Most of the time, presidents of schools tend to not be involved in anything outside academics, but for Mississippi State President J. Charles Lee, involvement is crucial.
Shortly after Saturday’s win versus Florida, MSU players gathered to hear head coach Sylvester Croom’s praise for their outstanding achievement on the gridiron, what they were not expecting to hear was a message from a quiet figure. This message from Lee was, “Believe.”
Lee calmly said that word and the football team roared in approval.
The Bulldogs (2-5) can enhance their belief in their ability this weekend’s contest against the University of Kentucky (1-6), with newly discovered hope and optimism. They will have to shed the memories of last year’s contest against the Wildcats when Kentucky trailed 17-0, then scored 42 unanswered points in the blowout–a feat not easily accomplished, nor easily forgotten.
“We want to approach it just like we did (after the) losses. We were able to put those behind us and go back out and prepare for the next game. You have to do the same thing with this victory. We have to put it behind and get ready for Kentucky,” Croom said.
If the Dawgs hope to have any success against the ‘Cats, it will come on the legs of Jerious Norwood. One of the hottest runners in the SEC, Norwood has rushed for a combined 375 yards in the last two games. He’s fourth in the SEC in rushing with 656 yards on 114 attempts for 5.8 yards per carry.
To get the Dawgs’ speedster going, MSU will need another outstanding outing from its offensive line. Under the eye of scrutiny for much of the season, the offensive front has been on a mission to get the job done the last couple of weeks. After the past two games, not many can argue that the big boys in the trench deserve a paycheck.
“It’s been pretty great to see Norwood get 150- to 200-yard games the past two weeks. That’s a good reflection on us. I am just real happy with the way things are going right now,” said junior center Chris McNeil.
Kentucky will bring a battered team into Starkville this weekend. Starting quarterback Shane Boyd’s status is unknown, after sustaining a shoulder injury in his team’s loss to Auburn. Other key starters running back Tony Dixon and defensive end Vincent “Sweet Pea” Burns are both doubtful for Saturday’s game due to ankle sprains.
The loss of these three starters could prove to be tumultuous for the ‘Cats. Offensively, replacing a starter such as Boyd, who has produced 66.8 percent of Kentucky’s total offense, is almost impossible.
Defensively without the aid of Burns, MSU will have a better chance to control the line of scrimmage offensively. This could prove very beneficial for the Dawgs since this will be the first time they have faced a 3-4 scheme defense all season.
Historical tidbits:
Since 1992, when the SEC adopted the two-division format, State has posted a 20-18 record against SEC Eastern division schools. After winning 18 of the first 30 games, MSU has won just twice in its last eight attempts.
MSU and Kentucky have played each other every year since 1990. While Kentucky has won the last two affairs, MSU boasts an 8-4 mark while playing in the confines of Scott Field.
Coaching matchup:
Croom and Kentucky head coach Rich Brooks have squared off against each other three times in the NFL when Croom served as offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions and Brooks was defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons. In the three-game series, Croom’s Lions won twice.
Sideline update:
Injuries seemed to have plagued the Dawgs all season, and this week is no different. Key contributors and starters, cornerback Mario Bobo and tight end Eric Butler have been in red cross jerseys again for the second straight week. However, Croom remains optimistic about their availability.
“(Mario Bobo) is still in a red-cross jersey right now. He wanted to practice (Monday), but we decided to hold him one more day. Hopefully, he will be able to go this week. Eric (Butler) was better than we expected yesterday. I hope he will be able to practice some this week. Hopefully, he will be close to 100 percent by game time,” Croom said.
On the other side of the ball, Croom said that Kentucky’s quarterback uncertainty could be worse on his team than better.
“It is tough enough to prepare for one in a short period of time. When you prepare for two different-style quarterbacks it makes it even tougher,” Croom said. “We have to be ready because we don’t know which one will play.”
With all the confusion swirling around the opposition and excitement from last week’s upset, Croom warned fans and players alike not to be overly zealous about Kentucky’s record.
“Kentucky is coming in here in much the same situation that we are-a young football team that has had a lot of injuries. They are trying to get a big win as well,” Croom said. “The way I look at it, we are mirror images of each other. It is going to come down to the team that has the most people totally focused to get the job done.”