MrSEC.com » Mississippi State

Drew drives a stake through MSU’s heart

admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:42:34 +0000

Layup with 8.2 seconds left lifts Tar Heels to win
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MSU Beats Jackson State, UNC Up Next

John — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:16:14 +0000

For a team with five losses to clubs outside the RPI Top 100, no game should be taken for granted. Wisely, Rick Stansbury had his team ready for last night’s visit from nearby Jackson State.

The Bulldogs bounced back from lane violations and empty NCAA dance cards with an 81-67 win in Starkville last night. Saturday at Noon ET (11am CT), North Carolina will come to the Hump.

Stansbury was pleased with his team’s performance. “I’m proud of our basketball team, not just because we won the game but because of the way we responded tonight.”

“We said to each other we can play for another championship, the NIT championship, and get to Madison Square Garden,” Jarvis Varnado said.

Only 4,400-plus decided to attend the game. Despite an 11am local time start on Saturday, I’m guessing there will be a much bigger crowd on hand for the Tar Heels. After all, it’s not UNC visits Starkville for regular season games.

Back to the SEC tournament finals and Stansbury’s voicing of his displeasure with the officials, the coach would not say if he has had any communication with the league office. “I’ve moved forward.”

Ole Miss, MSU Make NIT Field

John — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:11:32 +0000

Well, they didn’t make the Big Dance, but the SEC’s two Magnolia State representatives will at least be going a social.

The NIT field has been set and Ole Miss and Mississippi State both got some love in the seeding process.

State — which came within a nanosecond of earning an NCAA trip — was made a #1 seed and will open play against in-state rival Jackson State. UAB, South Florida, North Carolina, William & Mary, North Carolina State and Coastal Carolina make up the rest of their eight-team bracket.

Ole Miss landed a #2 seed and will open up against #7 seed Troy in their bracket. Also in their field are Arizona State (the top seed), Memphis, Seton Hall, Texas Tech, St. John’s, and Jacksonville.

Alabama did not receive a bid.

For years, the NIT was an absolute joke of a tournament. That has changed since the NCAA purchased the tourney in 2005. The field is now seeded and teams are chosen based on merit and record, not fan support and gate receipts.

MSU and UM fans wanted to make the NCAA tourney, of course, but at least the NIT isn’t the laugher that it used to be.

As for the two remaining tourneys — which are jokes — no SEC teams will take part in this year’s CBI or CIT. Dang. I was really hoping to have to cover that nonsense.

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SEC Notebook: UK fans descend as ticket costs rise

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:55:39 +0000

NASHVILLE — Having Kentucky, Tennessee and hometown team Vanderbilt among the SEC tournament’s four semifinal teams created the perfect storm on the ticket-buying market. The face value for Saturday’s two-game session was $55. Scalpers on the street said they are selling the ticket for $450-$650.
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STATING THEIR CASE Bulldogs keep NCAA Tournament plans alive with win over Florida

admin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 12:29:27 +0000

NASHVILLE — Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury has said repeatedly he doesn’t know how to figure out if his team has done enough to make the NCAA Tournament.
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Revenge sweet for Volunteers vs. Mississippi State

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 14:55:04 +0000

The No. 16 Vols roared to a 17-0 lead, and then basically played even the rest of the way in a 75-59 blowout that severely damaged Mississippi State’s NCAA Tournament chances and allowed Ole Miss to share the Western Division crown with the Bulldogs.
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MSU’s Sidney suspended, must repay $11,800 NCAA rules freshman forward received improper benefits

admin — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:26:11 +0000

STARKVILLE — The NCAA has ruled Mississippi State forward Renardo Sidney will have to repay $11,800 in improper benefits and sit out the remainder of this season and nine games next season if he wants to play for the Bulldogs.
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MSU Loses Football Visits Over Violations

John — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:37:56 +0000

Not sure how this one slipped by the goalie, but late yesterday afternoon, Mississippi State announced that it would lose seven of its 56 official recruiting visits during the current academic year due to Stripper-gate back in January.

MSU officials self-reported three violations to the NCAA as a result of seven recruits being taken to a strip club by their hosts during their visit to the Starkville campus.

Dan Mullen also got “a letter of admonishment” from the school.

The loss of visits was a self-imposed penalty.

State upends South Carolina

admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:17:20 +0000

By PETE IACOBELLI

COLUMBIA, S.C. Jarvis Varnado had 19 points to lead five Mississippi State players in double figures and the Bulldogs won their fourth straight over South Carolina, 76-63, on Saturday.

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Bulldogs look for third straight at S. Carolina

admin — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:06:54 +0000

Mississippi State’s Jarvis Varnado had just two blocked shots — everything’s relative, mind you — in the first half of the Bulldogs’ home game against Alabama on Wednesday night.
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Varnado Breaks NCAA Shot-Block Record

John — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:33:55 +0000

Jarvis Varnado now owns the NCAA record for blocked shots in a career. An Mississippi State now owns a full share of first place in the dismal SEC West.

Varnado blocked eight shots — he needed seven to tie the record — in MSU’s 74-66 win over Alabama last night. Six of his eight blocks came in the second half.

“I just got on a hot spell. Shooters have a hot streak. I was on a hot streak just blocking shots. Everything that came in the hole, I just went and got it.”

After the game, State’s players put on t-shirts emblazoned with the words “The King Of Swat.” Varnado was appreciative of the fans who stuck around to see him presented with a game ball.

“It’s great. For four years, I’ve been here, the fans and the people around the town have been so great to me.”

It was a night of individual achievement (What would Robert DeNiro’s Al Capone think?) as Varnado’s teammate Barry Stewart climbed to the top of MSU’s career three-pointers list, too.

State led for most of the game but still had to survive a late rally by the Crimson Tide. “Just one of those games this time of year where you’ve got to just gut it out,” Rick Stansbury said.

The win — coupled with Arkansas’ loss at LSU — gives the Bulldogs sole possession of the SEC West lead with three games to play.

Turner’s 3-pointer lifts Bulldogs past Tigers

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 13:46:30 +0000

BATON ROUGE— Mississippi State’s Phil Turner is a role player, a guy who brings intangibles to the floor.
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UK Fans Return Favor, Dial Stansbury

John — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:12:28 +0000

When someone annoys you with their juvenile actions, what better way to rise above it and show you’re the better man than by… returning the favor?

That’s what Kentucky fans have apparently done.

Upset that DeMarcus Cousins received crank calls and text messages (some of them racist, according to the player) from MSU fans leading up to UK’s win in Starkville on Tuesday, Wildcat fans have now been bombarding Rick Stansbury with phone calls of their own.

“They got my cell and home numbers,” Stansbury said. “It started after 6 (pm on Wednesday). The first few, I didn’t pay much attention till it kept going on and going on and going on.

“I left and came back, check my home (answering machine). Jeez, I finally took the batteries out of everything and unplugged all the lines.”

This is ridiculous, folks. Grow the Hell up. What if Cousins or Stansbury had had an emergency and needed to use their phones?

I get it, you don’t like the other team. Ha ha. Very funny.

Man, I dread having to cover this nonsense from now on, but clearly that’s going to be the case as one group of buffoons copies another.

Too bad that aren’t more fans like the UK-backer who forwarded me this email that he sent to Mississippi State’s Greg Byrne. And Byrne deserves credit for quickly responding to the writer.

Here’s part of what the fan wrote:

“Mr. Byrne,

First congratulations on an impressive performance by your basketball team last night. Even though the Bulldogs lost, they showed talent and toughness. They certainly are a top 25 and NCAA Tournament worthy team.

Much was made in the media about Cousins’ phone, thrown water bottles and the character of MSU fans. I suspect the violators are a small minority. I’ve spend a lot of time in Mississippi and I know the folks down your way are fantastic.

I did however notice a true character issue — the benching of one of your star players. I have no idea what rule this young man broke but I do know that he could have been excused and few outside the locker room would have even known. So, I though it was a true measure of character that Mr. Stansbury chose to stand on principle and do what he considered the right thing — even when playing a basketball game.”

You see, that’s what sports are about. Coming together… not tearing apart.

But as long as a few mouth-breathers are out there chuckling in their mom’s basement because they can make a prank phone call, well, I guess we’ll just have to live with these ongoing nonsensical stories.

What a shame.

Again, kudos to the Kentucky fan who took the time to salute Stansbury and to MSU’s athletic director for quickly responding to him.

MSU President Apologizes For Bottle-Tossing Fans

John — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:24:06 +0000

Since writing yesterday about those fans at Tuesday’s MSU-Kentucky basketball game who chose to throw objects onto the court, I’ve been peppered with emails from upset Bulldog fans.

The main message has been that there was very little bottle/cup-tossing and that ESPN blew the story out of proportion.

(I’ve also been told that I called out ALL State fans, which is a flat-out lie. Read the final two paragraphs of yesterday’s story to see for yourself.)

Apparently MSU athletic director Greg Byrne has been watching too much ESPN because he is hopping mad over the fans’ actions. In an email to State supporters, he asked those who attended the game to send him leads regarding the identities of object-throwing fans.

“We will do our best to track down those individuals responsible and take appropriate disciplinary measures, which could include denial of future ticket privileges.”

Meanwhile, MSU president Mark Keenum — who must also be an over-reactor — called his counterpart at UK to apologize. He also referred to the events as “an embarrassment for our university.”

Keenum has instructed Byrne to review security at Humphrey Coliseum in order to make sure this type of thing never happens again.

It’s been reported by The Jackson Clarion-Ledger that one ice-filled cup landed near a group of cheerleaders. At least three more cups and/or water bottles (some full) were tossed onto to the floor… one near an official and another near Kentucky freshman John Wall.

The lesson here is this — one cup or bottle thrown onto the floor (at cheerleaders, players, coaches or officials) is one too many. And if something is tossed onto the floor during a televised game, you can bet that it will get a mountain of coverage.

To get upset with the media for covering the topic is simply an attempt to shoot the messenger.

After all, it wasn’t a writer or ESPN talking head who said, “Because of the actions of a few, we embarrassed ourselves on national television and damaged the university’s name.” It was MSU’s own athletic director.

Fan anger should be directed at the people who threw the objects… not the people reporting that objects were thrown.

UK Wins On The Court; MSU Loses Off The Court, Too

John — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:53:21 +0000

Yesterday was not a good day for Mississippi State.

First, news broke that MSU fans by the hundreds were text messaging and calling the cell phone of Kentucky’s DeMarcus Cousins. He claims that many of the messages used the “n-word.”

Second, State blew a seven-point lead with less than three minutes to play. This would have been a very big win for a team that I believe to be off the NCAA bubble at this point. Instead, it was yet another case of this team failing to come up big at crunch time (and eventually losing 81-75 in overtime)… something that has haunted this year’s Bulldog squad.

Third, once it was clear toward the end of overtime that UK was going to win, MSU students began to throw plastic water bottles onto the court. An official was almost struck as was Kentucky freshman John Wall.

How bad were State fans? Pat Forde of ESPN.com writes: “And then their fans — some of whom are the nastiest and most vulgar I’ve heard in 19 years of covering SEC basketball — embarrassed the school by throwing bottles on the floor.”

Fans were apparently upset about the oh so common phenomenon of “road cooking” which saw UK get several calls down the stretch.

Kentucky’s players also drew some fire from Mr. Forde for going into “flaunt-and-taunt mode” at the end of the game. But at the risk of being called a Kentucky apologist, that’s what happens when fans send racist comments to an opposing player.

Considering everything else that went on — racist messages, angry fans, thrown bottles, taunting — it’s a wonder that a hockey game didn’t break out last night, if you know what I mean.

I’ve been to Starkville and have nothing but good things to say about the people I met there. Warm, welcoming, friendly. But a national audience on ESPN didn’t see or hear about those fans yesterday.

Instead, a few morons with their cell phones and water bottles helped to put a pretty big black eye on MSU this morning. And if I were one of the aforementioned classy majority in Starkville… I wouldn’t be very happy about it.

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Bost lifts Mississippi State over Auburn

admin — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:10:32 +0000

STARKVILLE — Dee Bost scored a career-high 32 points, including five of Mississippi State’s 11 points in overtime, and the Bulldogs beat Auburn 85-75 on Saturday night.
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For Bulldogs, it’s one down, two to go

admin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:11:11 +0000

Auburn’s visit tonight is the second game in a three-game SEC homestand.
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More Wait And See In MSU’s Sidney Watch

John — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:17:10 +0000

The attorney for Mississippi State signee Renardo Sidney said last week that a positive verdict from the NCAA’s amateurism investigation could be coming shortly.

But we’ve all been hearing about resolutions and final verdicts since November.

According to an NCAA spokesperson, there really is no exact timetable for the Academic and Membership Affairs staff to make a final ruling. So one COULD be coming soon… or not.

There are three possible outcomes at this point:

1. Sidney could be ruled eligible and allowed to play without conditions.

2. Sidney could be ruled eligible but made to sit out a number of games and/or made to donate “the amount of any impermissible benefits received to a charity.”

3. Sidney could be ruled ineligible.

Know what? Those were the three possibilities way back in November, too.

Everyone tired of hearing the name “Renardo Sidney” say “aye.”

The “ayes” have it.

Gators prep for Varnado

admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:29:48 +0000

GAINESVILLE — Erving Walker used his quickness off the dribble to defeat Alabama on Thursday. The Florida Gators’ 5-8 sophomore guard will likely have to rely on his outside shot Saturday against Mississippi State.

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Dogs looking to make tourney case

admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:27:28 +0000

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State arrived in Gainesville, Fla., on Friday afternoon as a basketball team fighting for its NCAA Tournament resume’s life.

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Sidney Faces Charge Of Unethical Conduct

John — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:59:09 +0000

Attorney Donald Jackson has revealed that the NCAA has charged MSU signee Renardo Sidney with unethical conduct based on his responses to questions about a trip he took to California in 2006.

Jackson said State’s two options at this point — which he called “untenable” — are a) appeal the charge and drag the whole case out further or b) accept the findings and ask that Sidney be allowed to play.

State officials haven’t said what they plan to do.

The laundry list of issues the NCAA has with Sidney was finally made public yesterday and can be viewed here.

While the case might be dragging on for Sidney, Rick Stansbury and the MSU administration can already be judged in the court of public opinion.

They knew that Sidney was a risk. They knew that USC and UCLA fled the Sidney scene as soon as the NCAA started sniffing around. They knew that Sidney’s family had a reputation — fair or not — of having their hands out.

And they chose to sign the 6-10 star anyway. In the end, the coach and program are out nothing, but their credibility. They rolled the dice and the two cubes continue to tumble. And tumble. And tumble.

But whether Sidney eventually gets into school or not, one thing is already clear: MSU could care less about whether or not Sidney and his family were/are rule-breakers… they just wanted him on the basketball court.

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Best Wishes To MSU BeatWriter Locke

John — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:18:26 +0000

Wanted to pass along a little news regarding one of the writers we sometimes link to here at MrSEC.com.

Brad Locke of The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal was in a car accident yesterday and remains in the hospital today.

It sounds as though Locke’s condition is improving, but we thought we’d pass this information along to you just the same. It’s always good to have some positive energy behind you. So hopefully you’ll keep Mr. Locke and his family in your thoughts and prayers today.

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Stansbury Still Waiting On A Sidney Verdict

John — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:21:43 +0000

Rick Stansbury didn’t have much news to share on the Renardo Sidney situation during today’s SEC coaches’ teleconference.

MSU’s coach told one reporter that the media “are probably going to hear (a verdict) before I do.”

He did say however getting a cleared Sidney would help his team’s depth. “I do think it will be better than what we have right now. We will have a body.”

Not a good day for MSU’s Bost

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:54:53 +0000

Dee Bost didn’t look very happy following Mississippi State’s 67-51 win over LSU on Saturday.
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MSU ends losing streak, beats LSU 67-51

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:33:34 +0000

STARKVILLE — Ravern Johnson scored 15 points and Jarvis Varnado had 11 points and 10 rebounds, helping Mississippi State beat LSU 67-51 today at Humphrey Coliseum and break a two-game losing streak.

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State hosts LSU, Ole Miss game shifted to Sunday

admin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:52:01 +0000

Mississippi State returns to Humphrey Coliseum today at 12:30 p.m. to meet LSU in an SEC Network game.
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MSU begins talks for stadium expansion

admin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:50:43 +0000

Talks are under way for Mississippi State to expand its football stadium, school officials told the Sun Herald on Friday.
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The Latest On The Sidney Saga

John — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:16:41 +0000

Renardo Sidney, his attorney Donald Jackson and the NCAA’s Amateurism Fact-Finding Committee finally made some news yesterday. Sort of. And it’s still boring. And I still feel sorry for Kyle Veazey of The Jackson Clarion-Ledger for having to cover this nonsense.

The basics:

The NCAA committee released a new statement of facts regarding Sidney’s case yesterday.

Those facts will be used to determine if any NCAA rules on amateurism were violated and what penalty might be handed down if there were violations.

MSU says it will have to look through the statement of facts before commenting.

Sidney’s attorney — who has been blustering for months — emailed reporters that no evidence was established by the NCAA proving that a Sidney family loan would have violated NCAA rules. He also said there was no proof that Sidney had received excess Reebok gear. Or that Sidney’s father had been employed by Reebok and put up in a million dollar home in Los Angeles.

The NCAA responded by saying: “Mr. Jackson is wrong in his description of Renardo Sidney, Jr’s, initial-eligibility status, and he continues to demonstrate a lack of understanding of the Amateurism Certification Process.”

To read Jackson’s full email, click right here.

In addition, MSU has since said that it will not appeal the NCAA’s statement of facts.

Jackson says he’s confident a resolution could be coming soon. State officials are more cautious, but according to Mr. Veazey, they have “at least seemed a bit more optimistic about a resolution in recent days/weeks.”

The Sidney Story Winding Down?

John — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:40:16 +0000

Today could — repeat COULD — be a big day in amateur status case of Renardo Sidney.

The NCAA’s Fact-Finding Committee will meet today via teleconference. That doesn’t necessarily mean Mississippi State and Sidney will get some sort of verdict today, however.

For a detailed (yet confusing) look at what today’s proceedings mean — or might mean — check out Kyle Veazey’s best attempt to clarify. (Glad I can just link you to his hard work.)

Alabama upsets No. 23 Mississippi State 62-57

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 23:10:50 +0000

Alabama disarmed No. 23 Mississippi State’s biggest weapon: the 3-pointer.
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MSU “A National Team That’s Flown Under The Radar”

John — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:38:15 +0000

Former Alabama basketball coach-turned-TV commentator Mark Gottfried has some awfully nice things to say about Mississippi State basketball.

“I think they’re really good. I think Rick (Stansbury) has quietly just kept them playing at a high level. I like their team. I think they’re a national team that’s flown under the radar. I think they’re really good. I think he has done a sensational job not allowing the Renardo Sidney issue to be a factor and maintaining focus on what you have, not what you don’t have.”

Perhaps those comments have more to do with Gottfried’s relationship with Stansbury than they do — as I’m sure Crimson Tide fans probably think — the fact that tomorrow MSU plays Bama, the team that fired Gottfried.

“I think early on, when you’re trying to get yourself established, we got pretty grumpy at one another. I think over the years, we actually became very good friends. I think there was a lot of mutual respect.”

Back to what State has (and not what they don’t), this Q&A piece answers a number of questions about the Bulldogs’ injury situation.

If It’s Not Kiffin, It’s “The Pony”

John — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:32:02 +0000

Andy Staples of SI.com is the latest national writer to tackle the alleged trip by Mississippi State recruits to an off-campus strip club during their official visit last weekend.

(You know, any school with an ON-campus strip club would really have a recruiting edge over other programs.)

Mr. Staples makes an excellent point that college and high school coaches should be repeating to their players these days: DON’T POST STUFF ON THE INTERNET!

In an age when fans can practically stalk recruits, players and coaches, the less information posted on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and YouTube the better.

Amen, Mr. Staples.

We’ve been saying that very thing since we launched this site in 2008.

Again I say, Amen.

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Recruit: Strip Club Post Was A Joke

John — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:02:59 +0000

One of three Mississippi State football recruits who mentioned a Starkville strip club on Facebook now says that his post was a joke.

According to Jameon Lewis, “Nah, it’s no truth. It was a joke we were playing. I really didn’t even know what The Pony was.”

Another recruit, Robert Johnson, who referred to The Pony on Facebook now says he never went there, either.

The third recruit — Jay Hughes — hasn’t publicly denied his involvement yet. Turns out his father just happens to be Bulldog assistant coach Tony Hughes.

Interesting, no? Three players who visited MSU last weekend all decided to joke on Facebook about one specific strip club that is about 10 miles from Starkville. Yet, one of them claims not to even know what The Pony was.

You know by now that I usually give folks the benefit of the doubt on this site. But in this one… I think State officials might want to keep digging to find the truth.

Here’s why: MSU put out a release yesterday saying that it was working to get to the bottom of the story. I would think a simple call from Papa Hughes to Son Hughes might have revealed if the players had actually gone to the strip club or not. Therefore, since State is still investigating, it would appear that the players DID go to the club.

One group who’s got to be loving all this publicity? The folks at The Pony. A manager there told The Jackson-Clarion Ledger that he didn’t know if any recruits had visited the establishment last weekend.

I will again say that this does not appear to be a major NCAA issue. If there’s a pattern of taking recruits to strip clubs, then yes, that could be a problem. But this appears to be a bad decision by a host (to take players to The Pony) followed by three more bad decisions by the players (to post the story on Facebook for the world to see). At the very least, it was a bad decision by three recruits to make up a joke about heading to The Pony.

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More People Talking About Strippergate

John — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:13:54 +0000

Sex sells. As always. That’s why the national media is starting to take notice of the “Strippergate” recruiting story from Mississippi State.

I’m just guessing that The Huffington Post wouldn’t have linked to the story if this had just been your standard, run of the mill secondary violation.

But when recruits are Facebooking about their trip to a Starkville, Mississippi strip club while on their OFFICIAL visit to the school, it’s not a good thing.

National sports sites like The Sporting News’ website tend to pick up those stories as well.

MSU has put out a press release reacting to the story:

“Before every official visit, university policy is reviewed with our student athletes. Following the visits, we review all activities to make sure all visits are in compliance with university, SEC and NCAA policies.

“It has been brought to our attention that an activity — outside the approved itinerary and certainly without the approval or consent of our coaches or athletic department — may have occurred last weekend. Our athletic director, compliance office and coaching staff were all immediately made aware of the possible incident, and we are reviewing the facts at this time.

“As always, if it is determined that a violation of official visit policy has transpired, we will take appropriate action. At this time, however, it appears that this is an isolated incident involving only a small number of individuals.”

Just a guess here — this will probably serve as a short-term black eye for MSU, but it’s doubtful there is a pattern of State hosts taking kids to The Pony or any other strip club… because surely some other teenager would have Facebooked, Tweeted or MySpaced about their eye-opening recruiting trip to Starkville.

Best guess, the host will lose his job as a host. Just as the hostesses in Tennessee’s recent scandal lost theirs.

Small potatoes, more than likely. But expect to see more of it. Sex sells.

Oh, and expect a few moms to ask Dan Mullen about this off-campus trip, as well.

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Mullen Hires One, Another Might Be Coming

John — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:37:07 +0000

Dan Mullen has finally locked up a defensive coordinator — Manny Diaz. But as we told you this morning, there’s still a chance Mississippi State might hire a co-defensive coordinator, too.

Oklahoma defensive ends coach Chris Wilson said today that he anticipates accepting an offer to join the Bulldogs staff as that co-coordinator.

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Mullen Appears To Be Narrowing His Search

John — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:27:12 +0000

Yesterday, we told you that MTSU defensive coordinator Manny Diaz had reportedly met with Dan Mullen on multiple occasions in recent days. Yet no hire was announced yesterday.

Now the name Chris Wilson can be entered into the mix as well. Wilson is the defensive ends coach at Oklahoma.

It could be that Mullen is trying to piece together a two-man co-coordinator set-up. Both coaches would coach a position, both coaches would get a title for their resumes.

If both are hired, Diaz would likely take over the linebackers and Wilson would handle the defensive end duties.

Stay tuned.

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Has Mullen Found His DC?

John — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:32:10 +0000

As we told you yesterday, Dan Mullen has met with MTSU defensive coordinator Manny Diaz on at least two occasions in recent days.

Now there are rumblings in Starkville that Diaz will indeed be the man Mullen tabs to replace departed coordinator Carl Torbush.

The main media outlets in the Magnolia State aren’t jumping on this one at this point, so don’t accept it as news quite yet.

But keep your eyes on it. Obviously, we’ll keep you updated if an announcement from Starkville is made.

Diaz has also been mentioned in connection with Georgia’s defensive coordinator position.

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Varnado, Stewart make the big plays in Bulldogs’ victory

admin — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 13:55:05 +0000

OXFORD — Mississippi State teammates Barry Stewart and Jarvis Varnado have played in 121 games since enrolling at MSU in 2006. Until Saturday, though, the Bulldogs’ dynamic duo had never opened SEC play against Ole Miss.
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Bulldogs, Rebels open SEC season

admin — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 13:24:07 +0000

It’s a rarity, really, when Ole Miss and Mississippi State open their Southeastern Conference schedules against one another.
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Torbush And Mullen Sending Hidden Messages?

John — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:40:03 +0000

Get out your Little Orphan Annie decoder rings.

When a coach leaves one school for another, any compliment he throws toward his new school/boss can be taken as a shot at his old school/boss.

Especially when a coach leaves after just one season for what many believe to be a lateral move.

And, yes, I’m talking about Carl Torbush, who surprisingly left the defensive coordinator position at Mississippi State for the same job at Kansas.

First, a little background…

Earlier this season, MSU head coach Dan Mullen made some pointed comments about his defense following the Bulldogs’ blowout loss to Auburn. “I want to see us get more physical against the run and make sure that we have every gap covered.”

He went further:

“We weren’t very aggressive in the Auburn game and I think that showed. We did a poor job of putting our players in a position to make plays.”

Okay, so let’s say you’re a 58-year-old defensive coordinator (with two head coaching jobs under your belt) and your 37-year-old first-time head coach of a boss makes those types of comments about your defense. Would you take offense? Or was Mullen criticizing his own performance as well?

Personally, I think it’s a safe bet that Torbush probably didn’t care very much for those remarks.

Upon Torbush’s hiring at KU, Mullen then released a statement that read in part: “We’ve already begun a search for his replacement that will be a good fit on our staff in both defensive philosophy and as an aggressive recruiter.”

Do you read that as a simple statement of fact? Or do you read between the lines there? Doesn’t it go without saying that a head coach would want to hire someone who is “a good fit” in terms of philosophy? Then why did Mullen say it?

Well check out what Torbush had to say to The Wichita Eagle this weekend:

“I will promise you. If I’ve got a son, I would want him playing for Turner Gill (Kansas’ new head coach). That’s how strongly I feel about him. There’s been certain places at certain times, you wouldn’t be able to say that. There’s no question Turner Gill will give us the opportunity to get into just about every young man’s home.”

And why does Torbush feel so strongly about Gill?

“Because of morals, values.”

Interesting, no?

So are there hidden messages being sent back and forth between Mullen and Torbush? Perhaps not. But for two veterans of the coaching game who know how comments will look in print, both men are certainly saying things that they KNOW can be taken the “wrong” way.

Which is why I believe these two are telling us exactly how they feel about one another.

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Varnado, State block Houston

admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 12:43:27 +0000

HOUSTON — Jarvis Varnado, who entered the day leading the nation in blocks this season, added five more to help Mississippi State to its sixth-straight win in a 70-64 victory over Houston on Saturday.
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Mississippi State routs UCLA in Wooden Classic

admin — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 11:55:12 +0000

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Ravern Johnson scored a career-high 29 points, Jarvis Varnado blocked seven shots and Mississippi State rolled to a 72-54 victory over UCLA in the Wooden Classic on Saturday.
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MSU Headlines – 12/9/09

John — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:38:14 +0000

1. Athletic director Greg Byrne has confirmed that he and Dan Mullen are talking about a contract extension for the Bulldogs’ head coach.

2. Three Bulldogs were selected for the coaches’ All-SEC team including tailback Anthony Dixon.

3. In basketball news, Phil Turner will be needed off the bench when State travels to DePaul and UCLA later this week.

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MSU Headlines – 12/8/09

John — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:59:38 +0000

1. Anthony Dixon was named first-team All-SEC tailback by the AP (along with Alabama’s Mark Ingram).

2. In his final USA Today/ESPN coaches poll ballot, Dan Mullen ranked Ole Miss #19… the highest the Rebels were ranked by any voter. Was this Mullen giving his honest opinion, being a nice guy, or trying to make his win over UM look even better? I’ll go with the latter.

3. In basketball news, Jarvis Varnado says his dislocated pinky finger is “alright.” Even so, he was wearing a plastic protective covering when he met with reporters yesterday.

4. State players say the ongoing Renardo Sidney-NCAA battle has not been a distraction for them.

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Bulldogs batter Bonnies

admin — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:29:26 +0000

STARKVILLE, Miss. — For Mississippi State, a team that has struggled to find its identity this season, Saturday’s 105-53 victory over St. Bonaventure was a step in the right direction.
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Mullen And Nutt Trade Barbs

John — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:03:00 +0000

Granted, we haven’t reached Lane Kiffin-Urban Meyer levels of bad blood, but the Egg Bowl rivalry is starting to percolate.

Two weeks ago, Mississippi’s Houston Nutt made it clear that he wasn’t happy other SEC programs were using a small KKK rally to negatively recruit against the Rebels.

“Without a doubt (they’re using it). And that’s fine. It’s not going to help them. This is one program in the state that’s getting very strong.”

Get that last dig? Sure sounds like Nutt believed Dan Mullen and Mississippi State were using the KKK rally to their advantage.

Well, Mullen denied that… and then he took Nutt to the woodshed on Saturday in a 41-27 Egg Bowl win.

After the game, Mullen had this to say:

“And, also, to show that this program is certainly on the rise, I can tell you that much — maybe to the contrary of what other people are saying in this state. I know one program that’s certainly on the rise and that’s right here in Starkville.”

Nutt’s response?

“I just don’t worry about that. I’ve been in this league a long time. You’ve got to be consistent. You’ve got to have winning seasons. Gotta go to bowl games and eventually get to Atlanta. Words are not going to affect us.”

Hmmm. Winning season = Ole Miss, not MSU. Bowl game = Ole Miss, not MSU. Get to Atlanta = Nutt, not Mullen yet.

Can’t wait to hear how Mullen responds.

A word of warning: better not get personal, boys. Mike Slive is listening.

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Rebels wind up with egg on their faces against Bulldogs

admin — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:41:37 +0000

Hey Ole Miss! What’s in your wallet? Probably not a Capital One Bowl bid.
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Mississippi State eager to face Rebels

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:07:30 +0000

It is an in-state football rivalry in which there have been pregame fights, losses resulting in fired head coaches and some wacky endings that let you know the game isn’t over until it’s over.
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Mullen brings a new vibe to this year’s Egg Bowl

admin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:06:27 +0000

Last December, Dan Mullen was introduced as Mississippi State’s new head football coach. This was just a few days after working the press box at the SEC championship game in Atlanta, where he helped Florida get back to the BCS national title game as the Gators’ offensive coordinator.
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Dan Mullen Teleconference 11/25/09

John — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:33:09 +0000

Notes from Dan Mullen’s teleconference:

* Brandon McRae has worked really hard to get back on the field. “I don’t know if he’s playing at the same level he played at last year because of the injury.” “He’s really bought in to our new system.” McRae always had a good attitude during his rehab, even when things got to be a little frustrating.

* State can’t put too much emphasis on Dexter McCluster or someone else “will beat you.”

* Mullen said Tim Tebow taught him a lot about “different priorities in life.” He said that Tebow taught him, “If you have the ability to make a difference in someone’s life, it’s your obligation to do that. That’s pretty profound knowledge for a 20-year-old young man.”

* Mullen said he doesn’t know if the Egg Bowl — a single game — will have a huge impact on recruiting. He believes that players are looking at the overall direction of his program.

* Mullen said he doesn’t “know if there is” a perceived gap between Ole Miss and Mississippi State. It was pretty clear Mullen didn’t like the question of whether it was important to be competitive this week in order to show folks that the “perceived gap” between the schools was closing.

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