MISSISSIPPI STATE GAME NOTES MSTATE (4-4, 1-3 SEC) VS. KENTUCKY (6-2, 2-2 SEC) COMMONWEALTH STADIUM (67,606) • OCTOBER 27, 2007 • 12:30 P.M. ET MSTATE SCHEDULE & RESULTS MISSISSIPPI STATE RETURNS TO CONFERENCE PLAY AT KENTUCKY Date Opponent W-L Score/Time Following last week's 38-13 loss at nationally No. 7-ranked West Virginia, Mississippi State returns to Aug. 30 * LSU L 0-45 Southeastern Conference play and stays on the road when the Bulldogs travel to Kentucky, Saturday, Sept. 8 at Tulane W 38-17 Oct. 27. The game will kick off at 11:30 a.m. CT and will be televised throughout the southeast by Sept. 15 * at Auburn W 19-14 Lincoln Financial Sports. Sept. 22 GARDNER-WEBB W 31-15 Sept. 29 * at South Carolina L 21-38 MISSISSIPPI STATE LOOKS TO END STATE DEFENSIVE LINE COACH TURNER Oct. 6 UAB (Homecoming) W 30-13 RETURNS TO OLD STOMPING GROUNDS Oct. 13 * TENNESSEE L 21-33 CURRENT SLIDE AGAINST SEC EAST Oct. 20 at West Virginia L 13-38 Mississippi State has registered a 21-26 record against Mississippi State defensive line coach David Turner Oct. 27 * at Kentucky 11:30 a.m. schools from the Southeastern Conference Eastern coached the defensive ends at Kentucky in 1993-94, his Nov. 10 * ALABAMA TBA Nov. 17 * at Arkansas (Little Rock) TBA Division since the league established the divisional format first full-time coaching assignment at the Division I-A Nov. 23 * OLE MISS 11:30 a.m. system in 1992. The series against the East has been a bit level. All times Central of a roller coaster ride for the Bulldogs. After winning 18 The Series of the first 30 games against the Eastern Division, MSU MS LINE COACH GRIMES, UK RB TUTOR Overall Record . Kentucky leads, 20-14 has posted just a 3-14 mark since. BRINSON WORKED TOGETHER AT UA at Starkville . State leads, 9-5 at Lexington . Kentucky leads, 13-4 Mississippi State offensive line coach J. B. Grimes and at Neutral Sites . Kentucky leads, 2-1 BULLDOGS TO APPEAR ON TELEVISION Kentucky running backs coach Larry Brinson worked on Last meeting: . .Kentucky 34-31, 2006 in Starkville the same coaching staff at Arkansas in 1989. Last meeting in Lexington: . Kentucky 13-7, 2005 FOR SIXTH TIME IN NINE GAMES Last 10 meetings: . Series tied 5-5 Mississippi State looks to improve on a 51-76 all-time Current Series Win Streak: . .Kentucky, 2 games record (.402) when appearing on television. State is 2-3 STATE'S OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR, UK Sylvester Croom vs. Kentucky:. 1-2 at Lexington . 0-1 on the tube this season. The MSU-Kentucky game marks QB, DL COACH WERE ON SAME STAFFS Rich Brooks vs. Mississippi State: . 3-1 the Bulldogs' sixth televised game in the first nine games Mississippi State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks at Lexington . 2-0 coach Woody McCorvey and Kentucky quarterbacks Croom vs. Brooks: . 1-2 of the 2007 season. coach Randy Sanders were on the same coaching staff at Broadcast Information MISSISSIPPI STATE RETURNING TO EARLY Tennessee from 1999-2003. McCorvey served as running Television . .Lincoln Financial Sports Announcers . Dave Neal, Dave Archer and Dave Baker MORNING SUCCESS ON TELEVISION? backs coach for the Volunteers under Sanders, who was Radio . Mississippi State Radio Network Mississippi State is 18-24 (.429) in games aired by the the UT offensive coordinator at the time. Also on that Announcers . Jack Cristil, Jim Ellis, John Correro staff was Bulldog wide receivers coach Pat Washington, XM Radio. Channel 199 (UK) Southeastern Conference's current early television win- in Starkville . 107.9, WFCA dow partner (Lincoln Financial Sports/Jefferson Pilot who was in that same offensive meeting room with Sports). That record has been skewed by a 3-13 mark McCorvey and Sanders. McCorvey also served on the Quick Facts - Mississippi State Record . .4-4, 1-3 in televised morning games since 2001, however, the same staff as UK defensive line coach Rick Petri at South Ranking (AP/Coaches'). NR / NR Bulldogs have now won two of their last three in the early Carolina in 1998. Last Game . .L, at West Virginia, 13-38 Head Coach . .Sylvester Croom morning time slot. And those three wins were big Bulldog Career Record . .13-29 / fourth season victories -- a 38-31 win over Florida in 2004, a 24-16 win KENTUCKY HAS JUST ONE PLAYER MSU Record . .13-29 / fourth season at Alabama last fall, and a 19-14 victory at Auburn earlier FROM THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI Quick Facts - Kentucky this season. Prior to that stretch, State was 15-11 in such Kentucky junior offensive tackle Josh Winchell is the lone Record . .6-2, 2-2 games. MSU is 2-2 all-time vs. Kentucky on TV. Wildcat from the state of Mississippi. Winchell attended Ranking (AP/Coaches'). 14 / 15 Southaven (Miss.) High School and signed with South Last Game . L, vs. Florida, 37-45 Head Coach . Rich Brooks BULLDOGS EYE THIRD ROAD WIN IN A Carolina. He later transferred to, and graduated from, Career Record . .114-141-4/ 23rd season SEASON FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE '00 Northwest Mississippi Community College before begin- Kentucky Record . 23-32 / fifth season Mississippi State has not won three road games in the ning his Kentucky career. There are no Mississippi State MISSISSIPPI STATE ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS same season since 2000, the last time the Bulldogs earned players from the state of Kentucky. P.O. Box 5308 Mississippi State, MS 39762 a post-season bowl berth. That year was also the last time Football Contacts: Mike Nemeth, Joe Galbraith MSU has posted four or more wins in a year. Phone: (662) 325-2703 • Fax: (662) 325-2563 Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Kentucky Wildcats • October 27, 2007 • Football Game Notes • Early Week Notes MSU PASS DEFENSE, SECOND HALF MEDIA SERVICES STIFFNESS, BOOST TOTAL DEFENSE STATISTICAL COMPARISON MONDAY TELECONFERENCE Mississippi State limited West Virginia to just 84 yards Mississippi State vs. Kentucky MSU head football coach Sylvester Croom will conduct a Monday teleconference (10 a.m. CT) prior passing, including only 23 yards through the air in the (2007 per-game averages) to Bulldog games this year. Contact the MSU Athletic second half, and now ranks sixth in the SEC in team pass Media Relations Office (662-325-2703) for access info. defense (187.1 yards per game). In fact, State permit- Mississippi State Kentucky TUESDAY PRESS CONFERENCE ted the Mountaineers just 128 yards of total offense and Overall Record . 4-4. 6-2 Coach Croom will conduct a weekly press confer- two-of-seven on third-down conversions in the second half Conference Record . 1-3. 2-2 ence each Tuesday prior to an MSU game. The confer- at Morgantown. MSU ranks seventh in the SEC in total Points Scored . 21.6. 42.0 ence will be held at the Bryan Athletic Administration Building. Coach Croom's press conference begins at defense (344.1 yards per game). Points Allowed . 26.6. 28.8 1 p.m. (CT). Selected players will be available following Total Offense . 290.4. 466.5 Croom's presentation (approximately 1:30 p.m.). To MSU KEEPS POSSESSION EDGE WITH Rushing Yards . 143.5. 187.1 request specific players, media members must contact MSU Athletic Media Relations (662-325-2703) by 5 p.m. MUCH-IMPROVED CONVERSION RATE Passing Yards . 146.9. 279.4 the Monday preceding each respective press confer- Mississippi State made eight-of-19 third-down conversion Yards Allowed. 344.1. 387.0 ence. attempts against West Virginia this past Saturday, and has Rushing Yards Allowed . 157.0. 191.8 WEDNESDAY SEC WEEKLY TELECONFERENCE now converted third down opportunities at a 40.3 percent Passing Yards Allowed. 187.1. 195.2 Coach Croom will join the league's other 11 coach- rate (eighth in the SEC). The Bulldogs also held onto the First Downs. 16.6. 26.5 es on the SEC's Wednesday teleconference. Coach football for 31:30 in Morgantown. MState's conversion Time of Possession. 30:44. 28:53 Croom's seven-minute segment is scheduled from 11:03-11:10 a.m. (CT). The teleconference phone num- rate has helped the team rank third in the league in time 3rd Down Conversion . 40%. 52% ber can be obtained by calling the MSU Athletic Media of possession average (30:44 average per game). By Relations office. comparison, the Bulldogs converted 36 percent of its third- INDIVIDUAL COMPARISON WEEKLY PLAYER INTERVIEWS down opportunities a year ago, and averaged only 29:26 Mississippi State vs. Kentucky During game week, all player interviews must of possession time. A further illustration of this reversal: (2007 per-game averages) be conducted by Tuesday evening and need to be when the Bulldogs opened the third quarter with a 13-play, arranged at least 24 hours in advance. Players MAY NOT be interviewed after Tuesday evening. Players 58-yard touchdown drive that ate 5:10 off the clock, it was Mississippi State Kentucky will be notified of requested telephone interviews via a State's ninth scoring drive of 10 or more plays this year, with Rushing Yards-per-Game message placed on the player's locker. The player will six taking more than five minutes off the clock. In contrast, Dixon . 94.4. 113.7 . Little call following practice at his convenience. Please coordinate all player requests with the MSU MSU had only four scoring drives of 10 or more plays, with Ducre . 34.9. 48.4 . .Dixon Athletic Media Relations office (662-325-2703). one exceeding five minutes last season.