Sunday, November 2, 2008

SEC Updated Standings- Week 10

WESTCONF. W-LOVERALL W-L
*-Alabama5-09-0
*-LSU3-26-2
Mississippi3-35-4
Auburn2-44-5
Arkansas1-44-5
Mississippi State1-43-6

EASTCONF. W-LOVERALL W-L
*-Florida5-17-1
*-Georgia4-27-2
Vanderbilt3-25-3
*-South Carolina3-36-3
*-Kentucky2-36-3
Tennessee1-53-6

Tigers Tear Through Green Waves


Tulane @ LSU (19)- LSU 35-10

LSU- Les Miles and the Tigers knew how important it was to make a statement before heading to Tuscaloosa next week. LSU had lost two straight to SEC foes Florida and Georgia and needed a win and some confidence. Luckily, Tulane fell onto the schedule as late in the season as they did. The Tigers hit their stride on offense by rushing for a total of 231 yards with an average rush of 5 yards per carry. The offense was 50% on third down conversions which was critical to their domination over the Sun Belt Conference opponent. After giving up over 50 points the last two games, the defense also came together and held the Green Wave to only 163 total yards. The win gives LSU a total of 6. They now play the GAME OF THE YEAR for the West conference crown in Alabama.

Alabama Does Not Slip before LSU


Arkansas State @ ALABAMA(2)- Alabama 35-0

ALABAMA- Preparing to host LSU in a WEST DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP-like game, the Crimson Tide took care of their business by destroying the lesser opponent. The Tide controlled the game through running the ball. They amounted to over 200 yards in the day and controlled the game clock. The defense also thrived by holding the Arkansas State team to a mere 158 total yards. With the win, Alabama moves that much closer to a NATIONAL TITLE appearance. Next week will be the deciding game for the Tide. If they defeat the LSU Tigers, they will clinch the West conference and book a spot in Atlanta for the SEC title game.

SEC GAME OF THE WEEK- Dawgs CHOMPED by Gators


FLORIDA(8) @ GEORGIA(6)- Florida 49-10

GEORGIA- When it rains it pours and that is what happened with the Georgia Bulldogs. They were dominated in EACH AND EVERY PHASE OF THE GAME. ALSO it is worth noting that both their losses were BLOW OUTS…The Dogs were deemed as pre-season #1, BUT twice, they were outplayed by what appeared to be a FAR superior team. The Georgia Bulldogs are a victim of a lot of negatives this season. Their schedule was stacked against them and they could not over come this…NEXT WEEK they head to Kentucky and the following WEEK the head to Auburn. Three straight road trips are tough, not to mention they have already faced a tenuous SEPTEMBER and OCTOBER.

The Dogs loss will knock them out of CHAMPIONSHIP contention and really hurt their national standing.

FLORIDA- Oh how sweet revenge is…The Florida Gators destroyed their East Rival Bulldogs 49-10. Gators scored in every way possible, pass, run and even an interception return. Quarterback Tim Tebow added to his heisman season by throwing for 2 touchdowns and rushing for three more scores. To add to the offensive explosion, Percy Harvin had 89 total yards and scores of his own. He has scored in each of his past 10 games. The defense also dominated by forcing 4 turnovers and holding heisman hopefull Knowshon Moreno to 63 yards and NO TOUCHDOWNS! With this blow out, the Gators should SHOOT up in the polls and likely represent the East in the title game…But business first, the Gators will host rested Vanderbilt team that wants respectability and a win to get to a bowl themselves. It is CRUCIAL for the Gators to stay focused and not look past the Commodores.

Auburn Loses 4th Straight as Ole Miss Impresses

AUBURN @ MISSISSIPPI- Mississippi 17-7

MISSISSIPPI- Both teams came in with the SAME conference and overall record. Ole Miss matched Auburn’s slow paced style early by punting and stalling throughout the opening quarter and a half. But, eventually the Rebels were able to get things going on offense and led a 85 yard scoring drive at the end of the first half to enter halftime at 10-0. With the lead the Rebels were able to dominate the second half of play. The Rebels intercepted Kodi Burns THREE times in the Auburn red zone and tacked on an additional touchdown to guarantee the win....This win gives Ole Miss its first 2 game win steak since 2004. Next up for the Rebels is a BYE and Louisiana Monroe on November 13th. Also with this win, the rebels are a win away from bowl eligibility…

AUBURN- The Tigers struggles continued this week as they lost their 4th straight game. FOR THE FIRST TIME ALL SEASON, the Tigers trailed at half time and only amounted to 71 total yards. The second half was a little more productive, as the offense came alive with 305 passing yards from Kodi Burns and a touchdown run by Ben Tate. The massive amounts of passing yards did not convert into any AUBURN points because Burns threw 3 costly red zone interceptions. The Auburn Tigers have been haunted all season by turnovers as they rank 73rd in the country in turnover margin. It has been a long while since Auburn has dropped four straight. Hopefully, the Tigers can build on the offensive production against UT- Martin next week, as they host Georgia in two weeks.

Arkansas Closes the deal against Tulsa


Tulsa(18) @ ARKANSAS- Arkansas 30-23

ARKANSAS- Arkansas opened up hot by putting up 17 points in the first 10 minutes of action. Although, the initial urge fizzled and Tulsa pulled back into the game as they went into half time only leading by three. The Razorbacks offense exploded for a total of 435 yards. Senior quarterback Casey Dick put together one of the best performances of his career by throwing for 385 yards and one touchdown. Arkansas also received help from stellar defensive play, as the Razorbacks took the ball from the Tulsa Golden Eagles 3 times in route to a victory. Arkansas can not savor this win too long as they will be back in SEC play next week against a tough South Carolina team.

Cocks hound Ole Smokey 27-5


TENNESSEE @ SOUTH CAROLINA- South Carolina 27-6

SOUTH CAROLINA- Coming off the bye, Steve Spurrier said he would stick with quarterback Stephen Garcia, and Garcia did not disappoint. He led the Gamecocks in an opening scoring drive and threw for a total of 139 yards and added another touchdown pass to his statistics late. The running game also flourished against Tennessee as the Cocks combined for a total of 101 yards. Gamecock defenders had a field day against the non-existant Tennessee defense by forcing three turnovers. The win puts the South Carolina Gamecocks at bowl eligibility. The schedule continues to get tough as they must face Arkansas next week and go TO FLORIDA in two weeks. But today, the Gamecocks dominated and have high hopes for the remainder of the season.

TENNESSEE- Tennessee’s struggles continued as they combined for only 200 total yards for the game and 34 rushing yards. The Volunteers continually made mistakes as they fumbled twice and threw one interception. Forcing the defense into bad positions, the Gamecocks capitalized against an exhausted defensive unit of Tennessee. The Vols were shut out in the first fourty minutes and tact on their lone touchdown when the game was already out of reach. This is now the 6th loss for the Tennessee Volunteers. They can’t really salvage the season and probably Phil Fulmer will likely lose his job due to this season’s unmet expectations. Tennessee gets to play Wyoming for homecoming…a easy win, but its too little too late for this season of woes for the Vol Nation.

It was not pretty, BUT it WAS a WIN!


Kentucky Squeaks out Victory, and gets to Bowl Eligible

It was not pretty, but the Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs 14-13 in Starkville.

The game started slow for the Cats, as the Randall Cobb led offense failed to get any offense in the opening quarter combining for a mere 12 yards. The lack of offense, coupled with a dominant opening drive by the Bulldogs, which spanned 5 minutes and went 79 yards, aided to worry in Lexington. But the Wildcats buckled down and came from behind to get the much needed win.

To open the second quarter, Rich Brooks inserted Mike Hartline in at quarterback once again. He seemed to add a small spark, but the offense continued to stall at mid field, as they have all year, and were forced to punt. Further on in the second quarter, the Cats drove the field and got into the redzone. With time waning down, Kentucky hoped to get some points on the board before heading into half, but the special team woes, continued as Lones Seiber missed a 23 yard kick.

Coming out of halftime, the Cat offense surged for a 53 yard, 9 play drive which resulted in a 5 yard Randall Cobb rushing touchdown.

The Wildcat defense was able to stop Mississippi State’s first drive out of the half and gave the ball back again to the Cats.

In their second drive of the half, once again the offense showed promise by driving the length of the field in 8 minutes to lead to a Randall Cobb touchdown pass to tight end Maurice Grinter. The pass would give the Cats the lead and the eventual victory.

There were struggles, and the Kentucky Wildcats by no means, have solved any of its offensive woes. Randall Cobb DID struggle early and was replaced in the 2nd quarter in favor of the more experienced Mike Hartline. But, Cobb did come on late with two needed drives.

Cobb finished the game going 7/16 for only 56 yards and a touchdown. He added yards on the ground and received 3 passes for 33 yards from Mike Hartline. The talent and play making ability of Cobb was a TREMENDOUS asset to the Cat victory.

bu they were able to do what was needed to get the victory.

A worry for the Cats though is the defense. After a strong showing early in the season, the defense has slipped into mediocrity. They gave up 304 yards to the worst offense in the SEC. Looking ahead to coming opponents, the defense will need to get back to form as they host the 2nd best offense in the conference, the Georgia Bulldogs.

Also a cause for concern is the special teams unit. The inadequacy of an efficient kicking game again cost the Cats points. The lacking of a predicable kicking game has hurt the team drastically.

However, a win is a win and for the first time in more than 50 years, the Kentucky Wildcats will go bowling for the 3rd straight year!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

College Week 10

LAST WEEK- 7-7***1-2 in Upset specials

Season Totals- 32-27

Week 10--

ACC- Virgina o Miami

BIG EAST- UConn o West Virginia

BIG 10- Northwestern o Minnesota

PAC 10- USC o Washington

Big 12- Kansas o Kansas State

UPSET SPECIAL

1) Texas Tech O Texas

SEC PROJECTIONS-

1) Georgia O Florida- This is a BIG matchup…at the beginning of the season I projected Georgia in the National Title, and so they need this game to get there….GEORGIA…

2) Mississippi o Auburn- Auburn is just a bad team this year with no offense what so ever…a 4th straight loss might lose Tuberville his job and OLE MISS just has more talent…OLE MISS

3) Arkansas o Tulsa- Tulsa comes in ranked and looking to sneak into the BCS picture, BUT ARKANSAS will not be embarrassed here….Arkansas will save face and win this game…ARK

4) Alabama o Arkansas State- In a tune up before the showdown with LSU, lets just hope no one gets injured….BAMA

5) LSU o Tulane- A tune up game…they need to get an offense established before heading into Tuscaloosa

6) Tennessee o South Carolina- The Vols keep getting closer and closer to a w and this week they pull the upset to salvage a little bit of the season…TENNESSEE

Friday, October 31, 2008

Keys to a Kentucky Victory



KEYS TO WILDCAT VICTORY-

1) Randall Cobb performs- It is hard to put A LOT of faith in a TRUE FRESHMAN quarterback…but in the opportunities he has been given this season, he has seemed to lend a spark to the offense. Saturday, he must be COMPOSED and mistake free.

2) Defense needs to BOUNCE back- The defense is coming off their WORST defensive showing in the past 2 years. This week needs to be a confidence builder as they play the worst defense in the SEC.

If the offense can get a little momentum and the defense finds its groove, the Wildcats can get a WIN and reach bowl eligibility. CONSISTANCY is KEY for the Cats, as they have struggled all season long in providing solid play for an entire game.

---Kentucky outmatches the Mississippi State Bulldogs in each statistical category and is in NEED of a win…Desperation tends to lead to better play and that is why I think the Wildcats win…and win BIG!

PREDICTION---

Kentucky 24

Mississippi State 3

Kentucky Heading Down to Mississippi State


Coming off the EMBARRASSING loss to Flordia, which the Cats lost 65-3, Coach Rich Brooks approached the podium Sunday and said BIG CHANGES were going to be made, and on Monday he anointed Randall Cobb the starting quarterback and opened up competition at every position.

A desperation move? Maybe. But with the Wildcats winnable games dwindling down the schedule, the BIG changes are a must in order to jump start this team and get to bowl eligibility.

Moans, groans, and rumblings have been occurring ever since the second game of the season for Coach Rich Brooks to switch to Randall Cobb as full time starter. However, Coach Brooks has stayed loyal to the sophomore, Mike Hartline, as he continually made costly mistakes.

But after such an embarrassing loss, 63-5 to SEC foe Florida, Coach Brooks gave made the change people have been yearning for as he annointed the highly touted freshman Randall Cobb the starter for Saturday’s game in a hostile Mississippi State.

Brooks is hoping that Cobb can create a spark to an anemic offense. In limited play time, Cobb has already shown strokes of brilliance and has given an added boost to the offense. He must lead this team successfully Saturday, if the Cats are wanting to reach a bowl for the 3rd straight season.

Freshman quarterback Randall Cobb will have little room for error as the Cats are the walking wounded at this point in the season. Several players on both offense and defense have been unable to practice due to various ailments.

The injuries seemed to play a huge role in last weeks loss to the Gators, as the defense gave up more yardage and points than they had all season.

Rich Brooks said on Thursday however that all his players will be available but didn’t have much confidence in their health,

“It doesn’t mean that they’re all 100 percent healthy, but at least they’re back in the starting lineup together,” Brooks said. “That’s a pretty good thing and gives us better depth and rotation as well.”

With a reeling defense, the Cats must stop the WORST SEC offense. A task that might be harder as it seems as the Bulldogs have played well in recent weeks.

Mississippi State calls Kentucky BIG game


The 3-5 Mississippi Bulldogs host Kentucky this week in a must-win game. To emphasis the must-win attitude, in his weekly news conference Sylveter Croom described the game with Kentucky.

“Big, a big ball game for us this week. I hope we have a great crowd out there and our fans come out. We need as much help as we can get in our home environment.” The Dogs see the winnable games on their schedule dwindling and need to take down Kentucky in order to maintain its bowl aspirations this year.

The season had bright hopes for the Mississippi State Bulldogs in 2008 as they were coming off an eight win season and bowl victory. They had a top noche defense which was returning and the offense was bound to be much improved with talent at running back and a more experience at the quarterback position.

However, this season, spirts have been severely dampened as the Bulldogs have been a large disappointment. The offense has struggled to gain any identity as their hopeful standout returnee quarterback Wesley Carrol regressed and was benched the fourth week of the season in favor of Tyson Lee.

Lee has faired a little better BUT the offense has still struggled as they are DEAD LAST in the SEC in total offense. The lack of an offense has cost this team in close efforts against Auburn and Vanderbilt, which they had more yardage but not enough points to win.

The Dogs are hoping to get back-to-back wins for the first time this season, as they prepare to take on Kentucky. Mississippi State played well last week as, beat writer Rusty Hampton called the performance against Middle Tennessee as “their most complete game” In this game, the offense found a rhythm, the special teams flourished; and the defense continued its decent play. With hopes high Mississippi State hopes to continue on their momentum and claw one win closer to bowl eligibility.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Hartline's Demotion Leads to venting of frustration


Hartline Apologizes…

Mike Hartline has been threw the ringer as the starting quarterback for the Kentucky Wildcats. In just his first start in front of the Kentucky faithful, he struggled early and was replaced by true freshman Randall Cobb for the remainder of the opening half. Then when he re-entered as the starter the opening series of the 2nd half, he was welcomed with boos and disapproval.

The scrutiny of every poor throw, dropped snap, and wrong decision in crucial game time situations, led to the continuance of uncertainty that Hartline was the right decision at quarterback.

All the talk and scurutiny finally came to a change following the blow out loss to the Florida Gators 63-5. Ih that game, Hartline completed just 7 of 16 for 33 yards and an interception. Prompted by another poor performance in SEC play and facing a must-win in Mississippi State this Saturday, Coach Rich Brooks pulled the trigger and has made a change to Randall Cobb.

In a candid interview following his demotion he expressed his frustrations and threw teammates under the bus. The comments which he spouted off included how it “stunk” to lose the starting position.

"No one ever expects to win the starting job and then lose it because guys around him aren't performing the way they should. But it's best for the team and I'm a team player, and that's just the way it has to be."

The comment that the supporting cast was not doing their job was a CRUCIAL misstep and Wednesday he stood in front of his teammates and apologized for his harsh words about their play.

Following the apology to teammates, he came to the media to and explained how the players understood his frustrations and “still had his back.”

He explained that “He did not know what he said and that it was misunderstood what he meant.”

Although the comments might resonate in the team with some resentment, it was crucial for him to apologize, because in all likelihood, the Cats will call on him again at quarterback and he will need his team to rally around him. But as for now, it is Randall Cobb at quarterback, Mike Hartline as the backup and today he said he was fine with that.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Must-Win Looms and Cats name a NEW Starting Quarterback to provide spark


Coming off the beat down from the Floirida Gators Saturday, it was pertinent to make changes. Off the loss, Rich Brooks called the coming game verse Mississippi State a “Must-Win.” And so Monday, in a move Kentucky fans and players have been wanting all season, Coach Brooks announced that freshman Randall Cobb will start at quarterback for the first time in his career.

The motion to turn to Cobb at quarterback began early in the year when sophomore Mike Hartline led an unproductive opening quarter against the lowly Norfolk State Spartans. Hartline was replaced in the second quarter of the game by Cobb who performed well in his only quarter of action by throwing for a touchdown and rushing for two other scores. After the initial spark Cobb delivered to the Cats offense, Hartline was again inserted at quarterback in the second half and was welcomed by boo-birded home fans.

Through the remainder of September and half way through conference play, Coach Brooks stood by Hartline as the quarterback of the team. Hartline produced less than satisfactory numbers completing only 54% of his throws this season and consistently made costly errors in crucial game situations.

Cobb, however, electrified the Wildcat fan base and has sparked the offense each time he headed the offense. With less snaps and opportunities Cobb has a better passer rating and completion percentage than Hartline. Also, Randall Cobb’s mere presence in games has lent to a more efficient offense.

Hoping for a change of momentum, the Wildcats are going to a true freshman at quarterback, and as Rich Brooks put it in his weekly press conference, “ This is a game Kentucky cannot afford to lose,” and to maintain hopes for a bowl and a winning season Brooks see’s no better time than now to make a change at the quarterback position.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

SEC Round-up

In another CRUCIAL week in the SEC, there has been KEY separations with in each conference. Auburn, Tennessee, and Arkansas all have lost more than just thier games this week, but also SEC respect. Each of these three teams had high hopes heading into the season, but offensive struggles and MISTAKES have cost these teams severely.
Alabama continued to win, although unimpressive, as they are STILL undefeated and have a 2 game edge in the Western division. Both FLORIDA and GEORGIA had commanding performances to make statements to one another before their showdown next week in Jacksonville.

Here is the SEC Standings after Week 9_

EAST

Georgia 4-1 (7-1)

Florida 4-1 (6-1)

Vanderbilt 3-2 (5-3)

South Carolina 2-3 (5-3)

Kentucky 1-3 (5-3)

Tennessee 1-4 (3-5)

WEST

Alabama 5-0 (8-0)

LSU 3-2 5(-2)

Mississippi 2-3 (4-4)

Auburn 2-3 (4-4)

Mississippi State 1-3 (3-5)

Arkansas1-4 (3-5)

SEC Game of the Week Final--Georgia Wins



(7)Georgia @ LSU(13)- Georgia 52, LSU 38

LSU—The defending national champions hopes to repeat took a severe hit as they have lost their 2nd straight game at home. For to back weeks, the Tigers have struggled offensively and defensively. Tigers defenders have struggled at stopping the two most potent offenses in the league, as it has been two straight weeks that the LSU defense has given up more than 50 points. The quarterback rotation also struggled to get any momentum as Jarrett Lee threw 3 interceptions. To switch things up, the Tigers put in Andrew Hatch. Hatch is a running quarterback, but was unable to run or fool the Georgia defense as he rushed for six carries and -5 yards. Following their second straight SEC loss, the Tigers will face a Tulane team at home. Les Miles hopes this win can get his Tigers back on track as a showdown with Alabama is looming.

Georgia- The Dogs needed to make a statement going into the World’s Largest Cocktail Party against fierce and hated rival Florida and that is exactly what they did. Georgia led the Tigers all game. Baton Rogue has traditionally given the Georgia Bulldogs as they have were 1-3 in in the last four…BUT, those stats didn’t mean anything in this one, as Georgia was clearly the better team. Quarterback Matt Stafford led the charge for the Dawgs as he was near perfect with 249 yards and 3 touchdown scores. To add to the potent offensive attack, running back Knowshon Moreno had an amazing day by rushing for 163 and a touchdown. Defensive plays also added to the route as UGA was able to force 3 turnovers and cause havoc in the quarterback rotation of Hatch and Lee. Now, the Georgia Bulldogs title hopes ride on the showdown in Jacksonville against the Gators. Georgia has lost 15 of 18 in the series but did take down Florida last year 42-30.

Alabama stays unbeaten


(2)Alabama @ Tennessee- Alabama 29, Tennessee 9

Tennessee- Tennessee has struggled all year on the offensive side of the ball and against the #2 team in the land the Vols had to play mistake free in order to compete. BUT, the Vols offense continuously made errors to cost them the game. Early in the game the Vols recovered a Bama fumble and placed the ball deep in Crimson Tide territory. The offense couldn’t capitalize and was forced to settle for three. Then, with under a minute left in the half, Tennessee drove the field and had the ball deep inside the redzone. BUT AGAIN, the Vols made 2 costly penalties and were unable to come up with any points before the half. The second half continued to show an anemic offense, as the Vols could only gain 173 total yards in the game. A positive however, is that in quarterback Nick Stephens 4th career start, he made NO MISTAKES against one of the best SEC defenses. BUT, a loss is a loss and MORAL victories don’t count for anything in the standings. Tennessee is now 3-5(1-4 in SEC) and hosts a South Carolina Gamecock team coming off a bye.

Alabama- In another UNIMPRESSIVE game, the Alabama Crimson Tide were able to keep their record unblemished. Quarterback John Parker Wilson bounced back from two mediocre performances to lead the offense in production as he threw for 17/24 for 188 yards. Alabama held onto the ball for over 35 minutes and were able to make plays when they needed to win. With LSU’s second loss in conference, the Tide is in the driver’s seat to get to Atlanta for the SEC Championship. Alabama gets a tune up game with Arkansas State before hosting LSU in a CHAMPIONSHIP-like game.

Ole Miss hands Arkansas ANOTHER crippling loss


Ole Miss @ Arkansas- Mississippi 23, Arkansas 21

Arkansas- Facing the coach that deserted them after last season, the Razorbacks had this game circled on the calendar all season. Wanting to make a statement to Houston Nutt and needing a win to correct their dismal season, Arkansas could not put enough points on the board to win and now fall to the bottom of the SEC West. The Razorbacks trailed 10-0 before putting up any sort of offensive production. A key to the loss for the Razorbacks was their lack of conversions on third down, they had just a 21% conversion rate. Also, the 2nd worst rushing defense in the conference continued to struggle as they gave up a total of 160 yards on the ground. With the loss the Razorbacks fall to 3-5(1-4 in SEC). Next week the schedule gets easier as they will host the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes.

Ole Miss- The Rebels jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Transfer quarterback Jevan Snead looked great as he threw for 209 yards and a touchdown. Houston Nutt’s wild rebel offense caused several problems against Arkansas as the Rebels had 7 players rush the ball to gain a total of 163 yards. A efficient running game allowed the Rebels to hold onto the ball for more than half the game and get the eventual victory. The Rebel victory puts them at .500 with a 4-4 record and hold down third place in a rugged western division. Next week the Rebels will attempt to give Auburn an unprecedented 4th straight loss and get themselves one step closer to bowl eligibility.

Vandy Letdown and still seeks bowl eligibility


Duke @ Vanderbilt- Duke 10, Vandy 7

Vanderbilt- How EMBARRASSING! Homecoming, two straight losses and in NEED of a win and the Vanderbilt Commodores laid an egg against the Duke Blue Devils. With the big wins that came at the beginning of the season over South Carolina and Auburn, the Dores were able to get turnovers and play it safe on offense…the last few weeks they haven’t been able to do either. This week quarterback Mackenzi Adams threw two costly interceptions, the running back fumbled the ball, and senior field goal kicker Bryant Hahnfeldt missed crucial kicks. The mistakes were all the Blue Devils needed in order to win and upset the Vanderbilt homecoming. Whatever has gotten in to this team must be resolved if they still aspire to reach a bowl. They will now head into a BYE week before facing Florida at home. Vandy has not beaten the Gators in 17 tries and have lost 8 straight at home…The bye must be used to make changes and solve their offensive issues in order to keep bowl hopes alive.

Mississippi State Wins on Homecoming


Middle Tennessee @ Mississippi State- Mississippi State 31, Middle Tennessee 22

Mississippi State- In a homecoming showing, Sylvester Croom and his Bulldogs never trailed as they beat a battle tested Middle Tennessee team. Running back Anthony Dixon led the charge for Mississippi State as he rushed through a porous defense and gained 126 yards for 3 touchdowns. This was a needed dominant offensive showing as the Bulldogs now have four consecutive SEC contests. Next week, Mississippi State faces a reeling and embarrassed Kentucky team that is searching for a win and an identity.