Mississippi Scoreboard--Debut Issue

LETTER FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR

Rori E. Herbison

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

Hays Collins

It has always been there for me – a constant companion, a loyal friend.

It has been a part of me for as long as there has been a me. It helped define me growing up – “You know Rori. She’s the jock that plays three sports.” It helped define me in college – “You know Rori. She’s that sports

writer girl.” It helped define me again when I first moved down South – “You know, Rori. She’s the girl from New York working in the athletic department.”

Sports have always been there and more than that, the language of sports has always been there for me, helping break down cultural

walls and cutting the tension of awkward silences. As a sophomore in college, I played basketball with four girls from Haiti. We had a hard time understanding one another in the locker room and in the classroom, but on the hardwood, we worked in unison and spoke each other’s language fluently – the language of sport, the idiom of basketball. I communicated with ease where I would be in the zone trap, and, just as easily, they communicated where they would be on a pick and roll.

It was the same way with family and friends. When the world got too loud or too frantic, there was always the easy comfort with which four simple words – “How ‘bout them Yankees?” – could start a hearty, loud, even more boisterous debate between the Yankee loyalists and Red Sox enthusiasts.

And, it’s universal. The same way a Yankee fan viscerally dislikes a Red Sox fan is the same way an Ole Miss faithful approaches a Mississippi State fan.

This universal language of sports is the foundation of this publication. We can all talk and appreciate the language of MISSISSIPPI SCOREBOARD. It is sports. It is athletic

competition. It’s raw and it’s genuine.And, I am so proud – as a former athlete,

current journalist and sports enthusiast and surely future soccer mom, to be associated with this new and exciting publication.

Welcome to MISSISSIPPI SCOREBOARD.Let me hear about the stories that make

you talk. Email me at [email protected] or call me at (662) 721.2210.

Many Thanks!

Rori Eddie Herbison is a published sports journalist in regional

publications across the Eastern and Southern markets,

including Prep Illustrated, The Commercial Appeal and The

Cornwall Local. She has served as the director of University

Relations at Delta State University, Director of Athletic

Media Relations at Christian Brothers University, Managing

Editor for Delta Medical Digest, Memphis Tiger Times and

Section Editor for Go Green Magazine. In 2009, she opened

her own company (n9ne designs) and has published two

issues of Delta Traveler: The Magazine in cooperation with

WXVT-TV, in addition to working with various non-profit and

arts education clients across the state. She is married to

Butch Herbison and the couple resides in Cleveland with their

daughter, Rae Harlee.

Fa·nat·ic - A person marked or motivated by an extreme, unreasoning enthusiasm, for a cause.

When you think about what it means to be a sports fan, we rarely think about the true meaning of a fanatic. But when you really

think about it, it’s fitting.How else could the actions of a sports

fan be described? What better, more fitting words than “extreme” or “unreasonable?”

Whether you merely attend the occasional game and watch at home or you’re so die

hard you go watch Mississippi State in New Jersey at the Final Four, Ole Miss in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl or Southern Miss in Omaha at the World Series; we spend lots of time, money and effort to get there – all for the great unknown. There could be an epic battle that leaves your team victorious ending in jubilant celebration, or a heart-breaking defeat that leaves you sick to your stomach wondering why you even bother. But, yet, we keep showing up, rooting our team no matter what happens, passing it down from generation to generation.

This is why we do this magazine. This is why we are so proud to introduce MISSISSIPPI SCOREBOARD to your life as a sporting fan, to add a little insight to that fandom. We want to help you get to know the people behind the madness, hear the stories that you typically would not hear and tell you about the high school athletes that you will be rooting for in the future. We want to fuel your conversations, as well as hear the stories you have to tell.

If you know a story worth telling, let us know about it. If you have something to say

about what we are talking about, tell us. This is a magazine is for you the fan, so help

us make it exciting for everyone – all the fans.

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of faith who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself so that you will not grow heavy and lose heart.”

Hebrews 12 1-3

Hays Collins is an experienced sports and wildlife

photographer, having been published in Sports Illustrated,

The Wall Street Journal, Mississippi Magazine and The Clarion

Ledger. He is a commissioned photographer for Southcreek

Global Media and has shot numerous Southeastern

Conference games, as well as PGA events and NASCAR races.

His company – Second Dimension Photography – specializes

in wildlife and nature photography. A graduate of Delta State

University, Hays is married to the former Brooke Rutledge of

Memphis, TN. The couple has one daughter, Olivia.

Rori with her husband, Butch and

daughter, Rae Harlee

Hays with his wife, Brooke and daughter, Olivia

01 MISSISSIPPI SCOREBOARD

COVER | Collegiate quarterbacks Micah Davis

(Delta State University), Chris Relf (Mississippi

State University), Jeremiah Masoli (University of

Mississippi) and Austin Davis (University of Southern

Mississippi) line up each week under center hoping

to lead their respective squads to victory.


04 JUNIOR COLLEGE SPOTLIGHTHinds Community College RB Matthew Willis patiently

overcame adversity to return to the game of football. He

now leads the country in rushing, proving patience does

pay off.

BY BRIAN EMORY

07 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-ATHLETEJackson Prep’s Laura Lee Smith has earned a full scholarship

to the University of Alabama with high marks in both the

classroom and on the field.

BY CHRISTI B. STECKEL

10 10 ON 10MISSISSIPPI SCOREBOARD visits with former Delta State

quarterback Josh Bright a decade after the program won

its first ever football national championship.

12 THE ANATOMY OF A QUARTERBACKHe’s the go-to-guy on the field. The leader. The decision

maker. But what does it take to play quarterback at the

collegiate level? MISSISSIPPI SCOREBOARD examines

this question in its cover story.

BY CHRISTIAN STECKEL

17 RICKY’S RENDERINGSFamed Mississippi cartoonist, Ricky Nobile, offers his

perspective on the collegiate ranks in the Magnolia State

through his iconic renderings.

BY RICKY NOBILE

20 MASTER MOTIVATORMississippi State Head Coach Dan Mullen has motivated

a Bulldog nation and now has his team on the precipice of

a Bowl appearance.

BY BRYAN DAVIS

28 UNDER THE HELMETSouth Panola High School has, year in and year out, been in

contention to win it all. Is 2010 any different?

BY MYRA BEAN

MISSISSIPPI SCOREBOARD is designed by Jon Yablonski,

under the direction of (N9NE DESIGNS). The magazine will

publish quarterly. For more information, please visit the

website at www.msscoreboard.com or call (601) 953.9774.

TRICK OR TREAT | Delta State running back Trevar Deed

laterals to teammate Carlton Ollie, as the Statesmen use

some trickery to march through the regular season with

an 8-3 finish and a piece of the Gulf South Conference

championship title. Ranked No. 2 in the region, DSU will

face the winner of Valdosta State/North Alabama game

in the second round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs,

Saturday, Nov. 27 in Cleveland.

(PHOTO BY DENNIS RESTER)

MISSISSIPPI

ISSUE 01 | FALL 2010


PATIENCE PAYS OFF—Hinds Community College RB Matthew Willis fights adversity to become nation’s leading rusher

BY BRIAN EMORY

Patience.Matthew Willis understands what it means to have patience.

A 2006 state champion running back at Puckett High School in rural Rankin County, Willis waited patiently behind his offensive line before making one of his signature hard and sudden cuts into the turf – cuts so hard it would leave the crowd, not to mention college recruiters, breathless.

Growing up, he waited patiently at his grandmother’s dinner table behind his five other siblings. And, there was always enough of Liz Willis’ soul food to go around. Matthew credits her “training table” for helping him bulk up from a scrawny, but country-strong 165 pound high school sophomore to a solid 185 pound senior all-purpose player and state powerlifting champion.

“She made huge meals every time, for all of us – soul food, every time,” said Willis. “My grandma made sure there was enough for the whole family.”

Over the next three years Willis would again have his patience tested. This time, like never before.

Willis was recruited out of high school by several schools but chose to enroll in summer school at Delta State University and play football for the perennial Division II contenders. By the end of the summer, though, Willis was homesick and decided to withdraw, choosing to enroll at Hinds Community College, instead.

J. Mike Smith, then head coach in Raymond welcomed Willis to the fold, but made it clear that the Eagles were stocked at running back and he would have to play special teams and fight for playing time in the backfield. Again, Willis thought he would have to be patient and wait his turn to play. However, it was no surprise to his supporters that by the third game, Willis was the starting tailback.

“To be honest, I felt like I could have started right away, but I was OK with waiting my turn,” said Willis. “I just told myself that I was going to play hard and run hard and let it work its way out.”

After his first college start, Willis went from the high of highs to a low of lows. Delta State informed HCC that Willis did not properly withdraw from the Cleveland institution,

technically leaving Willis ineligible to play collegiate football in 2008. The Eagles had to vacate two wins because of this unfortunate situation. Willis was crushed when he found out he cost his team two wins and he couldn’t play football again until the spring of 2009.

Disappointment continued to follow Willis between the hash marks. In just the second practice of spring football season, he was caught in a pile-up and his foot was hurt so badly he would need immediate surgery to reattach nerves and ligaments to his foot. His 2009 season was over before it even began.

“I knew it was bad right away when I felt a ‘pop’ in my foot,” said Willis. “I could not

believe I got hurt so quick after having to sit out the (20)08 season. I was really doubting if I would be able to ever play again.”

His mental toughness, fortified by his grandfather working him hard in his teens on a farm in Collins, is the only thing that kept him on track to graduate. He worked diligently through a physically and mentally grueling

Matthew Willis

(PHOTO BY ROBERT SMITH)

ABOVELEAPS & BOUNDS | Eagles RB Matthew Willis has jumped

the competition to become one the nation’s top rushers, pacing the Hinds Community College offensive efforts with

over 1,000 yards rushing.

JUNIOR COLLEGESPOTLIGHT


“To be honest, I felt like I could have started right away, but I was OK with waiting my turn. I just told myself that I was going to play hard and run hard and let it work its way out.”

rehabilitation; stayed focused in his studies all while going to class on crutches; and continued to support his Eagles teammates from the sidelines on Thursday nights.

“I love football,” said Willis. “I love playing football. It was hard to watch my boys playing on Thursday nights and me not getting to play. It helped me stay motivated to come back even stronger for the 2010 season.”

Willis would not give up and refused to give in to the challenges and adversity. In fact, he did the opposite. He fought back through the hardship of the previous years, and instead stood primed to have a break-out season this year.

He had just three rushing attempts in the spring game and less in the fall’s final scrimmage because Eagles head coach Gene Murphy and his staff had seen enough to know their 5-8, 215 pound workhorse was

ready to go.Willis, himself, could barely contain his

enthusiasm to be competing again, and was often kept out of full contact drills because he was known to injure his teammates. He didn’t do it on purpose, but he was conditioned to play this game one way, and one way only – tough.

“I heard (head) Coach (Gene) Murphy tell Coach (Ben) Dew (who also coached Matthew at Puckett HS) ‘OK, that’s enough from Willis, he’s ready to play, get him out of there’,” said Willis. “I only ran the ball a few times!”

In his defense, it had been nearly 700 days since Willis played in a competitive game. He was so excited to get back on the field and it showed in the Eagle’s season-opener. Willis unleashed all his frustration on the Itawamba Indians, rushing for 207 yards and scoring four touchdowns in a 52-

31 win in Fulton.“Me and my dad were talking after

the game and we both couldn’t believe I just scored four touchdowns in a college football game,” said the always humble Willis.

He also showed he still had his patented cutting ability on a first-half touchdown run, juking two defenders that thought they were going to get a clear shot at the surprising illusive running back.

Three games into the season Willis was the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) leading rusher. He would finish the 2010 season 1,035-yards (ranking third nationally) and 13 touchdowns (also third nationally. He was the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) leader in rushing yards and touchdowns as well.

Talk about patience paying off.Talk about patience paying off.

Matthew Willis


RIGHTMUSCLE MAN | Willis has powered his way through adversity and challenges with a strong, blue-collar

work ethic honed by his grandfather, who made the Eagles star work summers on a farm in Collins.

“I knew it was bad right away when I felt a ‘pop’ in my foot. I could not believe I got hurt so quick after having to sit out the (20)08 season. I was really doubting if I would be able to ever play again.”

—Jackson Prep’s Laura Lee Smith earns high marks on and off the field

BY CHRISTI B. STECKEL

In one word, Laura Lee Smith is competitive.On the field, she plays soccer, track and

basketball. She has been named Mississippi’s Gatorade Player of the Year for her soccer talent and she has accepted an offer to play soccer for the University of Alabama.

Off the field, she excels in academics. She has been named a National Merit Semi-Finalist and plans to major in pre-med. But this Jackson Prep senior says it’s simple, she just loves to play. “I tell people, ‘Give me a scoreboard and a ball,’ and I’ll be happy.”

Beginning at the age of nine, Smith began playing soccer with the Jackson Football League. She spent a lot of quality time with her parents driving to games across the south developing a competitive spirit and determined work ethic. Now in her ninth year of play, she drives herself to games from Birmingham to Baton Rouge to play with her

club Birmingham United Soccer Association 93 Elite team.

Recently, she made a pit stop along Interstate 20 at Tuscaloosa to explore the University of Alabama campus. After receiving offers from both Alabama and Vanderbilt University, Smith decided the Crimson Tide was for her, adding, “It’s got a really good combination of academics and the athletic program is so strong. The facilities are really nice. They have great people and every time I went over there, I loved it.”

Back on her home turf, Smith is helping to lead a young team to a championship season. The Jackson Prep soccer coach, Jon Marcus Duncan shares that Smith is every coach’s dream, “Laura Lee’s contribution to this team are immeasurable. Not only is she a leader by the way she plays, but she is also a very vocal leader. She is able to play any position

on the field and excel at every one of them. The younger girls really admire her.”

Smith’s play on the field is not only respected by her peers, but often resented by her competitors. During a recent game, Smith found herself facing an opponent who had written “Laura Lee” on her knuckles as a message to the power forward that she wasn’t backing down. Smith found it to be an honor and used it to motivate herself to improve her level of play, taking the ball to score one of her 25 goals on the season.

“A coach once told me if you don’t have the ball at your feet, you should be asking how I can contribute to the play at this moment. If I don’t have the ball, then I try to get open for

my teammates or make a run for the ball. If the ball is so far away that I’m not connected to the play, then I’ll direct and communicate to other players,” she explains.

That kind of determination and insight are what make Laura Lee Smith a stand out. She has a dynamic combination of competitiveness and intelligence, but her greatest skill is her love for the game.

Jackson Prep Senior Laura Lee Smith

(PHOTO BY HAYS COLLINS)

ABOVETOP OF THE HEAP | Jackson Prep’s senior stand out Laura Lee Smith has earned high marks on and off the field, but

her philosophy is really quite simple, “Give me a scoreboard and a ball, and I am happy.”

HIGH SCHOOLSTUDENT-ATHLETE

SPOTLIGHT


ALL SMILES—Senior RB Trevar Deed happy to make history, happier to make playoffs

BY RORI EDDIE HERBISON

“Momma, I look good, don’t I?” a then, 14-year-

old Trevar Deed rhetorically questioned to

his mother.

“Baby, you look good when you smile,” Francine

Valdez answered, matter-of-factly and straightly.

An innocent enough conversation, but it was one

that has stayed with Deed some 10 years later.

“I have just always remembered that. I don’t

know if it’s because I was playing and she was

so serious, or if I just thought she’d agree with

me – I don’t know. But I’ve never forgotten that,”

he laughs, trying with 10 men’s might to keep

that still boyish smile from erupting across his

face – now self-conscious. (PHOTO BY HAYS COLLINS)


“I smile all the time, I know that. But, if I smile, then I think other people will smile. And, I want to make people happy,” he adds, vulnerable in his simplistic logic.

And, he’s made plenty of Statesmen faithful happy this season, as the senior running back has helped pace Delta State to an 8-3 regular season record and its fifth league title in school history behind a 6-2 Gulf South Conference mark.

En route to the Statesmen’s first playoff berth since 2008 and a current No. 19 ranking in most recent national polls, Deed, a two-time All-American, comes into Delta State’s postseason as just the seventh Statesman in school history to rush for over 2,000 career yards. His 52 yards rushing against Harding vaulted him to 2,009 career yards. In the four games since, including a 103 yard effort versus North Alabama and a 53 yard, three touchdown performance at Ouachita Baptist and a 136 yard effort on 16 rushes against Lambuth, Deed has pushed the numbers to 2,371 yards, which ranks sixth all-time in school history.

Deed is just the seventh Statesman in school history to top 2,000 yards and the first since Josh Bright (2,336) and school-rushing leader Rico McDonald (3,285) accomplished the feat during the 2001 season.

Already the school’s career leader in all-purpose yardage and Delta State’s first 4,000 yard back, the 2009 CellularSouth Conerly Award Finalist is also the only player in Statesmen annals to rush for at least 1,750 yards and to grab at least 1,750 yards in receptions.

Despite his record-breaking numbers,

Deed remains more critical of his own performance. “I’d grade myself a D/F. I am failing,” he assesses, markedly serious and tense in his movements and words. “I’m hard on myself, I know. I’m my biggest critic. I put myself down, but I seriously believe I should be dominating this game – literally. And, I’m not. I just need to let the game come to me.”

And that’s exactly what he did three years ago. He let the “game” come to him. After

a disappointing injury sidelined his early collegiate career at Eastern Arizona Junior College, Deed hadn’t taken a snap of football since spring 2007.

It wasn’t until with the Tempe Rams, of the Arizona Football League, an amateur adult league, he says he “saw the light” and even considered a return to the collegiate ranks.

“My head coach with the Rams, George Hawthorne – he preached the value of education. I listened but I never got it, and then, literally, the morning of our championship game, I woke up and got it. I called Coach and said, ‘I want to go back to school.’ Coach laughed and said, ‘That’s great,

Trevar. Can we win today’s game and then get you back in the classroom?’”

Ten highlight films soon went out to the best in the best of Division II, including the likes of North Alabama, Valdosta State, Grand Valley State University and Delta State University. Delta State liked what it saw and a phone call was made. Deed, who doesn’t forget much, recalls that initial conversation fondly.

“Mr. Deed, this Ryan Barker. I am a graduate assistant at Delta State University in Cleveland…”

“Cleveland, Ohio?” Deed aksed.“No. No sir,” responded the deep, husky

and distinctly Cajun voice on the other end. “Cleveland, Mississippi.”

“How much are you offering?” Deed inquired.“Mr. Deed, I will call you right back.”Shortly after, the phone rang again. “Mr.

Deed, we would like to offer you a full ride to Delta State. I’d like to talk to you about our campus, our program – maybe we can get you up here…”

“I will stop you right there, Mr. Barker. You can fax the paper work over now. I’m coming.”

It took all of ten minutes, but as Deed saw it, “I didn’t care where it was. They were giving me a chance. The way I figure it, I’m going to live until I’m 90 – what does four years mean in the grand scheme. Like I said, what I cared about was they were showing faith in me. They were giving me a full shot at this. I respected that and wanted to show how much I appreciated their loyalty,” the now third-year letterman explains.

That loyalty has since been reciprocated, as Deed has developed in the most visible and proven leader on the 2010 squad, and also remains the hardest worker in the weight room, on the practice field and in the game.

“He doesn’t take a play off,” current Delta State quarterback, Micah Davis, attests. “He’s here every day – pushing, working hard to make himself better, this team better. He’s driven to be the best, to make this team the best.”

The best, though, is yet to come, predicts Deed. “We are in this for a national championship, nothing short. That’s our goal.”

And even, Trevar Deed concedes, that would be an A+.

“Yeah, that would be a good grade,” he smiles.

ABOVEAHEAD OF THE PACK | Trevar Deed has pulled away from the competition all season long to help pace Delta State to a playoff berth – its first since 2008.

Statesmen senior RB Trevar Deed


BIO


“He (Trevar) doesn’t take a play off. He’s here every day – pushing, working hard to make himself better, this team better. He’s driven to be the best, to make this team the best.”

— Micah Davis, Delta State QB

TREVAR DEED 2010REGULAR SEASON STATISTICS

RUSHING

GP 11

ATT 258

GAIN 884

LOSS 52

NET 832

AVG 5.3

TD 9

LONG 69

AVG/G 75.6

RECEIVING

GP 11

NO 31

YARDS 266

AVG 8.6

TD 2

LONG 31

AVG/G 24.2

SCORING

TD 11

FGs 0-0

KICK 0-0

RCV 0

PASS 0-0

DXP 0

SAF 0

POINTS 66

ALL PURPOSE

GP 11

RUSH 832

RCV 266

PR 0

KR 0

IR 0

TOTAL 1098

AVG/G 99.8

NO GOOD DEED GOES UNDONEDeed grabbed six passes in the 31-7 loss to North Alabama

to move into second place all-time on the DSU reception’s

chart with 168. He added four receptions at Ouachita

Baptist to push the total to 172, and another four in the

last regular season game to finish with 176 career catches,

heading into the playoffs. Deed moved passed former All-

Americans Ellis Debrow (166) and Kyle Finney (163). Former

Statesman great Robert Davis (2003-06) holds the school

record with 245 career receptions.

A HISTORIC DEEDIn 32 games for the Statesmen, Deed has amassed more

yards than any other player in school history with 4,820. En

route to that total, he has become the only player at Delta

State and just the second in GSC history to rush for at least

2,000 yards and grab at least 1,750 yards in receptions.

The two-time All-American and 2009 CellularSouth Conerly

Award Finalist eclipsed the previous mark of 3,978 yards

held by former Statesman Rico McDonald (1998-2001) in

just 30 games. In his career, Deed has accounted for 39

career touchdowns, rushed for 2,371 yards, while hauling

in 176 receptions for 1,950 yards.

Born July 15, 1986

Phoenix, Arizona

Son of Leroy Deed and Francine Valdez

Health, Physical Education

& Recreation Major

— Changed from jersey No. 25 to jersey No. 1 at the start

of the 2009 season to honor the memory of former

teammate, Monterio James.

— Calls baseball his No. 1 sport. “I dominated in baseball.”

— His father, Leroy Deed, is his best friend. “That’s my

road dog.”

— Prays before each game and wears his rosary beads

and Jesus pendant everywhere except the playing field.

“God is my homie. He gets me and I appreciate him.”

— Has two pit bull terriers, Apollo & Mammas, he calls

“his children.”

— His life’s motto, “I would rather be hated for who I am

than loved for who I am not.”

— Loves to hunt and fish.

10 ON 10—10 Questions on Page Number 10Remembering a Championship a Decade Later

SB: It has been ten years since you won

the National Championship. Can you believe it

has been a decade since that awesome day in

December?

JB: No, I really can’t. My wife and I were just discussing that game and that’s when we realized it has been ten years, that this would be the anniversary. It’s amazing to me that time has passed that quickly and it’s almost hard to believe.

SB: How often do you still think about it?

JB: Wow, a good bit. Not every day, but I do think about the guys and how special a time that was; and all we were able to accomplish and do as a team. It was such a fun time of my life, and of course, every year football season gets closer, I think about it more. I definitely miss it more (then).

SB: As you’ve grown and had more and more

time to reflect, does the championship get

sweeter?

JB: It does, for sure. It’s a memory I will have forever and the further and further

away I get from the actual football playing, it gets sweeter. You know, when I was playing, I think I was very critical of myself and my performance. I realize, now, just how great that year was. I definitely enjoy it more now.

SB: What will it be like to be back on campus

to commemorate the national title?

JB: I’m grateful the Athletic Department has organized this commemoration. I’m looking forward to seeing all the guys and reminiscing. I’m excited to see all my old teammates and meet their families. Those guys will always be like family, so it’ll be nice.

SB: Tell us what you have been doing since

graduating in 2002?

JB: I graduated with a degree in Environmental Sciences and I have been working as a biologist for the Corp of Engineers in Memphis. I live in Batesville with my wife, Sandra Lynn – whom I met at Delta State – and we have two children, Anson and Sadie.

SB: After your record-breaking career with

the Statesmen, you had opportunities to further

your football playing career. What came of

those?

JB: I was picked up by the Baltimore Ravens as free agent in 2002. I went through camps and was released after the third preseason game. It was a fun time and I’m still appreciative of the experience. I was presented other opportunities after that with different Canadian leagues, indoor stuff, but at that time, I was ready to turn to the page on my football playing days. It was time.

SB: Let’s flashback to that magical 2000

season. When did you realize you had a shot at

that thing?

JB: I think it all started to fall into place after that road game versus Valdosta State (during the regular season). Anytime, you can beat Valdosta State, it’s a good day; but when we did it up there – at their place – that’s when it started to happen. There was a feeling anything could happen after that, a confidence.

SB: What is your most memorable play of

that season?

JB: Wow, there are a lot to choose from, but as time passes, I still point to that (74-yard) touchdown pass to Jason Franklin in the North Dakota State (NCAA DII Playoffs, Semifinals, Dec. 2). I had had a terrible practice the Thursday before that game – I mean terrible, like worst I’ve ever had. I was overthrowing, missing folks. It was bad. So I went into that game on edge. And, that was the play that really proved to me we were clicking. It was just perfect.

SB: How often do folks associate you with

the National Championship?

JB: It is amazing and pretty awesome. I still have folks say they remember seeing me on TV or they were at the game. It’s just nice people remember and want to reminisce, or even that it may mean as much to them as it still does to me.

SB: Do you wear your ring?

JB: You know, I don’t. I’ve maybe worn it twice, but I surely do treasure it.

It has been 10 years since Statesmen faithful gleefully watched the 2000 Delta State football team hoist the national championship trophy. With its historic 63-34 victory over Bloomsburg University on Dec. 9, the Statesmen captured the first-ever title for the program. Leading the Green and White offensive attack that year was then junior quarterback Josh Bright (JB). For his epic efforts that included 2,923 yards of total offense behind 21 rushing touchdowns and another 14 scores through the air, the Batesville native earned the Charles Conerly trophy. Recently, MISSISSIPPI SCOREBOARD (SB) caught up with the former signal caller.

Former Delta State Quarterback Josh Bright

(PHOTO COURTESY OF DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY

ARCHIVES & MUSEUM, RG21_DF_F0001)

ABOVEBRIGHT DAYS | Batesville native Josh Bright had never heard

of Delta State University prior to being recruited his senior year at South Panola High School, despite the university’s

less than 75-mile proximity to his hometown. Today, Bright is still remembered as one of the best to ever wear the Green

and White, having led the Statesmen to an improbable NCAA Division II National Championship in 2000.


STATESMEN SNAG PLAYOFF SPOT

Delta State WR L.J. Castile


LEFTHEAD & SHOULDERS ABOVE THE REST | Senior wide receiver L.J. Castile has led the Statesmen receiving corps all season, hauling in 51 passes for 733 yards and nine touchdowns. He will be counted on during Delta State’s playoff run.


RECORD

ALL GAMES

CONFERENCE

NON CONF.

OVERALL

(8 - 3)

(6 - 2)

(2 - 1)

HOME

(3 - 2)

(2 - 2)

(1 - 0)

AWAY

(5 - 1)

(4 - 0)

(1 - 1)

NEUTRAL

(0 - 0)

(0 - 0)

(0 - 0)

DATE

SEP 04, 2010

SEP 09, 2010

SEP 18, 2010

SEP 25, 2010

SEP 30, 2010

OCT 07, 2010

OCT 16, 2010

OCT 23, 2010

OCT 28, 2010

NOV 05, 2010

NOV 13, 2010

OPPONENT

AT JACKSON STATE

ARKANSAS TECH

AT VALDOSTA STATE

HENDERSON STATE

WEST ALABAMA

AT ARK-MONTICELLO

HARDING

AT WEST GEORGIA

NORTH ALABAMA

AT OUACHITA BAPTIST

AT LAMBUTH

W/L

L

W

W

W

W

W

L

W

L

W

W

SCORE

17 - 32

27 - 25

27 -23

41 - 37

41 - 37

34 - 20

35 - 38

54 - 34

7 - 31

33 - 27

41 - 17

EARLY CHRISTMAS PRESENTThe Statesmen received an early Christmas present at the end of the 2010

campaign, as West Alabama upset No. 7 Valdosta State, 24-21, to give the

Statesmen a share of its fifth Gulf South Conference title and third under head

coach Ron Roberts’ tutelage.

The Delta State head man guided the Statesmen to back-to-back GSC crowns

in 2007 and 2008.

“It’s a great feeling to get a piece of this thing,” he said. “We play in one of

the toughest leagues in the country and to say you’re a champion is a huge

accomplishment in the GSC.”

LOOKING TO REPEAT HISTORYDelta State is 9-4 all-time in its five previous playoff berths, including a magical

run to the 2000 NCAA DII National Championship with a 63-34 victory over

Bloomsburg in the title game at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala. DSU

advanced to the semifinals in 2006 under then-head coach Rick Rhoades with

a second round finish in 2007 and a quarterfinals climax in 2008.

FIRST-ROUND BYEDelta State will receive a first-round bye in the NCAA Division II Super Regional

Playoffs, and will host the winner of the North Alabama/Valdosta State game in

Cleveland, Saturday, Nov. 27 at noon.

“We are pleased with where we are at. We are pleased with our No. 2 ranking, but

more than that, I’m proud of these kids,” Roberts said. “We are looking to get on a

hot streak and walk away with a national championship. Playoff football is all about

hot streaks and who is playing the best football at the right time.

“We’ve got to continue to believe,” he continued. “Our team has had unbelievable

focus all year, and we’ve got to keep that work ethic up.”

“This is a new birth, a new season. We all start 0-0 and we know what our goal is.”

DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY (8-3, 6-2 GSC)

The Delta State University football team earned its first playoff spot since 2008

behind a No. 2 regional bid and a No. 19 national ranking. The Statesmen finished

the regular season 8-3 overall and 6-2 in Gulf South Conference play.

BY CHRISTIAN STECKEL

COVERSTORY


They’re the most visible player on the team. Everyone wants their time and

attention; every move they make is under the microscope. They are expected to

be the leader – to motivate and set the tone for the entire team. Not only do they

touch and possess the ball on every play from scrimmage, but it’s also their job

to read the opponent’s defense before the snap and make the correct checks at

the line of scrimmage to ensure success. Furthermore, it’s not enough to know

where they’re supposed to go with the football, it’s their job to master exactly

what the other ten men on the team are required to execute in a playbook that

can be as daunting as an IRS file.

LEADER OF THE PACK

Austin Davis is a natural leader and well

respected by players and coaches.


REBEL WITH A CAUSE

Jeremiah Masoli has been determined to

make his senior season count.


RELF RUNS THE OFFENSE

Chris Relf has used his legs, just as

much as his arm to run the Bulldog’s

offensive attack.


EYES ON THE PRIZE

Micah Davis has been focused this

season on leading the Statesmen to

the postseason.



The job isn’t for everyone, but for the few who embrace the challenge to line up under center, the journey of being a big-time college football quarterback can lead to fame, NFL fortune and folklore. But for most, it leads to the same place – mediocrity. This season, you’d be hard pressed to find a time where more questions surrounded the quarterback position at all of the major schools in the Magnolia State.

THE MASOLI EXPERIMENTAt Ole Miss, Jeremiah Masoli made national headlines with his decision to join the Rebels after being released from the football program at Oregon.

Masoli, who began his collegiate career as a community college transfer, arrived in Eugene as a fifth-stringer and blossomed into the star who led Oregon to its first Rose Bowl appearance in 15 years, only then to be kicked off the Ducks team in June after a second legal incident in six months.

Despite the second-degree burglary, possession of marijuana, driving with a suspended license and failure to stop when entering a roadway charges against him, he was immediately pronounced the savior of the Rebels season.

Then Ole Miss proceeded to lose to FCS opponent Jacksonville State in the season opener, despite the fact that red-shirt sophomore Nathan Stanley started the game and threw three first-half touchdowns, before barely seeing the field in the final 30 minutes and two overtimes.

Asked before the season why he rolled the dice on Masoli, University of Mississippi head coach Houston Nutt said he believes in giving kids a second chance, and felt called to extend a helping hand. “His mother and his grandmother had been praying for the right opportunity for him, a chance for him to start over and get a second lease on life,” the third-year coach said. “Once I got to know Jeremiah and his family, and realized he was a good kid who had made mistakes, I thought

„We can help him. It’s what coaching is about.”

While criticized by many for taking in a player with such a troubled past, Nutt defied those who said it was simply a move to upgrade his talent level while compromising the integrity of his program. “We needed three quarterbacks going into the fall, and we only had two after Raymond Cotton transferred in the middle of the summer,” the coach insisted. “Jeremiah was perfect fit for us, his teammates have embraced him, and we’re excited he’s here. I know he’s going to do the right thing.”

The San Francisco native, whose California cool and laid-back approach immediately won over his teammates in the locker room, agreed. “You know, it’s not just about football for me. It’s about coming out and proving myself. Coach Nutt has given me another chance and I’m just determined to do the most that I can with it,” Masoli said. Then without hesitation concluded,

“I’m not going to let anyone else down.”Despite the fact the Rebels were embarrassed in the

season opener, and went on to lose to Vanderbilt at home for the second time in three years, Masoli’s slow start isn’t unprecedented. In his four games last year at Oregon, he threw only three touchdowns and rushed for four, while averaging just less than 200 all-purpose yards a game. However, in the final four regular season contests, he piled up 11 passing

touchdowns and rushed for another four, while averaging 290.5 all-purpose yards per contest.

So if history has anything to say about it, Masoli should only mature as time marches on. After all, he’s a senior in his final year of eligibility, and in more ways than one – this is his final chance.

THE TWO QUARTERBACK SYSTEMIn Starkville, optimism mixed with a fear of the unknown as the Bulldogs began their second year with Dan Mullen at the helm. After leading Mississippi State to a dominating upset win over Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl to end last year, Chris Relf proved he had what it takes to lead a team to victory in the SEC.

However, looming over his shoulder was red-shirt freshman Tyler Russell, the only man to have beaten South Panola in what seems like the last 100 years as a high school quarterback. Mr. Football in the state of Mississippi in 2008, Russell is the golden boy from Meridian who at 6-5, 230 pounds and a rocket arm may be the best recruit to have signed with MSU at the position in the last quarter century.

Against Memphis in the season opener, Russell wasted no time proving his year of tutelage from the bench had paid off. He

STEADY STANLEY

Nathan Stanley has been a steady

and calm presence for the Rebels

this season, having thrown for four TD

passes behind 221 yards total offense.


THE OTHER GUY

While perhaps not as well known,

Jackson State’s quarterback Casey

Therriault has quietly paced himself to

be the statistical leader in the state

behind 3,385 yards total offense,

800-plus yards ahead of his nearest

competitor.

(PHOTO BY CHARLES ANTHONY SMITH)

RUSSELL RIFLES

Tyler Russell has thrown for five

touchdowns behind 635 yards passing

and a rocket right arm.


DAVIS DELIVERS

Austin Davis has delivered 14 strikes

this season to help pace Southern

Mississippi to a very respectable 7-4

record (thru Nov. 13).



“You know, it’s not just about football for me. It’s about coming out and proving myself. (Head) Coach (Houston) Nutt has given me another chance and I’m just determined to do the most that I can with it. I’m not going to let anyone else down.” – Jeremiah Masoli, Ole Miss Quarterback

tied a school record with four touchdown passes in his debut, and raised expectations in a hurry with his performance in the 49-7 rout. He was named SEC Freshman of the Week, and seemed poised with answers on and off the field to take the reigns. “Personal accolades are just that, personal. They’re nice, but we’re about winning games, and our focus is always going to remain on the next day’s work and the next opponent at hand,” Russell said.

The Bulldogs then proceeded to drop their first two conference games of the year to Auburn at home and LSU on the road. In those contests, the duo of Relf and Russell combined for just 245 passing yards, zero touchdowns and six interceptions.

In a win over Georgia, who started 0-3 in the SEC for the first since 1993, Russell didn’t even see the field. Relf managed the game well, but did it primarily with his feet, rushing 21 times for 97 yards while MSU capitalized on two costly Georgia turnovers.

It was a win, but the formula for success looked much like the blueprint other teams had used against State in the past. Wear down a weaker opponent for four quarters on the ground, play physical defense and force mistakes to win the turnover margin.

So why not throw Russell to the wolves this year? Let him get battered and bruised, yet gain the only type of experience that comes from actually playing between the lines? Make him handle the ball on every snap, learn how to find a rhythm, and earn the respect of his teammates in the huddle as the leader?

Well, Dan Mullen believes he can win games now, and still allow Russell to develop, “If we have one guy that is that dominate, that is going to just lead the team and carry us on his shoulders and win, then we’d play one. For us, this system gives us the best chance (to win), and our team is comfortable with both guys.”

Relf and Russell will never be confused with Chris Leak and Tim Tebow of Florida, but you can’t argue with the facts; Mullen ran the two-quarterback offense that led the Gators to a national title. But year three is when any new head coach that takes over a program in ruins is judged on progress and future direction, and that means next year the only answers that matter will be found in the win column.

THE COMEBACK KIDInjuries are part of the game of football, ask any player who’s ever suited up and taken

the field. And, now University of Southern Mississippi quarterback Austin Davis has his scar to prove it.

A year ago, in the middle of his sophomore season, Davis saw his year come to end at Legion Field against Alabama-Birmingham. The Meridian native broke his left foot while running the goal line offense, and had to watch from the sidelines the rest of the year as Martevious Young took over. After breaking several freshman-passing records, and throwing for 1,165 yards with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in the first six games, it was one of the toughest learning experiences he’s ever faced.

“It wasn’t easy,’’ Davis said.”But I grew a lot. I learned that I enjoy playing football and I do not enjoy watching. I went back to the fundamentals and studied a lot of film. I might have over prepared, but I was determined to get back and be better.”

His head coach knows the locker room needs his leadership. “He’s very well respected by our football team, both young and older players,” Larry Fedora said. “The only thing I worry about with him is…Austin believing that he has to do more than he really has too. As long as he continues to play within the system and takes care of the football, he’s going to get the ball to the guys

that need to make plays.”While his stats aren’t overly impressive, having thrown

for just over 800 yards in the first four games with two touchdowns and three interceptions, Davis has the job because of his mental approach and resiliency. Nobody grinds harder in film sessions or in practice, and it’s that type of work ethic that many believe sets him apart from his peers.

Southern Miss has struggled to stay health – point to DeAndre Brown – yet, still scoring points should not be an issue for USM down the stretch. With a defense that returned nine starters from a year ago, and had their fire lit after being scorched at South Carolina to open the season, the combination is there for the Golden Eagles to be in contention

to win Conference USA.With proud programs like Marshall and Central Florida

struggling this year, USM may have to best only East Carolina to punch their first ticket to a league title game in four years. Plus, perennial West Division champ Houston has lost its gunslinger Case Keenum for the season to injury.

Before the fall began, there were many talking heads that stated Austin Davis is the best quarterback that Mississippi has to offer this year. While that discussion is up for debate, one thing is for certain; he’s the only major college quarterback in the Magnolia State who will have his metal tested down the stretch. Let’s see if he has what it takes to lead his team to a conference championship.


PASSING

C. RELF

T. RUSSELL

GP

10

8

EFFICIENCY

120.2

144.5

CMP-ATT-INT

78-147-4

39-67-6

PCT

53.1

58.2

YARDS

996

635

TD

7

5

LONG

58

57

AVG/ G

99.6

79.4

PASSING

J. MASSOLI

N. STANLEY

GP

10

4

EFFICIENCY

123.18

146.32

CMP-ATT-INT

128-229-10

17-32-1

PCT

55.9

53.1

YARDS

1601

261

TD

12

3

LONG

70

45

AVG/ G

160.1

65.2

PASSING

C. THERRIAULT

GP

10

EFFICIENCY

143.02

CMP-ATT-INT

239-415-8

PCT

57.6

YARDS

3272

TD

29

LONG

62

AVG/ G

327.2

PASSING

M. DAVIS

GP

11

EFFICIENCY

69

CMP-ATT-INT

243-134 -109

PCT

1.6

YARDS

1.6

TD

4

LONG

16

AVG/ G

9.9

PASSING

A. DAVIS

GP

10

EFFICIENCY

104

CMP-ATT-INT

432-100-332

PCT

3.2

YARDS

1.6

TD

6

LONG

20

AVG/ G

33.2

THROUGH THE AIR2010 QB PASSING STATISTICS (THRU NOV. 13)

MISSISSIPPI STATE

OLE MISS

JACKSON STATE

DELTA STATE

SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI

RUSHING

C. RELF

T. RUSSELL

GP

10

8

ATT

136

13

GAIN

620

71

LOSS

106

7

NET

514

64

TD

3

0

LONG

24

26

AVG/ G

51.4

8.0

RUSHING

J. MASSOLI

GP

10

ATT

99

GAIN

536

LOSS

68

NET

468

TD

4

LONG

56

AVG/ G

46.8

RUSHING

C. THERRIAULT

GP

10

ATT

92

GAIN

378

LOSS

265

NET

113

TD

9

LONG

27

AVG/ G

11.3

RUSHING

M. DAVIS

GP

11

ATT

69

GAIN

243

LOSS

134

NET

109

TD

4

LONG

16

AVG/ G

9.9

RUSHING

A. DAVIS

GP

10

ATT

104

GAIN

432

LOSS

100

NET

332

TD

6

LONG

20

AVG/ G

33.2

ON THE GROUND2010 QB RUSHING STATISTICS (THRU NOV. 13)

MISSISSIPPI STATE

OLE MISS

JACKSON STATE

DELTA STATE

SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI

PROVE ME WRONG—BY JOHN C. COX

Mississippi high schools no longer produce top flight quarterbacks, and we’re not even trying anymore.

Before everyone bombards me with some examples, let me go ahead and throw out the obvious ones. Archie Manning? Yeah, I think he was recruited approximately 43 years ago. Brett Favre and Steve McNair? Both of them were recruited over 20 years ago, and neither one was a highly-sought after recruit.

What top quarterback can you name in recent history?

And if these quarterbacks are out there, then why don’t our state universities recruit them?

So think about my point. To use the last two Mississippi-born starters at Ole Miss and Mississippi State, respectively, can you imagine an Egg Bowl pitting Holly Springs native, Seth Adams against Columbus native, Tyson Lee? Seriously?

I am sure that both Seth and Tyson are fine, fine kids who were leaders in the classroom, and in the community; were nice to kids, puppies, and old people, etc. But when it comes to third-and-five in the fourth quarter at Tiger Stadium, does anyone – I mean anyone other than their parents – really want either of them under center?

The phenomenon is not unique to our SEC schools either. Jackson State’s current signal caller actually calls Grand Rapids, Michigan home. Millsaps starts a kid from Hoover, Alabama. Delta State’s last three quarterbacks were from Lousiana, California, and Florida, respectively, although current DSU quarterback Micah Davis is a Mississippi native.

I should also mention that MSU backup quarterbacks Tyler Russell and Dylan Favre are both Mississippi natives, but the jury is still out – some might say way out – on whether either will pan out as collegiate quarterbacks or not.

To be fair, current Oakland Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell is a Taylorsville

native and was a star at Auburn. But Campbell stands alone as the only highly touted quarterback prospect who has panned out in recent memory.

Tupelo’s Todd Jordan became a punter; Shannon’s Romaro Miller became the punchline of every Ole Miss fan’s “Dammit, Romaro!” cry of the late 90s; Moss Point’s Kevin Fant digressed as his career progressed; and Indianola’s Michael Spurlock apparently remembered how to dodge defenders AFTER he left college and became a wide receiver/kick returner in the NFL. We’re not exactly churning out the prospects, people.

But we have football talent in this state. History proves that point. But our current high

school football systems, by in large, do not lend themselves to producing top-flight quarterbacks. With the advent of the “Wildcat” formation, more and more high schools seem to just be putting their best athlete at the quarterback position and asking him to run left, right, or up the middle.

These offenses don’t rely on proper quarterback mechanics. Instead, the offenses rely on having superior speed, quickness and blocking. Our state’s current football “dynasty,” South Panola, has the offensive creativity of a paint-by-numbers set. But their execution is second to none, and their athletes run Coach Lance Pogue’s system as well as any team in the country. The result is domination – pure and simple – and there is no need for South Panola

to develop a top quarterback.South Panola is not alone. Many, many top

high school programs and coaches in our state are not worried as much about quarterback development through proper fundamentals and reads. Instead, these coaches look over their kids and put their “best 11” athletes on the field, regardless of natural position.

Gone are the days where a kid is groomed as quarterback from an early age and taught fundamentals and the nuances of the game. We all know that the quarterback position can lend itself to more mistakes on the football field than any other. And those mistakes can sometimes be very costly for the team, and in some cases, for the individual coach.

So, now it would appear that coaches are choosing to find an extra running back and put him under center in an effort to cut out the middle man and run a very safe, controlled offense with a de-emphasis on the quarterback. The schemes appear to be getting simpler and simpler, and with many of the results, who can blame the coaches for sticking with what’s best and works?

After all, winning games leads to happy kids, happy parents, happy school board members, and perhaps a bigger and better job. On the flip side, three costly interceptions by a 16-year-old kid “learning” the position might send some coaches to seek other professions.

I guess it sounds like I am being very, very hard on the high school football coaching

profession. I will say that many, many great men dedicate their lives to that very noble calling, and I have many friends who are great high school coaches.

However, in a culture where it’s “win, win, win” all of the time, coaches tend to care more about their own wins and losses and less about player development. And since it is their livelihood, I guess that’s only natural.

But at the end of the day, don’t we look to our high school coaches to be great teachers, as well? And if that is the case, is it too much to ask that somebody take the time to teach a quarterback how to actually play quarterback???

I could be wrong. If so, let’s talk about it. Do

you think that the state of the quarterback position is solid in the state of Mississippi? Let me hear your thoughts.

John C. Cox is a practicing attorney at Cox & Moore,

PLLC in Cleveland, Mississippi, as well as a Municipal

Court Judge. He has been a sideline reporter for

CSS Sports football television broadcasts and is a

part-time color analyst for the Delta State Sports

Network.

EMAIL YOUR OPINION TO MISSISSIPPI SCOREBOARD. [email protected] BEST REBUTTALS WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE NEXT ISSUE.

!


Mississippi high schools no longer produce top flight quarterbacks, and we’re not even trying anymore. What top quarterback can you name in recent history? We’re not exactly churning out the prospects, people. And if these quarterbacks are out there, then why don’t our state universities recruit them?

RICKY’S RENDERINGS From the Desk of

Ricky Nobile


THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI (THRU NOV. 13)

NOT PLANNEDRebels head man Houston Nut recognizes this year’s 4-6 mark, thus far, was not what Ole Miss had planned. “Let’s go back and talk about the start of the year, this season has not gone like we had planned for it to. It all started with that first game. With the amount of players we lost this year, we all knew that this would be a difficult year. But, what we didn’t plan on was three knee surgeries, four concussions and losing a leader like Kentrell Lockett. I just want to remind our fans that it had been 50 years since Ole Miss won back-to-back January 1 bowl games.”

BRIGHT FUTURE“I’m excited that we have 12 freshmen playing. I am excited about the future. I know in my heart, now more than ever, that we can get to Atlanta. I know we can, because I know that we can recruit here; we have proven that our last two seasons. What we didn’t plan on was our first game and a few others putting us in a tailspin. It’s my fault. We were not as ready as we should have been, but I see a lot of hope. I remember the day I got here; I didn’t see any life or hope,” Nutt continued at his weekly press conference. “But, it is not all gloom and doom. That is the difficult thing about the world we live in; I have 18 and 19 year old players who believe everything they hear outside these walls. I have to turn the negative around to positive inside these walls. It is all about this family, this football family, and we have some outstanding recruits. Recruiting is still going good. The last two signing classes have been very good, and I think this one will be the best yet.”

NUMBERS GAME“I planned on having seven wins at this point in the season, six at the worst. The bottom line is that we are not there, but I am not going to allow my players to be gloom and doom. They need to remember that they have been a part of something great. It was not too long ago when everyone was patting them on the back for winning back-to-back Cotton Bowls. I just want to tell our fans that there are good things getting ready to happen. I want to tell our players that also and to keep their heads up. The good thing about football is that it teaches you all that you need to know about life. There is no sin in getting knocked down; the sin is when you stay down. I want to make sure that our coaches are going as hard as we can with all of our energy and effort. We need to make sure the players are taking the correct step, the proper stance, and the perfect read. They do not need to play tight; they need to turn it loose. If you look at our best games, we have turned it loose. It has always been that way with us.”

LEFTIN A FOG | The Rebels have not been able to find any momentum during the 2010 campaign, but head coach Houston Nutt has implored his squad “to each keep a hand on the rope and keep pulling.” Ole Miss will face in-state rival Mississippi State on Nov. 27 at the annual Egg Bowl.

Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt


RECORD

ALL GAMES

CONFERENCE

NON-CONFERENCE

OVERALL

(4 - 6)

(1 - 5)

(3 - 1)

HOME

(3 - 3)

(1 - 2)

(2 - 1)

AWAY

(1 - 3)

(0 - 3)

(1 - 0)

NEUTRAL

(0 - 0)

(0 - 0)

(0 - 0)

DATE

SEPT 04, 2010

SEPT 11, 2010

SEPT 18, 2010

SEPT 25, 2010

OCT 02, 2010

OCT 16, 2010

OCT 23, 2010

OCT 30, 2010

NOV 06, 2010

NOV 13, 2010

NOV 20, 2010

NOV 27, 2010

OPPONENT

AT JACKSONVILLE STATE

AT TULANE

VANDERBILT

FRESNO STATE

KENTUCKY

AT ALABAMA

AT ARKANSAS

AUBURN

VS LOUISIANNA-LAFAYETTE

AT TENNESSEE

AT LSU

MISSISSIPPI STATE

W/L

L

W

L

W

W

L

L

L

W

L

2:30 PM

6 PM

SCORE

49 - 48 (2 OT)

27 - 13

28 - 14

55 - 38

42 - 35

23 - 10

38 - 24

51 - 31

43 - 21

52 - 14


BY BRYAN DAVIS


When it comes to Dan Mullen and motivation, there’s no need for corny buzz words or phrases. The second year Mississippi State head coach gets right to the point.

That’s how he motivates. He has inspired State’s 100-plus man roster, as well at the entire Bulldog nation, with a crafty wit and brutal honesty.

What else can one expect from a man who arrives at work hours before the sun comes up and doesn’t leave until well after the night steals the Starkville sky?

It’s in that work ethic where Mullen draws his inspiration, and he passes that inspiration on to his players who use it to become the best they can be.

Hard work is in the blood of Mississippi State’s 32nd head coach, and if hard work and motivation are as synonymous

as Mullen says they are, then State faithful can rest easy because the two aren’t going anywhere soon. The hard work State fans have seen from Mullen is something the coach says is in his blood.

“My personal motivation may be somewhat genetic,” Mullen admits. “When I look back, through my family, my grandfather was an extremely hard worker, working several jobs.”

Mullen says that his mother’s drive for success resulted in her fulfilling her dream of running a ballet studio.

As a child, Mullen was introduced to many different activities, ranging from sports to the arts. There was little leisure time for the New Hampshire native.

“Working a 16 hour day, seven days a week, that’s what I know,” Mullen said. “I wouldn’t know anything besides that. I’d probably have to create some hobbies or do something different.”

Mullen’s parents had the young man in soccer, baseball, football and swimming, just to name a few sports. When he wasn’t on a field or in a pool, Mullen was playing piano, taking tap and jazz lessons, and he even took ballet lessons.

“I was fortunate my parents exposed me to so much,” said Mullen, who won the 11 and 12 year old state championship in freestyle swimming. “I could find what I loved.”

It’s hard to say whether the ballet classes helped Mullen as a player, but as a coach, he does not dance around any subject. Straight talk has made him a media favorite, and it’s helped enhance some long-standing rivalries within the SEC.

ALWAYS A FOOTBALL MANOf all the choices Mullen was given in life, he devoted all of his gifts into the game of football.

“In kindergarten, I wanted to be O.J. Simpson,” Mullen said. “Ever since I was five years old, I wanted to be a football player. I wanted to be involved in football, and here I am, living my dream and doing what I want to do.”

None of what Mullen has accomplished has come easy. The 1994 Ursinus College graduate says that the road to his first head coaching job involved seven years as a graduate student – having no home, making little money.

“I did that for seven years,” Mullen said. “That work ethic is what has put me in a position to succeed the way I have.”

Watching his grandfather and parents sacrifice to meet their dreams, Mullen knew, and knows, the road to success is paved with similar sacrifices.

“Don’t wait for somebody to give it to you,” Mullen said. “You need to sacrifice and work, and if it means sleeping on a sofa for two years then do it.”

That’s the message Mullen will give to his son, Canon, when he begins to work toward his dreams.

“That’s what we know,” Mullen said. “My son will probably be raised the same way. I want to expose him to as many different things as possible, so that he has a great work ethic.”

THE GREAT MOTIVATORMullen has no problem drawing inspiration for himself, but transferring that motivation to over 100 players every week

can be a challenge.For a coach who has

watched over wide receivers and quarterbacks his entire coaching careers, he’s learned the ins and outs of motivating players.

“It’s important as a coach to know what buttons to push,” Mullen said. “One of the keys is knowing what

motivation the team needs. Do they need a kick in the rear end or a big hug, or a little bit of both.”

While at Florida, Mullen became known as motivator to Hiesman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. The former Gator quarterback credits Mullen with being a big motivating factor in his career.

“When you deal with individual players and motivation, you have to know what motivates them,” Mullen said. “For three years, I spent more time with Tim Tebow than I did with my wife. We were always good to motivate each other.”

It was against Tebow in 2009, where Mullen arguably put himself on the map as one of the top coaches in the SEC. State lost the thrilling battle, but the Bulldogs played closer than anyone had predicted, and the fans rallied behind their new coach like they had not done before.

“We went into that game expecting to win,” Mullen said. “I don’t look at our schedule, circle a game and say we’re not going to win that. I expect to win every game we play.”

Almost win they did, and had it not been for a late off sides penalty, the Bulldogs might have pulled off the upset of the season.

“To be honest with you, I expected to win that game up until the clock hit zero,” Mullen said. “We had the opportunity at the end of that game. If we’re not off sides on that final kickoff, we probably win the game.”

Since coming to Mississippi State, Mullen’s reputation as one of the best motivators in the coaching profession has

LEFTNATURAL BORN LEADER | Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen credits his

“genetics” for his dogged work ethic. His workday often stretches past 16 hours. (PHOTO BY ROBERT SMITH)


“Working a 16 hour day, seven days a week, that’s what I know. I wouldn’t know anything besides that. I’d probably have to create some hobbies or do something different.”

PERSONAL INFORMATION BIRTHDATE: April 27, 1972

HOMETOWN: Manchester, N.H.

EDUCATION: 1994 – Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise and Sport Science from

Ursinus College; 1996 – Master’s Degree in Education from Wagner College

FAMILY: Married to the former Megan West

CHILDREN: Canon

COACHING CAREER1994-95: Wagner (Wide Receivers)

1996-97: Columbia (Wide Receivers)

1998: Syracuse (Graduate Assistant, Offense)

1999-00: Notre Dame (Graduate Assistant, Offense)

2001-02: Bowling Green (Quarterbacks)

2003-04: Utah (Quarterbacks)

2005-08: Florida (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)

2009-Present: Mississippi State (Head Coach)

BOWL GAMES AS A COACH1999: Orange

2001: Fiesta

2003: Liberty

2005: Fiesta

2006: Outback

2007: BCS National Championship Game

2008: Capital One

2009: BCS National Championship Game

NFL PLAYERS (ROUND DRAFTED)

WR DALLAS BAKER (7th) | Florida 2007 | Pittsburgh Steelers

OG LANCE BUTLER (FA) | Florida 2006 | Cleveland Browns

WR ANDRE CALDWELL (3rd) | Florida 2008 | Cincinnati Bengals

OT RANDY HAND (FA) | Florida 2006 | New England Patriots

QB JOSH HARRIS (6th) | Bowling Green 2004 | Baltimore Ravens

WR CHAD JACKSON (2nd) | Florida 2006 | New England Patriots

QB OMAR JACOBS (5th) | Bowling Green 2006 | Pittsburgh Steelers

QB CHRIS LEAK (FA) | Florida 2007 | Chicago Bears

C DREW MILLER (FA) | Florida 2008 | Jacksonville Jaguars

QB ALEX SMITH (1st) | Utah 2005 | San Francisco 49ers

OT TAVARES WASHINGTON (FA) | Florida 2006 | San Francisco 49ers

RB DESHAWN WYNN (7th) | Florida 2007 | Green Bay Packers

DAN MULLEN

BIO

spread. Winning has now become – not just a distant goal – but an expectation for his players.

“He pushes all of us to be the best we can be,” said Bulldog running back Vick Ballard. “That enables us to perform our best.”

Mullen’s energetic speak not only got his players jumping, but he set off an unprecedented excitement among Mississippi State’s loyal fans.

Season tickets went like hotcakes in the offseason, and there hasn’t been an empty seat at Davis Wade Memorial Stadium, which packs over 55,000 a game.

“I think our fan base and our administration have done a great job of building the program up,” Mullen said.

When Mullen came to Mississippi State, he was able to see early on that the fans played a much bigger role than they are often given credit for.

“They’re an important part of us winning and losing,” Mullen

said. “Hopefully, next year, there is a waiting list for season tickets. Hopefully it gets to the point where it’s a 10 to 15 year waiting list to get season tickets at Mississippi State.”

There doesn’t seem to be any let up in the energy among State fans, as the anniversary of last year’s Egg Bowl win nears. It was that game Mullen said propelled his team into the 2010 season.

“I give a lot of credit to our seniors,” Mullen said. “They

wanted to go out winners and champions. They were Egg Bowl champions last year, so they got to finish their careers as champions.”

Ole Miss was a bowl eligible team, and the Bulldogs were underdogs according to most in the media. Mullen said none of the predictions in the press ever affected his players.

“I don’t ever see y’all at five (o’clock) in the morning, when we’re doing workouts,” Mullen said of the media. “Y’all are still in bed. Nobody knows what’s supposed to happen except for us. We control all that.”

Mullen knows his players cannot afford to put stock in what people on the outside are saying about upcoming contests.

“Our players believe they’ve put in too much work and too much effort to not expect to win games,” Mullen said. “Whether it be offseason conditioning, summer running,

training camp or practices during the season, we put in so much work year-round.”

THE FAN FACTORMullen says that Mississippi State is Mississippi’s team. In the future, he’s hoping to have even more than the

already 57 in-state players on his roster.To do that, he says that the program has partnered with

the fans to show Mississippi’s top talent that they can stay in the state and still have the feel of playing in a stadium just as energetic as greatest in the nation.

“What we wanted to do is make sure that our fan base and our football program showed all those great players in the state that they don’t need to go to Texas, Michigan or USC,”

Mullen said. “They can stay right here at home, and play in front of sold-out crowds, in the same environment that you’re going to see at Ohio State or wherever.”

Mullen says that Mississippi talent is the key to a Bulldog championship.

“We’re in a state with a lot of great high school football players,” Mullen said. “If you give me the top players in the state of Mississippi every single year, we’re probably going to win the national championship. That’s how much talent is here in the state. When those kids come to play here, we’re going to win a lot of championships.”

If the fans and their energy are to be a factor in recruiting, they are well on their way to more success. State fans are louder than ever, and as the 2010 season progresses, it’s clear that future tickets are going to be hard to come by.

“They bought in, and they understood that they have a factor in – not just in the results on Saturday, but they are also a huge factor in recruiting in the future of all those local, in-state kids – knowing they can play big time football right here at home,” Mullen said. “I’ll be happy when we get to about 100 consecutive sell-outs. That’s where we want to build the program.”

As Mullen said at the end of last year’s Egg Bowl, Mississippi State is a program that is on the rise in the Southeastern Conference. Under the leadership of one of the youngest skippers in that conference, expect the Bulldogs to be taking a lot more trophies home in the years to come.

Dan Mullen in the Bulldog locker room

(PHOTO BY MANSEL GUERRY)

ABOVEHAPPY AT THE HELM | Leading a roster of over 100-plus guys can have its

challenges, but MSU head man Dan Mullen is happy to draw on his own experiences growing up in New Hampshire to motivate his Bulldog squad.


“Don’t wait for somebody to give it to you. You need to sacrifice and work, and if it means sleeping on a sofa for two years, then do it.”

DAWG BOWLMississippi State Heading to a BowlPredictors say Bulldogs may be in High Cotton

BY BRYAN DAVIS

When Mississippi State entered its final month of the 2009 season, the Bulldogs were facing some of the top talent in not just the Southeastern Conference, but in the entire nation.

With No. 1 Alabama waiting in the wings, after a win at Kentucky, the Bulldog’s chances for a .500 or above finish were not very favorable. In fact, most predicted a winless 0-3 end to their season.

They ended up going 1-2, losing to the Tide and Arkansas back-to-back, but then something magical happened.

The Bulldogs returned to Starkville to take on the Ole Miss Rebels, for the rivalry match of the season. Facing a bowl-eligible team in

Mississippi, the Bulldogs stunned, even some of their own faithful, with an impressive 47-21 win.

As the final month of the 2010 season takes shape, Mississippi State will face the same lineup of teams – Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas and Ole Miss.

State head football coach Dan Mullen was expecting a 4-0 record in that last month, but after a tough 10-30 defeat to Alabama, he will have to settle for a 2-0 end to the 2010 campaign. But more than that, he will have to see his Bulldogs start to peak at the most important time of the year.

“It doesn’t matter who you are,” Mullen said. “We’re in the Southeastern Conference.

We played the toughest schedule in the country last year, and one of the toughest schedules in the country again this year. We’re not going to back down to anybody. We’re

ready to go play anybody, anywhere, anytime.”The longtime quarterbacks and receivers

coach started the season with a gutsy two-quarterback offense, splitting time

ABOVETOP DAWGS | Mississippi State has muscled to a 7-3 mark in the 2010 season behind determined and inspired play,

having overcome the tragic loss of teammate Nick Bell. The Bulldogs are expected to receive an invitation to

postseason bowl play.

Bulldog RB Chad Bumphis celebrates with

teammate Nick Griffin



“We’re getting there. We’re improving. We want to improve off of last year’s season. And, hopefully, we’ll be getting ready to go play a bowl game. That’s what we want to do.” — Mississippi State Head Coach Dan Mullen

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between Chris Relf and freshman Tyler Russell.

The always honest Mullen remarked on the success of the strategy after the team’s fifth game saying, “It worked out really well three times, and not so well two times.”

In the first six games, the stats were very similar for the duo, with Relf passing for 675 yards and Russell throwing for 555 in the air.

“It’s just getting players ready to play,” Mullen said about managing two quarterbacks. “Our backup never played before this season in a college football game. We have to make sure he’s ready to play.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise in the last month has been the effort by running back Vick Ballard, a junior from Pascagoula. The Mississippi Gulf Coast transfer started coming on strong in the Bulldog’s 24-12 win over Georgia, as he rushed for 64 yards in that game.

He followed that up with 119 rushing yards against Alcorn State and reestablished himself at Houston with 134 on the ground.

State, a team traditionally known for its defensive abilities, is turning into a big threat on offense, but it’s that old time defense that could propel State to the top when it’s all said and done.

Fletcher Cox was on the 2009 defensive line and has played a large role in the Bulldogs’ success over the last two years. If he has anything to do with how the 2010

season wraps up, it will be one to remember for State fans.

“We’re going to have a winning season,” Cox said. “We’re going to execute every week, and we’re going to take it game-by-game and day-by-day in practice.”

Cox, a sophomore himself, knows that there is a lot of work ahead for his team and the program.

“We’re real young right now,” Cox said. “Everybody’s still developing and playing a lot of football as we go.”

The Bulldogs, at 7-3 overall thru Nov. 13, have already bettered their mark from a year ago.

“We always want to continually improve, season to season and game to game,” Mullen said. “It’s important to always improve, and that’s how we’re going to succeed.”

Through six games, State had already reversed their record from a year prior.

“We’re getting there,” Mullen said. “We’re improving. We want to improve off of last year’s season. And, hopefully, we’ll be getting ready to go play a bowl game. That’s what we want to do.”

With its 7-3 record, Mississippi State should already have punched a ticket to postseason play and an appearance in a bowl game will be the first for the Bulldogs since their 10-3 defeat of Central Florida in the 2007 Liberty Bowl.

RECORD

ALL GAMES

CONFERENCE

NON-CONFERENCE

OVERALL

(7 - 3)

(3 - 3)

(4 - 0)

HOME

(5 - 1)

(2 - 1)

(3 - 0)

AWAY

(2 - 2)

(1 - 2)

(1 - 0)

NEUTRAL

(0 - 0)

(0 - 0)

(0 - 0)

DATE

SEPT 04, 2010

SEPT 09, 2010

SEPT 18, 2010

SEPT 25, 2010

OCT 02, 2010

OCT 09, 2010

OCT 16, 2010

OCT 23, 2010

OCT 30, 2010

NOV 13, 2010

NOV 20, 2010

NOV 27, 2010

OPPONENT

MEMPHIS

AJBURN

AT LSU

GEORGIA

ALCORN STATE

AT HOUSTON

AT FLORIDA

ALABAMA -BIRMINGHAM

KENTUCKY

AT ALABAMA

ARKANSAS

AT OLE MISS

W/L

W

L

L

W

W

W

W

W

W

L

6 PM

6 PM

SCORE

47 - 7

14 - 17

7 - 29

24 - 12

49 - 16

47 - 24

10 - 7

29 - 24

24- 17

10 - 30

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY (THRU NOV. 13)

QUIETLY SOARING Golden Eagles Expected to Land in 8TH Straight Bowl Game

BY TROY FARRELL ODOM

After 16 winning seasons in a row, University of Southern Mississippi fans have become accustomed to high expectations heading into the season. This year, returning nine defensive starters – including the entire defensive line – fueled favorable prognostications. In addition, with the return of two key components of an improved offense – quarterback Austin Davis and wide-receiver Deandre Brown – Southern Miss fans began realistically dreaming of a return to the Conference USA title game.

Unfortunately, the heavy hand of the SEC is a cruel master. On Sept. 2, Southern Miss and South Carolina opened up all of FBS (formerly Division-I) college football on national television in Columbia, South Carolina. That night Southern Miss fans witnessed their team’s offense crumble in the red zone and a defense that could not handle South Carolina’s balanced run/pass attack.

Interestingly, in that game, the statistics between the two teams were relatively even.

The Southern Miss offense had more time of possession, managed 23 first downs and gained over 400 yards, against one of the better defenses in the nation. However, the one statistic that matters in the end – the scoreboard – dramatically favored South Carolina, 41-13.

After that game, expectations and enthusiasm dropped precipitously. Attendance at the home opener the following week (27,316) fell nearly 9,000 less than the 2009 season’s home opener (36,232). There also appeared to be internal dissidence brewing in the locker room with the coaching staff publically calling out their star wide receiver. However, the Eagles were able to regroup over an appetizer of Prairie View A&M, scoring a 34-7 victory over the Panthers.

Over the next three weeks, Southern Miss regained its expected preseason form, defeating Kansas 31-16 in a redemption game on national television. The next week,

Southern Miss relied on tough-nosed defense and field goals to defeat the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in a chilly deluge in Ruston. One week later, the Eagles humbled the Marshall Thundering Herd 41-16 at home. During that four game win streak, the Eagles held their opponents to an average of 241 yards of total offense, and were a perfect 7-for-7 in field goals. Joy resurfaced from the ashes in Mudville.

On Oct. 9, 2010, the Eagles carried an 11-game win streak into Hattiesburg for Homecoming against the East Carolina Pirates. Before a raucous crowd of 32,334, Southern Miss imploded with 15 penalties for 153 yards. East Carolina took advantage of the confusion and diced the Southern Miss defense for numerous big plays, racking up 303 yards on kickoff returns alone. When the dust cleared, East Carolina stunned the Eagles, and their faithful, 43-42.

Southern Miss currently stands at 7-3

on the season (thru Nov. 13) and 4-2 in conference play. With wins over Tulane and Central Florida, head coach Larry Fedora has his squad refocused and primed to grab its eighth straight bowl appearance.

“I understand how hard it is to win in college football,” Fedora offered in a weekly press conference. “When we play bad and win that is a whole lot better than playing good and losing.

“Looking at it, things have not been consistent,” he continued. “It would be easy to fix things if the problem was consistent and say this is where we have been failing and change this and everything will be fine. But it has been one thing or another.”

One thing or another, Fedora and his Golden Eagles still expect themselves in elite company come postseason, joining perennial powers like Florida, Ohio State and Texas, as one of 10 schools to have been to a bowl game the last 12 years.

And that’s flying high.

Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles


ABOVEGAME ON | With a win in one of its final two contests, USM will

surely see life past its regular season schedule. The Golden Eagles have averaged 34 points per game, thru Nov. 13.


THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (THRU NOV. 13)

A WIN IN ONE OF ITS FINAL TWO CONTESTS, WOULD MEAN SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI• Has its first eight-win season since finishing 9-5 in 2006.• Record under Head Coach Larry Fedora in November would improve to 9-1.•Eagles would win at least five conference games in eight of the last nine seasons.• USM starting QB, Austin Davis, would improve to 18-11 as the starter.

REACHING SEVEN WINSThe win over UCF in mid-November clinched the Golden Eagles 17th-straight winning season. Since 1946, Southern Miss has tallied at least seven wins in 36 of 65 seasons. They currently have posted 15-straight campaigns of achieving at least seven wins. The most wins in a year for the program is 10 and came during the 1952 and 1988 campaigns.

12 BOWL GAMES IN THE LAST 13 YEARSWith its bid to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl in 2009, the Golden Eagles are one of 10 Division I FBS schools who have been to 12 bowl games in the past 13 years. The list includes Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Oregon, Southern Miss, Texas, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech.

EIGHT-STRAIGHT BOWL GAMESThe Golden Eagles are one of 14 teams who have been to eight-straight bowl games, with the others being Boise State, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Southern Cal, Texas, Texas Tech, Virginia Tech and West Virginia through the 2009 season.

LEFTMAKIN’ ROOM | The Southern Miss offensive line has been clearing paths for Kendrick Hardy all year, as the redshirt freshman leads the team in rushing yards, having powered to 559 total yards thru mid-November.

Golden Eagles RB Kendrick Hardy (29)



RECORD

ALL GAMES

CONFERENCE

NON-CONFERENCE

OVERALL

(7 - 3)

(4 - 2)

(3 - 1)

HOME

(3 - 2)

(1 - 2)

(2 - 0)

AWAY

(4 - 1)

(3 - 0)

(1 - 1)

NEUTRAL

(0 - 0)

(0 - 0)

(0 - 0)

DATE

SEPT 02, 2010

SEPT 11, 2010

SEPT 17, 2010

SEPT 25, 2010

OCT 02, 2010

OCT 09, 2010

OCT 16, 2010

OCT 30, 2010

NOV 06, 2010

NOV 13, 2010

NOV 20, 2010

NOV 26, 2010

OPPONENT

AT SOUTH CAROLINA

PRAIRIE VIEW

KANSAS

AT LOUISIANA TECH

MARSHALL

EAST CAROLINA

AT MEMPHIS

ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM

AT TULANE

AT CENTRAL FLORIDA

HOUSTON

AT TULSA

W/L

L

W

W

W

W

L

W

LOT

W

W

7 PM

5:30 PM

SCORE

13 - 41

34 - 7

31 - 16

13 - 12

41 - 16

43 - 44

41 - 44

49 - 50

46 - 30

31 - 21

BY MYRA BEAN | PHOTOS SHELBY DANIELS


BY MYRA BEAN | PHOTOS SHELBY DANIELS

INSIDE PERENNIAL POWERHOUSE SOUTH PANOLA HIGH SCHOOL’S NATIONALLY RANKED FOOTBALLPROGRAM

As the South Panola football program has grown into the No. 1 ranked team in America, by Rivals.com, the state of Mississippi has benefited from the national publicity.

This team of players from the blue collar workforce of Batesville and the surrounding towns in Panola County in northwest Mississippi is following in the footsteps of fathers and brothers who played before them. Its dynasty is helped by the team amassing an 89-game win streak that ended in the overtime of the state championship game in 2008 and remains the third longest streak in the nation.

By the numbers, since 1981 to the present, South Panola has amassed a 291-78 record. They own eight state championship rings won in 12 trips to the “Big House.” The years they returned with championship titles were 1996, 1997, 2002 and 2008. They have made eight straight trips to the “Big Dance” in Jackson.

When South Panola fans plan their football each year, they mark out August through the first weekend in December. When other teams are going, “if” they make the playoffs, South Panola fans are saying “when we” go to the

State Championship.From 2002 thru Oct. 15, the Tigers hold a

124-3 record. The eight state championships came in 1993, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009.

Many have asked, “What is the secret formula for the team’s success through the years? How do they keep producing powerhouse team after powerhouse team that gets better and better each year?” Current four-year head coach Lance Pogue took a few minutes after practice one afternoon to answer that question.

“The first championship was won in 1993.

That’s 17 year ago, about the time many of these kids were born. So, they all grew up and all they’ve known was South Panola winning games, playing for championships, winning championships. All the kinfolks in front of them, whether it will be their brother or cousin, uncle so on played, so that’s what they know. When they keep growing, each grade they grow up into, it gets closer and closer to their opportunity and they want to be the next group. That is the big thing if they want to work hard and not be the group to let

The South Panola football team stands poised to

improve its tally to nine championships.

The Tigers’ grand entrance is always

accompanied by “Eye of the Tiger” over the

public address system.


“The first championship was won in 1993. That’s 17 year ago, about the time many of these kids were born. So, they all grew up and all they’ve known was South Panola winning games, playing for championships, winning championships. All the kinfolks in front of them, whether it will be their brother or cousin, uncle so on, played, so that’s what they know.”

— South Panola Head Coach Lance Pogue

it go,” Pogue said.South Panola senior wide receiver, Clarion-

Ledger Dandy Dozen and recent Mississippi State commit Nicholas Brassell said dedication was the secret to the Tiger success.

“We got our minds focused that no one is going to stop us,” Brassell said. “Every Friday we come out we know we have someone on our backs to come and get us. We just go out and give it our all. Every opportunity we get, we just make a good thing about it. We work hard every day. We don’t believe anybody around works harder than us – offseason or during the season.”

Though the Tigers were getting some national looks throughout the years, the attention exploded when Pogue made arrangements to play Apopka, Fla. in 2008. In 2009, Memphis University School was added to the schedule and the Tigers made the nine-hour drive to Colquitt County High School this year in Moultrie, Ga. People got a look at the program in 2008 when the NFL halftime show visited the school and put together two 45-second clips for the Toyota halftime show.

Football is a serious undertaking in Panola.

Beneath the helmets of the South Panola Tiger team lies fierce determination to not be the team that breaks the streak.

“We go in with the determination that anybody’s beatable any given Friday night,” said Pogue.

Pogue has repeated that mantra many times during his four seasons of coaching the Tiger team. Pogue, 50-2, at South Panola knows the pressure of coaching a South Panola team – a team to which losing is as elusive as snow at a state championship game.

The current class state championship series was initiated in 1983. It would be 10 years before South Panola would stand on that

stage. They took up the mantle from former head football coaching legend Willis Wright. It took him three years to get the program where it was state-championship ready. He took over the program in 1991 with only about 40 players on the roster. With teams that normally boast 75 to 80 players, this pickings were slim. In 1992, the team made it to the playoffs where it lost to Tupelo and posted a 10-2 season.

But in 1993, led by future NFL players Deshea Townsend and Dewayne Rudd and a host of other eventual Division 1 players, the Tigers went undefeated and brought home the school’s and the community’s first-ever state championship. Townsend spent 12 years with

the Pittsburgh Steelers, who drafted him in 1997 from the University of Alabama. He is in his first year with the Indianapolis Colts. Rudd was drafted in the first round to the Minnesota Vikings in 1996 and stayed for four years before playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Cleveland Browns.

That 1993 championship became a thirst for the Tiger program and it refuses to be quenched. Seventeen years and eight state championship rings later, the Tiger nation still thirsts for more of what the football team can give them.

Between Townsend and Kory Chapman from the 1998 state championship team,

Head coach Lance Pogue often points to

the Tigers’ indelible tradition to motivate

his squad.

South Panola relies heavily on the run

offense to protect its unblemished mark.

“It is with a sense of pride that I think about Coach (Willis) Wright and Coach (Bennie) Abson and how they instilled in us how to win and what it takes to win. Before the state championships, I heard the old stories. So it (the tradition) goes back a lot further for me.”

— Deshea Townsend, NFL Veteran

Panola County boasts four Super Bowl rings. During Townsend’s 12 years with the Steelers, they won the Super Bowl two times in 2006 and 2008. Chapman played a year with the New England Patriots in 2005 and a year with the Colts in 2007 to collect his championship jewelry.

Townsend said playing with Johnny Jones, Paul Morgan, Rudd, Malikia Griffin “and all those guys” was a time he would never forget.

“It is with a sense of pride that I think about Coach (Willis) Wright and Coach (Bennie) Abson and how they instilled in us how to win and what it takes to win,” Townsend said from his weight room in Indianapolis. “Before the state championships, I heard the old stories. So it goes back a lot further for me.”

Towsend said, though, he had some success at South Panola, it all started for him when he saw his older brother Donnell Townsend and teammates hoist the Chickasaw Conference Trophy. The South Panola team went 11-0 in 1978 when Donnell played. Donnell Townsend signed a letter of intent to play with Alabama A&M. Deshea grew up seeing his other older brothers Terry and Chris also play for South Panola and his love for the game and South Panola grew from there.

“It makes me feel special to brag about my high school team being No. 1 in the nation,” Townsend said.

There have been a lot of changes over the years since the first state championship. Tailgating is now a part of the Friday afternoon routine. Sitting to the right of Robert H. Dunlap Stadium, renamed in 2006 for long-time supporter and businessman Bob Dunlap, the tents go up early on Friday morning. The strength of the opponent does not matter. The Tigers have to be supported. The fans purchase on average 800 reserve seats per year and max out the home side in nearly every

game.South Panola has become known as the

University of South Panola over the years. It was a gradual thing. There are two schools of thoughts on how the university moniker became a part of the Tiger tradition. One is that a radio announcer said it and others picked up on it. Another is that Clarion-Ledger columnist Rick Cleveland bestowed the name on the team that took a licking and kept getting back up for bigger lickings. However it came about, the University of South Panola name was not readily accepted at first. The fans felt that people were being snobbish about the team and making fun of them. Gradually, the University of South Panola was put on T-shirts and the football team was wearing them on pullovers and it became okay.

Now, the fans embrace the name. A few years ago when it was suspected that Olive Branch would be the team to stop the Tiger streak, they had their own University of Olive Branch t-shirts made. After that 35-6 loss, those Olive Branch T-shirts were seen strewn on I-55.

Former quarterback David Renfroe was 1-1 in state championship games directing the team. He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2009 and played with the Lowell Spinners, a farm team for the Red Sox organization this past summer. He spoke of his experiences on the team.

“It was an amazing feeling to put on that Tiger uniform every Friday night. All I remember is the great fan support and the teammates and coaches that will always be lifelong friends, and I will always cherish those memories,” Renfroe said.

With a tradition so rich, so deep and so prosperous, Renfroe is not the only one with cherished memories.

Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt travels

just 30 minutes down the road from Oxford

to take in South Panola action.

AROUND THE STATE

IRON MANHastings Puckett (Ridgeland) represented the

Magnolia State this October at the Ford Ironman

World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. He was

Mississippi’s sole representative. Over 1,800

triathlon athletes participated in the penultimate

event, but tens of thousands sought to qualify for

the race which features a 2.4 mile swim, an 112-mile

bike leg and a 26.2 mile run. There are 23 Ironman

races worldwide which serve as qualifiers for Hawaii.

To qualify for the world championship, an athlete

must finish in the top two percent of his/her age

group in one the qualifying races, which Puckett did

at the Ironman Canada on Aug. 29. Now in his fourth

year of competitive triathlons, Ironman Canada was

Puckett’s second full Ironman. He ran his inaugural

event in 2007 in nine hours and 55 minutes. Puckett,

33, is married to the former Amanda Bush. The

couple has two sons, Peyton and Parker.

WORLD CHAMPIONEli Whiteside (New Albany) joined Barry Lyons of the

1986 World Championship New York Mets this past

November to become the second former Delta State

University catcher to win a World Series. Whiteside

had 126 at-bats with 19 runs scored, 30 hits and

four homeruns as a member of the San Francisco

Giants. The Giants defeated the Texas Rangers 3-1

on Nov. 1 to clinch the title. Whiteside, a 2001 DSU

graduate, finished his collegiate career with a .387

batting average and still ranks among the best

hitters in the Statesmen record books. He made

his MLB debut in 2005.

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San Francisco Giants/Getty Images

THE EXTRA POINTBY CHRISTIAN STECKEL

In the world we live in, perception is reality. This past summer as football season approached, one story dominated the headlines. Jeremiah Masoli, who led the Oregon Ducks to their first Rose Bowl appearance in 15 years, captivated the Magnolia State with his decision to attend Ole Miss.

Over the past year, Masoli piled up as much yardage in those crazy Oregon uniforms as he did paperwork with the local law enforcement officials in the Pacific Northwest. Masoli pled guilty to burglary charges, was arrested for DUI and driving with a suspended license; was kicked off the team at Oregon, as a result; transferred to Ole Miss and tried to retain eligibility – all while the local media and fan bases in both regions foamed at the mouth for more. The whole thing became a soap opera, with appeals, press conferences and emotional outbursts – ranging from tears to angry tirades – making the airwaves from Oxford to Eugene.

We got lost in the process, media and fans alike; and almost forgot that a human being with a future at stake was at the center of the firestorm. Houston Nutt told me before the season began that Masoli’s mother and grandmother had been praying for the right school and coach to give their son a second chance, and he felt led to be that man who stood up and extended the opportunity – a decision I thought we could all admire, regardless of whom we cheer for.

Yet, during my time on ESPN Radio in both the Magnolia State and the Beaver State, many fans were outraged. “He’s proven who he is,” they demanded.

Redemption doesn’t sell anymore,

persecution does.Times have changed, and in today’s day

and age, we want more than the box score. We want the gossip, scandal and personal attachment in any shape or form that comes with athletics. We want coaches fired in an instant and players thrown out on the street for making mistakes in the height of their youth. But that’s not what being a sports fan is about and Mississippi is living proof.

We’ve got The Grove – the greatest place on earth to tailgate before a game. USC, Texas, Ohio State or Oklahoma have nothing on Ole Miss when it comes to the pre-party. Plus, who else can claim back-to-back Cotton Bowl victories in recent memory?

Mississippi State has the best HD video jumbotron I’ve ever seen at a college venue. Add to that the history and tradition (insert cowbells) to the game-day experience in Starkville and most fall short in comparison to the Bulldogs. Not to mention, there aren’t many programs that have a head coach in place that owns numerous SEC and national titles and tutored a Heisman Trophy winning

quarterback.And you want to travel and go to a bowl

game every year and see your team play in the postseason? Well, sign up to be a Southern Miss fan. The Golden Eagles have piled up 16 straight-winning seasons and trail only Florida State, Florida and Virginia Tech in that category. Not bad company, is it?

Don’t forget about the Capital City Classic. If you like good food, great music, an electric atmosphere and a rivalry that brings out the best (and worst) in people, it all comes together when Jackson State and Alcorn State meet at Veterans Memorial Stadium every fall. You leave stuffed on barbeque and pigskin.

What other state can brag about recent success at its smaller colleges, too? If you stack up Delta State, Mississippi College, Millsaps and Belhaven against others, you’ll find they own more conference hardware and higher national rankings than you might imagine. And don’t get me started on the quality of high school football here…

I’ve lived in 10 states in my lifetime. I’m

the son of a football coach, who worked for eight different NFL teams and three universities in a 35 year career.

Stand up and be proud Mississippi because there aren’t many places that do football better than we do. Maybe it’s time we set the bar high once again and lead the way, through our example, on what it really means to be a sports fan.

It’s about the experience leading up to the final tally on the scoreboard, not the amount of re-tweets on your twitter page or replies to your post on the message board.

It’s also about finding the good in people and cheering on those who overcome the odds to achieve greatness. And when players

and coaches fail – and trust me they will – take a deep breath and remember they’re human - just like you and me.

Christian Steckel has been the Sports Director at

16 WAPT-TV – the ABC affiliate in Jackson, Mississippi

– since February 2007. He also co-hosts “Inside the

Huddle” every Saturday morning on ESPN Radio

105.9 The Zone.

Stand up and be proud Mississippi because there aren’t many places that do football better than we do. Maybe it’s time we set the bar high once again…on what it really means to be a sports fan. It’s about the experience leading up to the final tally on the SCOREBOARD, not the amount of re-tweets on your twitter page or replies to your post on the message board.

Mississippi Scoreboard--Debut Issue

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