2010 MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL NOTES Georgia (1-2, 0-2) at Mississippi State (1-2, 0-2) Saturday, September 25, 2010 • 6:00 p.m. • Fox Sports Net Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field (55,082) Primary Contact: Joe Galbraith • [email protected] • Office - 662.325.2703 • Cell - 662.418.3970 2010 • GAME 4 Secondary Contact: Jay Middleton • [email protected] • Office: - 662.325.0972 • Cell - 662.213.5555 MISSISSIPPI STATE RETURNS TO DAVIS WADE FOR ADJUSTMENTS PAY OFF FOR STATE OFFENSE MISSISSIPPI STATE SCHEDULE & RESULTS DATE WITH GEORGIA IN OPENING POSSESSIONS OF 2ND HALF Date Opponent W-L Score/Time Mississippi State returns to Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field Mississippi State’s offense has been impossible for opponents Sept. 4 MEMPHIS W 49-7 for its third home game in the first four weeks as it welcomes to stop in the first possession coming out of the lockerroom. In Sept. 9 * #20 AUBURN (Thurs.) L 14-17 Sept. 18 * at #12 LSU L 7-29 Georgia for a Southeastern Conference tilt. The game is slated their first three games, the Bulldogs received the second half Sept. 25 * GEORGIA 6 p.m. to kick off at 6 p.m. CT, and will be televised by Fox Sports. Bob kickoff and marched down the field for a score each time. Oct. 2 ALCORN STATE TBA Rathbun and Tim Couch will call the action. Dating back to last season, State has scored on its first touch Oct. 9 at Houston 7 p.m. of the second half in five consecutive games and seven of its Oct. 16 at Florida TBA SEC’S BULLDOGS MEET FOR ONLY THE 22ND TIME last eight. The only time the Bulldogs were held scoreless in Oct. 23 * UAB (HC) TBA Mississippi State and Georgia, two charter members of the that stretch resulted from a missed field goal to open the third Oct. 30 * KENTUCKY TBA Southeastern Conference, meet for just the 22nd time on the quarter against Alabama. Nov. 13 * at Alabama TBA gridiron. Of all the original schools in the SEC, the Bulldogs have Nov. 20 * ARKANSAS TBA only played Vanderbilt (also 21 games) as less often as Georgia. DIAZ, WILSON LEAD DEFENSE TO IMPRESSIVE START Nov. 27 * at Ole Miss TBA Defensive coordinator Manny Diaz and co-defensive coor- all times Central STATE LOOKS TO SNAP GEORGIA STREAK dinator Chris Wilson joined the coaching staff with hopes of The Magnolia State Bulldogs look to end a nine-game losing improving a defensive unit that finished 10th in the Southeastern The Series streak to their nickname counterparts, dating back to a 38-14 Conference in total defense a year ago. Overall Record . Georgia leads 16-5 MSU victory in Jackson in 1974. The Bulldogs haven’t played Through three games, the Bulldog defense ranks 27th nation- in Starkville . Georgia leads 4-1 each other since 2006 and only faced each other twice since ally in total defense, 33rd in scoring defense and 22nd in passing Last meeting: . Georgia 27-24, 10/21/2006, in Athens 1997. State has only played Georgia five times in Starkville, with defense. State ranks among the top half of the SEC in each of Last meeting in Starkville: . Georgia 23-10, 9/24/2005 MSU’s only victory coming in the first of those contests in 1951. those categories. Last 10 meetings: . Georgia leads 9-1 Current Series Win Streak: . Georgia 9 games MULLEN AIMING FOR ANOTHER YEAR 2 SUCCESS STORY DOG ‘D’ HAS UPS AND DOWNS IN BATON ROUGE Head coach Dan Mullen had coached two or more seasons at Last weekend against LSU, the Bulldog defense played val- Quick Facts - Mississippi State Record . 1-2, 0-2 SEC six schools prior to taking the top spot at Mississippi State, and iantly despite being put in tough situations. The defense held Ranking (AP/Coaches') . .NR / NR at nearly every stop along the way Year Two has seen marked LSU to only 264 yards of total offense, but the Tigers scored five Head Coach . .Dan Mullen improvement. Wagner College went 6-5 in 1994 and 8-2 in 1995; field goals and two touchdowns on their first seven possessions. Career Record . 6-9 / Second Season Notre Dame improved from 5-7 in 1999 to 9-3 in 2000; Bowling State’s defense allowed only 97 passing yards to the Tigers, MSU Record . same Green went 8-3 in 2001 and 9-3 in 2002; Utah jumped from 10-2 the lowest total since holding Vanderbilt to 61 through the air in 2003 to 12-0 in 2004; and Florida improved from 8-3 in 2005 in 2008. Quick Links to 13-1 and national champions in 2006. News DEFENSE LOOKS FOR MORE NEGATIVES Roster OFFENSE LOOKS TO GET BACK TO WEEK 1 RHYTHM The defense has worked on creating negative plays for the Team Stats En route to scoring 49 points in the season-opening victory opposition, and through the first three weeks have tallied six Individual Stats over Memphis, the Bulldog offense racked up 569 total yards, tackles for loss in each game. While the 6.0 TFL average is higher NCAA Stats the fifth-highest mark in school history. State’s two quarterbacks than last season’s 5.2 per-game rate, both Diaz’ and Wilson’s SEC Stats combined to complete 20-of-25 passes for 372 yards, which tied 2009 units averaged more than 7.5 tackles behind the line each Mississippi State Media Guide & Record Book for 8th most in a single game. State’s 49 points were the most game. in a season-opener since 1974, the most in any game since 2002 Broadcast Information and the most against a Division I-A opponent since 2000. WHITE TAKES OVER AT MLB, OFF TO FAST START Television . .Fox Sports Net Taking over for Jamar Chaney, now with the Philadelphia Announcers . .Bob Rathbun and Tim Couch DOGS CONTINUE TO EXCEL IN GROUND GAME Eagles, Chris White had big shoes to fill as he made the transi- Radio . Mississippi State Radio Network In his 15 games as head coach at Mississippi State, Dan tion from outside linebacker to the middle of the field. In his Announcers . Jack Cristil, Jim Ellis and John Correro Mullen’s team has eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark in all but first game at his new position, White posted six total tackles and XM Radio Network . Channel 200 Sirius Radio Network . Channel 219 one contest. State rushed for 192 yards against Memphis, 117 recorded 2.5 tackles for loss, a new career high, and the highest in Starkville . .107.9, WFCA yards against Auburn and 152 at LSU. The Bulldogs also scored at total of tackles behind the line for a Bulldog linebacker since least one rushing touchdown in each of the first three contests, Chaney reached the same number in 2006 against Kentucky. marking the 13th time in the last 15 games the offense has In Week 2, White posted 11 total tackles with another tack- Mississippi State Athletic Media Contacts scored at least one touchdown on the ground. le for loss. Entering Week 4, he’s among the top 10 in the MEDIA RELATIONS - 662-325-2703 Southeastern Conference in both total tackles and tackles Joe Galbraith - 662-418-3970 OFFENSE SPREADING BALL AROUND IN behind the line of scrimmage. MISSISSIPPI STATE RADIO NETWORK - 662-325-4171 BOTHUN R AND PASS GAME Don Williams - 662-312-2564 Through just three games, nine different offensive players WRIGHT HAS BIG DAY AGAINST LSU TELEVISION CENTER - 662-325-1332 have at least one rushing attempt and 11 different players have Senior linebacker K.J. Wright was all over the field on Bennie Ashford - 662-418-2165 at least one reception. Against Auburn, nine different receivers Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. Wright was credited with 12 caught at least one pass apiece. Last season only 13 Bulldog total tackles, one-half tackle for loss and a pass breakup. He had FTP INFORMATION players caught passes all season long. eight tackles in the first quarter alone, and he now leads the Located on XOS Digital Xchange team with 23 total stops on the season. Contact Bennie Ashford in Television Center for login Sunday 19 Monday 20 Tuesday 21 Wednesday i22 Thursday 23 Friday 24 Saturday 25 12:00 Noon 1 p.m. Afternoon 11:30 a.m. 7 p.m. No Media Availability 6:00 p.m. MSU Teleconference Press Conference Practice - Closed SEC Teleconference Coach Mullen Radio Show Kickoff vs. Georgia (Bryan Building) (Harvey’s) Afternoon Players available following 6:00 p.m. Postgame Practice - Closed Players available post-practice Coach Mullen and selected Afternoon players available following Practice - Closed game 2010 MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL NOTES • GAME 4 VS. GEORGIA FOUR BULLDOGS CALL GEORGIA HOME BULLDOG NAMES ABOUND ON PRESEASON WATCH LISTS STATISTICAL COMPARISON Four current members of the Mississippi State football team Through the summer, preseason watch lists for college Mississippi State vs. Georgia call the Peach State home. Redshirt freshman Sam Watts is from football awards were announced and Mississippi State players Conyers, walk-on tight end Allen Tolbert is from Duluth, tight were mentioned on quite a few. Senior defensive end Pernell Mississippi State Georgia end Brandon Henderson calls Fayetteville home and receiver/ McPhee was named to both the Bednarik and Lombardi lists, Overall Record . 1-2 . 1-2 returner Leon Berry hails from Griffin, Ga. while offensive lineman Derek Sherrod joined him on the Conference Record . 0-2 . 0-2 Lombardi watch list. Junior tight end Marcus Green was rec- Points Scored .