One of the things in the Alabama game is it ruined another red zone performance. We’re usually pretty hard to score on in the red zone, and when Alabama got in our red zone, they had a hard time scoring touchdowns on us. With a guy like Mallett, who is going to complete some passes, and they’re going to get some yards, if we will just understand, if we will tackle the catch, at a minimum if we’ll tackle the catch, sooner or later they’re going to wind up in our red zone, and the field gets constricted, and the offense is limited in terms of what they can do where you think you’ve got a chance.”-What Manny Diaz described, would be a nice alternative compared to Carl Torbush’s schemes last season. The Dawgs allowed Mallet to connect on long TD passes of 39, 58, and 64 yards. As much of a cushion as State has been playing in the past couple of weeks, Diaz should be able to take away the homerun ball, and present the Dawg D with opportunities to make plays against the underneath to mid-range passing game. This year’s Hog team will be even tougher than last year’s, thanks to the emergence of RB Kniles Davis. The Sophomore is approaching the 1,000 yard mark on the season.

Hog Playmakers in 2010

• QB Ryan Mallet: 2,967 yds, 67%, 24 TDs, 8 INTs
• RB Kniles Davis: 844 yds, 7.2ypc, 10 TDs
• RB Broderick Green: 333 yds, 3.5 yds per carry, 3 TDs
• WR Greg Childs: (out for yr) 659 yds, 14.3 yds per reception, 6 TDs
• WR Joe Adams: 588 yds, 17.3 ypr, 4 TDs
• WR Jarius Wright: 545 yds, 17 ypr, 3 TDs
• TE DJ Williams: 491 yds, 11 ypr, 3 TDs
• WR Cobi Hamilton: 391 yds, 15.6 ypr, 4 TDs
• RB Ryan Wingo: 274 yds, 10 ypr, 4 TDs
• Arkansas is 2nd in the SEC in Total Off. and Mallet is 15th nationally. Arkansas is 5th in Total Def. (More on stats tomorrow).

____Cam Newton Saga_____

Well guys, after an Auburn win, and 3 hours of Cam Newton worship from CBS’s Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson, all seemed somewhat ‘sunny’ again in Auburn, Alabama. The Friday before the UGA game, there were some reports that Cam Newton’s father, Cecil Newton, allegedly admitted to shopping his son to MSU. Reports say that Cam and Newton’s wife, were unaware of the bribe. Those reports seemed to have hushed, but the saga is heating up now more than ever. On Tuesday, the FBI interviewed former MSU QB John Bond, who was the first to provide information about the Newton case. Bond’s inside information, which sent shock waves through the College Football world, included Ken Rogers. Rogers, like Bond, is a former MSU player, and in all this has been identified as Newton’s representative or ‘handler’ during Newton’s recruitment and signing with Auburn. According to ESPN-Dallas radio, Rogers was interviewed by NCAA investigators on Tuesday, after he called out Cecil Newton last week, confirming that the father did in fact solicit monetary payments from MSU, in order to earn his son’s commitment. The NCAA investigative crew, also met with former MSU Football Operations Director Jody Wright. Wright is now a G.A. at Alabama. Hopefully we will find out something soon. ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, said that the FBI’s involvement will be to investigate the money trail, and to see if one exists.

Arkansas writer Chris Bahn, writes that Arkansas’ attendance numbers have dropped as their ranking has increased. Btw, the Hogs are done in Fayetteville for the season, as Little Rock awaits LSU next week. Redneck Mardi Gras!!! Ugh… Link

The SEC’s dirtiest player, Auburn’s Nick Fairley, will not be suspended or punished for his continual and violent LATE hits on opposing QBs. So, just how WORTHY was MSU’s Chris Hugh’s hit on the UAB player? Remember, the one that we never even saw a replay of, or know happened? Btw, is Fairley’s actions and the Cam Newton issue, just a few of the eye-opening aspects of Auburn’s lack of institutional control? Link

Anybody see Bama backup QB AJ McCarron get spanked by Saban? Link

Story on the Hogs’ DJ Williams. The kid has overcome a lot. Link

That’s all for today guys!

Content provided by All Things Maroon – A MSU and SEC blog.

On Tuesdays, I always provide notes from our very own Dan Mullen and the Bulldogs’ weekly adversary, but the truth is, Mullen and Petrino are not saying a whole lot. Here is a little bit of what I’ve gathered from the two coaches, thus far…

Dan Mullen on QB Ryan Mallet: “He can slide around in the pocket and extend plays. Very athletic that way. People get locked into thinking an athletic quarterback is one that can just run the ball and is very fast. An athletic quarterback can also be a guy that buys himself some extra time in the pocket. And he has the arm strength where he can throw a 50-yard pass and it takes about half a second for it to get there.”

Mullen on the Hog D: “They’re a very, very aggressive defense. They’re going to blitz you from a lot of different directions…They get you a little bit out of your game plan and they get into their comfort zone, which is really blitzing you from every direction on defense and coming after you. That’s one of the reasons we have to control the tempo of the game.”

·Bobby Petrino on MSU: “I know our players are excited about the week. We will be focused, and we have to do a good job in our preparation, in our practice, and get ready to go on the road and play another very good football team.”

Yaaaaawwwwwn.

Yesterday I raised the question of whether or not Tyler Russell’s passing game needed to be more a part of the Bulldog Offense, but it appears that Dan Mullen doesn’t think so. “The run game, that’s our base. The experience of our team is on the offensive line. To do that we need them to play well and they’ve played well running the football. That’s been the strength of our team this year and that needs to continue.” I completely agree coach, but a change of pace would be nice. I’m a major proponent of running the football and controlling the clock, but whenever we become predictable, and place ourselves in passing situations-be it predetermined or by circumstance, it would be nice to have the better arm in the game (at times). Mullen went on to say “When you look at our stats and the differences in our wins and losses – our turnovers – our ability to run the ball and control the tempo of the game, that’s been the difference. We have to be able to playour game at our tempo for us to be successful.” Les Koenning had this to say about Relf’s abilities, “We feel comfortable throwing the football – don’t misunderstand me now – but to win football games, our plan has been laid out by coach Mullen. Obviously as the game goes along – things change but controlling the football on the ground is our identity.”

_______After Further Review_______

And I’ll say this, there are some guys who missed tackles that I would rate as the best tacklers on our team. There were some things that were a little out of character for us.”

I watched the Bama replay, and here’s what I saw, followed by some comments from State players:

• Johnthan Banks was much better at Safety than he is at Corner. Opposing Defenses are beginning to target him.
• Tyler Russell did a great job of stepping up in the pocket, avoiding pressure, and throwing the football with the touch that each situation required. And, it was all against Bama’s first team D. If Bumphis doesn’t fall down, then he doesn’t even throw an INT, and we probably make the loss look even more respectful.
• Vick Ballard was a·BEAST in Tuscaloosa. The kid has the same motor as Anthony Dixon, and runs hard ’til the whistle. We need to get him the ball through the air more as well.
• LaDarius Perkins is potentially our most dangerous player on Offense. Ballard holds the edge at the moment, due to the fact that he is utilized more to his strengths then Perkins is. When he gets the ball on the edge, and he can cover 30 yds in a heart beat.
• Emmanuel Gatling continues to disappoint me. He had a chance to stop all 3 of Bama’s long TDs, before they even got started. Like I’ve said before, always around the ball, but just does not make the play.
• Nickoe Whitley’s statistics do not show how hard he plays. The kid flies to the ball, and is not afraid to make a hit.
• Charles Mitchell had his first down-game of the 2010 season. He is one of my favorite players, but he looked like the Carl Torbush version of #4, not the Diaz version.
• Corey Broomfield is very spotty at times. I liked him better before we let KJ Wright take over his role as a Rover type Back. Broomfield has the tendancy to lock up with a blocker, lose focus, and take himself out of plays. Violent hands, and attacking the ball will go a long way in improving his game. Sometimes when I watch him, I think of Randy Moss rumors, about taking plays off here and there.
• JC Brignone on Physicality: The one thing we didn’t do (against Alabama) was be as physical as we normally are. I don’t like making excuses so I think it was just – we weren’t there, we weren’t us. I want to leave with this being the best offensive line in (MSU) history because I know we can be
• Mann Diaz on Game Film: “Good for 29 plays; three in horror; and 29 more good. And I’ll say this, there are some guys who missed tackles that I would rate as the best tacklers on our team. There were some things that were a little out of character for us.”
• On a sidenote, Mullen mentioned that Relf missed 2 easy TD throws, with passes that were batted down at the line.

Even though Mullen and Petrino aren’t talking, but Houston Nutt is. Nutt had his weekly press conference on Monday, just as other SEC coaches do, but none of the others sound quite as pitiful and desperate as him. Nutt made every excuse in the world concerning the Rebs’ disappointing season. And, did his best to·bring attention to the positive things he’s accomplished since he’s been in Oxford. Here are some clips, that even·an Ole Miss radio station was·grilling Nutt over:

• “Lets go back and talk about the start of the year, this season has not gone like we had planned for it to.· It all started with that first game. With the amount of players we lost this year, we all knew that this would be a difficult year. But, what we didn’t plan on was three knee surgeries, four concussions and losing a leader like Kentrell Lockett. I just want to remind our fans that it had been·50 years since Ole Miss won back-to-back January 1 bowl games.· I’m excited that we have 12 freshmen playing. I am excited about the future.· I know in my heart, now more than ever, that we can get to Atlanta. I know we can, because I know that we can recruit here; we have proven that our last two seasons. What we didn’t plan on was our first game and a few others putting us in a tailspin. It’s my fault.· We were not as ready as we should have been, but I see a lot of hope. I am excited about these next two games. I remember the day I got here; I didn’t see any life or hope. I do not want that to come back on our guys now. We have two games left, and a lot of these guys have been doing great things for the past couple of years.”
• “It is easy to dwell on the negative. It is easy to sit up on the 50-yard line and point out the bad and embarrassing. I was the first one to say Saturday was embarrassing. If you think that you are hurting, you should be in my shoes. I am sick to my stomach when I think about the Tennessee game, because we planned on winning that game.”
• “I planned on having seven wins at this point in the season, six at the worst. The bottom line is that we are not there, but I am not going to allow my players to be gloom and doom. They need to remember that they have been a part of something great. It was not too long ago when everyone was patting them on the back for winning back-to-back Cotton Bowls. I just want to tell our fans that there are good things getting ready to happen.”
• “I am not blaming anything on the previous staff; I appreciate all the players that I inherited. The players that Ed Orgeron recruited were very good players. They did a good job at getting Peria Jerry, Jerrell Powe. Michael Wallace, Shay Hodge and guys like them in here. But, the bottom line is that they didn’t know how to win and they were used to losing. I don’t ever want to go back to that point. Don’t ever get used to losing, don’t ever get to the point where it is a little bit easier to let go of the rope. You play as good as your senior class. When they play their best is when you win the most games. When you go back to the first year I was here, our senior class was phenomenal. Michael Oher was playing at his best. Peria Jerry was an awesome and violent player. Michael Wallace was playing at the top of his game. Your seniors are your leaders, the owners of the team and the motor that drives it. We have very few numbers of those guys now. We are missing our best one, Kentrell Lockett.”

Pretty sad, desperate, and embarrassing Houston. I guess you are·practicing the same speech that you will be giving a year from now, hoping to save your job. You called out what fans that are left, who were possibly considering attending the Egg Bowl. And for the record, you have had 3 years to recruit. We should be able to see some of what you can do as a recruiter, and as a coach who has had time to develop those players. All the repetitive excuses, is pretty much the equivalent of ice skating up hill. The fact is, you are out of Ed Orgeron’s talent, you can’t develop a QB to save your life, and your days are numbered in Mississippi.

How much do you think Tyler Russell should play for MSU? I’m thinkin 30% of the time…

How DESPERATE is Nutt?

-Egg Bowl’s kick off·has been set. 6pm, and we get Herm Edwards again! He’s not that great, but a good luck charm for us. Nothing like being called Memphis·State··Link

-Chris Low’s SEC Power Rankings. State is 6th. Link

Content provided by All Things Maroon – A MSU and SEC blog.

After experiencing their longest winning streak since the 1999 season, MSU fell hard at Alabama on Saturday night. State is now 7-3 (3-3), while the Tide improved to 8-2 (5-2). Bama seemed to have regained some of their swagger, but the Bulldogs lost a little bit that they had acquired over the past 6 weeks. Dan Mullen’s bunch, failed to earn MSU’s 3rd win in 55 years in Tuscaloosa, and Bama just continued their usual dominance over the Bulldogs. I know, sickening. If I hadn’t watched the game, and you would have told me that State would convert 50% of their 3rdDowns, and win the T.O.P. battle by 3 minutes, I would have surely thought the Dawgs would have won. But, 3 consecutive scoring plays on Offense for the Tide of 45, 78, and 56 yards, pushed State out of reach. Here’s my game notes from the match up:

(1) Defense Must Improve: All year, the Defense has been a question mark for MSU. Not necessarily the personnel, but rather whether we are putting our guys in position to make plays, and to win ball games. Many maypoint to tackling, which I admit is somewhat of a weakness for a few of our players on D. But, my problem lies in Diaz’s coverage schemes. Either #1, he is giving our guys way too much freedom when it comes to choosing the cushion they give their respective WRs, or #2 the blame is all on Diaz, because he is purposefully putting our guys in those costly coverage sets. Like I’ve mentioned earlier this season, it’s sad when all of us in the stands can see that we are going to give up a 1st Down, before the ball is even snapped. If you are an X’s and O’s guy like me, you know exactly who the ball is going to as well, which makes it even more sickening to watch. Not only does lining up 7-12 yards off a WR hurt you on underneath routes, but in another critical area-that Bama attacked last night. What’s that you might ask? Recovery. Let’s take a 3rd Down and 9 situation for this illustration. Whether you are in man or zone coverage, before the ball is even snapped, a Bulldog player is 7-12 yards off the line of scrimmage. On the snap, the DB naturally backs up to provide space and cushion to conform to the route, and almost automatically the WR has the chains in their favor, because of the pre-snap distance. You keep the Offense from scoring, but you give up 12 yds, when they only needed 9. Now, playing that deep hurts you in multiple ways. #1, you literally change the mindset of the Offenses’s ‘underneath’ passing game’s distance. The Offense goes from using 5-7 yd passes, to 10-12 yard passes, because the coverage is set so deep. Now, the area that Bama exploited so well vs State, was our inability to recover. So, #2 playing as deep as the Dawgs have in coverage, effects their ability to react to the ball, and minimize the damage. On the catch by Marquis Maze last night, the play should have went for 12 yards and a 1st Down, instead the kid takes it 45 yds for aTD. When you play that deep off the ball, it means you have to come up and make a play after the ball has been caught. With the amount of cushion we are providing, the receivers have already caught the ball, and then have the opportunity to adjust to either a flat footed DB, or one who is headed in his direction at full speed, which benefits the WR. We should be a 70/30 Man coverageD, but Diaz’s philosophy will not ever allow that. So, since we are confined to his style, we have to make adjustments. Shorten the umbrella, face-up WRs, and save the 7-12 yard cushion for Prevent situations, and most importantly, our Secondary needs to learn where the chains are, and expect throws within that vicinity. Also, If I were Diaz, Monday and Tuesday would consist of nothing but coned-pursuit drills and tackling basics. We were TERRIBLE in both aspects. I was really happy with how we handled the Bama run game, until it was over in the 3rd, and the Tide was eating clock. Alabama did nothing special, but we sure made them look that way.

(2) Time for the Relf/Russell Platoon: One thing is clear, to beat ‘true’ SEC elite teams like Bama, year in and year out, you have to be non-predictable on Offense. You can only run the read, the counter, the QB draw, and the option so much. We are so vanilla, that when we send a man in motion before the snap, the opposing D knows who’s getting the ball, and the magic is gone. What was supposed to be a wrinkle, becomes the evident. One thing is becoming more and more clear, and that is that our Offense needs something else. There are times when it makes sense to run the ball down a team’s throat all night, but there are obvious cases in which you have to know that you can’t. Mullen has mentioned the fact that he would like to see our pass production increase, but it’s clear that Chris Relf doesn’t have the potential to make that happen. In fact, if we know that we are going to throw the ball, why not put the ball in the hands of the better passer (Russell)? With that said, I know I have to defend Tyler’s play. Since the Alcorn game, Tyler has been held out of 2 whole games, and all but 3 plays in another. Very little playing time = very little experience = occasional mistakes. It’s simple math. Yall know that I’m a HUGE Tyler fan, but I have also been the unbiased critic that I have needed to be, when it comes to his shortcomings. But, as I said after the Alcorn and UK games, I feel that he tries to over-compensate when he finally gets the opportunity to see the field, because the time he is in is so scarce. As a Freshman QB, he needs the experience just to get the “Cloud 9″ game he had vs Memphis-out of his head. There are many areas of his game that he needs to improve on, but what Freshman in college football doesn’t? So, why should he play? (1) Russell is a 58% passer, he averages 9+ yds per attempt, and has a QB Passer Rating of 141.37. (2) The kid has lead long scoring drives in 2 of the nation’s toughest places to play (@ Bama and @ LSU, vs their 1st string). (3) He’s thrown 4 TDs and 5 INTs, and about 2 or 3 of those were clearly not his fault, while the others were terrible. (4) Tyler also has a much better ‘internal’ QB Clock, that all signal callers need, in order to sense pressure and get rid of the ball. That, is something that Relf sorely lacks. (5) Russell has thrown for 555 yds, in very limited action. The fact is, we can’t continue to try and play Clock Wars with the rest of our schedule. Teams know exactly what we are going to do, and it’s only going to get easier for them to stop us. I know a lot of coaches and fans are not proponents of platooning within a series, but how is that any different from running the QB to the sideline for a breather, when we go the Rabid Dawg? There is no difference, so why not bring in Relf or Russell-off the switch, and keep defense’s honest, by capitalizing on a different strength? Or better yet, surprise them and let Relf throw and Tyler run occasionally. That’s what it’s going to take to light a fire for our Offense. Both QBs have shown moments of extreme effectiveness in what they do…why not combine the two strengths? It’s time! Btw, the Relf INT was the worst pass of the year, and KILLED our confidence and a perfect scoring opportunity early on. Triple coverage Chris? The root of the problem is Koenning, who called for the pass on 1st Down anyway. I’ve never seen a guy abandon what ‘was’ working so well in the first place. Take over the play calling Dan, or hire someone who you can trust…please. And finally, I think we lose 30-24, ‘IF’ we would have brought in Russell 2 series earlier. That would have made us look much better.

(3) We are not THERE yet: The fact is, MSU has turned the corner, but not a Bama, or an LSU type corner. We are at the point where we can beat a great program on a down year, UGA and UF for example, where we can win almost all our home games, but not to the point where we match the Top teams in the conference for 4 quarters. We don’t have the mindset, the personnel, or the depth to do so. And as long as Les Koenning is calling plays, we may not have the coaching (Btw, we passed on 10 first downs last night…10). But, I think we are 2 years away from breaking into the top tier of the SEC. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy with 7-3, and where this year has taken us, but I’m just being realistic. We are losing some players on OL and at LB, that have been critical to our success. Saturday night was a perfect example of a top tier teamthat makes plays, and a team who is not there yet, and doesn’t. We commit stupid penalties, our coaches display poor play-calling, we drop way to many passes, and we have a lot to clean up before Arkansas.

Offensive & Defensive Standouts: RB Vick Ballard- 19 rushes for 80 yds; RB LaDarius Perkins- 8 rushes for 44 yds;QB Tyler Russell-4/7 for 80 yds, TD,INT; WR Chad Bumphis- 3 catches 44 yds,TD;WR Brandon Heavens- 3 catches 21 yds;WR Arceto Clark- 2 catches 44 yds. LB Chris White- 3tkl, 1INT; LB KJ Wright, S Nickoe Whitley, S Charles Mitchell- all with 5 tkls   

      Positives     

• We are 7-3 (3-3 in SEC)
• We are Bowl bound…somewhere?
• We are better than we played on Saturday
• We are still ranked, #22 in AP, #21 in the BCS

     SEC Week 11    

UT Crushes Ole Miss, 52-14. At the beginning of the season, I mentioned that Nutt should play Nathan Stanley until the kid was worthy of being benched. I expected a down year for Ole Miss, and that move would have secured the fact that Nutt gave Stanley his shot, and then brought in Masoli for change. Nutt instead, put all his eggs in one basket, and has killed the confidence of Stanley, and just solidified the school of thought-that Nutt cannot develop a QB, even the likes of Jeremiah Masoli. I don’t see Nutt making it past next season in Oxford.

UF Let MeDown, 36-14. I was shocked that the Gators allowed the Gamecocks to come into the Swamp, with the East on the line, and do what they did. USC held the ball for 40+ minutes, after UF returned the opening kick off for a TD. 200 yds rushing for Lattimore. Spurrier lucks out on a week year in the East.

Auburn Runs Away from UGA, 49-31. It was close until the 4th. Cam Newton and Auby outscored UGA 28-10 in the 2nd half. Cam Newton is the best player in college football, just not the best ‘eligible’ player. I get tired of all the Newton worship. He is not a victim. Btw, I hope that in all this, Auburn realizes that we didn’t bring them into this, but rather Newton’s association with Auburn did. We are getting way to much blame, for making the right decisions and moves. There are rumors out there, but I’m glad that Stricklin has confirmed what we have released, and what we haven’t. I expect a new break in the story tomorrow. And DT Nick Fairley for Auburn, should have been immediately ejected for his hit on UGA QB, Aaron Murray. If in the NFL, he’d be forking over $30,000. Anyway, Auburn clinches the West.

Arkansas Rolls UTEP, 58-21. Mallet threw for 215 yds, 5 TDs; Kniles Davis ran for 182 yds on just 11 carries; 31 First Downs, and 577 yards.

Anyway, your thoughts on the SEC Weekend?

Should Tyler Russell get more playing time?

What were your thoughts about the game in general?

Content provided by All Things Maroon – A MSU and SEC blog.

You could say that MSU and Alabama are thinking the same thing right now. That very thought, is that neither expected to be 7-2 at this point in the season. For MSU, 2010 was viewed by many as a stepping stone year. Most in the media, forecasted that Mullen and the Bulldogs would still be another season away from tasting success. Alabama was picked to pretty much repeat, or finish amongst the nation’s top 5. Here we are, deep in College Football’s 11th week of the season, and it appears that Bama will have to wait, but MSU appears ahead of schedule. With that said though, #17 MSU heads into possibly it’s toughest test of the season. Though #11 Bama is banged up, and a year removed from their National Title, a lot of the same pieces remain. Both the Bulldogs and the Tide are coming off a difficult stretch, but losing a teammate trumps all circumstances in sports. Bama had their post season title hopes crushed in Baton Rouge, while Mississippi State’s Nick Bell lost his short battle with cancer. What was supposed to be a week of ‘cleaning’ up various aspects of their game, turned out to be a week of grieving for the Dawgs. The fact is, Saturday’s match up is going to come down to one thing, and that’s ‘mindset’.

With that said, I figured·that we’d take a look at what the experts at College Gameday Stats have to say. Just a reminder that you can get their weekly insight and newsletter, by emailing them at info@collegegamedaystats.com:

• MSU Scoring vs Bama Opponent’s Scoring- Advantage Bama
• MSU Pass Off. vs Bama Pass Def.- Advantage Bama
• MSU Rush Off. vs Bama Rush Def.- Advantage MSU
• Bama Scoring vs MSU Opponent’s Scoring- Advanatage MSU
• Bama Pass Off. vs MSU Pass Def.- Advantage Bama
• Bama Rush Off. vs MSU Rush Def.- No Advantage
• Odds- Bama 13.5 pt Favorites
• College Gameday Stats’ Pick to Win- MSU
• Edge: MSU’s Defense

My Thoughts: Alabama is still Alabama. Tuscaloosa is still Tuscaloosa. If MSU is going to have any shot to win·at Bryant-Denny, not only will they have to channel their emotions related to losing Nick Bell, but they’ll have to take the crowd out of the game as much as possible. Hopefully, Mullen has prepared the Bulldogs the same way he did for the Florida game, and State will come out and make a statement early. Rumor has it that Tide RB Trent Richardson may not see action on Saturday, but that still leaves a ‘banged-up’ Heisman in Ingram, in the Bama back field. With Richardson out, or seeing limited playing time, look for Freshman Eddie Lacy to fill in. Lacy is dangerous for a youngster, posting a 6+ yd average, and 3 TDs on the year. As far as Bama’s passing game, WR Julio Jones brings the size and experience needed to dominate in the SEC, while Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks are just a step away from hurting you deep. QB Greg McElroy hadn’t lost since the 8th grade before this season started, but has lost twice this season already. McElroy is a consistent leader though, and manages games very well. The Rhodes Scholar also enjoys hitting his TE Preston Dial, and his RBs in dump-off or emergency outlet situations. Richardson’s absence could be felt just as much in this area, as it is in Bama’s run game. As far as Bama’s D is concerned, they are strong amongst the front 7, and rank17th in the country as a whole (307 ypg). If the group has one weakness, it has to be their Secondary, who allows just over 180 passing ypg. The Bulldogs boast the nation’s 14th ranked Rushing attack, with 3 capable ball handlers. QB Chris Relf, RBs Vick Ballard, and LaDarius Perkins, have a knack for finding running lanes, and the second level with ease. Coming off of a bye week, should mean that the Dawgs are healthy on the OL, and the RB’s legs should be rested and fresh. One negative for the Dawgs, is their passing game, which ranks 101st in the nation (164 ypg). I’m sure Mullen will be looking for ways to loosen up Bama’s front 7 through the air, and will have to do so to win. As effective as MSU’s Running game has been this season, the Dawg OL will see the most aggressive defense that they have seen, since LSU’s. If a team plans on being one dimensional vs Saban’s D, that pretty much means you should not get off the bus. Mullen noted that Chris Relf’s passing game was sharpened some during the bye week, and even Relf mentioned his need for a bigger role in this week’s game. On defense, Mullen, as well as fans, have used the term bend but don’t break, to refer to the D’s consistent performances. Diaz’s group, does just that. Limiting big plays, focusing on Bama’s strengths, and holding them to FGs, is what I expect the Dawg D to do. I also wonder if Mullen will use QB Tyler Russell in some passing situations? Even though, I have complete faith in Relf to lead.

KEYS to VICTORY? (1) Win the Trenches- I think this is probably the oldest football cliche’, but it’s simply the key to winning any and every football game. On D, DLs Fletcher Cox, Josh Boyd, Sean Fergeson, James Carmon, Shane McCardell, and Pernell McPhee have to disrupt Bama’s back field with penetration. And, as I always note, they must also open up the blitzing lanes for incoming Bulldogs to make plays. Not only could they slow down Ingram and Co., but McElroy has struggled the past couple of weeks when facing pressure. The DL will have a lot do with whether or not those two focuses become a reality. Penetrate, disrupt, and free-up. (2) Mix it Up- Non-predictable play-calling. I seriously think that this is the best coaching staff that the Bulldogs will face off against in 2010. So, with that said, MSU will have to attack Bama in various ways, not just with the Run game. Battling not just on the field, but over the headsets as well, means that Mullen and his staff, will have to have timely play-calling that attacks Bama in vulnerable moments. I look for some forms of trickery for State, but nothing excessive. Rather, different variations and extensions of Bulldog Pass and Run game. RB screens (please), option reverses, etc. On D, Diaz will have to dial up multiple looks to confuse a smart QB. (3) Win the Turnover Battle- State’s offense has not turned the ball over since the Alcorn State game (5 weeks ago), and Relf hasn’t thrown an INT since the LSU game (Week 3). Relf must play smart, throw the ball away at times, and keep the ball away from Dre Kirkpatrick and Robert Lester (8 INTs total). If I’m not mistaken, Ingram and Richardson have 3 fumbles total over their careers. So, it’s pretty clear that State is going to have to pressure McElroy in order to force Bama to turn the ball over. This game will be a Time of Possession battle, and protecting the ball keeps the clock on your side. The last few games, State’s opponents have taken the Dawgs somewhat out of their element in this facet, turning their own strength against them. If Bama holds the ball, and forces MSU into desperate possessions, then the Dawgs will be in trouble. State’s best chance, is to force Bama into the kind of game they forced UF into, earlier in the year. (4) Solid Special Teams-If Richardson plays, State must crack down on his big play abilities in the return game, and keep Bama from establishing themselves with good field position.·For MSU, Chad Bumphis, Mo Langston, and LaDarius Perkins must create· big plays in the return game. And, State’s kickers must shine when called on. On a sidenote, MSU’s D must keep Bama out of chip-shot range on FG tries, since the Tide has 2 capable kickers. (5) Frustrate the Bama Run Game- MSU and Bama, do one thing really well, and that’s wear down opposing D’s with their run game. The same way that MSU runs the read option until they bust off a long one, is the same thing Bama does with Ingram and Richardson out of their pro-set. Diaz has done an excellent job of taking away a team’s strength, and with Bama the Run will be the key. Take away the rhythm they seek on the ground, try to force them to be one dimensional, and pressure McElroy when he drops back.

My Prediction: MSU 23  Bama 20. I think it’s clear that MSU has turned the corner, and I seriously think they want more. Being bowl eligible, and surpassing last year’s win total, is not where this team·wants to stop. State will play with more heart and emotion this week, playing in Nick Bell’s memory. Not only that, but Mullen has this team ‘expecting to win’ these games now. The Bulldogs seem to be catching Bama at the perfect time, and in an unfamiliar situation for the Tide. Who are not used to bouncing back from losses. I can see State running the ball with success, and passing for the needed yards and balance. I am predicting that State picks of McElroy twice (KJ Wright & Corey Broomfield), and Derek DePasquale boots the game winning FG, early in the 4th quarter. Diaz’s D comes through with a stop to close the game.

_______SEC Weekend_______

TSUN @ UT  28-24

Vandy @ UK  41-20

UGA @ Auburn  23-21

South Car @ UF  31-17

*Latest on the Cam Newton SAGA! Link

*MSU’s Charles Mitchell will honor Nick Bell, by wearing Bell’s #36 jersey on Saturday.

Your Picks?

Content provided by All Things Maroon – A MSU and SEC blog.

Well boys, believe it or not, #17 MSU and #11 Alabama are set to face off on Saturday evening. Cam Newton has somewhat dominated the headlines, but MSU players, coaches, and fans cannot allow the scandal to still the spotlight on what is a very important match up for the Dawgs. So, with that said, let’s get back on track here on the blog, with our weekly Stat Match-Up Analysis. Here’s a look at where State and Bama stack up against each other, was well as with the rest of the Nation’s teams.

Bama boast one of College Football’s best 1-2 punches in RBs Trent Richardson and Heisman winner Mark Ingram. As I mentioned earlier this week, the tandem has struggled since the South Carolina game, to put up the numbers that they are accustomed to. The production in that stretch includes performances of: 36 yds @ USC, 133 yds vs Ole Miss, 210 @ UT, and 102 yds @ LSU. For the last 2 seasons, the Tide has relied on QB Greg McElroy to manage the game, minimize mistakes, and get the ball to Ingram and Richardson. It seems now that Bama’s opponents are forcing McElroy to play more of a role in Bama’s offense, by zeroing in on the 2 backs. There are some questions about Ingram and Richardson’s health. Ingram suffered a knee injury during the summer, but returned after surgery for the Duke game (3rd game). There’s no doubt that Ingram has since suffered some wear and tear since then, andRichardson suffered a knee injury at LSU this past weekend. Richardson is currently listed as day-to-day as he recovers, but Saban noted in Wednesday’s presser that Ingram is ready if Richardson can’t go on Saturday.

Having a major part of their offense banged-up, isn’t the only concern for Bama. Many are wondering how the Tide will respond after having their SEC Title dreams, and Nat’l Championship dreams crushed by their 2nd Conference loss, in Baton Rouge. Nick Saban had this to say, “There’s a lot of improvement and a lot of things that can be done and accomplished relative to the results this team can get. Am I concerned that this team has the pride in performance to do that? I think it’s a reality check for them to see how important it is to you and what are you willing to do to make it happen.” Also, Bama has to learn how to ‘rebound’ from a loss, something they haven’t had to do in quite a while. McElroysaid this about that very issue, “I came to the conclusion that if I was sitting around moping all day, that I’d be mad at myself for letting it get me down, andif I was sitting around happy all day, I’d be mad at myself for blowing it off. It’s one of those situations that we still don’t have a lot of experience doing. Hopefully, we’ll just try to bounce back this week.” Other Bama fans are questioning the play of the OL, and are wondering if the trenches are the root of the problem. After all, “in Southeastern Conference games last year, UA averaged 188 rushing yards per game and allowed only 10 sacks in nine games (including the SEC title game). This season, withthree starters back from the 2009 line, Alabama is averaging 141 yards on the ground and has already allowed 20 sacks through only six SEC games.”- Tidesports.com

I myself, think that the magic number for State’s Defense is 150. If Diaz and the Dawg D can hold Bama at 150 yds rushing or lower, then State has a great chance to win on Saturday. That’s the only key to victory that I’ll  share today, the rest will come tomorrow. What’s your magic number for the Dawg D?

Just incase you are out of touch with “Who’s Who”amongst Alabama’s playmakers, here ya go:

• QB Greg McElroy-2,004 yds, 69%, 13 TDs, 4 INTs
• RB Mark Ingram- 641 yds, 6.0 avg, 9 TDs
• RB Trent Richardson- 634 yds, 6.9 avg, 5 TDs
• WR Julio Jones- 55 rec, 758 yds, 13.8 avg, 4 TDs
• WR Marquis Maze- 25 rec, 349 yds, 14.0 avg, 1 TD
• WR Darius Hanks- 22 rec, 339 yds, 15.4 avg, 2 TDs
• RB Trent Richardson- 19 rec, 245 yds, 12.9 avg, 4 TDs
• PKs (2) Jeremy Shelley- 8/11; Cade Foster- 6/7

Scout.com talked with MSU QB Chris Relf. The former Bama recruit is thinking along the same lines that we have been all week, which is that MSU will need to pass the ball to beat Alabama. “I think in order for us to win the game this week I’m going to have to pass more, and complete more passes.” So, what’s Relf think about this week’s practice and Saturday’s game? “I think we’ve gotten a lot better. We expect to win, we’ve worked hard in practice all week and we’re just want to go out there and win. We just have to go out and execute every play; offense, defense and special teams.”

MSU’s Dan Mullen, finally got the opportunity to answer questions about his Football team and his players, rather than about Auburn’s Cam Newton. We all have wondered how the Bulldogs mindsets have been effected by the loss of Nick Bell, but apparently State has been focused during this week’s practice and preparation “This week we’ve been able to really turn the focus back to game-planning. A lot of times you kind of peek ahead during the bye week and get some game-planning done; we weren’t really able to do that last week with everything going on. But this week our team has regained their focus and gotten back on track as far as getting back into their game-week routine coming off a bye week.”

SEC News Items

Bowl Projections from Foxsports.com. MSU vs GT in Nashville? Link

MSU’s official statement on the Newton issue. Link

Boise State…here’s how strong their conference is (WAC), they are replacing Fresno and Boise with (drum roll)…Texas State and Texas-San Antonio. Wasn’t one of those the school on the movie Unnecessary Roughness? More Homecoming teams for everyone, yay! Link

Story on UF’s New 3 QB system. Link

SEC might have 12 possible 1st Round picks. MSU’s Derek Sherrod?  Link

That’s it boys…

Content provided by All Things Maroon – A MSU and SEC blog.

Just when it looked liked Cam Newton, Gene Chizik, and Auburn had diverted the attention away from themselves, and onto the likes of MSU and UF, another story broke. Congratulations Cam Newton, you are in the headlines once again. This time, ESPN reports that Cam Newton and his father Cecil Newton, admitted in separate phone conversations to MSU recruiters, that Newton would  ‘play for pay.’ The ESPN story had this to say:

[Two sources who recruit for Mississippi State said that Cecil Newton and his son, quarterback Cam Newton, admitted in separate phone conversations to a pay-for-play plan while Newton was being recruited late last year. Mississippi State compliance officials relayed the alleged conversations to Southeastern Conference compliance officials in January, according to two other sources close to the football program. Prior to Newton's commitment to Auburn, one of the recruiters said Cecil Newton told him it would take "more than a scholarship" to bring his son to Mississippi State, a request the source said the school would not meet. Cecil Newton also referred the recruiter to a third person that would provide more specifics, the source said. After Newton committed to Auburn, another source said an emotional Cam Newton phoned another recruiter to express regret that he wouldn't be going to Mississippi State, stating that his father Cecil had chosen Auburn for him because "the money was too much."]- Joe Shad

One problem that comes with kids with troubled backgrounds is…well, trouble. Auburn’s Cam Newton appears to be just that. Well, let me correct myself, Cam Newton ‘IS’ trouble. News broke last week, that Newton was allegedly ’shopped’ to schools, within the ballpark of $200,000. Kenny Rodgers, a former MSU player, apparently served as Newton’s ‘handler’ during his 2009-2010 recruitment, and was said to have offered Newton’s signature and commitment to MSU, for a discounted price. The story originated with former MSU QB John Bond, who Rodgers approached about the Bulldogs opportunity to ‘buy’ Cam’s talents. Bond informed then MSU AD Greg Byrne, who informed the SEC, who in return contacted the NCAA.

In case you missed the headlines on Monday and Tuesday of this week, an unidentified source stated that Newton transfered away from UF, after 3 separate cases of cheating. So, let’s recap the Cam Newton saga thus far…

• Strike 1- (Arrested) Newton steals a student’s laptop from a dorm room in 2008.
• Strike 2-  [He again violated the university’s honor code by putting his name on another student’s paper and turning it in, according to the source. Newton was caught after the instructor asked the real author of the paper why he had not turned in his work, the source said.According to the source, after the student said he had turned in a paper, he and the instructor went through all the submissions and discovered that Newton had put his name on the paper in question.]- FoxSports.com
• Strike 3- [Newton subsequently turned in a second paper to the instructor, but it was later found to have been purchased off the Internet, according to the source.]- FoxSports.com
• Strike 4-12 separate traffic offenses, that display the fact that Newton is or was very careless person. Behavior such as this, also comes off as an ‘above the law’ mentality.
• Strike 5- (Which is Pending) Cam Newton, his recruitment handler, and his family, received payments of some $200,000.

The sad thing is, even when a school or a person tries to do things the right way (MSU and John Bond), the wrong people can come under attack. Bond and MSU, have been tagged as ‘jealous’, while others say that State has ‘an axe to grind’ when it comes to Newton. When it comes to these recent academic rumors about Newton, many are now dragging Dan Mullen’s and Urban Meyer’s names through the mud, and saying that they might be the lead whistle blower on the issue. While the monetary allegations are a major concern for Newton, his family, and Auburn, the information that leaked about Newton’s academic records are a federal issue. Sharing such information, could result in some heavy penalties for those involved.

Here’s what I think cannot be ignored about this whole ordeal…

• The fact that Cam Newton and Auburn is NOT answering questions about all of these issues, speaks volumes. Up until now, all Newton ever says is, “I’m eligible.” All Auburn ever says is “Cam Newton is eligible.” Newton Yesterday said this about the academic issue: “I’m not going to entertain something that happened, not three months ago, or six months ago, but two years ago. I’m not going to stand up here and say whether I did or did not do it. I don’t want to beat a dead horse. It’s not going to affect me in any way, shape or form.” On the bribe issue: “There are a lot of rumors and speculation going around, and I’m not going to be up here entertaining them. I’m not here to bash anyone for what they said or what they did. I’m here to go to school and win football games for Auburn. It would be selfish for me to entertain anything that has been said about me.”
• Newton, Auburn, and Chizik are playing the media, and college football fans. Cam especially, when he says that he “wishes he could comment” on these issues “but can’t, and he’s not sure why.”  It’s a safe P.R. move for Auburn. Send Cam out there in front of the cameras, let him crack a joke, shrug everything off, smile that smile, and play the role of a compliant kid, who wishes he could state his innocence-but just can’t.
• All the scrutiny that Newton is facing now, is pretty much his own fault. Now, I do feel bad for the kid that his academic records have now become public knowledge, but whenever you have a $200,000 bribery scandal arise, people are going to dig even deeper into your past. So, even though his privacy was invaded, stealing a laptop and cheating multiple times = things within your control = your fault. We see this every November, but it’s usually related to politics.
• Even though Cam’s situation is a private matter, all it takes is one person on a college campus (let alone a Gator football fan) to find out that Newton was facing major academic punishment, and boom-word spreads like wildfire. There are more people than just Urban Meyer, Dan Mullen, and Florida’s Student Conduct Committee, that knew about his status. So, singling them out is not enough.

If last week’s news on the bribery issue wasn’t enough, then last night’s story has to have the SEC and NCAA considering Newton as ‘indefinitely suspended.’ As I said last week, there’s too much at stake, not to freeze everything and investigate the issue. First, there’s possible National Championship implications. Auburn still has UGA and Bama left on their schedule, and a tough SEC Championship game, if they finish the regular season strong. Secondly, Cam Newton is amongst the top 3 players in the country, if not top 2. I myself have him just behind Oregon’s LaMichael James, but that’s irrelevant. If the NCAA doesn’t investigate now, then it seems almost inevitable that they will be stripping Auburn of their SEC West title, and possibly their SEC and Nat’l titles, in the near future. And with any evidence, Newton will easily fail the ‘integrity’ test of the Heisman award. The bad thing is, the NCAA and SEC love to profit first, and then attack schools with penalties, after the fact. This is their chance to keep a great season of college football from being FLAWED.

I’m just glad Newton isn’t at State. Forget all the hype he would have brought to Starkville, the Heisman hype, and a possible trip to Atlanta-after all, MSU’s Defense is better. Everything that Mullen has built over his first 2 years at MSU, would be destroyed, and the NCAA would make us the most recent version of SMU. I’ll take a 7-2 start the clean way. Sometimes it pays to stay away from players who you know have issues. Trading your program’s stability and intergrity, for a chance at a successful season is never worth it. Ole Miss may be free of penalty concerning the Masoli case, but they have to admit, that right now it probably wasn’t worth going through all that trouble, and negative attention, just to bring him to Oxford.

There’s winning in making the right choices.

Your Thoughts?

Also, as yall know, the Black Bears and Vols play this weekend in Knoxville. Who does that game mean more for, a rebuilding UT program, or a struggling Ole Miss team?

Hmmm…

That’s all I got today boys!  

Content provided by All Things Maroon – A MSU and SEC blog.

When #17 MSU takes on the #11 Tide on Saturday, they be across the field from a legend in the making- Nick Saban. Love him or hate, the guy can flat out coach. Yesterday, Saban went through his weekly Game Week interview, and had this to say about various issues concerning Dan Mullen’s Bulldogs…

On MSU: “Mississippi State has a very good team. Dan Mullen has done an exceptionally good job there. You all know their record, they’re 7-2, and they’ve lost to two teams in the top-10, in very close games. This is a good team. They run the ball extremely well on offense. They control the ball. Their defense has played really well this year. They’re athletic, they can rush up front and they play hard. They’ve played with a lot of conviction all year long. This is one of the best teams that we’ll play in our league this year.”

On MSU’s Improvement: “This is one of the best teams that we’ll play in our league this year. If you’re making comparisons, I guess you could say they have improved a lot, but I thought they had a pretty good team last year. Anytime you’re there for the first time in your first year players make a lot of progress in terms of what’s expected of them. I think this team has certainly made a lot of progress in a lot of areas. They have made a lot of improvement. They’ve done a great job with their players and they play with a lot of discipline. They do the things you need to do to play winning football all the time and this is a very, very good football team.”

On MSU’s Vick Ballard & Running Attack: “I had a lot of respect for (Anthony) Dixon last year in terms of being a big, strong physical back, so I was saying to myself. I’m glad that guy’s gone. The guys they have carrying it this year have really good ability, probably a little more speed and explosiveness. They are in a lot of what you would call three-back runs. They do a great job of executing a lot of gap blocking. Their backs have done a really good job and he’s been their most productive guy.”

Emotional Week for MSU, Focus: “I’m very proud of the way our team responded to that, in support of Nick Bell and his family; the compassion that our team showed for their team in terms of a tragic loss, and a young man with a bright future. I don’t know what that has to do really with the game. It’s a personal thing and I’m sure there are a lot of relationships that get affected by something like this, but when the game comes I’m sure everybody will be focusing on doing the best they can to compete. I’m hopeful that our players will do the same thing.”

Questions: “What I’ve been asking myself for two days is how are we going to stop Mississippi State from running the ball? How are we going to move the ball against them?”

_______MSU’s Dan Mullen_______

Game Week, after a Bye: “The hardest week coming into the off week is getting back into the routine after getting a little break, getting your legs underneath you, getting rid of some of the bumps and bruises to get back into the mindset of how you prepare. You kind of get into a definitive routine where you don’t even think about it, you just suck it up and go. We’ve got to make sure, (now that) we feel a little bit healthier, we’re in that routine.”

Players to Wear Bell’s #36: “I don’t know if we’re ready to announce it yet but we’ll announce it before the game.” Mullen mentioned that Bell’s number would be worn by a player, for the final 3 games of the 2010 season.

Bama’s & State’s Mindsets: “I have no idea how they feel over there right now or what they’re going through,” Mullen said. “As far as our guys, we’ve had a rough emotional week, so to say we’re on an emotional high right now, I don’t know if that’s the case for our team either. I just think, more than all that, it’s about who is going to execute in the football game

Road Dawgs: ”I don’t know if they’re used to going into it or we’re better at going into it, I just think we’ve executed a lot better. It allowed our kids to believe in themselves. We go in expecting to win football games. We went there expecting to win that game, and when you do win they kind of learn how to expect to win, how to perform on the field, and what you have to do to win those tough games in tough environments.”

Chris Relf’s Passing Game: “We threw the ball a lot last week. And it’s better. Throwing a football is a skill. Any time you have a skill, you’re going to continually improve. He concentrates on it, he’s improved some things, and he did a nice job.”

On Beating Bama: “It would be a big win for us.We have pretty high expectations of ourselves and expectations of how we want our season to be. We’ve been successful to a point so far, so that would be a natural deal for us to improve on that success and continue on our good year.”

_______Numbers to Note_______

• State is 2-1 on the road this season, and Bama is 4-0 at home.
• After making their mark as one of the most dominant rushing teams in the country, Bama hit a speed bump at South Carolina, and hasn’t recovered since: 36 yds @ USC, 133 yds vs Ole Miss, 210 yds @ UT, and 102 yds @ LSU.
• Last 2 Meetings Bama has outscored MSU 63-10.
• Bama holds a 72-18-3 edge in the series.

_______Tide & Bulldog Players Speak_______

• Bama’s Greg McElroy: “It feels like the end of the world, it really does. It’s disappointing for all of us, of course, with the aspirations we had coming into the season. That’s why I think expectations can become so far out of reach. All is not lost with this team. We just have to regulate our confidence and be able to go out there and execute consistently. That’s really what’s separated this year’s team from last year’s team, just not being as consistent as we were.”
• MSU’s Chris White: “I think they’ll probably come in madder than ever and more ready than ever.”
• MSU’s Vick Ballard: “That’s a lot of disrespect. I didn’t even know that. I don’t know how they do any of those odds. We just have to come out and prove them wrong on Saturday.”
• Bama’s Will Vlachos: “If you go look at the way they’ve played, they deserve it (rankings). They’ve earned everything they’ve got. They’ve beaten people the right way, they’ve played physical, they’ve played smart, and they’re good in every facet of the game.”

Do you think Bama really has a ‘healthy’ respect for MSU? Or is this just all coach and player talk?

BLOG QUESTION: Where do you rank Alabama amongst MSU’s rivals? How do you view Bama, as compared to Ole Miss?

The Tide is clearly hanging their heads, but believe it or not, there’s still a chance they could make it to Atlanta. Almost impossible though. Link

ESPN writes that Les Miles and LSU, are Must-See TV. Miles eating grass?  Link

SEC’s TV schedule released for Nov. 20th. LSU and Ole Miss, get the Nat’l game on CBS. Link

The South’s oldest rivalry, has UGA waiting on the #2 Auburn Tigers. Link

The Cam Newton issue is not a ‘closed’ case yet. Link

ECU’s AD apologizes to it’s fans for the Navyloss (76-35). Btw, Texas better get ready, they get Navy next. Link 

Content provided by All Things Maroon – A MSU and SEC blog.

Well boys, as week 10 of College Football comes to an end, so does one of the most saddest weeks in MSU history. The Bulldogs’ bye week consisted of Nick Bell’s passing on last Tuesday, followed by a campus memorial service on Thursday, and finally a funeral service for Bell on Saturday. Between all the grieving, and paying their last respects, Dan Mullen did his best to keep the Dawgs in their usual routine and focused on football, which is a daunting task considering the circumstances. On Sunday, Mullen had this to say about moving forward: “Our team went through a really tough week. Getting more into a game routine will just help our guys push forward…Obviously it’s something that you never really put behind you when you deal with the situation we had to deal with. But what you do is you go back, you live your life and hopefully you have great memories of people you have lost. Hopefully they’ve left you with a message that you can continue to use in a positive manner for your life.” I don’t want to sound rude, but I imagine that we have all at least thought about the fact that the Bulldogs were blessed to have to endure such a week, during an idle slot in the schedule.

With that said, #17 MSU now turns their focus to #11 Alabama. The Crimson Tide fell to (now) #5 LSU, 24-21 over the weekend. But, what kind of Bama team that will show up this Saturday vs the Dawgs, is uncertain. Earlier this season, Bama lost on the road to South Carolina, but returned home the next week, to beat visiting Ole Miss23-10. In the past, Saban teams have come out focused, poised, and dominant after losses, but not this year. Not only should we be concerned about which Bama team will show up, but which MSU team as well. Will the inability to truly rest up and re-focus over the bye week hurt the Bulldogs? Or, will State come out inspired and make a statement? Mullen is well aware of the task at hand, considering MSU has only won twice in T-Town since 1955. “It’s a great team. They’re a very, very well coached team and has great talent at every position. We’re going to have to play a great football game and follow the plan exactly to win.”

State and Bama will square off Saturday, at 6:15 pm, on ESPN 2.

Your thoughts on both MSU’s & Bama’s mindsets right now?

______MSU Recruiting______

State picked up a few new commitments last week. OL Justin Malone, committed on Wednesday (Nov. 3rd). Malone is rated as a 2 Star, and stands in at 6-6, 306 lbs. On Friday (Nov. 5th), John Harris committed to MSU. Harris is a DE, 2 Star, from Boynton Beach, FL. He also had offers from South Carolina, UCF, and Boston College. MSU is now ranked 21stin Nat’l recruiting by Scout.com.

________State Hoops________

MSU topped Lindsey Wilson, in an exhibition match up, 75-66. I ‘m not doing a write up on an ugly exhibition game-if yall don’t mind. Anyway, we will have a 2010 Season Preview at some point this week. Even though, if we don’t break away from talking about Football, that’s fine with me. State officially tips off the season on Friday, vs the TSU Tigers, at 7pm. Here’s a link to the game write up. And, if you were there, let us know what you saw. Link

_______Monday’s Talking Points________

-Apparently South Carolina and Spurrier are no-shows when it counts. Arkansas had lost 8 of their last 9on the SEC road before this one, and the only thing that makes this USC team different from the past 5 years’ teams, is ‘one’ upset win over Bama, which now looks not as impressive. Will Spurrier hang it up after this year (Anderson’s question) ?

-LSU is in it to win it. I have to say that I under-estimated them this year. You?

-I’m already calling for a UGA upset win over Auburn this coming weekend. Easy to beat Chattanooga with the scandal on your mind, but what about during the South’s oldest rivalry?

-Anybody see TSUN’sstadium attendance on TV Saturday night? They announced 53, 144…Yeah right! There weren’t 53,000 people in the Grove before the game, not to mention in the stadium during it. More like 45,000 tops, and 23,000by the 3rd Qtr. IF we lose to Ole Miss this year, I will be thoroughly embarrassed…embarrassed…embarrassed. With the history of this rivalry, it’s always a possibility. There’s no reason to not call Oxford and buy up ALL the tickets now. I show respect to even our worst enemy when they are deserving, but lose to this bunch, and we’ll need paper sacks until our Bowl game. 

-Also, keep in mind, the question about MSU’s & Bama’s mindsets this week.

That’s all I got today boys, enjoy!