Mississippi State entered Saturday’s game in a familiar spot: double-digit underdogs to the then-ranked No. 20 Florida Gators.
But head coach Sylvester Croom and his Bulldogs showed why games are played, beating the Gators 38-31 in what the rookie coach called the best win of his career.
“Because we beat a team that talent-wise is far better than we are,” Croom said. “Our kids won that game strictly on guts and heart.”
MSU quarterback Omarr Conner displayed the most guts on the field Saturday. The Florida defense, which ranked 50th in the nation coming into Saturday’s game, could not contain MSU’s versatile quarterback.
Conner, returning from an MCL sprain that sidelined him for the Vanderbilt and UAB games, led the Bulldog attack to 409 yards of total offense. Conner utilized nine different receivers in his 158-yard performance. He finished the game 15 of 24 with a touchdown and no interceptions.
“Everybody put it together,” Conner said with a smile. “We won on one heartbeat today.”
Offensive coordinator Woody McCorvey utilized Conner’s athleticism by rolling him out of the pocket and designed running plays for him that threw off the Gator defense. Conner carried the ball 13 times for 50 yards and was not sacked once.
“The game plan was to use my ability,” Conner said. “I’ve been hesitant to run all season long.”
Conner said that people around school had been asking him about his lack of running and his answer to them was that he was trying to change his play from more of a running quarterback to a pocket passer.
“I tried to change my game,” Conner said. “I guess I’ve got to go back to my old style of playing, just making plays with my legs.”
State running back Jerious Norwood was the other component of McCorvey’s game plan. Due to the lateral speed of the Florida defense McCorvey wanted Norwood to run straight at the Gator defense, instead of side to side. The junior halfback did just that and produced 174 yards on 29 carries. The MSU backfield produced 251 total rushing yards and MSU had the ball five more minutes than Florida.
“They had a great plan. They did a great job, and like we told our players, they have a very dangerous football team,” said Florida head coach Ron Zook. “They are coached by great coaches and they finally came of age.”
At first it looked as if Norwood would not even break the 100-yard mark, but in the fourth quarter alone he racked up 118 yards and two touchdowns, including a 37-yard touchdown scamper with 32 seconds left in the game to break the 31-31 tie and slam the door on Florida’s chances at a win.
“They started to get up slow,” Croom said about the Gators defense in the fourth quarter. “When their (defensive) linemen are all laying on the ground and they start to get up slow we’re going right at them.”
The MSU offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage the entire fourth quarter making massive holes for Norwood and Fred Reid. The Bulldogs rushed the ball 19 times in the fourth quarter and threw only seven passes.
Conner hit receiver Tee Milons on a crossing route on a crucial third down and eight on the opening drive of the game. The 32-yard reception helped the Bulldogs continue their opening drive that ended in a two-yard touchdown rush Conner, who rolled right and easily walked into the end zone.
Before the touchdown run, Conner called his own number with a QB draw, which converted another third down. The 14-yard run gave the Bulldogs a first and goal at the four-yard line.
The Bulldogs finished the day nine of 16 (56 percent) on third down conversions after coming into the game ranked seventh in the SEC with a 41 percent success rate.
On the Gators’ first series of the game the tenacious Bulldog defense held the high-powered Gator offense to the first of four three-and-outs on the afternoon, forcing Florida to boot their first of five punts.
The Bulldog defense played its best first quarter of the season, holding the Gators to only 20 yards on only six plays in the opening session. Coming into the game Florida’s offense ranked 25th in the nation averaging over 420 yards of total offense. The Gators finished the game with 441 yard of offense, 272 of those yards came in the second half. Gator quarterback Chris Leak showed why he received SEC Freshman of the Year honors last year when he threw a perfect ball to receiver Chad Jackson for a 46-yard touchdown that tied the game at seven with 11:18 left in the first half.
The Bulldogs responded with an eight-play, 80-yard drive that ended in a miraculous catch by senior receiver McKinley Scott in the back of end zone. Conner rolled out and lofted the ball. Scott extended his arms and some how kept a foot in bounds.
“We’ve been playing with one receiver all year,” Croom said of Will Prosser, who has been the only go to receiver. “McKinley’s been out and we didn’t have anybody else up to SEC standards.”
Blake Pettit had the most catches (three) for 14 yards and Milons led in receiving yards with 52 yards on only two catches.
Florida’s dual backs, Ciatrick Fason and DeShawn Wynn did not have a single fumble on the season coming into Saturday’s game, but midway through the second quarter Bulldog defensive end Michael Heard popped the ball out of Wynn’s grasps and recovered it at the Florida 24. Keith Andrews drilled a 40-yard field goal three plays later to put MSU up 17-7.
Less than three minutes before halftime, the Gators turned MSU’s lone fumble into seven points seven plays later when Leak hit Jackson on a screen pass. Leak completed 20 of 35 for 260 yards, made two passing and one rushing score and threw a crucial late interception just before State’s winning drive.
Freshman punt returner Jonathan Lowe scampered 73-yards through defenders on the way to his first career touchdown to put State up 24-17. It was the Bulldog’s first touchdown on a punt return since Kevin Prentiss’ 83-yarder against Tennessee in the 1998 SEC Championship Game.
Florida retaliated seven plays later when running back Ciatrick Fason bolted 55 yards to knot the game at 24. Fason ended the game with 147 yards on 16 carries.
The Bulldogs responded with their longest drive of the game going 80 yards on 17 plays.Norwood, who had 43 yards rushing on the drive, leaped over the goal line for the fourth Bulldog touchdown of the game.
“He is a heck of a football player,” Croom said. “He is a rare individual. Not many guys his size can do what he can do. I still cannot figure out how he does it.”
Leak responded by completing four of five passes on the Gators’ 73-yard touchdown drive that tied the game for the fourth time. Leak capped off the drive with a one-yard dive into the end zone with 5:05 remaining.
Norwood began the Dawgs ensuing drive with a 27-yard dash, but the drive stalled when Conner, on a fourth-and-three, overthrew Milons at the UF 36-yard line. The Gators took over with 2:39 left in the game.
Jeramie Johnson intercepted Leak 36 seconds later. Johnson’s third pick of the year brought a shake of thunder from the stands.
The Bulldogs took over at their own 44-yard line. On the legs of Conner and Norwood State moved down to the Florida 37-yard line. On second and eight Norwood took a handoff from Conner and scurried for the game winning touchdown leaving Zook with an 0-3 record versus teams from Mississippi in his tenure.
“This is embarrassing for us,” a deflated Zook said. “We thought we were ready to play.”