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| Monday, August 19 Bulldogs lacking the big bite it once had By Pat Forde Special to ESPN.com |
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Outlook: During the offseason Sherrill hired former Mississippi State head coach Rockey Felker as his coordinator of football operations and former LSU head coach Curley Hallman as his defensive backs coach. Former South Carolina head man Sparky Woods already was on board as offensive coordinator. With Rockey, Curley and Sparky, State sets a record for charisma-deprived former head SEC coaches with sorry records (a combined 62-88-3) and silly names on a single staff.
A season of high expectations turned into a 3-8 bust, lowlighted by a loss to Troy State. The only redeeming moment was embarrassing Ole Miss on Thanksgiving night. The excitement level has been hammered back to earth -- and perhaps to subterranean levels after an NCAA investigative visit in late July. Which could be good. Jackie Sherrill seems to do his best work when it's least expected. Job One is rekindling the offense. State went seven straight games last year scoring 17 or fewer points, and lost six of them. The futile flopping between Wayne Madkin and Kevin Fant at quarterback is over at least, with Madkin departed and the job solely in Fant's hands. He has a full array of experienced wideouts and tight ends to throw to, but will miss multitalented running back Dicenzo Miller. The running game may returns to the shoulders of senior Dontae Walker, a big-time recruit whose career trajectory was altered by injuries and Miller's rise. If Walker gets banged up again or can't produce, backup Fred Reid and a couple of touted freshmen may get the call. Joe Lee Dunn's best defenses begin with heat-seeking linemen, and State is deep across its five-man front. All-league player Mario Haggan could see time at defensive end and linebacker and could line up anywhere in Dunn's free-wheeling schemes. But this unit needs to be more solid than last year's. State was punished on the ground by teams that wanted to run (South Carolina, Arkansas, Alabama and Auburn) and through the air by teams that wanted to pass (Florida, Kentucky, BYU). Dunn's defenses usually specialize in takeaways, too, but last year the Bulldogs had a negative turnover ratio for the first time since 1997. Keep an eye on: Receiver Justin Jenkins racked up 42 catches for 661 yards and eight touchdowns last year -- remarkable numbers given the general futility of the Bulldogs' passing game. And who knows what the numbers might have looked like had Jenkins not dropped a maddening number of balls? At 6-1 and 206 pounds he has the size to defeat jams at the line of scrimmage, plus the speed to get open. If the passing game improves as expected with Fant, Jenkins could have the biggest year by a Bulldog receiver since Eric Moulds was on campus. Key game: The Egg Bowl is always the biggest game on the schedule, but this team can't wait until then to show something. The Bulldogs host Auburn on Thursday, Sept. 19. If they're going to regain the footing they lost last season, beating one of the favorites in the West would be an excellent place to start. Sherrill has a fine record in Starkville as a home underdog, and the cowbells will be ringing extra loud for this one. It's a good year if. . .: Homecoming opponent Troy State doesn't repeat last year's shocker, and State gets back to .500. The Bulldogs averaged more than eight wins per season from 1997-2000 but will be hard-pressed to win eight over last year and this year combined. Both Florida and Georgia are off the schedule, but State plays a division-high six road games. The ones at Oregon, LSU, South Carolina and Alabama all figure to be significant underdog scenarios. The other two -- Memphis and Ole Miss -- are tossup rivalry games. Pat Forde covers college football for the Louisville Courier-Journal. |
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