The 2007 freshman class may be the best head coach Sylvester Croom has brought in during his four-year tenure at Mississippi State, but just like any other year they are still learning what it’s like to compete in the highly competitive Southeastern Conference.
For the offense, the transition from high school to college football involves stepping up the speed of the game. “The speed of the game has drastically picked up as far as what you need to do on offense,” freshman quarterback Wesley Carroll said. “That’s probably the biggest change coming from high school football to college football.”
Another major difference freshmen must adjust to is more emphasis on individual work during practices.
“As far as coaching goes, there’s a ton more individual work,” Carroll said. “There’s not a second that you’re not being watched or corrected.”
Running back Robert Elliott, possibly the gem of the newcomers, said he feels like Croom’s eye for details pushes them to step up their game to be successful playing in the SEC.
“Coach Croom is a very hard coach,” Elliott said. “If I get a play wrong, I could break for 50 yards and score a touchdown, but if I don’t have the right footwork, he’s going to make me do it over and over again until I get the right footwork.”
Freshmen must also prepare themselves mentally, as well as physically, to compete with the best in the SEC, something that Croom feels Elliott is already a step ahead on.
“What has impressed me most about Robert, besides his running skills, is his work ethic,” Croom said. “He’s the best freshman to come into this program since I’ve been here as far as work ethic goes.”
Elliott said that he agrees that hard work will take him just as far as natural talent when it comes to helping the Bulldogs get to winning ways.
“I feel that everybody on that field is good because they wouldn’t have gotten to this level if they weren’t,” Elliott said. “I feel that we all have close to the same skills, but those who work harder will always be a step ahead.”
Carroll said he is confident in the team as a whole because the majority of the players were recruited by Croom and the coach has a knack for recruiting players with good character.
Croom also makes a point of getting to know each of his players on a more personal level, Carroll said.
“He really cares about us, which is probably the most important quality to have in a coach,” Carroll said. “He really asks a lot of us because he expects a lot from us, and he really knows how to motivate us well.”
Freshmen athletes have the same worries as others in their class: moving away from home and adjusting to college life while balancing classes with practices and games.
“The coaches have made it really easy for us to get situated, starting school and college football,” said offensive tackle Derek Sherrod, brother of tight end Dezmond Sherrod. “It’s a lot of hard work we have to put worth what with classes and football, but it’s the kind of thing you do if you want to win.”
Sherrod said that what has excited him most about coming in as true freshman is the closeness of the team, which he believes makes the team’s overall chemistry stronger.
“All of us consider each other family because we’ve all got each other’s backs when it comes to anything,” Sherrod said. “Therefore, the team chemistry will help us on the field as well because we’re working really well together right now.”
A strong team chemistry could be what pushes the Bulldogs to pull off upsets in bigger games this season, Carroll said.
This year’s freshman class has one of the most daunting tasks ahead of them at the start: facing the No. 2 nationally ranked LSU Tigers as their first experience in SEC competition.
Carroll said that while they know the depth of talent LSU will be bringing, it doesn’t concern him and his fellow teammates where they might be ranked.
“If you go out there and play to the best of your ability, and everyone can count on each other, that’s the most you can ask for. It doesn’t matter what team it is,” Carroll said.
Mental toughness is going to be one weapon the Bulldogs will carry into their match-up against LSU, Sherrod said.
“We know that LSU is a good team, but we’re up for anything,” Sherrod said. “We know that when we put our minds to winning and have the right mental toughness, we can do almost anything we want to. The game is up in the air as far as I’m concerned.”
The Bulldogs may already be pegged as the losing team come Thursday, but that doesn’t trouble Elliott a bit.
“We’re the underdogs,” Elliott said. “But you know the underdogs are usually the ones who come out on top.