MrSEC » Mississippi State

Days After MSU Had To Take Down Billboards, UM Is Putting One Up

John — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:03:43 +0000

Ah, the billboard wars in the Magnolia State. For the past two years, Mississippi State has tweaked Ole Miss’ nose with a series of billboards featuring everything from the motto “Our State” to a recruiting pitch stating “Play With The Best.”

On Friday, State had to remove the “Play With The Best” billboards — even the one located smack dab in Oxford — because the NCAA doesn’t allow open recruiting pitches on billboards.

But as State’s ads go down, Ole Miss is putting a new billboard up.

The new “Super Rebels” board features photos of Eli Manning (of the New York Giants) and BenJarvus Green-Ellis (of the New England Patriots) in their red Ole Miss jerseys from their playing days. (Click the story headline above for a better look.)

The billboard mentions only the date and location of this year’s Super Bowl, but the underlying message is pretty clear — If you want to star in Super Bowls, start your career in Oxford.

Your move, MSU.

MSU’s Mullen: 2011 Was “A Great Season”

John — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:17:43 +0000

Talk about positive spin. Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen said the following after his team won the Music City Bowl to insure a winning record:

“You know what? To me, it’s a great season.”

That’s a rather liberal use of the word “great” isn’t it? We are talking about a veteran team that entered 2011 with big expectations following a 9-4 season in 2010. But the Bulldogs failed once again to knock off a single SEC West foe that doesn’t have the word “Ole” in its title. State had to win its last regular-season game just to become bowl eligible and then had to snuff out Wake Forest 23-17 in Nashville to finish 7-6.

Here’s guessing most MSU fans don’t view that as a great season. But it was another step forward in Mullen’s overall rebuilding job. And that much is positive.

The Bulldogs slid backwards from year-to-year, yes, but they didn’t slide as far back as State has slud — thank ya, Dizzy Dean — in past years. They reached a second-straight bowl game for the first time since 1999-2000. They continued their recent mastery over rival Ole Miss, winning a third-straight Egg Bowl for the first time since 1942.

Those are signs of growth. They’re reasons for Mullen and MSU fans to remain upbeat moving forward.

But great? That’s a bit of a stretch.

MSU Officially Kicks Off SEC Bowl Season Tonight

John — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:51:30 +0000

With a win tonight in the Music City Bowl against Wake Forest, Mississippi State will have its first back-to-back winning seasons since 1999 and 2000. Lose and the Dogs will finish with a losing record… and Dan Mullen will have to deal with some offseason doubts for the first time.

That’s the razor’s edge that now exists when 6-6 teams (and even 6-7 UCLA) can go bowling.

We at MrSEC.com believe the Bulldogs will get their seventh win. An undersized Wake Forest club cobbled together a 5-3 record inside the ACC, but outside the league they lost to seven-loss Syracuse in overtime, five-loss Notre Dame at home, and six-loss Vanderbilt absolutely thrashed them 41-7 in the season finale.

In that final game, the Commodores rolled up 481 yards of total offense including 297 on the ground. If Vandy can run on the Demon Deacons, State should be able to run on them, too. The Bulldogs and Commodores had nearly identical rushing stats on the season with MSU averaging 168 yards per game and Vandy averaging 167.

The Demon Deacons also lost five of their last seven games.

In the ACC, Wake Forest had a middle-of-the-pack offense and a below-average defense. But what they have been able to do well is pass the football. And pass defense hasn’t been a strong suit for Mullen’s squad this season.

But if the Bulldogs win the battles in the trenches — where they have a considerable size advantage — and if they avoid turnovers, State fans should enjoy a nice start to their New Year’s weekend.

A few headlines…

Wake Forest ready for physical State squad

Favored State is no lock vs. Wake Forest

Mullen, Grobe Speak on Eve of Game

One final fling: Big game could help Relf’s legacy

Mighty SEC confronts mild ACC in football culture clash

Wake Forest relishes SEC test of Mississippi State in Music City Bowl

Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen no stranger to job rumors

Mississippi State fans hear pride in cowbell clank

MSU Won’t Have A 3rd QB In Music City Bowl

John — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:28:09 +0000

When Mississippi State lines up against Wake Forest in the Music City Bowl, Tyler Russell and Chris Relf had better stay healthy. That’s because third-string quarterback Dylan Favre has left the team.

Favre — a redshirt freshman and the nephew of NFL legend Brett Favre — left the MSU squad on Saturday with the intention of transferring to Pearl River Community College for a year. After that, it’s anyone’s guess.

For State, Favre played sparingly in 2010. He completed 13 of his 26 pass attempts or 119 yards and a touchdown. He rushed 12 times for 8 yards and 2 TDs.

Mullen says of the emergency quarterback situation, “We’ll figure it out” And Relf and Russell are reportedly happy that they’ll be getting additional practice reps.

The only other quarterback on scholarship in Starkville is Dak Prescott, but Mullen isn’t going to pull his redshirt in this month’s bowl game. If Russell and Relf get hurt against Wake Forest, it’s likely a player from another position will take over in some sort of variation of the Wildcat.

Report: Mullen Close To Signing Deal With Penn State; MSU Coach Denies It

John — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 04:52:12 +0000

According to Jackson television station WAPT, “sources close to Mississippi State University’s program have said that football coach Dan Mullen is close to signing a deal to replace Joe Paterno at Penn State.”

Asked about the report, Mullen said Tuesday night, “it’s the most irresponsible reporting that I’ve ever heard of.” According to The Jackson Clarion-Ledger, Mullen said he has not been contacted by Penn State “or any other school.”

Mullen claimed the report was started by “rival institutions trying to ruin our recruiting which we have dominated in this state over the past three years.”

MSU AD Scott Stricklin added: “They quoted a source close to the school. I can’t imagine who that could be, because I haven’t been contacted by Penn State and Dan hasn’t been contacted by Penn State. It’s not a story, period.”

Later in the evening a spokesperson for MSU tweeted that the reporter for WAPT-TV had “come to the (Mississippi) Hall of Fame (gala) to apologize for station’s erroneous report.”

All this after the Mullen rumor filtered out of Pennsylvania late Monday and was followed by an ESPN report Tuesday afternoon stating that Mullen was Penn State’s top candidate.

The coach laughed off the reports at the time by saying tongue-in-cheek that his name comes up every time there’s an open coaching job. If WAPT’s report does eventually turn out to be correct, MSU fans likely won’t be laughing along with Mullen.

Mullen hails from Pennsylvania and his father is a Penn State grad, which partly explains why a coach with a 6-6 record this past season is so high on the Nittany Lions’ wish list.

In the end, State’s coach said he believes the rumors about him are actually a positive. “… There are two rumors about you: either rumors you’re going somewhere or rumors you’re getting fired. So, I’ll take the going-somewhere rumor better than the getting-fired rumor.”

Mullen Won’t Talk Penn State

John — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:34:46 +0000

So how did Dan Mullen wind up as supposedly Penn State’s top choice to replace Joe Paterno when he’s got a 6-6 record this year and he’s never beaten an SEC West school that doesn’t have the world “Ole” in its name?

His father is a Penn State alum. Actually, PSU officials probably like the Urban Meyer/SEC pedigree as well as the excitement he’s created in Starkville. (The part about his father can’t hurt, though.)

Asked about numerous reports linking him to the Nittany Lions’ job, Mullen talked up Mississippi State, downplayed the job, and made the following tongue-in-cheek comment:

“Great. I’m sure I’m on everybody’s (list). Am I right? Every time a job comes open, doesn’t my name come up? So, you know our policy. We talk Mississippi State football. That’s all we ever talk about.”

The coach also said that he is happy in Starkville. Asked what he will tell his players about the rumors, Mullen said:

“I tell them the same thing. I’m happy here. Let’s worry about being here.”

ESPN’s Schad: Mullen Is Penn State’s Top Candidate

John — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:29:26 +0000

First came reports on blogs and messageboards. “Dan Mullen is a candidate at Penn State.” Now ESPN.com’s Joe Schad is taking things a step further:

“Penn State has begun arranging meetings in the search, and Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen is at the top of (the) candidate list, a source told ESPN’s Joe Schad.”

ESPN analyst Matt Millen was asked about Mullen being a possible fit at his alma mater and it sounded very much like Millen didn’t know a thing about Mullen.

Meanwhile, MSU athletic director Scott Stricklin has already tweeted the following regarding the reports:

“Deja vu … Everyone take a deep breath and pre-order bowl tickets. Speculation of this nature is the price of success.”

Mullen, Nutt Took Very Different Approaches To The Egg Bowl… And Mullen’s Method Worked A Lot Better

John — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:44:48 +0000

Dan Mullen isn’t afraid of his team being tight against Ole Miss. The idea of treating the Egg Bowl as just another game is foreign to him. And that’s one reason he gigs UM every chance he gets — whether its saying “the school up north” or telling his team last year that they would never lose to the Rebels again.

It’s all part of Mullen’s master plan:

“The reason we do it is because we have to make sure our kid know that this game is different and our approach has to be different to this game. … Within our program, by how we refer to their school and having a (countdown) clock in our locker room and all of those things, it changes the mindset of the players when you get to this week. They know this is not just the next game on the schedule. This is a different game.”

Compare that to the approach of soon-to-be ex-Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt, who now admits that he “didn’t think very much about” the Egg Bowl rivalry when he arrived in Oxford. But…

“All it takes is one loss against them. Then you understand it much, much, much, much, much, much better. I understand it fully. Totally. We understand the emphasis that needs to be placed on this game, 100 percent.”

One has to wonder if Nutt could have survived at Ole Miss if he’d gone 3-0 against MSU and not 1-2 with back-to-back losses to the mouthy Mullen.

MSU Player Says UM Ready “To Lay Down”

John — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:21:43 +0000

Mississippi State senior tackle Addison Lawrence has thrown a little gas on the Egg Bowl fire heading into Saturday’s game. It seems the Bulldog believes Ole Miss is on the verge of throwing in the towel:

“I think they’re going to come out fired up and hot, but if we jump on them, I think they’ll kind of lay down. I feel like they’re wanting to lay down in a way, because o the things that have been happening here recently.”

Is Lawrence right? Probably. Teams playing for lame-duck coaches usually have little pep in their step. The Rebels have lived down to that expectation the past two weeks.

But was Lawrence wise to share his feeling publicly? No. If Ole Miss’ players are ready to lay down, why give them any reason to get back up?

MSU, Stansbury Lose To Akron… Yet Another Mid-Major

John — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:00:31 +0000

Last night at about 9:15 ET, I received an email from a Mississippi State fan wondering how Rick Stansbury still has a job. A quick check of the scoreboard and, yep, Mississippi State had indeed dropped its game with Akron last night.

At home.

By 10 points, 68-58.

In front of an announced crowd of less than 5,000.

“They came in here and they were better than us in every area and we tried to get our guys to understand just how good they were,” Stansbury said afterward. “I never felt like, from the get-go, we were ever in control of the game — ever. I thought we were a step slow and they were quicker to every loose ball.”

None of that will sit well with what’s quickly becoming an apathetic fanbase.

As Brandon Marcello points out in The Jackson Clarion-Ledger, this is now the third straight season in which MSU has lost to a mid-major foe at home before December. In fact, over the past four seasons the Bulldogs have lost games to Florida Atlantic, East Tennessee State, Rider, Richmond, Western Kentucky, Charlotte, Southern Illinois, Miam of Ohio, South Alabama and San Diego (twice).

Stansbury is entering his 14th season as the skipper at State. As Georgia’s Mark Richt has found out in football, SEC coaches start to wear out there welcome after about 10 seasons.

Stansbury’s teams have also been less successful of late. From 2002 through 2005, MSU reached four consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Since ’05, the Bulldogs have gone to the Big Dance just twice and they’ve missed out each of the last two seasons.

While State has averaged 20.5 wins over the last six seasons, they’ve also averaged 13 losses. And losses stick in the memory longer than wins do.

On top of all that, Stansbury used up a good bit of capital by signing Renardo Sidney when others were backing away. The big man sat for one year as the NCAA sorted out his pre-MSU dealings. Then he looked overweight and lazy for much of last season. He also bickered with teammates, openly fought with one on national TV, and tweeted criticisms of his coach.

This offseason, Sidney dedicated himself to being a better, more fit teammate. But during the final 4:29 of last night’s game he was not on the court for the Bulldogs.

“We were trying to fight from behind defensively,” the coach said when asked why Sidney was on the bench. “They went small. You knew the answer to that.”

If you’re looking for positives, Stansbury’s teams often start slow and finish fast. There’s no better coach in the conference when it comes to prepping his team for SEC Tournament play.

But at some point, Stansbury’s going to dig himself a hole he can’t climb out of… and it could be that Year 14 will be the season when it happens.

Mullen Sad “Any Time You See A Coach” Lose His Job

John — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:28:09 +0000

In his three years at Mississippi State, Dan Mullen has thrown more than his fair share of digs, slights and barbs at Ole Miss and Houston Nutt.

When asked about Nutt’s dismissal in Oxford, Mullen didn’t specifically address the downfall of his chief in-state rival:

“That’s always a shame in this profession. When you live in this (coaching) world, you have a very different perspective of how that affects, not just the head coach, but an awful lot of assistant coaches, their families and their livelihoods of how hard that can be on a family. A lot of times people get caught up in what it is and sometimes it’s just a game, other times it’s more than a game to people in the coaching profession. This is hard on our family’s lives. I commit so much time away from my family. It’s not something we take very lightly, so any time you see a coach potentially lose a job, it’s a sad day.”

Mullen also stated that he doesn’t think Ole Miss will be any more fired up for this year’s Egg Bowl than they have been the past two years (both MSU wins).

MSU Hoopster Zeidaks Ruled Ineligible For Entire Season

John — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:31:14 +0000

Two years ago it was Renardo Sidney. This season it will be Kristers Zeidaks.

The NCAA has today ruled Zeidaks ineligible for Missisippi State’s 2011-12 season and the first 11 games of the following season. That announcement came as a surprise to the folks in Starkville. MSU’s compliance director said in July that Zeidaks’ case was “not an overly complicated case.”

The player had already been academically cleared by the NCAA.

The 21-year-old forward played with professional players in Latvia before coming to Mississippi State. Brandon Marcello of The Jackson Clarion-Ledger says “it’s not believed Zeidaks received compensation during his stint.” In other words, this isn’t an Enes Kanter situation.

State is appealing the decision, but it’s unlikely to be overturned.

Mullen Puts Some Spin On MSU’s Disappointing Season

John — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:21:51 +0000

If you’re Nick Saban and you take over at Alabama, then it’s possible to go from seven wins to 12 to a national title in three short years. But if you’re Dan Mullen at Mississippi State, the odds of going from five wins to nine and then on up are a bit longer.

For that reason, this recent comment about his program’s overall rebuilding process may well be true:

“I’ve said all along, this is one of the most important seasons in school history, and we’re battling through that right now. We get ourselves to a bowl game this year, and hopefully a really good bowl game, you know what, we’re going in the right direction we want to go with this program.”

Yes, but fans don’t want to hear that. In a big picture view, if the world looks back in 10 years and sees that Mullen’s record at MSU looked like this — five wins, then nine, then seven, then 10, then eight, then a title — then, sure, this year would be viewed as part of the building process.

But in the here and now, Mullen will have a hard time selling a 1-4 SEC record as progress.

MSU Will Wear Special Uniforms In Egg Bowl

John — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:48:34 +0000

Everyone’s getting in on the special uniform craze. Nike’s Pro Combat collection got the ball rolling. Then came Under Armour. And now Adidas has started providing special unis to some of its schools, too.

Mississippi State announced yesterday that Adidas would supply it with special uniforms for this year’s Egg Bowl game with Ole Miss. The Bulldogs will wear maroon from head to toe, but the numbers on the jerseys, the outline of the helmet logo and their shoes will all be gold. ‘Cause it’s “The Battle for The Golden Egg,” you see?

MSU’s jerseys will also feature the words “Hail State” where players’ names usually appear.

You can get a preview of the design here.

Hard to make a call on those unis without seeing a real version of them. But speaking of State’s uniforms, I will say it’s time to dump the matte-finish helmets. It looks like MSU couldn’t afford real helmets and had to go with cheap, plastic lids.

MSU’s Stansbury Saying Good Things About Sidney

John — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:56:37 +0000

Could it be that Mississippi State big man Renardo Sidney has finally turned the corner? To hear Rick Stansbury tell it, he’s at least making some positive steps… like making it all the way through the team’s conditioning drills for the first time:

“That doesn’t mean he was winning every race, but he made it through it. For him, that’s a step in the right direction. We’ve just got to keep stepping the right way and not step back…

We haven’t had any blow ups. Call it maturity, call it whatever you want to call it; that’s what we want. I don’t care what you call it. That’s what we expect and need from him.”

Stansbury also told The Jackson Clarion-Ledger that Sidney — who spent much of the offseason working out with John Lucas in Houston — has been “a good teammate.”

Well that certainly beats this.

Mullen’s Recent Struggles May Actually Benefit MSU In One Way

John — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 04:19:08 +0000

In just two short years, Dan Mullen had the Mississippi State fanbase believing. Being competitive was no longer good enough. Mullen had raised expectation levels and wins had become the target.

But the coach hasn’t recorded one of those in SEC play so far this season. At 3-3 (0-3 in the league), Mullen’s honeymoon is now over in Starkville. That doesn’t mean he’s in any trouble whatsoever, it only means that he’s no longer viewed as infallible.

There may be a plus side to Mullen’s recent struggles, however.

On Monday night, Arizona fired head coach Mike Stoops. Arizona’s athletic director is Greg Byrne. Byrne is the man who hired Mullen at MSU and who reportedly got along famously with the coach before taking the job in Tucson. Mullen, of course, was an assistant to Urban Meyer at Utah as well so he does know that Southwest and likely would still have some recruiting ties.

Now, would Byrne try to lure a head coach from a school that gave him his first shot as a big-time athletic director? Probably not. But if Mullen were sitting at 5-1 right now, you can bet his name would be connected to Byrne and the Arizona opening regardless.

Instead, it’s hard to picture the Wildcat fanbase getting excited over a coach who’s oh-fer in his conference and struggled to beat Louisiana Tech and UAB in recent weeks. So names like Mike Leach and Chris Petersen will top most national candidate lists instead.

If Mullen turns things around this season, that could change. But for now, the bright spot of MSU’s disappointing start is the fact that Bulldog fans won’t have to hear their coach’s name be kicked around in connection to another job. Again.

(In the words of Gilda Radner, “Nevermind.” Sorry, State fans. This ESPN.com piece lists Mullen a “huge long shot,” but he’s still the second name mentioned. I don’t think Zona fans would be too thrilled with that hire at the moment.)

Relf Says He’s Still The Starting QB At MSU

John — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:21:31 +0000

To the folks in the stands, it looked like Chris Relf might have played himself out of the starting quarterback job at Mississippi State. And that Tyler Russell might have played himself into that role.

But Dan Mullen isn’t saying one way or the other.

Relf has struggled more and more as the season has progressed. On Saturday, with MSU trailing winless UAB 3-0 at the half, Relf was pulled after completing 6 of 10 passes for 46 yards.

Russell then entered the game, completed 11 of 13 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns, and led the Dogs to a 21-3 victory.

Mullen’s take?

“I thought Chris played fairly well. The issue wasn’t just one person across the board. It was dropped passes, some missed blocks. It was some negative yardage plays in the first half that put us behind the chains. Really, the turnaround was the overall execution of the offense in the second half compared to the first half.”

Relf, however, bemoaned the fact after the game that the coaches do not have faith in him to throw the ball down the field.

“Coach Mullen said I’m still going to be the starting quarterback. It’s just a matter of me going out there and playing hard. It’s just a matter of them believing in me to throw the ball in the game…

I just think we’ve got to throw the ball down the field. I didn’t have that chance, and Tyler had that chance to throw the ball down the field in the second half. He made the big plays, and I’m just happy with the win. … I feel like the coaches need to trust me more to throw the ball down the field.”

Mullen said that’s not the case and that the staff has “some trust in him to make decisions and to get the ball to the people that he needs to get the ball to.

For his part, Russell said he’ll continue to work hard will be ready to play against South Carolina this weekend whenever he’s called upon.

MSU Recruiting Aide Resigns

John — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:29:32 +0000

Mississippi State assistant recruiting coordinator for football Mark Ouimet has resigned following his on-campus DUI arrest late last month. Ouimet was arrested about 15 hours after State’s overtime win over Louisiana Tech.

Ouimet stated yesterday that his resignation “is strictly related 100 percent to a situation with my son and my family.”

He told The Jackson Clarion-Ledger that his son has a health issue. His son and wife live in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Mullen Heard The Boos On Saturday Night

John — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:08:22 +0000

With their team struggling late against Louisiana Tech and its 17-year-old quarterback, Mississippi State directed more than a few boos at the Bulldogs’ sideline. Dan Mullen heard ‘em, too:

“I was pretty frustrated at times during the game, too. So they probably were using more polite words than we were. We’re working, trying to get better as a football team and as a program. It’s good that our fans have high expectations. They want to win football games, too. And we did.”

Actually, Mullen has raised expectations high enough now that just winning is no longer good enough. MSU fans want wins, sure, but they also want to win easily against non-BCS foes who they view as inferior.

Mullen had no problem creating a “we can do it” attitude at State. But he may eventually have a problem dealing with the attitude he created.

Mullen Says He’ll Win A Title At MSU… Even If It Takes 15 Years

John — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:51:25 +0000

Dan Mullen has said his goal each year is to reach Atlanta. At 0-2 in the SEC this season, Atlanta looks to be a good ways off.

But following his team’s 19-6 homefield loss to LSU last night, the coach was undeterred when discussing the future of his program:

“We’re trying to create a culture here, a championship culture. It is not a process that is just going to be fixed overnight. We will win a championship here at Mississippi State. It might be this year — who knows? It might be next year, it might be the following year, it might take us 15 years. But we will win a championship here for the people of Mississippi.”

Now that Mullen has raised expectations in Starkville and Bulldog fans have dug deep into their wallets to help fund new facilities, it’s unlikely he’ll be getting any 15-year window to win a title. (It’s also unlikely that Georgia fans are still drooling over the possibility of landing him as their next coach.)

But Mullen is right to say that it’s a process. MSU has made progress. But it’s hard to go from the bottom of the SEC to the top of college football’s toughest division in two years and three games.

Ex-NBA Player/Coach Says MSU’s Sidney One Of The Best He’s Seen; And That Might Not Be Good For Stansbury

John — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:22:53 +0000

If you hear the name Renardo Sidney, you might think of a lengthy NCAA investigation. Or of a suspension that lasted for more than a season. Visions of Sidney’s fight with a teammate might pop into a few of your minds. Or perhaps you’re simply reminded of how he spent this past summer in Houston rather than in Europe with his teammates.

We’ll guess that when you hear the name Renardo Sidney, you don’t think of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

But John Lucas does.

Lucas is an ex-NBA player and coach. He’s gained added fame for working with athletes who are strugging with addiction. And he also has a gym in Houston where dozens of basketball stars have worked out, trained and grown. Including Sidney this summer.

“He’s the third-most talented guy who has ever been in my gym, behind Kobe and LeBron. I had never seen him before, but now I see what all the fuss is about. He’s got everything. He can do whatever he wants on the court. He’s that talented. …

He’s got every component to the game. He has so much basketball knowledge and I think that’s part of the problem. He gets frustrated and mad at his teammates.”

From what Lucas told Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com, Sidney’s raw talent has led to him becoming spoiled.

“He’s been allowed to do whatever he wants. People have been treating him like a pro since the eighth grade. He’s been used to being catered to.”

Rick Stansbury risked quite a bit in luring Sidney to Starkville. Like a girl who see’s potential in a 40-year-old man who still wears jeans and sports long hair — hey, that’s me — because she thinks she can “change him,” Stansbury rolled the dice that he could clean up the attitude problems and unleash the talent in Sidney. That hasn’t happened yet.

Stansbury has gone 41-25 the last two seasons. He hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament in that time and he’s only gotten past the first round of the tourney once in the last six years.

With Lucas comparing Sidney to the best players in the NBA today, all eyes will be on Stansbury this winter to see just what he can coax out of the tempestuous big man. Will he win with Sidney or will Sidney be the undoing of Mississippi State’s team? If it’s the latter, he might also prove to be the undoing of Stansbury in Starkville.

MSU A.D. Wants Fans To Behave With Their Cowbells (Especially With LSU Coming To Town)

John — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:06:36 +0000

The Great Cowbell Compromise of 2010 was extended for one more year after Mississippi State fans began to ring responsibly during the final weeks of last season. After receiving a “you’re down to your last strike” warning from SEC commissioner Mike Slive, Bulldog fans began to back off — as instructed — from ringing their bells during game action.

Mississippi State AD Scott Stricklin is hoping State fans pick up right where they left off last season:

“We need to do a great job every game this year and build off that. We have a pretty high-profile game starting at home, so we need to be in midseason form as a fanbase, as a university.”

Stricklin also knows that LSU is one of the schools in the league that’s not too fond of the Bulldogs’ cowbells. LSU chancellor Michael Martin made his feelings clear at this year’s SEC Meetings back in June:

“When does a tradition become an annoyance? From what we’ve been told, they had some problems with the new rule in the games last season. It’s an artificial noisemaker, and people were ringing them during play, which is against the rules…

It may be time for State to adjust. I think it’s similar to a lot of schools who have had to change their nicknames for various reasons. Sometimes you have to move on.”

While some MSU fans will likely take an “Oh, yeah?” type of attitude toward LSU’s distaste for cowbells, Stricklin clearly understands that that would be the worst thing to do. Better to put the bells away during play and then ring the heck out of ‘em during stoppages. That way, MSU fans can make their feelings known and the Tigers won’t have anything to complain about when this topic comes up again next spring.

Two MSU O-Linemen Won’t Need Surgery

John — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:39:14 +0000

If you’re a Mississippi State fan, at least the sting of Saturday’s down-to-the-wire 41-34 loss to Auburn won’t be amplified by further pains brought on by injuries.

Left tackle James Carmon and center Quentin Saulsberry — both injured on Saturday — will not require surgery. Both players are starters.

Saulsberry was hurt in the game’s final quarter. Dan Mullen says he thinks his center has a chance to be back for Thursday’s game with LSU.

There is no word on when Carmon might return, however. He left Saturday’s contest in the second quarter due to some type of knee injury. MSU officials aren’t releasing much info on the injury or on a projected date of return.

The backups for both players are redshirt freshmen.

Mullen Wants MSU Fired Up For championship style game with auburn

John — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:36:23 +0000

Some coaches play down big games. Some coaches play them up. The guys playing them up are usually the ones who are trying to elevate their programs to a higher level of year-in, year-out play.

Enter Dan Mullen whose MSU Bulldogs travel to Auburn this weekend. Mullen said the following on yesterday’s “Scott Van Pelt Show” on ESPN radio:

“I don’t want to control the emotions (of his players). I want our guys to let (the emotions) go and play this as if it is a championship-style game. That first conference game, with the two teams playing it, especially this early in the season, means so much. You’re talking about a two-game swing, not a one-game swing in this one game. Whoever wins this game is in first place in the SEC West and also has a two-game advantage because you hold the tiebreaker head-to-head over the other opponent. It becomes such a big game. I don’t know if it’s a statement game just because they’re defending national champions. For us, it’s a statement game because this is our opportunity to jump into first place in the SEC West.”

Mullen also said he expects the five players suspended for last week’s opener to return for this weekend’s “championship-style game.”

Report: Texas Lawmakers About To Get Involved In SEC Expansion

John — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 04:00:14 +0000

According to Orangebloods.com — the Rivals site covering the University of Texas — lawmakers in the Long Star State are on the verge of involving themselves in Expansionpalooza 2011. If they do, that could potentially be bad news for the SEC.

Until late last week, Texas politicians had given Texas A&M a free-pass to exit and head east to the Southeastern Conference. But now legislators are worried that Texas and Texas Tech could bolt from the Big 12 and race west to the Pac-12. Some/many/most politicos in Texas don’t want to see that happen. So…

According to Orangebloods:

“Sources said the reason lawmakers are hot is that they received assurances from the Big 12, including (UT president Bill) Powers, that the Big 12 would survive without Texas A&M.

And because of those assurances, lawmakers did not take an aggressive stand against Texas A&M withdrawing from the Big 12. But that may be changing.

Sources said members of the Legislature are or will be reaching out to Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin to tell him the Aggies may no longer have the blessing of lawmakers to leave the Big 12, especially if it looks like the Big 12 will collapse.”

In addition the site claims that Big 12 sources have said there is “an increasing likelihood of litigation” against the SEC.

Good luck to the Big 12 on that front.

The Big Ten began the expansion craze last summer. The Pac-10 then began flirting with Texas and others in an effort to swipe four- to six-teams from the Big 12, which would have extinguished the conference in one push. The Pac-1o was conducting an all-out raid last summer. By comparison, the SEC simply answered a phone call this July.

When the smoke cleared in 2010, Nebraska had left for the Big Ten and Colorado had departed for the Pac-12 (as it’s now called).

Unless the judge overseeing such a silly case attended Baylor, the Big 12 would have a hard time convincing any sane person that it was actually the third school out the door that destabilized the league. Especially when Oklahoma president David Boren has been making comments like this to the press:

“The Big 12 is not the same Big 12. I was extremely disappointed when Nebraska departed. Disappointed when Colorado departed.”

Missouri football coach Gary Pinkel also stated last week:

“Obviously we have some issues in our league… When Nebraska leaves one year, Colorado leaves and then also now Texas A&M. So it’s three real good football teams (that) are leaving.”

Do a Google search and you’ll find countless other Big 12 figures who’ve been publicly stating the obvious — that Nebraska and Colorado exited and hurt the league a full year before A&M started looking for an escape hatch.

But while a tortious interference case would likely be hard to prove, that doesn’t mean such a lawsuit still couldn’t gum up the works for Mike Slive and the Aggies. The mere threat of a lawsuit could cause SEC presidents to slow down out of fear that the person hearing such a case really would be a Baylor grad… angry that his Bears are in danger of being left for dead in this round of realignment. (Nevermind the fact that the Bears left TCU, SMU, Houston and Rice for dead when Baylor jumped to the Big 12 without remorse in the mid-90s.)

Back in 2003, several Big East schools filed suit against the ACC for a raid that netted the Southern league Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech. In 2005, the ACC settled that suit for a grand total of $5 million. Pocket change.

But television contracts have jumped to another level since 2005 and the Big 12 — whoever’s left of the Big 12 — would likely ask for a cool billion of SEC cash. Well, even if there were just a 1% chance of losing that kind of cash, the SEC would need to do some serious risk/reward analyses. Perhaps the league would decide to stand pat and not offer A&M a landing spot. If that were to happen, would the Big 12 then be forced to re-admit a suddenly homeless Texas A&M? Now that would be a happy, long-lasting marriage, to be sure.

Bottom line? This thing isn’t over, folks. In some ways, it may just be getting started.

Oh, boy. Great. ’Cause who wants to talk about football?

UPDATE — Pete Thamel of The New York Times reports that Judith Zaffirini — the chairwoman of the Senate Higher Education Committee in Texas — claims the state senate has no intention of getting involved in conference expansion and realignment.

MSU, UK Win – In Very Different Fashions – One Opening Night

John — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:59:54 +0000

The college football season is underway and a pair of SEC teams already have wins under their belts. But they sure got those win in very different ways.

Mississippi State 59, Memphis 14

Quick Take: No one should get too carried away with a win over miserable Memphis, but State fans have reason to smile this morning. Vick Ballard ran for 166 yards and three TDs while Chris Relf threw for 202 yards and a pair of long, beautiful scoring strikes… all in just three quarters of action. It was a feel-good start for a program that’s been doing a lot of feeling good since Dan Mullen arrived.

Relf, Ballard sine as MSU offense picks up where it left off

Mississippi State rolls past Memphis

Mullen dwells on “teaching moments” after easy win

Bulldogs Notebook: Defensive youngsters litter field for State

Mississippi State: Talking points from Memphis win

Kentucky 14, Western Kentucky 3

Quick Take: Does the word “retch” mean anything to you? There’s not much to be gained by scheduling teams from the FCS-level or the bottom of the FBS-level. While UK’s defense did the job, there’s the obvious caveat of: Yeah, but it was against one of the 10 worst teams in the country. But there was no way to spin any positives out of UK’s offensive performance. Where have you gone, Randall Cobb? Heck, where have you gone Mike Hartline? (Kudos to the less than 25,000 fans who showed up to watch such a boring football game.)

Kentucky football overcomes WKU 14-3

Kentucky struggles past WKU in season opener

Kentucky wins, but not the way it expected

Well, at least it was a Kentucky win

“It’s better to be 1-0 than 0-1″

5 MSU Players Suspended, Not 10, For Tonight’s Game

John — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 22:40:21 +0000

Mississippi State officials have confirmed that there have been some suspensions on the Bulldog football team. But only half as many as had been reported on Twitter.

Starting defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, backup left tackle Blaine Clausell, backup quarterback Dylan Favre, linebacker Chris Hughes and receiver Malcolm Johnson are all suspended for “various violations of team policies.”

All five are expected to return next week against Auburn.

MSU Not Expected To Announce Any Suspensions Until Kickoff; Twitter Rumor/Story Explodes

John — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 21:20:50 +0000

Earlier this afternoon, the Mississippi State fan website ForWhomTheCowbellTolls.com tweeted the following information:

“BREAKING NEWS: 10 players will not be suiting up in memphis tonight, including Fletcher Cox”

Cox is a key member of the Bulldogs’ defensive line, FYI. In typical Twitter fashion, everyone who read the tweet from the website then re-tweeted it. Several national writers passed the tweet along to their readers.

I’d like to think that some believed the tweet came from MSU’s athletic department because ForWhomTheCowbellTolls.com was smart enough to grab @mstateathletics as their Twitter handle. So their tweet looked official.

But then again — knowing how Twitter works and how we in the media rush to be first on anything — the name of the tweeter probably had nothing to do with the avalanche that followed.

Since the “news” broke, there has been no confirmation from traditional media sources or from Mississippi State University.

Other tweeters have claimed to know that Cox is still in Starkville this afternoon and not with his teammates in Memphis. Backup quarterback Dylan Favre has also been named as one of the 10 players not dressing out. But again… there’s been no confirmation of those tweets either.

Brad Locke of The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal has tweeted the following:

“Dear tweeps: If I had confirmation about anything y’all are asking about, believe me, I wouldn’t wait for anyone to ask to divulge info.”

Fellow Bulldog beatwriter Brandon Marcello of The Jackson Clarion-Ledger held a chat with his readers this afternoon and said pretty much the same thing:

“If anyone (is suspended), it will not be announced until kickoff. Mississippi State has not yet announced any suspensions. … The tweet circulating among the national writers is from a fan blog.”

Asked by a fan to check on the rumors, Marcello wrote:

“Partner, I’ve been checking since late last night. When I know something, you’ll know something.”

Ah, the power of Twitter. Put a blurb out there and everyone immediately buys it and passes it on. Whether it’s a fan site talking about players being suspended (which might turn out to be true) or a reporter like ESPN’s Doug Gottlieb claiming that Texas A&M, Missouri, Clemson and Florida State are all joining the SEC (which turned out to be false), if it’s on Twitter it’s given instant credibility.

That’s so odd. Because if you watch your local news or read a newspaper online or visit a site like this one, you hold the deliverer of information accountable for what we write or say. You’re not going to immediately endorse our views after a quick glance. But when it comes to Twitter, we see something, we pass it on, no questions asked.

I may sound like an old grump, but Twitter is a dangerous, dangerous thing.

Report: 10 MSU Players Won’t Play Tonight

John — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:41:12 +0000

According to reports on Twitter — argh! — 10 Mississippi State football players will not dress out for tonight’s game at Memphis. That list includes starting defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.

Stay tuned… this could be an avalanche of Twitter baloney.

SEC Game Projections For Thursday 9/1/11

John — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:38:10 +0000

There are two games on the schedule tonight and below is a quick look at each:

Mississippi State at Memphis
8:00pm ET on SportSouth

Why It Matters: MSU wants to keep last season’s forward momentum rolling forward. A rebuilding team like Memphis can’t be allowed to become any kind of speedbump.

What Vegas Says: MSU by 31

What We Say: It’s hard to imagine Dan Mullen’s club improving on a 9-4 mark in the brutal SEC West, but there’ll be backsliding tonight.

Prediction: MSU 38, Memphis 13

Fired-up Bulldogs open tonight

Dogs’ attitude adjustment in full bloom in Starkville

Mullen has built expectations in Starkville

Kentucky vs Western Kentucky in Nashville, TN
9:15pm ET on ESPNU

Why It Matters: Joker Phillips needs to win over some fans in Year Two. That means beating all of the Cats’ non-conference patsies.

What Vegas Says: UK by 18

What We Say: The Wildcats shouldn’t miss Mike Hartline, Derrick Locke or even Randall Cobb against at Hilltopper defense that held only three teams below 27 points last year.

Prediction: Kentucky 49, WKU 17

Kentucky football hoping change is for the better on opening night

Kentucky defenders passing on co-defensive coordinator Rick Minter’s “class”

Youth will be served but Kentucky needs time to grow

MSU Fans Feel Good About The Future

John — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:06:48 +0000

Fresh off a 9-win season and a Gator Bowl whoopin’ of Michigan, Mississippi State fans are feeling pretty good about the state of their football program. Oh, and winning two straight Egg Bowls hasn’t hurt either.

But it’s not just fans who feel good about MSU’s future. With record-setting ticket sales, a healthy bounce in fundraising, a $25 million football facility in the works, and a possible stadium expansion coming soon, AD Scott Stricklin is walking a little taller, too:

“It’s gratifying to see kind of this belief that, if you took away some of the glass ceilings that are out there, and some of the preconceptions about what a place is or isn’t, and you say, ‘What if we think we could do anything, what could happen?’ It’s pretty neat to see pretty cool things happen.”

Not bad for one the SEC’s traditional bottom-dwellers. The Bulldogs’ resurgence proves that with the right coach, upward mobility is possible in the SEC.

MSU’s Gardner Dismissed From Hoops Team After Profane Tweet

John — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:44:25 +0000

When will Rick Stansbury learn? Last year he had two players question him and his decision-making on Twitter. But he let his guys keep right on tweetin’.

Now he’s had to boot freshman guard DJ Gardner for… yep, a profane tweet.

It seems Gardner had issues with how news of his redshirt was reported. And Gardner let the whole world know via Twitter:

“These b****es tried to f**k me over.. That’s y I red shirted .. But I wish my homies a great as* season.. I don’t know y I’m still here”

Well, he doesn’t have to wonder any longer, because he’s not still there and his dismissal is permanent according to the school. Gardner was one of the top prospects in the state of Mississippi last year.

The player let loose with another tweet last night that said:

“Call em and tell more… I can’t stand liars and that’s all they did since I started being recruited.. R.I.p. To that contract I signed.”

Not sure how many more times we’ll have to say this, but every coach in America should ban their players from Twitter right this instant. Ah, but they never learn.

(As always, you can follow our obscenity- and rant-free tweets right here.)

Mullen “Worried” And “Panicked” As Season Approaches

John — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:29:50 +0000

Dan Mullen is worried. Worried that the season is just one week away for his Mississippi State Bulldogs. Worried about everything.

“I’m worried about every position, but I’m confident in our guys. That’s tough for me, because I panic about everything. I’m panicked about our tailbacks, and you probably wouldn’t think that. I’m panicked about our quarterbacks.”

Still, Mullen was “pleased” with the effort he saw from his team during yesterday’s practice. So at least there’s no panicking on that front.

MSU OC Koenning Not Letting Relf Rest On Last Year’s Advances

John — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:15:55 +0000

If quarterback Chris Relf has any intentions of resting on the improvements he made to his game late last season, Mississippi State offensive coordinator Les Koenning has a message for him:

“I told Chris (earlier this month) that you’ve got 12 more games possibly in your career and that’s it at Mississippi State. I’m going to tell you point blank — nobody gives a darn what you did last year. That was last year. if you’re living on last year, you’re probably not going to get better at all. It’s left up to you. We put you in the position you got here and you worked hard to get here and you have to take the next step. You can’t walk in here and say, ‘My shoulder hurts, my knee hurts.’ So what if it hurts? Football is a physical game. You either go compete or say you’ve already arrived. I’ve been pretty hard on him and I’m going to be hard on him again. The beauty about the position is, if he doesn’t do the job, we’ve got two more behind him. It’s a great issue to have.”

Yeesh. And the part of Les Koenning will be played by R. Lee Ermey.

Mullen Says Scandals Sell. (In A Related Note: Earth Found To Be Round)

John — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:26:19 +0000

Asked about the latest scandal to rock the University of Miami’s football program, Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen talked about his own program instead… and about the media:

“I like us being out of scandals. To me, we’re trying the best we can to run our program the right way. I think the biggest tragedy of it is, is the scandals are taking the lead over the great things happening in college football because they don’t sell. I’m going to bet for every scandal you find, there’s 100 great college football stories out there of success. Unfortunately, though, people succeeding in this world is not the success we’re looking for right now to sell. What sells is what scandal we can find next.”

We agree completely with Mullen’s assessment. There are hundreds of positive stories that are never told (which is one reason we’re not among the masses screaming that “The whole amateur system is broken!”).

But the pitching of scandals is a two-way street. The media wouldn’t keep selling them if readers and viewers didn’t keep buying them. The truth of the matter is, for some reason, we like to read about the downfall of others. It’s a basic human character flaw.

As for Mullen, how happy do you think he is that his flirtations with Miami last offseason never led to a job offer?

Boone Downplays UM’s Egg Bowl Ticket Return

John — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:20:16 +0000

Yesterday we told you that Ole Miss had returned 2,000 of the 6,000 Egg Bowl tickets it had requested from Mississippi State. For comparison’s sake, while the Rebels bought about 4,000 tickets to the game in Starkville, State fans bought about 6,000 tickets to last year’s game in Oxford.

That looks to be a pretty clear sign that MSU’s fanbase — coming off a 9-4 season and a New Year’s Day bowl rout of Michigan — is more excited about the future than the Rebel fanbase, which is coming off a 4-8 campaign.

Not so, suggests UM athletic director Pete Boone:

“If we had sent back some (tickets) it’s never been many. I think the same with them here. So I don’t know if that’s a signal one way or to the other.”

Okay, but when you couple those returned tickets with the various UM fan groups who’ve formed this offseason to call for major changes in the athletic department, I think it’s probably safe to say Rebel fans aren’t in the best of moods these days. Whether Boone admits it or not.

Ole Miss Returns 2,000 Egg Bowl Tickets To MSU

John — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 19:32:06 +0000

It looks like Ole Miss fans have got a bad feeling about this year’s Egg Bowl game.

After two straight losses to arch-rival Mississippi State — followed by two straight years of Dan Mullen’s flapping gums — many Rebel fans have chosen to watch this year’s UM-MSU game on television. It was announced yesterday that Ole Miss has returned about 2,000 of the 6,000 Egg Bowl tickets the school had initially requested from State.

In other words, 4,000 UM fans have bought tickets for this year’s showdown in Starkville. For comparison, about 6,000 Bulldog fans bought tickets to the game in Oxford last year.

“I appreciate them letting us know this early in advance so we can get them ou tin the marketplace,” MSU athletic director Scott Stricklin said. “We all work well together to take care of our fans.”

Granted, some fans might choose to buy tickets through secondary vendors or from gameday scalpers, but this appears to be yet another sign that State fans feel a lot better about the state of their program than Ole Miss fans do.

(Sidenote — MSU also announced that South Carolina returned about 2,500 of the 5,000 tickets they received for this year’s MSU-USC game, but we’ll cut Cock fans some slack. There’s a big difference between the two-hour drive from Oxford to Starkville and the eight-hour drive from Columbia to Starkville.)

Russell Doesn’t Want To Be Just “The Throwing QB” At MSU

John — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:01:10 +0000

Last season, Dan Mullen tried to develop a two-quarterback system at Mississippi State. Chris Relf was considered the run-first guy. Tyler Russell was the throw-first quarterback.

Unfortunately for Russell, he feels his role became pretty obvious to opposing defenses:

“The defense knew I was going to throw the ball. It kind of sucked for me, but I had to do what I had to do.”

When’s the last time you saw a player admit to the media and fans that his role “sucked?”

With Mullen suggesting that a two-quarterback system could return — which is poppycock considering how Relf developed at the end of last season — Russell has been working on the foot-driven part of his game.

“I know I’m faster,” he told The Jackson Clarion-Ledger. “Maybe not faster, but quicker,” he admitted.

We don’t expect Mullen to re-implement a true two-QB system unless Relf regresses quite a bit early in the season. But even if that does come to pass, it’s hard to imagine opponents being too fearful of Russell the Runner. It’s likely that he would still be viewed as “the passing quarterback” in Starkville. And as Russell knows, it can “suck” when the other guy knows what you’re going to do before you do it.

MSU Inks Latvian Hoopster

John — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:52:53 +0000

Rick Stansbury is bringing in reinforcements via the transfer route. Kristers Zeidaks — a 6-8 small forward from Latvia — has been academically cleared by the NCAA and will have three years of eligibility with Mississippi State’s basketball team.

It’s expected that Zeidaks will have to sit out the first few games this season due to questions regarding his amateur status. The 21-year-old played with professional hoopsters in Latvia, but he was not a pro.

“It’s not an overly complicated case,” MSU’s compliance director told The Jackson Clarion-Ledger.”

(Hush. Listen closely. You can hear the faint screams of “What about Enes Kanter!” rising from the state of Kentucky.)

Zeidaks fills the roster spot left open when John Riek of Sudan left the Bulldog team earlier this month. Consider this State’s international exchange program.

Our only question? Is Zeidaks Latvian Orthodox?

Sidney Says He’ll Be Back, But…

John — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:48:24 +0000

When news emerged last week that Renardo Sidney would bypass Mississippi State’s August basketball tour of Europe, the syllables “uh” and “oh” probably popped into most Bulldog fans’ minds.

Sidney has been nothing but trouble since his arrival in Starkville. He sat for more than a year due to NCAA issues. He got into a fight with teammate. The teammate left, Sidney stayed. He tweeted his support for a teammate’s tweet which was critical of the MSU coaching staff. The teammate was suspended, Sidney was not. And now he’s backing out of a European trip to — according to him — try to lose more weight via workouts with ex-NBA player John Lucas in Houston.

So is it true that this just about weight loss? Would it not be better for team chemistry if Sidney were — you know — an actual part of the team? Is Rick Stansbury once again allowing Sidney to live by his own set of rules?

When it comes to questions about the talented big man, Brandon Marcello of The Jackson Clarion-Ledger says, “We never know what to believe.”

The coach still says Sidney will be back and will be a member of his team this season. But Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com warned of trouble on the horizon in a weekend blog:

“The whole Sidney-to-Mississippi State story has been a circus from the start and there’s no reason to think it won’t end that way, too. Put another way, it won’t end well. That’s my prediction. It just won’t end well and Stansbury will end up ever enrolling the troubled prospect — that is if he doesn’t regret it already.”

If he regrets it already, Stansbury should stop allowing Sidney to act as though he’s the captain of his own ship. MSU’s coach has burned up a lot of goodwill over the past couple of seasons and Sidney has been at the center of much of that.

How ironic that Stansbury might have gone overboard to land someone other schools were running away from — Southern Cal and UCLA were both moonwalking away from Sidney — and in return it could — if all goes wrong — cost him his job.

If Sidney is more trouble than he’s worth again this season and Stansbury’s “special” treatment of him creates a rift on the team, a squad with great potential could go south. If that happens, Stansbury could find himself in serious trouble at season’s end.

Sidney Won’t Make Europe Trip With MSU

John — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:00:07 +0000

Less than two weeks after Renardo Sidney said he was ready to turn a corner — with the help of ex-NBA’er John Lucas — the Mississippi State big man is once again a large question mark.

Sidney will not travel with State to Europe for a five-game exhibition tour next month. Instead he will spend more time working out with Lucas.

“Renardo Sidney has returned to Houston, Texas, to continue working out with John Lucas,” Rick Stansbury announced via statement. “He will not accompany the team to Europe next month, but he is expected back on campus for the start of the fall semester in mid-August.”

A team spokesperson said the decision to skip out on the Europe trip was Sidney’s. Stansbury gave him the go-ahead.

If Stansbury had only known the headaches that he would endure by signing the controversial big man.

Mullen Downplays Recruiting Rankings

John — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:47:12 +0000

Like most coaches, Dan Mullen says he’s not a slave to internet recruiting rankings. Asked by Brandon Marcello of The Jackson Clarion Ledger if he can build a Top 10 team from a 35th-ranked recruiting class, Mississippi State’s coach responded thusly:

“Well, I’ll say this: I know our four-year average (in the recruiting rankings) was 33rd and Michigan was ninth. You tell me which team you want to be involved with on a four-year average going into that (Gator Bowl) game. In theory, they should be much better than we were but I don’t know if they were or if it was just that day. When you look at that stuff, we go after players that fit our need.

To me, that’s where the recruiting rankings and perception and reality differ greatly.”

In case you’ve forgotten, Mullen’s Bulldogs ripped the Wolverines 52-14 in January’s Gator Bowl.

Writer: MSU Fans Still Concerned About Newton Situation

John — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:32:09 +0000

Brad Locke of The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal expects a lot of questions at next week’s SEC Media Days to focus on college football’s “underbelly.” But in his latest column he also writes the following regarding what he believes to be an ongoing fear that there’s still another shoe to drop when it comes to former Auburn quarterback — and Mississippi State recruit — Cam Newton:

“As far as MSU fans are concerned, I sense there is a lingering worry regarding the Cam Newton saga. While MSU has not had its integrity impugned during this affair, more revelations could come to light.”

True. Rumors of those FBI wiretaps are still floating around the internet. There are still those who claim the Newtons did receive cash from someone.

But after nearly a year’s worth of digging no media source or private dick hired by an enraged Bama backer has pinned the cash on the quarterback, it’s hard to imagine something new popping up now. And if something does come out, it’s doubtful that State will be the school being implicated.

Still, it’s interesting that a Newton’s name can still — apparently — send shivers down the spines of some SEC football fans.

MSU’s Sidney Looks For A Fresh Start

John — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 16:39:43 +0000

Mississippi State basketballer Renardo Sidney says last year “was the worst year for me ever.” Now — with the help of ex-NBA’er John Lucas — Sidney is looking for a fresh start.

Not only did Lucas help Sidney dump weight during a two-month training camp in Houston, but he also worked with the big man regarding his attitude.

“Athletes are treated like royalty long before we need to be, so what happens is we quit and don’t have anything to look forward to because everyone is treating us like the stars that we’re not,” Lucas told The Jackson Clarion-Ledger. “I think (Sidney) kept running to opportunities that kept treating him like (a star) instead of settling down.”

Sidney agrees that Lucas did as much for him off the court as on it. “Every day he talked to me about life. It wasn’t all about basketball. He was teaching me how to keep my cool and don’t worry about what people say. Stay in the gym and stay hungry.”

“All stars can be jerks on the court,” Lucas said. “But it’s about how you react off the court. Don’t be a jerk off of it.”

Next season we’ll see if Sidney fights with teammates, voices his displeasure on Twitter, or simply shows himself to be a malcontent. If so, then maybe there’s no getting through to the talented center.

But if he does turn over the proverbial new leaf, then MSU fans might need to write a few “thank you” notes to Lucas.

MSU Linebacker Skinner Arrested

John — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:41:23 +0000

Mississippi State linebacker Deontae Skinner is facing a charge of simple domestic assault following an incident with his girlfriend back on June 5th. His girlfriend was also arrested. The pair have a child together.

Both Skinner and Jasmine Foote had “physical marks” on their bodies when police arrested them at an apartment complex in Starkville.

Dan Mullen told The Jackson Clarion-Ledger that Skinner has not been suspended and that any punishment will be “handled internally” after the “legal process runs its course.”

Skinner recorded seven tackles in 10 games last season. He will be a redshirt sophomore this fall.

Mullen Wants His Players To Have A Little Change In Their Pockets (Going Jingle Lingle Ling)

John — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:01:15 +0000

Coaches across the country are more than happy to tell reporters that they’d like to find a way to get their players paid for their football exploits. That’s partly because they mean it. And it’s partly because they know those reporters will print their words and that can be used as a positive on the recruiting trail.

“Look here, Little Jimmy. I’m pushing to get guys like you some money. My league is looking into paying you guys. Why, if you sign with us, you might even be getting paid by the time you’re a junior or senior.”

Don’t put it past ‘em, folks.

At any rate, Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen is the latest to chime in on the pay-for-play idea:

“… I think they should get some spending money in their pocket. And I know there’s all other kinds of complications that come along with it. But our guys are so committed and put in so much time year round in the game of football. It’d be great to give them some spending money. They don’t need major money; they just need enought to go out with the other college kids and get themselves a pizza on a Friday night.”

Mullen admits that the issue is bigger “than just football players getting paid” and for that reason, he believes if it happens, “it’ll be a long time from now.”

Agreed.

And for those who don’t get the “jingle lingle ling” line:

The lyrics say “jingle lingle ling,” but I’d have spelled it “jangle langle lang.” Just me.

Ex-MSU Guard Johnson Says Suspension Helped Him

John — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:05:27 +0000

Former Mississippi State guard Ravern Johnson says he’s a better player now than he was during his senior season in Starkville. In fact, he says his turnaround began with an in-season suspension from Rick Stansbury this past year:

“During the suspension, I had time to sit back and think about a lot of things. I was wrong about the things that I did, and when I got back to the team I was just real happy and wanted to show them that I wanted to win as much as they did, and to try and do everything in my power to let us win.

Most of the (NBA) teams were talking about that, saying they really liked that.”

Johnson was briefly suspended in February after making negative comments about the coaching staff and the MSU program on Twitter following a loss.

MSU Has Two Football Games Picked Up By Fox

John — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 20:43:31 +0000

Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin announced today that Fox Sports Network has picked up to Bulldog football games for the fall.

MSU’s season opener at Memphis will air at 8pm ET, September 1st on FSN. And the Dogs’ October 8th trip to UAB will be carried on FSN at noon ET.

MSU’s Thames Dismissed From Football Team

John — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 15:40:13 +0000

Reserve safety Dennis Thames has been dismissed from Mississippi State’s football team according to Dan Mullen. No reason was given for the dismissal, but Mullen tell The Jackson Clarion-Ledger that “this was not a first-time violation” (in the paper’s words).

The redshirt sophomore was listed as the backup strong safety on State’s spring depth chart.

Slive: Every SEC School Knows What’s Expected Of It

John — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:07:20 +0000

Last fall, Mike Slive made it clear that he wasn’t happy about the fact that the Cam Newton story found its way to ESPN by way of some Mississippi State leakers. Yesterday he said that he has had “appropriate dialogue” (writer’s words) with State reps and “we’re at a comfortable place with them now.”

The commissioner also said that schools around the SEC know what’s expected of them — when it comes to NCAA compliance and the handling of NCAA compliance issues elsewhere.

“Everybody in our league knows exactly what we expect of them. We’re very comfortable with that. We’re very comfortable with our relationship with the NCAA. We’ve always been that way.”