136 137 September 8, 2007 Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, La. ehind a strong second-half performance, Mississippi State posted a 38-17 road win over B home-standing Tulane in the Louisiana Superdome. After the Bulldogs (1-1) and Green Wave (0-1) battled to a 17-17 tie at the half, State shut out TU 21-0 in the second half to secure the triumph. Highlighting the night for MSU was sophomore running back Anthony Dixon, who rushed 27 times for 131 yards (both career highs) and two second-half touch - downs. Starting quarterback Michael Henig completed 20-of-31 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown, and scored his first career rushing touchdown. The Bulldogs jumped on top of the Green Wave early, with Gabe O'Neal intercepting Scott Elliot's second pass of the Highlighting the night game and returning it 47 yards for MSU was for the score. The Bulldog sophomore running defense also held highly touted running back Matt Forte in back Anthony Dixon, check, as he ended the night who rushed 27 times with just 47 yards on the for 131 yards (both ground. State went up 14-7 later in career highs) and two the first period on Henig's 18- second-half touch - yard touchdown run, but Tulane downs. returned the favor on its ensuing possession to knot the score at 14-14. Two field goals brought the game to the halftime deadlock. The Bulldog offense, however, came out firing in the second half. MSU drove the ball 67 yards, scoring when Henig completed an 8-yard pass to Jeremy Jones. The defense continued its strong play by holding Tulane's offense to negative yardage for the third quarter and by forcing a fumble that led to a 27-yard touchdown run by Dixon. Dixon continued to carry the load in the fourth quarter. He rushed the ball on all but one play on State's final scoring drive of the night, completing the charge with a 7-yard scoring run. The defense held Tulane to only 6 yards of offense in the second half and no first downs. Defensively, the Bulldogs were paced by Jamar Chaney's six tackles. In addition to his first career inter - ception, O'Neal also recovered a Green Wave fumble. Keith Fitzhugh notched five tackles and a sack for State on the evening. 138 September 15, 2007 Jordan-Hare Stadium • Auburn, Ala. n interception that led to a mid-fourth-quarter drive by Mississippi State proved to be the A difference in the Bulldogs' 19-14 upset win at Auburn. After Blake McAdams' 73-yard punt had pinned Auburn deep in its own territory, Demario Bobo's first career interception of a tipped Tiger pass at the AU 44-yard line would set up an MSU drive that was the only scoring play of the second half. State drove the 44 yards on 10 plays and finished it with a 5-yard Christian Ducre rush with 5:29 to go in regulation. The two-point conversion failed. Ducre had an 18-yard rush earlier on the drive on a third-and-12 draw play from the Auburn 25. On its last possession of the game, Auburn starting quarterback Brandon Cox returned to the field after being benched early on in favor of backup Kodi Burns. Cox quickly moved Auburn down the field 67 yards on 12 plays - to the Bulldog 9 - before State's defense stood strong, finally watching a last-minute, fourth down attempt fall incomplete in the end zone. Highlighting the day statistically for MSU was running back Anthony Dixon, who posted his fourth career 100-yard game, rambling for 103 yards on 29 carries. Dominic Douglas led the MSU defensive effort with nine tackles. State opened the game An interception that strong, building a 13-0 lead. MSU took the opening led to a mid-fourth- drive and went 58 yards on 12 quarter drive by plays before being halted by Mississippi State the AU defense. Adam Carlson was then true on a proved to be the 32-yard field goal. Bulldog difference in the starting quarterback Michael Bulldogs' 19-14 upset Henig suffered a broken bone in his throwing hand on the win at Auburn. drive and never returned. Reserves Wesley Carroll and Josh Riddell would split time under center for State the remainder of the afternoon. On the second play of the ensuing Tiger possession, Bulldog Derek Pegues intercepted a tipped Cox pass and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown. Carlson's extra point made the State lead 10-0 just 6:24 into the contest. The Bulldogs added to their lead early in the second period with a Carlson 30- yarder, the result of an AU fumble forced by an 11- yard sack from State's De'Mon Glanton. 139 September 22, 2007 Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field Starkville, Miss. ississippi State won its third straight football game, downing non-conference M visitor Gardner-Webb 31-15 at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. State (3-1) amassed 379 yards of total offense in the game, led by another solid rushing effort from running back Anthony Dixon. Dixon tallied 86 yards on 16 carries while scoring two of the Bulldogs’ early touchdowns in the affair. MSU scored on its opening possession, completing a 68-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown run by Dixon. On Gardner Webb’s opening drive, De’Mon The Bulldog defense Glanton intercepted Devin Campbell’s pass and held the Running returned it 60 yards for a Bulldogs’ option touchdown and a 14-0 Bulldog advantage. offense to only 64 Glanton’s return marked yards in the first half, the third consecutive week a Bulldog player had and permitted just returned an interception for a touchdown on the one touchdown on opponents’ opening drive. the night. About halfway through the second quarter, Josh Riddell came into the game for starting quarterback Wesley Carroll (both splitting time in place of the injured Michael Henig) and drove the Bulldogs down the field for another Dixon touchdown run, this one for 12 yards. On the next drive for State, Riddell threw his first career touchdown pass, hitting Tony Burks for a 30- yarder to give the Bulldogs a 28-0 lead at the intermission. In addition to Dixon’s night, backup Christian Ducre’ ran for 52 of his own. Riddell ended the night 8-for-11 through the air with 124 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The Bulldog defense held the Running Bulldogs’ option offense to only 64 yards in the first half, and permitted just one touchdown on the night. Gabe O’Neal led the way for the Bulldogs with 10 tackles. Titus Brown added two sacks and moved into eighth place on the school’s career sack list. 140 October 6, 2007 registering a career-best 152 yards and three touchdowns Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field on 32 carries. It was his fifth career 100-yard contest, the Starkville, Miss. third of 2007. On a second-quarter Blazer ississippi State (4-2) scored three fourth- The Bulldogs would drive, Bulldog Kyle Love quarter touchdowns, including two in a late blocked a field goal attempt M 15-second span, to hold off a pesky UAB team then shut down UAB's that led to a 39-yard three- (1-4) for a 30-13 victory at Davis Wade pointer from MSU's Adam Stadium at Scott Field. offense the remainder Carlson to tie the game with State erased a third-quarter deficit with an impressive of the day, while 10:01 to go in the first half. 11-play, 80-yard drive early in the fourth period that Mississippi State scored on lasted seven minutes. The possession ended in a 10-yard producing two more the opening drive of the second Anthony Dixon touchdown run to put State up 16-13. scores of their own. half, a 1-yard, fourth-down The Bulldogs would then shut down UAB's offense the touchdown run from Dixon. remainder of the day, while producing two more scores of The drive, which went 75 yards, their own. After forcing a punt, State drove 60 yards for was the longest of the season for MSU. another score, capped by a 12-yard Dixon run. On the Wesley Carroll ended his first career start for MSU 9- Blazers' next drive, State's Anthony Johnson picked off for-12 for 93 yards. With his three rushing touchdowns, Sam Hunt's pass on the first play and returned it 30 yards Dixon had nine TDs on the season and 18 for his career. for a score. That moved him into 10th place on the all-time list, tied Dixon led MSU's offensive performance on the day, with Dennis Johnson. 141 October 27, 2007 Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, Ky. ississippi State converted two critical Kentucky turnovers into 10 points and boosted the M Bulldogs upset of the 14th-ranked Wildcats, 31-14. With State leading 14-7 at halftime, UK (6-3, 2-3) fumbled the second-half kickoff and Bulldog Keith Fitzhugh fell on the ball at the Wildcat 32. Seven plays later, place-kicker Adam Carlson hit a 31-yard field goal to give MSU a 17-7 lead early in the third period. On UK's next possession, the Bulldogs forced a punt, but Wildcat kicker Tim Masthay was dropped for a loss. State took over at the UK 26. Wesley Carroll found Jason Husband to convert a third-and-11; and two Anthony Dixon rushes later, State was in the end zone and led 24- 7 with 8:16 to go in the third quarter.