The expectations for the Mississippi State football team were not very high coming into this season, but after the Bulldogs’ 28-7 victory over Tulane (1-3) those expectations skyrocketed to unimaginable heights. Now, after five straight losses those hopes have crashed, leaving Dawg fans without much hope for the future.
Head coach Sylvester Croom is trying to build a foundation for the future by molding players into not only good athletes, but also great people. The Bulldogs 1-5 record overshadows the transformation within the MSU locker room.
“He’s doing things that haven’t been done here in a while,” quarterback Kyle York said about Croom. “Unfortunately for the fans and for the media those things are unseen. Those things happen within the heart and mind of the football player here.”
A look at the Mississippi State football depth chart reveals 18 seniors, 19 juniors, 23 sophomores and 39 freshman (half will most likely be red-shirted).
This is a prime reason why the future of Mississippi State resides in the youth. Almost two-thirds of this football team is made up of freshman and sophomores and the Bulldogs have only 12 scholarship seniors. When those 12 seniors graduate State will only receive a dozen scholarships to use in this year’s recruiting.
The NCAA allows 85 total scholarships to Division 1 teams. The Bulldogs have a right to sign 25 players per signing class, but with only 14 scholarships to use (12 + two that are not being used and one from Jason Jude) the Dawgs are lacking 10 scholarships and that equals 10 players for the new incoming class
The Bulldogs start five seniors, 11 juniors, five sophomores and one freshman, but the backup players are very young. If anyone of these starters goes down, no senior holds a backup position on the current Bulldog depth chart.
There are four juniors that hold backup spots behind the starters. There are 10 sophomores listed as second stringers and an impeccable seven freshman (three of those are true freshmen). The second string is the future of this program and they are young and inexperienced.
Freshman Mario Bobo starts at the right corner back position he is backed by sophomore David Heard who is then backed up by a junior, Brian Staley.
Jerious Norwood is the starting running back. He was backed up by Jude who took the No. 2 spot from a senior in Fred Reid until he quit the team.
Sophomore Will Prosser starts at wide receiver. Another sophomore, Brandon Wright, backs him up. Ty Freeman, a senior, backs up Wright.
Junior Clarence McDougal starts at strong side linebacker. His backup is true freshman Gabe O’Neal, who is in front of another third string senior, Chris Swain.
The same goes for weak side linebacker, junior Marvin Byrdsong, who starts and is backed up by junior Rico Bennett, but the third stringer is senior Cody Upton.
This, again, exemplifies where the talent level is on this team and where the future is … in the youth.
The future of this program lies in hard-nosed, young guns like true freshman linebacker Titus Brown, who has played in four games for the Dawgs and has made 12 tackles. The immediate future resides within those like sophomore guard Brian Anderson, who is not the biggest, strongest or fastest player on the field, but plays with the most heart. The same goes for sophomore defensive linemen Andrew Powell, who has started the last four games on account of his ever-present commitment and work ethic.
“The Brian Andersons of the world and the Andrew Powells of the world-that’s what I want our program to be about-young guys who’ve got some character about them,” Croom said. “There has never been a time that I have gotten anything that’s come across my desk on either one of those guys. They go to class, they go everywhere they are supposed to be, they do everything they are supposed to do.”
After being injured with an ankle sprain in the Dawg’s loss to Vanderbilt, Anderson fought through the pain and played every single offensive possession in Saturday’s game with UAB. These are the types of players Croom is hoping will find their way to Starkville by signing day.
“I don’t think life has been harder for anybody on this team than Brian Anderson because his coaches have been on him and I’ve been on him,” Croom said. “He comes out there every day. He’s been injured twice and we thought he was down for the count.”
The future of the Bulldog football program dwells within the blocking ability of sophomore fullback Bryson Davis, who cleared a path for Norwood’s career-best rushing performance. Davis made his first start in the UAB game due to an injury to starting fullback Darnell Jones. Davis also carried the ball four times (three got the Bulldogs a first down).
“Bryson played well,” Croom said of Davis’ play in the UAB game. “There is still some technique things that he can improve on, but he battled their (UAB’s) linebackers the entire game. Our whole game plan was to run straight at their linebackers and he did a good job of it. He made a nice couple of runs himself and kept some drives going for us.”
The future of State’s program rests in the excellent hands and incredible blocking of another red shirt freshman, tight end Eric Butler, who has three touchdown catches to lead MSU receivers.
State’s future could quite possibly live in walk-ons that have been neglected by programs, but they have a strong enough love for football to endure the agony of life as a walk on.
The hopes of this program may even lie in those who have not yet played a game, like walk-on running back Kentrel Brooks or true freshman running back DeMarcus Johnson. Both players will most likely be red-shirted this year, but their time will come. Joining them will be two offensive linemen from Croom’s first recruiting class last year in Dio Herrera and Jeffery Farr (both will most likely be red-shirted), who both will help MSU regain dominance at the offensive line, a position that is far and wide the worst on the team.
The future of Bulldog football most certainly resides in the upcoming recruiting class of 2005. State has already received seven verbal commitments (reported by Rivals.com). They include three offensive linemen, two defensive backs, a wide receiver and a quarterback.
Croom is not necessarily looking for those players who can run the 40-yard dash in under 4.5 seconds, nor is he fixated on just those student athletes with large frames and strong bodies.
He wants players who will pour their heart and soul out on the football field. He wants players that are coachable and disciplined. Sylvester Croom wants these types of players to help him build a foundation for the future of Mississippi State football and one step at a time he is accomplishing that.
“That’s the kind of football player we’re trying to recruit,” York said. “Not just the guy who’s going to put the ball in the end zone, but the guy who’s going to represent this university.
“It goes beyond just putting on the jersey on Saturday. This guy’s going to represent Mississippi State. That’s the vision (Croom) is trying to implement here.”