A couple of morsels from this morning’s SEC teleconference chat with coach Sylvester Croom:
• Looks like RB Anthony Dixon (groin) won’t be much of a factor this week: “It is a day-by-day situation. I don’t know at this point how much he’ll play or if he’ll play. But having (Christian) Ducre, and having Robert Elliott, too, and even a guy like (Arnil) Stallworth, we have a little more depth there where we can go out and compete and have chance to win, where in the past if we’d lost Dixon, we would’ve had real problems.”
• On simplifying the offense: “We want to simplify some things and really focus on an identity for our offense. We’re going to have to define who we are and stick to that so our guys can get comfortable in the offense.”
• And I’d like to juxtapose that last quote against something WR Jamayel Smith said Tuesday about Croom’s West Coast offense: “It’s hard to learn, but we limit it to a lot of different stuff. We ain’t really doing the whole thing. We’re just doing what we know and what we do best.”
Draw your own conclusions there.
Inside Mississippi State Sports with Brad Locke 
September 17, 2008 at 12:09 pm |
Maybe its too complicated for our “scholar-athletes”. Maybe in its simplifed form, its not complicated enough to stop easily.Its not like this is a new thing, throwing Woody under the bus, its been nearly 5 years with pitiful performance.
September 17, 2008 at 12:10 pm |
To anyone who has complained about MS. State.
WE LOST TO THE # 9 TEAM IN THE COUNTRY BY 1 POINT
QUIT COMPLAINING!
September 17, 2008 at 12:15 pm |
we should have beat them. with any coaching we would have. not to mention auburn is way overated. anyways I give enough money every year so i have the right to complain.
September 17, 2008 at 12:41 pm |
Off topic, but WCBI reported at lunch that you can’t bring your dogs and pets on campus during gameday anymore. Fan unfriendly!!
September 17, 2008 at 12:43 pm |
Obviously, townball, you didn’t watch the game. It was as if Auburn wanted to hand the game over, but we refused to take it. Auburn played pitifully, I don’t care what number you put in front of them. That’s exactly why there shouldn’t be damn rankings until after the second or third week.
We should have won, and any of the other SEC schools would had if they had the same defensive performance.
September 17, 2008 at 12:46 pm |
That’s crazy, draws.
The only sh!t I saw the whole day on campus was on the football field.
What are they gonna do if they catch you with a pet? Taze it? Make you leave?
September 17, 2008 at 12:53 pm |
LOL!! I dunno. Just caught it real quick as I was walking through the living room.
September 17, 2008 at 12:54 pm |
Townball, Im a Croom supporter- but we have the right to complain about McCorvey. We lost by one point because we barely moved the football the length of one fball field-during the entire game.
BTW, isnt finding an identity for your Off. what you do in the Spring, Summer, and Camp? Hmmmmmmmm
September 17, 2008 at 12:58 pm |
Croom’s offense is his personal shout-out to the Civil Rights Era. Because the damn scheme is straight outta the 1960’s!
September 17, 2008 at 1:02 pm |
exactly! i dont see how we are getting recruits now. most kids want to run the spread so they go to schools that run it. it’s gets more players involved and gives them more of a chance to play. im not saying we should run the spread but at least open up a little bit.
September 17, 2008 at 1:03 pm |
I’m tired of Jamayel Smith playing dumb. That’s not the first time that he’s said how hard the offense is to learn. Learning the offense is one thing, but not holding on to the ball and not fighting for the ball is something these sissys at receiver need to do. On that 4th and 15 play, the ball hit them right in the breadbasket. That long pass was disappointing because it was an underthrown ball which gives the advantage to the receiver because he is looking back the whole time. But McRae didn’t gather himself and go up strong for the ball. He at least would have drawn a pass interference, had he gone up like he wanted it. Instead, he tried to wait for the ball to fall in his arms.
September 17, 2008 at 1:12 pm |
I could see how the WCO could have too many plays that are just slightly different, which in turn could have college kids confusing routes. I think the two biggest problems we have are:
1) Carrxl doesn’t scare any defense with his arm. He’s a manager not a gun slinger.
2) Crxxm has got Carrxl rolling out on most passing attempts where he doesn’t have time to plant his feet and at least get as much on it as he can.
If Crxxm does what he says he’s going to do this saturday, by establishing an offensive (Passing) identity I think we put up touchdowns.
Against Auburn I think I saw one comeback route to Mcrae, it looked to me like we were attempting certain plays that had only been practiced and against Auburn’s D that’s not smart especially when your not moving the ball. I think Crxxm’s plan to simplify the offense is good. Run plays that you know you’ve been successful with to establish yourself and put confidence in the kids.
BTW, for those of you who think Tysxn Lee is going to come in and save the day…not going to happen. He played almost the entire 2nd half of the Tech and SELA games and we didn’t score once, not even a field goal. I’d rather have Relf in.
September 17, 2008 at 1:12 pm |
when is houston nutty nutts call in show
September 17, 2008 at 1:17 pm |
“We’re just doing what we know and what we do best.”
Do what? What you know and do best????
September 17, 2008 at 1:18 pm |
Townball these complaints are from an accumalation of things not just the Auburn game! We are in year 5 of this regime and NOTHING has changed! Why should we settle for mediocricy?? hell…we are not even mediocre come to think of it!
September 17, 2008 at 1:20 pm |
52-51
3-2
1-0
157-156
1 Point
I just wish you guys would stop making things worse. I want kids to come to MS. State to play football.
September 17, 2008 at 1:26 pm |
Obviously not if you back McCorvey.
September 17, 2008 at 1:56 pm |
Wanting kids to come to MSU to play football has absolutely NOTHING to do with what we say on this blog and EVERYTHING to do with the way we perform on the field.
After our performance Sat. night, I personally don’t blame Pat Patterson at all for not wanting to explore other options. I don’t care if you have Joe Montana at quarterback, when you are making some of the coaching calls we are making, even he wouldn’t succeed.
September 17, 2008 at 1:58 pm |
We have one of the best running back cores in the nation but yet somehow we have this idea that we need to pass 30 or 40 times to be successful. I can go back to the Rocky Felker days and I don’t ever remember us trying to do that crapp. Hell if Felker had these running backs even he would be smart enough to run down peoples throats.
There….I am off my soapbox
September 17, 2008 at 2:00 pm |
townball,
How can you justify that loss Saturday? Auburn was giving the game to us and our offense did what it “knows and does best”….
September 17, 2008 at 2:02 pm |
By the way….This is Crooms idea of “opening up the offense.” I haven’t forgotten that statement from the pre-season.
September 17, 2008 at 2:26 pm |
Yeah Croom needs to get a little more creative. A wildcat type formation with Pegues or Elliot would be good to have. Maybe a different QB like Relf or Lee? Carroll is not SEC material. Croom stuck it out with Henig until it was way obvious and now he’s doing the same with Carroll. I understand sticking with a QB so you don’t hurt his confidence, but eventually you just have to forget it.
September 17, 2008 at 3:03 pm |
I would have been upset about this game even if we would have had hit a field goal and won 5-2. The offense is abysmall and inexcusable for a SEC school…
September 17, 2008 at 3:15 pm |
townball, sorry man but you have no argument here…and if we would have lost 52-51 at least we would be complaining about something other than the offense like we have for the last five years…but we didnt, we lost 3-2 BECAUSE of the same problem we have had since croom has been here….the bottom line is that the facts are on the table and the offensive scheme and coordinator cannot cut it at state…just not going to happen…roastbeef, relf and lee are not very good…lee looked completely lost during the la tech game and there was talk about relf getting cut a couple of weeks ago…all this stuff coming from croom is just smoke up our rears because it is obvious that croom and mccorvey have no clue how to fix this, they are just reaching….
September 17, 2008 at 3:29 pm |
You can’t tell me Lee is worse than Carroll. I watched both play in that LA Tech game. Lee looked a lot more poised than Carroll and was smarter with the football. Croom praised Lee throughout the offseason but now isn’t really giving him a fair chance. There is no way you can honestly tell me Carroll is the best answer for them at QB.
September 17, 2008 at 3:30 pm |
That La Tech game will come back to bite us. I just went through the schedule again, and IF and only IF, some offense comes from somewhere 7 wins might be able to be eeked out. It will come down to winning in Oxford of whether will be 6-6 or 7-5, ASSUMING that there are not any meltdowns to Middle Tennessee or Vandy
It may sound like I’ve had the Kool-Aid, but if we can beat somebody that we’re not supposed to beat (LSU, UT, Alabama) 8 wins are still not out of the question. Ga Tech is a MUST win
September 17, 2008 at 3:30 pm |
Maybe they can bring Al Sharpton in. He’s known to be VERY offensive.
September 17, 2008 at 3:38 pm |
Looks like a happy bunch up there in Starkville today.
September 17, 2008 at 3:47 pm |
dc31,
I want what your drinking. Can I buy it at Kroger or is it something you’ve got brewing deep in the woods? lol
September 17, 2008 at 3:52 pm |
Anybody been to the The Pony on Hwy 45? Be honest.
September 17, 2008 at 3:53 pm |
dc31, the LaTech game already bit us. Don’t give too much credit to Bama either — after all, we’ve beaten them the last 2 yrs with the same anemic offense, and I think our D is better than last yr.
September 17, 2008 at 3:53 pm |
What’s that? It must’ve been hard to see from the road or something.
September 17, 2008 at 4:04 pm |
Yeah, we’ve beaten them the last 2 yrs, but they have this one circled and it’s in T-Town. I was in T-Town when were 8-0 and I’ve seen how politics and penalty flags can change the outcome of big games in that city.
Reference: Pig Prather’s long punt return called back
Reference: Numerous holding calls missed on Bama
September 17, 2008 at 4:06 pm |
“If we can beat somebody we’re supposed to beat…” – dc31
Who exactly will we be favored against from here on out? Don’t say MTSU. They almost knocked off Kentucky and beat Maryland the week before. When it only takes 10 points from the opposition to guarantee victory, it’s tough to win a game.
September 17, 2008 at 4:09 pm |
When you get south of West Point, just roll down the window and follow your nose.
September 17, 2008 at 4:15 pm |
Somebody we’re NOT supposed to beat
September 17, 2008 at 4:17 pm |
“IF and only IF we get some Offense from somewhere” dc31
September 17, 2008 at 4:18 pm |
I’m just kidding TGL. You can see that place from outer space.
September 17, 2008 at 4:20 pm |
Yeah, pretty much. The sign is usually the first white face you see after passing through West Point.
September 17, 2008 at 4:57 pm |
Enuff is enuff – time for a change (I’m not running for president or VP, or backing anyone).
Either we have a O-Coordinator that does not how to call plays – or players that cannto execute them.
How many high schools and colleges in the SE run the WC offensive? Got to have something to base your recuriting and game plan on.
I recall in high school our coach having to change game plans based on the players talent & ability.
Besides having a Wxxdy problem, if you do not have an offensive line – you are not going to be successful no matter what game plan you have.
Those guys that are in the trenches – both sides of the line – are the keys – if it was not for them there would be no Joe Montanas or Earl Campbells.
September 17, 2008 at 5:26 pm |
roast, i honestly do think carroll is the best option we have right now….lee did not looked poised during the la tech game…he looked lost and jittery (word?)….and he cost us 6 points in that game because he could have made a first down right before the first half was over but instead made a slide 3 yards short of the first down…its hard to have a good QB when the QB is smarter than the retard calling the plays….oh and no way we win 8 games this year…im realistically thinking 3-4….and hopefully a bye bye to the staff IF that happens, hope it doesnt…if croom stays, at least get rid of wxxdy….potential 20-39 record does not merit keeping your job….