From 2001 through the 2008 season, Mississippi State’s offense has mustered only 17.6 points per game, managing an average ranking of 106th in the nation. The Bulldog’s sputtering West Coast offense – installed by coach Sylvester Croom who was 21 – 38 in five seasons – was on display for the last time in a 45 – 0 season-ending loss delivered by the new-found media darling Ole Miss. After the Golden Egg was relinquished, Croom, who was recently named Mississippi’s greatest coach of all time by ESPN, resigned under pressure less than 24 hours later.
Now a new man is in town, Dan Mullen, bringing with him the momentum of a spread offense that helped Florida win two national titles in four years.
Although misplaced optimism has often crept into the Bulldog family’s preseason sentiments over the years, the early stages of the 2009 campaign certainly have a unique feel: There has a been a record breaking spring game turnout (31,606) that featured a 57-yard field goal and the return of the Dog Pound Rock; a recruiting class, ranked in the top-25 by most accounts, which hosts seven wide receivers, a glaring Croom-era weakness; sleek Oregon-style Adidas uniforms and massive decorative stadium banners have been introduced to further the MSU athletics image overhaul. Heck, Bulldog fans even caught wind of a Jackie Wayne Sherrill sighting at a practice back in the spring. No doubt, the resounding buzz created by Mullen has been fun for the fans, but the fate of the team will be determined by how well they respond to the spread offense. Or better yet, if the Bulldogs currently have players talented enough to exploit the one-on-one matchups created by the spread, a philosophy Mullen often preaches as key to winning ball game. It remains to be seen if the 2009 season is a rebuilding one, but the excitement – for better or worse – of a home schedule featuring Florida, Alabama, Ole Miss and even Jackson State should keep fans in the stands.
Quarterbacks: Although popular opinion prevails among most football analysts and Bulldog fans that the quarterback job is Tyson Lee’s to lose, the battle for the starting position has unexpectedly heated up with the emergence of Chris Relf’s strong arm and agility. That’s right, Chris Relf, not the highly touted freshman Tyler Russell, a product from Meridian who lead his team to a State title while snapping South Panola’s 89-game winning streak in the process. That being said, the speed of SEC football has left Russell a bit shell shocked, and his fall arrival to campus has not helped him with the mental aspects of the game. For now, Lee has the edge in this two-man race as he showcases his stronger, more accurate arm during fall camp, a result of intense off-season training. However, if Relf can manage to gain more touch under his throws, his knack for running the option could carry him to significant playing time. And who knows, with Russell’s wide array of tools -he looks natural under center – he may end up handling the majority of the snaps before the season’s end.
Running Backs: Although football fans associate the spread offense to be pass heavy, there is a good chance the scale will tip in favor of the run this year, as the unit clearly possesses the most depth and versatility on the offensive side of the ball. Although many fans feel senior running back Anthony Dixon, a second team preseason all-SEC back by most accounts, underperformed during his junior Campaign, he actually rushed for more yards per carry last year than he did in his 1,000-yard rushing sophomore season. Dixon, who is the Bulldog’s all time leader in rushing TD’s and trails Jerious Norwood by 619 yards in State’s all-time leading rusher list, received a DUI over the summer but has responded by pushing himself in practice, which has appeared to earn him a ticket out of the Doghouse. Dixon tends to juke himself into tackles from time to time, but Greg Knox, MSU’s running back coach, has been hard at work teaching him to use his 6’1″, 235-pound frame to his advantage. If Dixon wants to play on Sundays, he must prove himself worthy this season. The Dawgs will often look to senior running back Christian Ducre to balance the load. Ducre embodies consistency and hard work and probably holds the title of State’s most versatile back. Ducre’s speed, power and solid hands may place him in a more prominent role under Mullen’s spread offense. Not unlike Ducre, sophomore back Robert Elliot may finally reveal his potential under Mullen’s spread offense. As a true freshman, Elliot came to campus as one of State’s most decorated recruits, representing much needed raw speed to MSU’s backfield. Eliot played in only four games during his redshirt freshman season, which came to a halt after a knee injury, where he rushed 18 times for 61 yards and one touchdown.
Wide Receivers: Throughout sports media, common themes of doubt and mystery have surrounded MSU wide-outs. This remains mostly true, but fall practice seems to have cleared up one thing: highly-touted freshman receiver Chad Bumphis’s skills were not overestimated, regardless if teams like Florida usher in recruits at his level by the truckload. Prior to his injury, which is not as serious as initial rumors indicated, and while practice was open to the public, fans gawked when Bumphis often embarrassed his counterparts in one-on-one drills. Brandon McRae, who led the Bulldogs in 2008 with 51 catches for 518 yards, returns for his senior season. He is more of a possession receiver, which is not necessarily a negative, as he represents consistency in an unproven receiving core. It remains to be seen if McRae’s broken right leg, which he sustained during the 2008 finale, has fully recovered, however. And let’s not forget about track-star O’neal Wilder, who led all receivers during the two 2008 fall scrimmages with six receptions for 37 yards before battling injuries his entire freshman year. The redshirt freshman, as a result of his injuries, could be quite a tool for the Bulldogs if he performs on the gridiron like he does in the 200-meter dash.
Tight ends: Bulldog tight ends will most likely undergo heavy rotation this year, shuffling between sophomore Kendrick Cook, junior Thomas Webb, sophomore Marcus Green and junior Brandon Henderson. The rotation can be credited to what Mullen expects out of a spread-style tight end – the ability to get down in a traditional set, catch balls in the slot and block out of the back field. Currently, no one guy seems to be that complete (hybrid is probably a better word) of a player. Sophomore Marcus Green, who came to State as a running back, has a ton of talent, but only played in two games in 2008 due to injury. Cooke entered fall practice as No.1 on the depth chart after a solid spring campaign, which culminated in several big-time plays during the spring game. However, Webb, a Starkville native who transferred from Southern Miss after playing behind All-American tight end Shawn Nelson, where he started three games, may prove to be a sleeper. Webb is an imposing tight end who performs best while blocking, which gives way to unfair assumptions that he does not move well or possess soft hands.
Offensive Line: The Bulldogs’ offensive line was not exactly stellar last year, yielding 37 sacks which was good for 10th place in the SEC. Prior to the 2008 season, a shooting incident near Ruby Hall resulting in the dismissal of All-SEC tackle Mike Brown hampered the O-line more than Croom’s staff anticipated. There is good news, however; the 2008 storyline of inexperience does not resonate this year, as State returns six lineman with significant playing time, including sophomore tackle Derek Sherrod and junior center J.C. Brignone. Now a sophomore benefiting from plenty of starting experience resulting from Hunt’s dismissal, the coaching staff expects Sherrod to assume a dominating role, which has been expected of him by fans since he stepped foot on campus. Brignone may be the Bulldog’s most dependable lineman and has showed steady improvement over the course of his short career. Brignone is capable of leading a surge and will help anchor a line attempting to find its identity. If the O-line can grasp the fairly complex blocking and protection schemes presented in Mullen’s version of the spread offense, the unit should show significant improvement from the 2008 season.