About a quarter of the record-setting crowd of 57,178 remained at Davis Wade to watch the Bulldogs sway as the Famous Maroon Band played MSU’s alma mater; hundreds of cowbells modestly rang as State players began to head back to the M-Club; a bittersweet aura of accomplishment – of pride – lingered at Scott Field after MSU’s 10-point defeat at the hands of the nation’s No. 1 team in the BCS poll.
After fulfilling my press duties, I wandered back to a Junction winding down from perhaps the most intense atmosphere ever displayed at a MSU football game in Starkville. I approached my friends’ tent, immediately announcing to a small crowd, “So, where’s the gator sausage, guys?”
The sausage owner and good buddy of mine, John Alden Patton (you may be familiar with his former role on 91.1 WMSV’s sports talk show “SEC Drive Time” before he graduated MSU in 2008) responded: “Man, we had to keep it on ice. You understand. But hey, I’m not upset I bought it.”
In a strange, roundabout way, I think Patton’s sentiments captured the mood of every one of those fans who remained well after the game clock showed double zeros.
From a game featuring more storylines than an episode of “Lost,” let’s pick a few out and examine.
Atmosphere:
Sure, many of you who read this will feel my frame of reference is limited, thus making me unqualified to claim Saturday’s game held the best overall football atmosphere Starkville has ever seen. I am 22 years old after all.
But, I’ve lived in Starkville for 17 years, and the only home game I’ve missed in that period is MSU’s embarrassing loss to, what was then, Troy State, which gave the program its first victory over a BCS team after tornadoes ceased hovering over MSU’s campus.
That said, Saturday’s game, through my lens, provided a few moments of unparalleled intensity for Starkville.
• Player walk through
The crowd blanketed each side of the Junction’s mid-way path as coaches and players marched toward the stadium, forcing several fans to climb trees to watch the action. After the walkthrough ended, it took me a full 20 minutes to trek from the brick path to the Union.
• Student section
MSU’s student section was at least two-thirds full a full hour before the game started. A stat I doubt even The Clarion Ledger’s Kyle Veazey could dig up, I’m betting State’s student section has never been that complete, that early. Although entailing a cheesy, sellout feel, it was a beautiful thing to see students intensely unified in techno before kickoffs. For a few brief, nearly instantaneous moments, I wasn’t sure if I was in Gainesville or Starkville Saturday night.
• 100-yard interception return
Thank you Johnthan Banks. I didn’t think Davis Wade would ever again rock as hard as it did after Anthony Johnson’s 100-yard interception return to end the first half against Alabama in 2007. After Banks more or less did the same thing versus Florida Saturday, scenes from 2007 immediately entered my mind. Which play was more intense? I wasn’t immediately sure. I was pondering the question as I slipped into unconsciousness early Sunday morning when I suddenly remembered: a Reflector sports writer (who shall not be named) inadvertently – I assume – held my hand for about five seconds in a nearly vain attempt to contain his excitement during the play.
For sure, an awkward moment between men, but it helped me realize the Banks return was the more thrilling play.
Forget the fact the pick six pulled us to within 3 of the No.1 team in the country, posing the Bulldogs to possibly end a, now, 17-game winning streak – a man held my hand.
And to be clear, I am OK with what happened in the press box.
On that note, Johnthan Banks:
This kid played 1-A ball at East Webster less than a year ago, a school with 365 kids in grades 7 through 12. Now, he holds the title of being the only man to force Tim Tebow to refuse post-game interviews, sending him scurrying to the bus with his tail between his legs immediately after the game – even after a victory.
Starring Banks, MSU’s secondary held the Heisman-winning Tebow to 12 completions out of 22 attempts for 127 yards and two interceptions.
What?
Didn’t this team allow junior Josh Nesbitt, Georgia Tech’s virtual running back who happens to line up behind center, to pass for over 150 yards for the first time in his entire career?
Last week against Middle Tennessee State, MSU’s secondary produced four interceptions, two from Banks, and a SEC Freshman of the Week in Corey Broomfield, who also had two inceptions.
Now they shut down Florida?
Looks like the secondary shake ups – playing Marcus Washington at nickelback, the return of Maurice Langston and the emergence of Broomfield and Banks – are working. What a shame the changes didn’t develop earlier.
Back to the main theme; when I think of Banks, I instantly think of Jerry Rice, who emerged from an equally tiny school in Moore High, which is now East Oktibbeha. Hey, I’m not comparing, just saying.
Mullen and the referees:
Dan Mullen was publicly reprimanded by the Southeastern Conference Monday regarding scathing comments he made following irresponsible officiating during his team’s 10-point loss to Florida.
What a joke. Being rightfully derisive, everything Mullen said was justified and true.
Such as: “That’s twice that they’ve blown calls on the replay with our games resulting in big plays and I think that’s unexcusable for that official. I mean, I hope he is severely punished, if [he] ever works another SEC game again, because I think it is completely unacceptable.”
To be more specfic, during his weekly press conference, Mullen blasted SEC replay official Dan Dembenski for botching the call involving Florida’s fourth-quarter interception return for a touchdown.
According to SEC spokesman Charles Bloom, SEC commissioner Mike Slive reprimanded Mullen before the league even reviewed the play Mullen criticized.
Sounds incredulous to me. Of course league officials reviewed the play prior to admonishing Mullen; they are just trying to determine the necessary steps to best quell the situation and keep Florida in a positive light.
During the apparent pick six, Brandon McRae clearly strips the ball from Florida’s Dustin Doe before he enters the end zone. The play prevented MSU from receiving the ball, down 10, at its own 20 with 8:25 remaining in the game.
Instead, the defensive score effectively sealed the game for Florida as it went up 29-13.
That football, harnessed by Doe, was about the same distance from the goal line as Tyson Lee was from the line of scrimmage during the Houston game when he was falsely called for an illegal forward pass.
MSU can’t afford to be on the losing side of game-changing plays when facing premier competition. State doesn’t have that kind of talent. The only way MSU can conquer teams like Florida, or Houston for that matter, is to execute intangibles and make momentum-swinging plays, and it’s sickening to think referees have recently played an undisputed role in preventing this.
I’m glad Mullen has created national attention for our program via the SEC officiating debate.
Sounding like a frustrated coach taking up for his club, Mullen has effectively voiced his anger without coming off as a cry baby. It’s fairly rare fans are actually right about referees single-handedly altering the outcome of a game, but it’s happened twice to MSU in a three-game span. It’s cool to have a head coach boldy express the mass anxiety seeded within his team’s fan base.