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• The matchup: Jackson State (9-2 last season) at Mississippi State (7-6)
• The kickoff: 6:08 p.m., Fox Sports Net
• The weather: Hot and wet
• The line: No line
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Despite some buzz about this on Twitter, Tim Couch did not pick JSU to upset the Bulldogs. That's because, as the color anaylst for this game, he recused himself from making a prediction. But if he were to pick, Couch would not be so foolish as to take Jackson State. None of us would be so foolish.
So let's not even pretend JSU has a chance to win this game. Sure, there are some nice players on this team, like receiver Tobias Singleton (formerly of Ole Miss) and defensive end Joseph LeBeau (16 sacks last year). And by year's end, JSU's offense will probably again be near the top in a lot of categories. Rick Comegy is a good, veteran coach who will have the Tiger contending for the SWAC title.
But MSU is going to win this one going away. It should, right? Tyler Russell will be flinging it around to a boat load of receivers, LaDarius Perkins will speed past linebackers, and that MSU defensive line will wreak havoc in the Jackson State backfield.
The main goals for MSU, besides winning, should be to get lots of players in the game and stay healthy. Set things up for the big game against Auburn next week. The only question I have is how many yards Russell will throw for (and how long will he even be in the game)?
A blowout? Most certainly, although I suppose a wet track could help even the playing field. Or not.
• The prediction: MSU 42, Jackson State 10.
The preseason brings with it countless questions, and one in particular has been bugging me for a while: Can tailback LaDarius Perkins handle a heavier load than he's been used to the past two years?
The question within the question is whether he'll even have to take on significantly more carries, because Nick Griffin is there and a couple of redshirt freshmen could get some carries, too. But Perkins is the starter, and so the natural assumption is that his career average of 7.2 carries per game will go up a good bit.
The reason there are questions about Perkins' durability is because up 'til now he's been a change-of-pace back, a guy who can get to the edge or catch screen passes and just go. He has occasionally run between the tackles – and with success – but he hasn't had to do it on a regular basis over a 12-game regular season. Griffin seems more naturally built for that.
But let's not underestimate Perkins' stature. He's 5-foot-10 (taller than Emmitt Smith) and a very muscular 194 pounds. (He's listed at 190 but gave us reporters the 194 figure on Tuesday.) As Paul Myerberg of PreSnapRead.com pointed out on my show today (CLICK HERE, fast-forward to the 39-minute mark), Perkins has muscle on top of muscle. He said he weighed about 170 pounds when he first arrived at MSU in 2009.
"I don't worry about my body wearing down, because coach (Matt) Balis has me in the best shape of my life right now. Being in shape is not an issue at all," Perkins said.
The most carries Perkins has had in a single game is 18, against UAB on Oct. 23, 2010. Starter Vick Ballard sat out that game with an ankle injury, so Perkins stepped in and rushed for a career-high 131 yards. It's the only time in his college career he's hit the 100-yard mark.
He had 10 or more carries only twice last season after hitting double digits five times the previous year, when Perkins and Ballard were battling each other for the starting job. Perkins simply doesn't have the experience of being an every-down back in college. But everybody starts somewhere, and Perkins is confident he can do whatever is asked of him.
"I feel like I can hit the edge or go inside more," he said. "I've gained more weight now, and I feel like I can take a pounding. It's just whatever the play-calling is and the game situation is."
MSU's coaches obviously feel Perkins can get it done. While the bigger Griffin is a more prototypical every-down back, he's been unable to overtake the more experienced Perkins.
"Perkins from Day 1 has been at the top, but I’ve seen the other guys – I don’t know that he’s maybe separated (from them), he’s pulled their level of play up," head coach Dan Mullen said. "So you feel pretty good. I like the way the guy’s been running the football."
Perkins' career rushing stats:
• 2010: 101 rushes, 566 yards, 5.6 ypc, 3 TDs
• 2011: 87 rushes, 422 yards, 4.9 ypc, 2 TDs
Totals: 188 rushes, 988 yards, 5.3 ypc, 5 TDs
To help you and me get through the drudgery of August, I will present in this space a daily scoop of MSU football-ness, as inspired by a certain ice cream chain. August has 31 days, so I'll let you work it out from there. Here is today's flavor.
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Doc Foglesong was president of Mississippi State for a short time – two years – and did not leave on good terms with MSU. But he must be credited with at least one important development: Promoting Greg Byrne to athletics director in February of 2008.
That move got the ball rolling for MSU football, and it's not stopped. Byrne was just 36 at the time, but his résumé was already impressive, and he'd certainly made a good impression on Foglesong while serving as the athletic department's lead fundraiser for two years. Byrne made his authority known early on when he hired John Cohen as MSU's new baseball coach against the wishes of the legendary Ron Polk.
Byrne was just as swift and decisive a few months later, after MSU had wrapped up a disappointing 4-8 season with a 45-0 loss to rival Ole Miss. Byrne sent Sylvester Croom packing and then conducted a stealthy coaching search – earning himself the nickname "Ninja" – before deciding on Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen.
Mullen is 21-17 at MSU in three seasons, and the Bulldogs have posted back-to-back bowl wins for the first time in over a decade. This year's team looks to be the best Mullen has had, and all throughout the program are signs of growth. The school is spending $100 million on big facility projects (the football complex and stadium expansion), and the fan base continues to throw its money behind the program.
Byrne, of course, served about two years before taking the AD's job at Arizona. Scott Stricklin has so far run things with a deft hand and has the same ambitious approach that Byrne possesses, overseeing the master plan for athletic facility improvement that Byrne put a lot of work into. Such an approach is vital if a school wants to compete in the SEC, and MSU has become competitive and could be a surprise team this year.
Byrne deserves a lot of credit for that. Foglesong deserves some, too.
This week's game: Jackson State (0-0) at MSU (0-0), Saturday, 6 p.m., Fox Sports Net/ESPN3.com (Bob Rathbun, Tim Couch and Elizabeth Moreau)
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For as much talent and depth as Mississippi State appears to have, it's easy to forget just how many young players will be counted upon to varying degrees this year. In today's Journal, my opinion offering focuses on this fact (CLICK HERE).
As noted in the column, 23 of 51 players on the depth chart are sophomores or younger. That's 45.1 percent. While many of those youngsters on second-string, they'll all get significant snaps. Plus, you've got guys like redshirt freshman Benardrick McKinney filling major roles; he's the starting middle linebacker.
The true test of this team will be how consistently the younger players can perform. And next week's game versus Auburn will be the first measuring stick.
• Let's hit some links: Ahem, THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON STARTS TODAY WOOT. South Carolina visits Vanderbilt, and for previews of the game, CLICK HERE for the SC angle, and CLICK HERE for the Vandy angle. Game kicks off at 6 p.m. on ESPN. … The only other game worth watching tonight is Mike Leach's debut at Washington State, which visits BYU (9:15, ESPN). Something I didn't know: BYU is Leach's alma mater (CLICK HERE). … Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com says the numbers point to a seventh consecutive BCS title for the SEC (CLICK HERE).
Last season, Mississippi State ranked a respectable fifth in the SEC in red zone offense, scoring on 85 percent (34 of 40) of its trips inside opponents' 20-yard line. But if you break it down further, it's clear that the Bulldogs were not great at finishing drives.
Of those 34 scores, 22 were touchdowns. So, only 55 percent of MSU's trips into the red zone resulted in touchdowns. That ranked ninth in the SEC. The 22 red-zone TDs were tied for eighth with Auburn. The run/pass split was even: 11 were rushing touchdowns, 11 passing. Tailback Vick Ballard, not surprisingly, led the way with five red-zone scores, four of them rushing.
Quarterback Chris Relf had a couple of rushing TDs, and he and Tyler Russell had five touchdown passes apiece inside the 20. Tight end Malcolm Johnson had three scores through the air.
Ballard and Relf are gone. Johnson is injured. Russell is back, and with the Bulldogs expected to be more of a passing team this year, I suppose it starts with him in the red zone. Those TD numbers only tell part of the story, of course; Ballard did a good job moving the chains between the 20 and the goal line. Can LaDarius Perkins (5-foot-10, 190 pounds) fill that role, or will it have to be the inexperienced (but bigger, at 6-foot, 225 pounds) Nick Griffin?
Don't discount the possible impact Joe Morrow could have. He's only a redshirt freshman, but he's also 6-4, 205 and, as his coaches have said often, can be open when he's not open. Can you say fade route?
The offensive line obviously plays a big role here. The Bulldogs look strong in the middle, which is where most of the tough yards come. The tackles are the question marks, so you wonder how effective a guy like Perkins can be on the edge on such a short field, or how Russell will be able to make good, quick decisions against an attacking defense.
MSU's offense is expected to be improved this season, and a true measure of that will how well it can punch it in those last few yards.
To help you and me get through the drudgery of August, I will present in this space a daily scoop of MSU football-ness, as inspired by a certain ice cream chain. August has 31 days, so I'll let you work it out from there. Here is today's flavor.
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Back in July, as the summer dragged on and we all pined for the week that we currently find ourselves in, the guys over at ForWhomtheCowbellTolls.com (an SBNation blog) addressed a question that many an MSU fan has asked: What if Cam Newton had played for the Bulldogs? (CLICK HERE)
In that entry, MSU's 2010 season was simulated with Newton inserted at quarterback. The result: A 10-2 regular season mark, which is two wins better than what actually happened. The simulation included wins over Auburn, LSU and Arkansas (State lost all of those games that year) and a loss to Florida (it won that one in Gainesville).
Obviously, we don't really know how that season would've gone, but it certainly could've been special had Newton stuck with his MSU, which seemed poised to snare him until a late-December visit and commitment to Auburn, where he won a BCS title and a Heisman Trophy amid a recruiting scandal. You also have to wonder, of course, that if MSU had gotten Newton, would the scandal still have followed? (I wondered that when all this was going down, CLICK HERE.)
Anyway, the what-if game, while ultimately fruitless, is a fun exercise. You also have to wonder what if Keyshawn Johnson had stuck with MSU back in the '90s, or what if serial base stealer Billy Hamilton had decided to play football (and/or baseball) for the Bulldogs after signing with Dan Mullen in 2009, or what if current MSU first baseman Wes Rea had decided to continue his career as a stellar offensive lineman?
Such questions can drive you mad, of course, and it's easy to forget that this game can be reversed. What if Fletcher Cox had signed elsewhere, or what if Mullen hadn't been able to hold on to Tyler Russell during the coaching change, or what if Denico Autry had picked Ole Miss or Alabama?
I'd love to hear any what-ifs y'all might have in mind.
The first SEC coaches teleconference was held this morning, and we just got finished with Dan Mullen. It was our last chance this week to ask him questions, although I suppose I could go undercover as a guy named Harlan Q. Poindexter from Amory and call his radio show tomorrow night with questions. Yeah, maybe not.
Let's bullet-point this baby.
• On improving the run defense, which ranked seventh in the SEC last year (153.5 ypg): "Part of it is with those guys we have some young guys, some talented defensive linemen but a lot of youth at that position. They're going to have to come up and make some plays early on. The fact that we have a little bit more experience at linebacker right now is certainly going to help with that front seven of us being able to stop the run."
• On new wide receiver coach Tim Brewster getting acclimated quickly to his new job with the opener approaching: "You've got a guy that has as much experience as he has and the professional that he is. He's in here picking it up. He knows the game of football and knows what he's doing as a coach. There's still always going to be a little bit of the language barrier. He's constantly working through of how we're calling things. But the fact that we have an experienced group at receiver as well is certainly going to make the whole situation a little bit easier and a pretty easy transition on game day."
(If you missed it last night, Brewster said he expects to be coaching from the field, versus the booth. "I think my temperament is much more suited to being on the field as opposed to being in a cerebral environment in the press box. I like the activity on the boundary," Brewster said.)
• On Jackson State's experience vs. MSU's: "We have some good senior leadership, but we're a very young team. When you look at the experience aspect of things, their kids have played in a lot of games, know the situation they're coming into, are up for the challenge, and are expecting to have a huge year. That always makes it challenging, this first game, there will be a lot of nervous jitters from guys who haven't played before. The faster we get through all that and execute cleanly, the better we'll be. But I think their guys will have a lot less of that."
• On Jackson State's new starting QB, Dedric McDonald, who threw nine passes last season and is replacing the very prolific Ryan Therriault: "They had a great quarterback last year, but all the weapons that are around him, the experience around him, especially the O-line giving him time, those are things that are going to allow that quarterback to develop. … I don't think that's going to be as big a drop-off maybe as people think it will be from their guy that was obviously a great player last year."
This week's game: Jackson State (0-0) at MSU (0-0), Saturday, 6 p.m., Fox Sports Net/ESPN3.com (Bob Rathbun play-by-play, Tim Couch analyst, Elizabeth Moreau sideline)
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Josh Boyd will be enjoying more freedom this year. The senior has made the full-time switch to the three-technique defensive tackle spot, where Fletcher Cox used to play, and you can read about his transition in today's Journal (CLICK HERE).
"It's a lot more room for playmaking, so I like it a lot," Boyd said.
Moving from nose guard will give Boyd the chance to maximize his abilities. He's done pretty well for himself the past three seasons, recording 92 tackles, 15.5 tackles-for-loss and 8.0 sacks over 38 career games. He had career highs in each category last year: 51, 8.0 and 5.5.
So Boyd has shown that ability to make things happen in opposing backfields. This move should make him even more productive.
"Our system has been to put our best three-technique in a position to have one-on-one matchups," defensive coordinator Chris Wilson said. "Our three-technique allows us to do that. When you complement that with hopefully a defensive end position that we haven't had in the last two years, it's really going to allow him to have a little bit more freedom one-on-one."
Boyd has also taken on a leadership role, which is not something that comes easy to him. But he's doing what's necessary.
"I don't know if he'll ever be a captain, but he's really taken on that (leadership) role," Wilson said.
I have some video of Boyd, so CLICK HERE.
• Besides Dan Mullen, I spoke with 10 MSU players and coaches last night. That means I have plenty of material coming your way the rest of the week in the paper and here on the blog.
• More links for you: Also in today's Journal is my update on the MSU booster with whom the school has cut ties (CLICK HERE). The NCAA is very interested in this person, and I don't know for sure if they've spoken with the booster since that July 13 letter. AD Scott Stricklin has not responded to a question regarding that. … Basketball freshman Fred Thomas will be out for an estimated six weeks after he undergoes surgery today for a stress fracture in his right foot (CLICK HERE). … He's only a sophomore, but you might want to keep an eye on Amory quarterback Jon David Poss, who we wrote about today (CLICK HERE). I've covered him the past two weeks, and he's an impressive looking kid, especially for his age.
Jack St. 7
Mstate 42
We spent several minutes with head man Dan Mullen this evening after practice, as well as with several assistant coaches and players. Plenty of stuff for the rest of the week, but for right now let's do some videos.
• For Mullen, CLICK HERE
• For receivers coach Tim Brewster, CLICK HERE <===talks about an injury!
• For cornerback Corey Broomfield, CLICK HERE
• For receiver Joe Morrow, CLICK HERE
That last one is brief, because my phone ran out of memory. But hopefully there's enough here to tide y'all over. Now, back to work!
Mississippi State freshman guard Fred Thomas will be out about six weeks after undergoing foot surgery on Wednesday. He's scheduled to have the procedure to repair a stress fracture in his right foot, the school said in a release.
It shouldn't affect his status for the coming season.
"It’s disappointing because Fred came in with a tremendous attitude and ready to go to work,” first-year MSU coach Rick Ray said in a statement. “Fortunately, we caught it at a time where we expect to have him back at the start of practice."
MSU begins preseason practices Oct. 12, and the season begins Nov. 9 at Troy.
Thomas (6-foot-3, 180 pounds) is the second freshman to undergo surgery this summer. Jacoby Davis, who'd been expected to start at point guard, had surgery a few weeks ago to repair a torn ACL.
Thomas comes from Jackson Jim Hill High School, which he led to the Class 6A state title this season. He averaged 19.9 points and 5.9 rebounds as a senior and is expected to compete for a starting job this season.
Thomas was academically cleared by the NCAA just last week.