MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2011

By: Senator(s) Ward, Gordon, Montgomery, Lee To: Rules (35th), Moffatt, Dickerson, Browning, Clarke, Carmichael, Brown, Burton, Jackson (15th), Butler (38th), Davis, Dearing, Fillingane, Frazier, Hewes, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), Kirby, McDaniel, Michel, Simmons, Turner, Watson, Wilemon

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 544

1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING THE 2 MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY "BULLDOGS" FOOTBALL TEAM AND COACH 3 FOR THEIR IMPRESSIVE VICTORY IN THE PROGRESSIVE GATOR 4 BOWL ON JANUARY 1, 2011. 5 6 HAIL DEAR 'OLE STATE !!! 7 8 WHEREAS, the Mississippi State University "Bulldogs" Football 9 team, led by Coach Dan Mullen and MVP , conducted an

10 offensive clinic from start to finish, as the Bulldogs 11 manufactured 485 total yards en route to a dominating 52-14 12 victory against the University of Michigan on Saturday, January 1, 13 2011, in the 66th Annual Gator Bowl in EverBank Field in 14 Jacksonville, Florida; and 15 WHEREAS, the 2011 Progressive Gator Bowl was MSU's 16 fourth-consecutive bowl win dating back to the 1999 Peach Bowl and 17 first-ever victory against Michigan as the Bulldogs conclude the

18 2010 campaign with a 9-4 ledger. Mississippi State, now 7-7 19 all-time in bowl games and 3-6-2 versus Big 10 foes, also set 20 several school bowl records with points scored (52) and margin of

21 victory (38). In addition, Vic Ballard tied Dontae Walker's 22 record of 18 points scored he set against Texas A&M in the 2000 23 Independence Bowl, while the 485 total yards of offense were 24 second only to the 499 gained against North Carolina in the 1974 25 Sun Bowl. As prolific as MSU's offense was, so too was the

26 defense. The Bulldogs held the Wolverines (7-6) to 342 yards, 27 with 153 coming in the opening quarter. Michigan did enjoy a

S. C. R. No. 544 *SS01/R766* N1/2 11/SS01/R766 PAGE 1 28 14-10 lead after the first frame, but failed to score another 29 point in the remainder of the game; and 30 WHEREAS, quarterback Chris Relf, who was named the game's 31 MVP, completed 18 of his 23 passes for 281 yards and three 32 touchdowns. The 281 passing yards were the second most in MSU 33 bowl history, behind the 287 thrown by Greg Plump versus North

34 Carolina in the 1993 Peach Bowl. They are also the only two 35 quarterbacks to throw for more than 200 yards in a bowl game. 36 Relf, a junior from Montgomery, Alabama, also scored on the ground 37 from 1-yard out and finished with 311 total yards; and 38 WHEREAS, "that was fantastic," second-year MSU coach Dan 39 Mullen said. "What terrific fan support we had. I'm so happy and 40 so proud for the seniors and for what they've accomplished the two 41 years I've been here. To send them off as champions is fantastic.

42 I've been involved in a lot of games and this is easily as big to 43 any of them because to our kids it's such an accomplishment. I'm 44 sure coming in this season there's a lot of people that wouldn't 45 have believed we'd win nine games and a New Year's Day Bowl game. 46 I'm really proud of everything they've accomplished"; and 47 WHEREAS, team statistics for the Gator Bowl Victory:

48  Mississippi State captains were K.J. Wright, Pernell 49 McPhee, Chris White and Derek Sherrod;

50  Mississippi State scored 52 points, the most a 51 Mississippi State team has scored in 14 bowl appearances;

52  Mississippi State's 52 point scored set a Gator Bowl 53 record, passing Oklahoma's 48 points in 1991;

54  Chris Relf became only the second MSU quarterback to 55 throw for over 200 yards in a bowl game. Greg Plump threw for 287 56 in the 1993 Peach Bowl;

57  The Bulldogs finished the season with a 9-4 record. 58 Its first 9-win season since 1999 when State finished 10-2;

S. C. R. No. 544 *SS01/R766* 11/SS01/R766 PAGE 2 59  Michigan's first-possession touchdown drive was just 60 the third Mississippi State has given up this season. Auburn and 61 Houston scored on their first possessions;

62  Mississippi State capped its first offensive 63 possession with a Chris Relf to Arceto Clark 4-yard touchdown 64 connection. It was the fourth time this season State has scored

65 on its opening offensive drive;

66  With 10 first-quarter points, Mississippi State has 67 now outscored opponents 105-60 in the first quarter this season;

68  Mississippi State scored 31 first-half points, the 69 third time this season the Bulldogs have eclipsed the 30-point 70 barrier prior to halftime;

71  Chris Relf's third-quarter 81 yard pass was the 72 longest play this season for Mississippi State. The 81-yard pass

73 play was the longest pass play since connected with 74 Ty Freeman for an 84-yard gain against Ole Miss in 2004;

75  Mississippi State's 52 points was a season high; 76  Mississippi State improved to 3-6-2 overall against 77 Big Ten teams;

78  The Mississippi State defense held Michigan 79 quarterback Denard Robinson to a season-low 59 rushing yards;

80  Mississippi State junior quarterback Chris Relf wore 81 #36 in memory of Nick Bell. Relf completed 18 of 23 passes for 82 281 yards and three touchdowns;

83  Arceto Clark finished the contest with three 84 receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown. Clark finished the 85 season with 25 receptions for 362 yards and three touchdowns;

86  Charles Mitchell led the Bulldogs defense with seven 87 stops on the afternoon;

88  Junior running back Vick Ballard finished the game 89 with 19 rushes for 74 yards and three touchdowns. Ballard has 19

90 rushing touchdowns this season and 20 total touchdowns, both 91 single-season records at Mississippi State; S. C. R. No. 544 *SS01/R766* 11/SS01/R766 PAGE 3 92  Marvin Bure's first-quarter blocked punt was the 93 first of his career;

94  Junior kicker Derek DePasquale connected on a 95 first-quarter 42-yard field goal. DePasquale is now 10-12 on the 96 year and has hit 10 of his last 11;

97  Ricco Sanders recorded his first-career reception in 98 the second quarter. Two plays later, Sanders caught his first 99 touchdown on a 15-yard pass from Chris Relf;

100  Wade Bonner had a forced fumble in the second 101 quarter, his third this season. Corey Broomfield recovered the 102 fumble, the first of his career;

103  Chris Smith led all MSU receivers in receptions with 104 four. Smith finished with 46 yards receiving;

105  Freshman Michael Carr recorded his first-career 106 touchdown in the fourth-quarter on a 31-yard strike from Chris 107 Relf. Carr finished with a career-best three receptions for 65 108 yards; and 109 WHEREAS, the 2010 Bulldog roster is: Chad Bumphis, Robert 110 Elliott, Brandon Heavens, Charles Mitchell, Nickoe Whitley, Dylan 111 Favre, Wade Bonner, Chris Smith, Leon Berry, Cameron Lawrence, 112 Ricco Sanders, Dennis Thames, Johnthan Banks, Chris Relf, Maurice 113 Langston, Brantley Adams, Jameon Lewis, Tyler Russell, Brandon

114 Hill, Arceto Clark, Louis Watson, Matthew Wells, Sylvester 115 Hemphill, Jamerson Love, Corey Broomfield, Damein Anderson, 116 LaDarius Perkins, Vick Ballard, Nick Griffin, Jay Hughes, Sam 117 Williams, Marcus Green, Jamie Jones, K.J. Wright, Patrick 118 Hanrahan, Dexter Shelton, Nick Bell, Sean Brauchle, Heath 119 Hutchins, Dane Leake, Baker Swedenburg, William Berg, Derek 120 DePasquale, Marvin Bure, Zach Smith, Asian Ruff, William Shumpert, 121 Christian Holmes, Ivan Muniz, Michael Hunt, Adrian Marcus, Aaron 122 Feld, Chris Cameron, Jonathan Phillips, Emmanuel Gatling, Randy

123 Moulds, Chris Hughes, Krisjon Wilkerson, Chris White, Deontae 124 Skinner, Ferlando Bohanna, Trevor Stigers, Quentin Saulsberry, S. C. R. No. 544 *SS01/R766* 11/SS01/R766 PAGE 4 125 Corvell Harrison-Gay, Brandon Wilson, Archie Muniz, Devin Jones, 126 Gabe Jackson, Addison Lawrence, Dillon Day, Eric Lawson, Mark 127 Lynn, Ben Beckwith, Joshua Jackson, D.J. Looney, Tobias Smith, 128 Templeton Hardy, Reggie Odom, J.C. Brignone, Sam Watts, John 129 McMillian, Paul Thompson, Mark Melichar, Blaine Clausell, Phillip 130 Freeman, Sam Latham, Damien Robinson, Derek Sherrod, Malcolm

131 Johnson, Robert Johnson, Thomas Webb, Charles Bailey, Reed Gordon, 132 Brandon Henderson, Michael Carr, Kenneth Baldridge, Kendrick Cook, 133 Allen Tolbert, Pernell McPhee, Rodney Prince, Kaleb Eulls, Jeffrey 134 Howie, Fletcher Cox, James Carmon, Shane McCardell, Josh Boyd, 135 Curtis Virges, Sean Ferguson; and 136 WHEREAS, the nation witnessed a Mississippi university defeat 137 a program with great national tradition, and it is with great 138 pride that we recognize this group of student athletes, their

139 parents and coaches, who have brought honor to their university, 140 their community and to the State of Mississippi: 141 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF 142 MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That 143 we do hereby commend and congratulate the Mississippi State 144 University "Bulldogs" Football Team and second-year Head Coach Dan 145 Mullen for their impressive victory against the University of 146 Michigan in the Progressive Gator Bowl on January 1, 2011, and for

147 their outstanding 2010 Regular season, and extend our best wishes 148 to the team, coaches and administration on this auspicious 149 occasion. 150 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to 151 the MSU "Bulldogs" Football Team and Coach Dan Mullen, forwarded 152 to MSU President Mark E. Keenum and the Board of Trustees of State 153 Institutions of Higher Learning and made available to the Capitol 154 Press Corps.

S. C. R. No. 544 *SS01/R766* 11/SS01/R766 ST: Congratulate Mississippi State University PAGE 5 "Bulldogs" Football Team and Coach Dan Mullen on impressive Gator Bowl victory.