MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY Primary .Contact: .Joe .Galbraith .• .jgalbraith@athletics .msstate .edu .• .Office .- .662 .325 .0967 .• .Cell .- .662 .418 .3970 Secondary .Contact: .Kyle .Niblett .• .kniblett@athletics .msstate .edu .• .Office .- .662 .325 .0972 .• .Cell .- .662 .418 .9139 Game One • Mississippi State (0-0, 0-0 SEC) at Memphis (0-0, 0-0 C-USA) • Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011 • Liberty Bowl • 7:10 p.m. CT • FSN Broadcast Information BULLDOGS SET TO CONTINUE MOMENTUM IN 2011 PAIR OF NEW ADDITIONS TO COACHING STAFF IN 2011 Kickoff . 7:10 .p .m . .CT Mississippi .State .closed .its .2010 .season .with .a .final .record .of . With . a . pair . of . assistants . leaving . the . staff . at . the . conclusion . TV . .FSN .(Ron Thulin,. .JC .Pearson .and .Jeremy .Bloom) 9-4, .marking .the .best .tally .since .a .10-2 .campaign .in .1999 . .It .was . of .the .2010 .season, .Dan .Mullen .didn’t .have .to .look .far .for .their . SportSouth, FSN Arizona Plus, Detroit, Houston, Midwest, North / only . the . fifth . time . in . school . history . a . Bulldog . team . recorded . replacements . .Chis .Wilson .takes .over .the .defensive .coordinator . Wisconsin, Ohio, Southwest Plus, Prime Ticket, ROOT Sports Pittsburgh nine .or .more .wins .- .1940, .1973, .1980, .1999 .and .2010 . role .previously .held .by .Manny .Diaz .(Texas) .and .Angelo .Mirando . and Rocky Mountain, Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area and Mid-Adlantic Plus, The .2011 .squad .can .become .the .first .team .to .post .back .to . will .coach .the .wide .receivers .after .Mark .Hudspeth’s .(Louisiana- Comcast Network, MSG Plus back . nine-win . seasons . in . school . history . Only . six . times . previ- Lafayette) .departure . Radio . Mississippi. .State .Radio .Network ously have. Bulldog. teams. posted. eight. or. more. wins. in. consecu. - Wilson . served . as . co-defensive . coordinator . last . season . and . Announcers . .Jim .Ellis, .Matt Wyatt. .and .John .Correro tive .years . Mirando . was . a . graduate . assistant . for . the . Bulldog . offense . a . XM .Radio .Network . Channel .85 year .ago . Sirius .Radio .Network . Channel .85 MISSISSIPPI STATE BEGINS SEASON RANKED IN TOP 25 Rounding . out . the . staff . changes . is . the . addition . of . Geoff . in .Starkville . .107 .9, WFCA. The .Bulldogs .enter .the .2011 .campaign .ranked .20th .in .both . Collins . as . co-defensive . coordinator . and . linebackers . coach . the . Associated . Press .Top . 25 . and . the . USA .Today . Coaches’ . Poll . Collins .comes .to .Mississippi .State .from .FIU .where .he .served .as . Mississippi State . State closed. the. 2010. season. ranked. 15th. by. the. AP. and. 17th. by. defensive .coordinator .in .2010 . Ranking . .20 .AP/20 .USA TODAY. the .coaches . .It .marks .the .first .time .since .2001 .Mississippi .State . Head .Coach . .Dan .Mullen begins .a .season .ranked .among .the .top .25 .teams . TURNOVER MARGIN HELPS TELL STORY OF 2010 SEASON . Career .Record . 14-11 .(7-9 .SEC) ./ .Second .Season The .most .telling .stat .for .Mississippi .State .last .season .was .its . MSU .Record . .Same MULLEN COULD POST ONE OF BEST THREE-YEAR MARKS turnover .margin .The . .Bulldogs .were .plus-11 .in .turnovers .in .their . 2011 .Record . 0-0 Head coach. Dan. Mullen. has. led. his. Mississippi. State. teams. to. seven wins,. and. minus-4. in. four. losses. .State . turned. the. ball. over. Conference .Record . N/A 14 .victories .in .his .first .two .seasons, .tied .for .third .among .all .head . just .nine .times .in .nine .wins .and .12 .times .in .four .losses . Memphis coaches .in .school .history . .The .school .record .for .victories .in .the . Ranking . .NR/NR first .three .years .of .a .coach’s .tenure .is .26, .set .by .Allyn .McKeen . 2010 LOSSES CAME AGAINST QUALITY OPPONENTS Head .Coach . Larry .Porter from .1939-41 . .Ralph .Sasse .(1935-37) .and .Emory .Bellard .(1979- Mississippi . State . had . four . losses . on . the . 2010 . season, . and . Career .Record . .1-11 ./ .Second .Season 81) .are .the .only .two .other .coaches .to .reach .20 .wins .in .their .first . each .came .to .a .team .ranked .in .the .top .12 .of .all .major .polls .The . School .Record . .Same three .seasons . four .teams .finished .with .a .combined .record .of .45-8 .(with .six .of . 2011 .Record . 0-0 the .eight .losses .coming .against .each .other) . Conference .Record . N/A DOGS LOOK TO CONTINUE NON-CONFERENCE STREAK Mississippi .State .has .won .its .last .five .non-conference .games . BULLDOGS AGAIN HAVE TOUGH SCHEDULE Series History (including .a .4-0 .mark .in .2010) .dating .back .to .a .pair .of .losses .in . After .facing .five .ranked .teams .a .season .ago, .Mississippi .State . Overall .Series .Record: . Mississippi .State .leads .32-11 2009 . .Head .Coach .Dan .Mullen’s .squads .are .6-2 .in .out-of-confer- will .play .six .teams .ranked .in .the .preseason .top .25 .this .year .The . in .Memphis: . Mississippi .State .leads .16-6 . ence .action, .posting .a .2-0 .road .non-conference .mark . Bulldogs will. face. the. four. other. ranked. teams. from. the. SEC. West. Last .meeting: . Mississippi .State, .49-7, .9/4/2010 .in .Starkville as .well .as .#12 .South .Carolina .and .#19 .Georgia . In .Memphis: . Mississippi .State, .29-17, .10/19/02 UNDER MULLEN, STATE STARTS SEASONS STRONG Last .10 .meetings: . Mississippi .State .leads .10-0 The .Bulldogs .have .won .each .of .their .season-openers .under . NATIONAL STATISTICS TREND SHOW FORMULA FOR Current Series. Win. .Streak: . Mississippi .State, .11 .games head .coach .Dan .Mullen, .posting .a .combined .score .of .94-14 .in . BULLDOGS’ SUCCESS the .two .victories . Mississippi .State .ranked .among .the .nation’s .top .30 .in .each .of . Mississippi State Contacts Last .season .against .Memphis, .State .racked .up .569 .yards .of . the following. statistical. categories:. .rushing . offense. (16);. rushing. MEDIA .RELATIONS .- .662-325-0967 total .offense .in .route .to .a .49-7 .victory . defense . (19); . scoring . defense . (27); . net . punting . (28); . turnover . Joe .Galbraith .- .662-418-3970 margin .(26) .and .tackles .for .loss .(14) . MISSISSIPPI .STATE .RADIO .NETWORK .- .662-325-4171 BULLDOGS, TIGERS FAMILIAR OPENING-DAY FOES Don Williams. .- .662-312-2564 Since .the .first .season-opening .tilt .in .1953, .Memphis .(at .the . OFFENSE LOOKS TO CONTINUE IMPROVEMENT TELEVISION .CENTER .- .662-325-1332 Bennie .Ashford .- .662-418-2165 time . Memphis . State) . has . been . Mississippi . State’s . most . com- In .Coach .Mullen’s .first .season, .the .Bulldog .offense .improved . mon .opening .day .opponent . .This .will .be .the .16th .time .the .two . by .leaps .and .bounds .over .the .2008 .season . .In .2010, .the .offense . FTP Information schools .have .faced .each .other .to .kick .off .the .season . continued .to .make .strides, .improving .in .scoring .average, .yards . Located .on .XOS .Digital .Xchange The .Bulldogs .have .posted .a .13-2 .record .in .those .15 .previous . per . game, . passing . yards, . rushing . touchdowns, . passing . touch- Contact .Bennie .Ashford .in Television. .Center .for .login season .lidlifters, .including .victories .in .seven .straight . downs, .turnovers .and .third .down .conversions . In 2010. the. Bulldogs. set. new. school. records. for. points. scored,. 2011 Mississippi State Schedule STATE HAS BEEN SOLID IN SEASON OPENERS touchdowns .scored, .most .plays, .yards .gained, .total .first .downs, . Date Opponent W-L Score/Time Historically, . Mississippi . State . has . won . 78 . of . its . 111 . season . completion .percentage .and .touchdown .passes . Sept . 1 . at .Memphis .(Thurs .) . 7 .p .m . opening contests. (with. a. pair. of. ties,. a. .707 winning. percentage). Sept . 10 . * .at .Auburn . 11:21 .a .m . Dating back. to. 1991,. the. Bulldogs. have. posted. a. 13-4. mark. in. DOGS CONTINUE TO EXCEL IN GROUND GAME Sept. 15 * LSU (Thurs.) 7 p.m. season-openers .against .non-conference .competition . In . his . 25 . games . as . head . coach . at . Mississippi . State, . Dan . Sept. 24 Louisiana Tech TBA Mullen’s .team .has .eclipsed .the .100-yard .rushing .mark .in .all .but . Oct . 1 . * .at .Georgia . TBA DOGS AGAIN FACE ONE OF NATION’S TOP SCHEDULES one . contest . State . rushed . for . 100+ . in . each . game . last . season, . Oct . 8 . at .UAB . 11 .a .m . Last . season . Mississippi . State . played . five . teams . ranked . at . including . a . team-best . 409 . against . Houston . .The . Bulldogs . also . Oct. 15 * South Carolina TBA the .time .of .the .game .and .four .teams .that .finished .among .the . scored .at .least .one .rushing .touchdown .in .12 .contests .last .year, . Oct . 29 . * .at .Kentucky . TBA nation’s .top .12 . marking . 22 . times . in .25 . games . the .offense .has .scored .at .least . Nov. 5 UT-Martin (HC) TBA This .year, .State .faces .six .teams .ranked .in .the .preseason .polls, . one .touchdown .on .the .ground . Nov. 12 * Alabama TBA including .four .in .the .first .seven .weeks .of .the .season . After .finishing .the .2009 .campaign .with .the .school’s .first-ever . Nov . 19 . * .at .Arkansas .(L .R .) . TBA Southeastern Conference. rushing. title. and. ranking. ninth. nation. - Nov. 26 * Ole Miss TBA ally .in .rushing .yards .per .game .(227 .6), .the .Bulldogs .closed .the . * Denotes SEC Game 2010 .season .ranked .16th .nationally .and .second .in .the .SEC .with . a .214 .8 .ypg .average . Saturday 27 Sunday 28 Monday 29 Tuesday 30 Wednesday i31 Thursday 1 Friday 2 1 p.m. 12 noon 1 p.m. No .Media