2010 MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL NOTES Mississippi State (4-2, 1-2 SEC) at Florida (4-2, 1-2 SEC) Saturday, October 16, 2010 • 7:00 p.m. • ESPNU Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (88,548) Primary Contact: Joe Galbraith • [email protected] • Office - 662.325.2703 • Cell - 662.418.3970 2010 • GAME 7 Secondary Contact: Jay Middleton • [email protected] • Office: - 662.325.0972 • Cell - 662.213.5555 MISSISSIPPI STATE RETURNS TO CONFERENCE PLAY WITH STATE LOOKS TO EXTEND WINNING STREAK MISSISSIPPI STATE SCHEDULE & RESULTS TRIPO T #22 FLORIDA The Bulldogs have won three straight games for only the Date Opponent W-L Score/Time Mississippi State returns to conference action but remains second time since 2000 and are looking for their first four-game Sept. 4 MEMPHIS W 49-7 on the road as it travels to #22 Florida for a contest scheduled winning streak since opening the 1999 campaign with eight Sept. 9 * #20 AUBURN (Thurs.) L 14-17 Sept. 18 * at #12 LSU L 7-29 to kick off at 7 p.m. (ET). The game will be televised nationally straight victories. Sept. 25 * GEORGIA W 24-12 on ESPNU, marking the third time this season the Bulldogs have Oct. 2 ALCORN STATE W 49-16 played on the network. OFFENSE SPREADING BALL AROUND IN Oct. 9 at Houston W 47-24 BOTHUN R AND PASS GAME Oct. 16 at #22 Florida 6 p.m. MULLEN AIMING FOR ANOTHER YEAR 2 SUCCESS STORY At the halfway mark of the 2010 season, 11 different offensive Oct. 23 * UAB (HC) TBA Head coach Dan Mullen had coached two or more seasons at players have at least one rushing attempt and 14 different play- Oct. 30 * KENTUCKY TBA six schools prior to taking the top spot at Mississippi State, and ers have at least one reception. In 2009, 12 players had rushing Nov. 13 * at Alabama TBA at nearly every stop along the way Year Two has seen marked attempts and 13 Bulldogs caught passes all season long. Nov. 20 * ARKANSAS TBA improvement. Wagner College went 6-5 in 1994 and 8-2 in 1995; Nov. 27 * at Ole Miss TBA Notre Dame improved from 5-7 in 1999 to 9-3 in 2000; Bowling DIAZ, WILSON LEAD DEFENSE TO IMPRESSIVE 1ST HALF all times Central Green went 8-3 in 2001 and 9-3 in 2002; Utah jumped from 10-2 Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and co-defensive coor- in 2003 to 12-0 in 2004; and Florida improved from 8-3 in 2005 dinator Chris Wilson joined the coaching staff with hopes of The Series to 13-1 and national champions in 2006. improving a defensive unit that finished 10th in the Southeastern Overall Record: . Florida leads 33-18-2 The Bulldogs are 4-2 after six weeks of the 2010 season, two Conference in total defense a year ago. in Gainesville: . Florida leads 19-7-1 games better than at the same mark of the 2009 campaign. Through six games, the Bulldog defense ranks 36th nationally Last meeting: . .Florida 29-19, 10/24/2009 in Starkville in total defense, 22nd in scoring defense and 26th in rushing Last meeting in Gainesville: . UF 35-9, 10/8/2005 BULLDOG ‘O’ PUTTING UP POTENTIALLY defense. State ranks among the top half of the SEC in each of Last 10 meetings: . .Florida leads 7-3 HISTORIC NUMBERS those categories. Current Series Win Streak: . .Florida two games Looking at the single-season record book, the Mississippi State offense is on pace to break or match several school marks. DOG ‘D’ STINGY IN REDZONE Quick Facts - Mississippi State Record . 4-2, 1-2 SEC At the midway point of the campaign, the Bulldog offense The Bulldog defense has been toughest when its back has Ranking (AP/Coaches') . .NR / RV would tie the school record for points per game in the modern been against the wall. Through six games, State has allowed Head Coach . .Dan Mullen era (31.7 in 1994). It would rank ninth all time in passing yards only seven touchdowns in 19 times the ball has reached inside Career Record . 9-9 / Second Season per game (205.0), first in completion percentage (59.3) and have its 20 yardline. MSU Record . same nearly cracked the top 10 in total touchdown passes. The total offense average of 416.8 trails only the 1982 team that averaged DEFENSE STILL ON HUNT FOR NEGATIVES; GOT A Quick Links 422 yards per game. BUNCH AGAINST ALCORN News Additionally, with its 47-point outburst at Houston this State The defense has worked on creating negative plays for the Roster team became only the seventh team in school history to score opposition, and through the first four weeks tallied a total of Team Stats 40+ points in three separate games during a single season 23 tackles for loss. Against Alcorn State in Week 5, the Bulldogs Individual Stats (1911, 1914, 1944, 1946, 1994 and 2000). nearly doubled their season total as they recorded an astound- NCAA Stats ing 15 tackles for loss. And the MSU defense was sharing the SEC Stats OFFENSE EXPLODING FOR HUGE GAMES wealth, as 13 different players had at least one half tackle for Mississippi State Media Guide & Record Book In its season opening win over Memphis, the Mississippi State loss. offense racked up 569 total yards and scored 49 points. Against Broadcast Information Alcorn State, the Bulldogs finished with 566 yards and again BULLDOGS BECOMING SECOND HALF SQUAD... Television . ESPNU scored 49 points. The yardage totals rank as the fifth and sixth Through six games of the season Mississippi State has out- Announcers . Clay Matvick and Herm Edwards highest single game tallies in school history. scored its foes by 43 points in the final two quarters. State has Radio . Mississippi State Radio Network Last weekend, State again exceeded the 500-yard barrier, scored 42 points in the third period and 45 in the fourth quarter, Announcers . Jack Cristil, Jim Ellis and John Correro putting up 538, good for a tie for 15th in school history. outpacing the opposition’s 21 and 23 in the same two quarters. XM Radio Network . .Channel 199 (UF Broadcast) Sirius Radio Network . .Channel 219 (UF Broadcast) The 538 total yards was the second most ever tallied on the The Bulldog defense has pitched second-half shutouts in Starkville . .107.9, WFCA road, and the Bulldogs have now set a school record with three against Auburn and Alcorn State, while allowing only garbage- games over the 530-yard mark in a single season. time scores by both Memphis and Georgia. Mississippi State Athletic Media Contacts DOGS CONTINUE TO EXCEL IN GROUND GAME ...BUT EQUALLY IMPRESSIVE IN THE OPENING PERIOD MEDIA RELATIONS - 662-325-2703 In his 18 games as head coach at Mississippi State, Dan State has been quick to jump on opponents, out-scoring Joe Galbraith - 662-418-3970 Mullen’s team has eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark in all foes 58-17 in the first quarter. The Bulldogs scored 23 points in MISSISSIPPI STATE RADIO NETWORK - 662-325-4171 but one contest. State has rushed for 100+ in each game this the opening frame at Houston last Saturday, and have scored at Don Williams - 662-312-2564 season, including a team-best 409 last week against Houston. least one touchdown in the opening frame of each of the four TELEVISION CENTER - 662-325-1332 The Bulldogs have also scored at least one rushing touchdown wins this season. Bennie Ashford - 662-418-2165 in each of the first six contests, marking 16 times in the last 18 games the offense has scored at least one touchdown on the FTP INFORMATION ground. Located on XOS Digital Xchange After finishing the 2009 campaign with the school’s first-ever Contact Bennie Ashford in Television Center for login Southeastern Conference rushing title and ranking ninth nation- ally in rushing yards per game (227..6), the Bulldogs currently rank 23rd nationally with a 211.8 ypg average. Monday 11 Tuesday 12 Wednesday i13 Thursday 14 Friday 15 Saturday 16 Sunday 17 12 noon 5 p.m. 11:30 a.m. 7 p.m. No Media Availability 7:00 p.m. (ET) 12:00 Noon Press Conference Coach Mullen available SEC Teleconference Coach Mullen Radio Show Kickoff at Florida MSU Teleconference (Bryan Building) post-practice (Harvey’s) Players available following 5:45 p.m. Postgame Players available post-practice Coach Mullen and selected players available following game 2010 MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL NOTES • GAME 7 AT FLORIDA FIRST NON-OFFENSIVE SCORES COME IN SHERROD RECOGNIZED AGAIN BY CONFERENCE STATISTICAL COMPARISON LAST TWO WEEKS Senior offensive lineman Derek Sherrod has been named Mississippi State vs. Florida Mississippi State scored seven non-offensive touchdowns in Southeastern Conference offensive lineman of the week twice in 2009, yet this year’s team did not record one until a Leon Berry the last three weeks. The Columbus, Miss., native graded out at Mississippi State Florida kickoff return in Week 5. Cornerback Corey Broomfield added an outstanding 96 percent blocking rate and seven knockdown Overall Record . 4-2 . 4-2 another at Houston last weekend. blocks in State’s win over Houston. Conference Record . 1-2 . 2-2 Sherrod helped pave the way for the Bulldog rushing attack Points Scored . 31.7 . 31.0 BALLARD BECOMING BIG PLAY, TOUCHDOWN MACHINE to amass over 400 yards on the ground and score a season-high Points Allowed . 17.5 . 20.2 Through six games of the 2010 season, junior Vick Ballard five touchdowns. Sherrod was also recognized following the Total Offense .