South Carolina defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson is no stranger to the clanging of cowbells or the deceptively staunch noise level of Davis Wade Stadium.

“It’s the loudest little stadium you’ll ever play in,” Johnson said.

Johnson was MSU’s defensive coordinator from 2004 to 2007 under   former head coach Sylvester Croom. 

Johnson’s disciplined defensive philosophy, developed through almost two decades as a collegiate position coach or coordinator and one three-year stint as head coach of the Citadel, was crucial for the Bulldogs during one of the most anemic offensive periods in school history.

Most victories during that era could be directly attributed to the play of Johnson’s defense. His 2007 unit returned five interceptions for touchdowns, a mark that still ties for fourth all-time in the SEC record books.

 ”I was here for four years,” Johnson said. “We only went to one bowl game, but in that time we beat Alabama, Florida and several other tough teams.”

Saturday was Johnson’s first return trip to Starkville since bolting for South Carolina in 2008, and his team barely escaped with a 14-12 victory.

Johnson was not surprised. 

“It was about like I thought it would be,” Johnson said. “It’s a tough place to play, and I knew it was going to be a tough game for us.”

After the game, Johnson was most impressed by the play of first-time starting quarterback Tyler Russell, who completed 11 of 29 passes with a touchdown and two interceptions.

“We really did more game-planning for Relf,” Johnson said. “But if you look at the film, I think you’ll see they went with what was working.”

In evaluating MSU’s offense, Johnson also said he sees a much more cohesive and engaging unit than when he coached here.

“They know what they are,” Johnson said. “They execute extremely well and they do the things they have to move the football. I think they’ve got a good football team. They’ve just had some knockdown drag-outs against some tough SEC teams.”