MISSISSIPPI STATEGAME UNIVERSITY NINE Primary Contact: Joe Galbraith • [email protected] • Office - 662.325.0967 • Cell - 662.418.3970 Secondary Contact: Kyle Niblett • [email protected] A&M (6-2, • Office -3-2 662.325.0972 SEC) • Cell -at 662.418.9139 Game One • Mississippi State (0-0, 0-0 SEC) at Memphis (0-0,Mississippi 0-0 C-USA) • Thursday, Sept. State 1, 2011 •(7-1, Liberty Bowl 3-1 • 7:10 SEC) p.m. CT • FSN Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012 - Davis Wade Stadium - 11 a.m. - ESPN eneral ame nformatIon G G I BULLDOGS, AGGIES TO RENEW BUDDING RIVALRY TURNOVERS HAVE GENERALLY TOLD STORY Mississippi State takes on Texas A&M have faced off on the In recent seasons, no stat has been a better harbinger of suc- Team InformaTIon & STaTS gridiron only five times in the schools’ histories, with the only cess for the Bulldogs than turnover margin. Over the last three- MISSISSIPPI STATE TEXAS A&M time since WWII coming in the historic 2000 Independence plus seasons, State has won 22 of 23 games when victorious in 17 / 18 / 15 . Ranking (AP / USA Today / BCS) . 16 / 16 / 16 Bowl. The game will be broadcast on ESPN with Brad Nessler and the turnover column. Conversely, the Bulldogs have won just Dan Mullen . Head Coach . Kevin Sumlin Todd Blackledge on the call. five times out of 14 when losing the turnover battle. 28-18 . Career Record . .41-19 Saturday’s game is the first time since Sept. 20, 2001 where Through eight games, State ranks sixth in the nation with a 28-18 . Record at School . 6-2 two top-20 teams (No. 17 MSU, No. 18 South Carolina) faced plus-13 turnover margin. The Bulldogs are tied for 13th nation- 2012 STATS each other in Davis Wade Stadium. ally with 20 forced turnovers. 7-1 . Record . 6-2 Mississippi State is first in the FBS in turnover margin at home 3-1 . Conference Record . 3-2 MISSISSIPPI STATE TO COMMEMORATE LAST MEETING (+13), while Texas A&M is tied for 101st in the FBS in turnover 33.0 . Points Per Game . 45.5 With specially-designed uniforms and a reunion of the 2000 margin on the road (-5). 17.4 . Points Allowed Per Game . 22.0 team, Mississippi State will celebrate the first meeting against 396.8 . Total Offense Per Game . .542.9 Texas A&M since the 2000 Independence Bowl. Dubbed the MSU LOOKING TO TIE BEST START THROUGH NINE GAMES 163.8 . Rushing Yards Per Game . 237.6 “Snow Bowl,” the New Year’s Eve contest saw the teams battle Should the Bulldogs win Saturday, their 8-1 start through 233.0 . Passing Yards Per Game . 305.2 in a freak Shreveport blizzard. The Bulldogs, wearing all-white nine games will tie the 1999 squad for the second-best start 338.5 . Yards Allowed Per Game . .385.5 uniforms, defeated the Aggies 43-41 in overtime to cap one of through nine games in school history (7-0-1 in 1940). 144.1 . Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game . 136.4 the most successful three-year runs in school history. Through eight games already, MSU’s plus-125 scoring margin 194.4 . Passing Yards Allowed Per Game . 249.1 against its opponents is the best by State since the 1946 squad INDIVIDUAL COMPARISON MULLEN CONTINUES TO CLIMB SCHOOL WIN CHARTS had a plus-197 margin through its first eight games. Tyler Russell . Leading Passer . Johnny Manziel Head Coach Dan Mullen has led the Bulldogs to 28 wins in 137-233-2-1742 yds-15 TD 173-269-6-2216 yds-16 TD three-plus seasons, good for fifth most in school history. A win NEARLY DONE AT HALF, CERTAINTY AFTER THREE LaDarius Perkins . .Leading Rusher . Johnny Manziel vs. Texas A&M would tie him with W.D. Chadwick (1909-13) for Since Dan Mullen took over the Mississippi State program 140 att.-762 yds.-8 TD 117 att.-793 yds-13 TD fourth-most all-time. Mullen’s .609 winning percentage ranks in 2009, the Bulldogs have won 24 of 26 games led at halftime. Chad Bumphis . Leading Receiver . Mike Evans seventh all-time and third among any coach who amassed more Even more impressively, State has won all 27 games in which 30 rec.-486 yds-6 TD 47 rec.-705 yds-2 TD than three years of experience in Starkville. it had a lead entering the fourth quarter. Overall, the Bulldogs Cameron Lawrence . Leading Tackler . Damontre Moore have a 37-game winning streak when up to begin the fourth. 59 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 3.0 Sacks 65 tackles, 18.0 TFL, 10.5 Sacks OFFENSE STILL SCORING AT RECORD PACE The Mississippi State offense has scored 264 points through BANKS AMONG BEST DEFENDERS IN THE COUNTRY 2012 mISSISSIppI STaTe Schedule its first eight games, scoring an average of 33.0 points per game. On Oct. 29, senior defensive back Johnthan Banks became Date Opponent Result/Time The average would break the modern-era record of 31.7 set in the first player in school history to be named a semifinalist for Sept. 1 JACKSON STATE (FSN) W, 56-9 1994 and approach the 36.1 record set by the 1914 team. the Chuck Bednarik Award, given annually to the outstanding Sept. 8 * AUBURN (ESPN) W, 28-10 The Bulldogs have scored 27 or more points in seven games, defensive player of the year. The midseason All-American was Sept. 15 at Troy (ESPN3) W, 30-24 only the third time in school history the team has eclipsed 27 in also named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award on Oct. 29, Sept. 22 SOUTH ALABAMA (PPV) W, 30-10 seven games in a single season (1998 and 2000). given annually to the best defensive back in college football. Oct. 6 * at Kentucky (SEC Network) W, 27-14 Banks is the first player in program history to be named a semi- Oct. 13 * TENNESSEE (ESPN2) W, 41-31 BALANCED ATTACK HAS PRODUCED RESULTS finalist for the award in back-to-back seasons. Oct. 20 MIDDLE TENNESSEE (ESPN2) W, 45-3 Of 532 offensive plays, offensive coordinator Les Koenning’s Oct. 27 * at Alabama (ESPN) L, 7-38 group has run 279 times (52.4 percent) and passed 253 times RUSSELL HAS BEEN ELITE Nov. 3 * TEXAS A&M (ESPN) 11 a.m. (47.6 percent). The Bulldog offense has gained 3,174 total yards, Tyler Russell is one of four quarterbacks this season with Nov. 10 * at LSU with 1,864 yards (58.7 percent) through the air. 15-plus passing touchdowns and two or fewer interceptions: Nov. 17 * ARKANSAS Last weekend vs. marked the first contest of the year in which Nov. 24 * at Ole Miss State passed more than ran (36-21), and the largest difference in NAME/SCHOOL TDS INTS run-pass plays this season. Colby Cameron, Louisiana Tech 21 0 SerIeS hISTory A.J. McCarron, Alabama 18 0 Overall Series Record: . Mississippi State leads 3-2 DEFENSE HAS PERFORMED ADMIRABLY Geno Smith, West Virginia 26 2 in Starkville: . .Never Met Defensive coordinator Chris Wilson’s Bulldog defense is cur- TYLER RUSSELL, MISSISSIPPI STATE 15 2 Last meeting: . Mississippi State, 43-41 (OT), 12/31/00 in Shreveport rently ranked 15th nationally in scoring defense, 21st in pass in Starkville: . Never Met defense and 28th in total defense. QUARTERBACK SET TO BREAK MANY SCHOOL MARKS Last 10 meetings: . .Mississippi State, 3-2 The defense has forced 31 three-and-outs over the first eight Russell, despite having started only 12 games in his still- Current Series Win Streak: . Mississippi State, 1 Game games, ranking 23rd nationally in that category. The Bulldog young career, has already tossed 28 touchdown passes, tied for BroadcaST InformaTIon defense has begun four of the last six games with a three-and- fifth on the school’s all-time list. The Manning Award Watch List Kickoff . 11 a.m. CT out. QB has already entered the school’s top 10 in passing yardage TV . ESPN (Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe) (3,411). Russell is on pace to demolish the school single-season Radio . Mississippi State Radio Network DEFENSE HAS BEEN TOUGH AGAINST PASSING ATTACKS record in completions, attempts, passing yardage, and touch- Announcers . .Jim Ellis, Matt Wyatt and John Correro The Bulldog defense has faced several pass-first attacks and downs. XM Radio Network . Channel 91 still averages less than 200 yards-per-game allowed. State’s pass Sirius Radio Network . Channel 91 efficiency defense ranks 21st nationally, and 12 interceptions is in Starkville . 107.9 WFCA tied for 13th nationally. Sunday 28 Monday 29 Tuesday 30 Wednesday 31 Thursday 1 Friday 2 Saturday 3 Noon 1 p.m. 5:45 p.m. 11:50 a.m. 7 p.m. No Media Availability 11 a.m. Coach Mullen Coach Mullen Weekly Press Players available following SEC Teleconference Coach Mullen Radio Show Kickoff vs. Texas A&M Weekly Teleconference Conference - Bryan Building practice (Buffalo Wild Wings) Post-Practice Postgame 1:30 p.m. Player availability if necessary Coach Mullen and selected Assistants available after players and coaches available Mullen following game. 2012 mISSISSIppI STaTe fooTBall noTeS • Game 9 vS. TexaS a&m • #SnowBowl12 BUMPHIS REACHES ONE MILESTONE, SWEDENBERG HAS BEEN SOLID, CONSISTENT MSU STREAKS & 2012 RECORDS ON PACE FOR OTHERS Junior punter Baker Swedenberg has been a constant com- Overall Streak 2012 Senior wide receiver Chad Bumphis broke the school’s all- fort on special teams. The graduate student has punted 33 Overall L1 7-1 time mark for touchdown receptions with his 18th scoring grab times this season.