Obviously, most of the talk centered around the MSU offense, which totaled 407 yards but got only one touchdown in Saturday’s 38-7 loss to Georgia Tech.
• Coach Sylvester Croom said that redshirt freshman Robert Elliott, who had 70 total yards and a touchdown, is now the No. 2 tailback behind Anthony Dixon. That drops Christian Ducre to No. 3. Croom cited too many mental errors by Ducre. “I saw (Elliott) get stronger as the game went along. It’s not that Christian won’t play, but right now Robert is going to be the second guy.”
• Injuries update: K Eric Richards (hip) will practice today, but his status for the LSU game is unknown. RG Michael Gates (leg) won’t practice today, and although Croom expects him to play Saturday, Craig Jenkins could get the starting nod there. TE Marcus Green (hip) is out again this week.
• Croom said he talked last week with injured senior LB Jamar Chaney about the possibility of redshirting and coming back next year. Chaney hasn’t told Croom one way or the other, but Croom wants a decision by Dec. 1.
• Croom on his offense: “We’ll get more people involved that haven’t played.”
• On the quarterbacks, Wesley Carroll and Tyson Lee, he said, “I thought (Lee) and Wes performed about the same, in a lot of areas they were the same quarterback.” Carroll was 14-for-22 for 120 yards and two INTs; Lee was 17-for-27 for 179 yards and no picks.
• On the offensive line: “None of those guys are playing badly, but none of those guys are playing great. We have a breakdown here, a breakdown there.”
• On LSU’s win against Auburn: “I saw LSU run the football out of the two-back set, they ran ball well there. Their quarterback is making plays with his feet, probably more than the last two they had. He’s also making some very good throws.”
• Here’s a hint about what tomorrow’s column will cover. Said Croom, “We’re still a football team that relies hard on discipline, all those intangible qualities we talk about all the time. We’re not good enough to compete in this conference without those things.”
Inside Mississippi State Sports with Brad Locke 
September 22, 2008 at 11:08 am |
Lee’s stat-line sure doesn’t look the same as Carroll’s!
September 22, 2008 at 11:22 am |
“We’re not good enough to compete in this conference without those things”
And who’s fault is that, Coach? In year number 5 and we’re still hearing the same stuff.
September 22, 2008 at 11:24 am |
Coach Croom needs some new glasses. I sure as heck didn’t see the same QB in Carroll as I did in Lee. Carroll threw almost every pass poorly. West Coast Offense doesn’t work if you don’t hit receivers in stride. Stopping, waiting and catching balls thrown behind you kill the offense. Croom just too stubborn to admit his mistake at QB.
September 22, 2008 at 11:39 am |
Crxxms must be Croomed.
September 22, 2008 at 11:59 am |
Lee is our QB (period)
He is covering Carroll so he can at least get the start vs LSU, and then be pulled on the 3rd possession for Lee
September 22, 2008 at 12:26 pm |
I’ve had so much smoke blown up my a** these past few weeks…. two words…bullsh……
September 22, 2008 at 1:05 pm |
“intanglibe qualities” = getting lucky
That’s a problem I have with Croom. It’s year 5, and he still picks who is gonna play from week-to-week by the seat of his pants. I can understand a QB position, but with him, it’s EVERY position. Wouldn’t you think that causes a lot of team inconsistency?
“Well, Joe Bob practiced well and did some good things on Tuesday, so I think we’ll give him a shot on Saturday.”
September 22, 2008 at 1:08 pm |
Next MSU Head Football Coach= Major Applewhite
September 22, 2008 at 1:10 pm |
What’s up with throwing Christian Ducre under the bus?
September 22, 2008 at 1:36 pm |
Lane Kiffin is set to become available today. We should bring him in and see if he would like to “help out” the team until the season ends? Just a thought…..
September 22, 2008 at 1:38 pm |
Why in the hell would Lane Kiffin want to come “help out” a 1-3 SEC team in the middle of nowhere Mississippi? Please tell me you were joking…or that maybe the worst post I’ve read….EVER
September 22, 2008 at 2:05 pm |
Go Dixie Thunder!!!!
September 22, 2008 at 2:28 pm |
My choices in order of preference(not that they would even want to come to MSU)
1. Dave Christenson- Missouri OC
2. Dan Mullins- Florida OC
3. Chris Peterson- Boise St
4. Chris Hatcher- Ga Southern
5. Todd Graham- Tulsa
6. Chuck Martain- Grand Valley St.
7. Mike Leach- Texas Tech
September 22, 2008 at 2:42 pm |
I live in Tulsa and think that Graham would be a great replacement for Croom…
September 22, 2008 at 2:47 pm |
You left off Major Applewhite
September 22, 2008 at 3:18 pm |
TIME FOR CROOM TO GO! ALSO THE AD AND SCHOOL PRES. WHO DOUBLED HIS SALARY AND EXTENDED HIS CONTRACT NEED TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. THEY COULD HAVE HIRED A GOOD COACH FOR $1.8 MIL/YR
September 22, 2008 at 3:21 pm |
MSU21 now that was the worst blog ever. Major Applewhite please tell me you where joking….
September 22, 2008 at 3:27 pm |
Hmmm…he’s a proven OC in big-time college football….would be a hungry…no holds bar-type recruiter because of his age…kids would love to play for him especially offensive guys looking to put up big numbers in college! The sky is the limit with this kid….never underestimate a guy who played successfully for a school like Texas even though he was highly under-sized…kid’s got heart and brains! Now…take a seat desertpup..i’m done!
September 22, 2008 at 3:29 pm |
WITHOUT A DOUBT, IT’S TIME FOR CROOM TO GO! ALSO, THE AD AND SCHOOL PRES. WHO DOUBLED HIS SALARY AND EXTENDED HIS CONTRACT NEED TO DEPART AS WELL. NOBODY WAS TRYING TO HIRE HIM AWAY AND THEY COULD HAVE HIRED A GOOD COACH FOR $I.8 MIL/YR.
September 22, 2008 at 3:36 pm |
MSU12 he a proven loser in big time football. Yes I agree he would be hungry–do we really need another Alabama reject. No holds barred recruiter and sky is the limit with this kid said it all- No experience and unable to show the transition from player as a player to being a good enough coach. I liked him at Alabama but not for State. Why are you all on Applewhite’s jock….nevermind..I won’t ask and don’t tell me.
September 22, 2008 at 3:41 pm |
Because I’m tired of us bringing in these old-school..old-fashioned type coaches…that will do everything the “right way”. Success is not measured by building a program the “right or wrong way”…it’s measured strictly by WINS or LOSES preacha man!! Lets go with someone maybe less-proven…hell lets take a chance on a young guy
September 22, 2008 at 3:47 pm |
Sorry msu21. We’ve already taken a chance on a “less-proven” coach. He’s name is Sylvester Croom. Next coach must be a proven one.
September 22, 2008 at 3:52 pm |
2thDoc-I like you list —it took me a minute to think…I should have put Leach from Texas Tech on my Coach’s list as well. The last time I checked there is a coach at Florida that has done it the “right” way and won a national championship. Granted we are not Florida but why should that stop us from trying. I am off my soap box now. Have a nice day…I have to get back to work now.
September 22, 2008 at 4:05 pm |
msu21, no offense (no pun intended) but those are similar things UM said about Orgeron.
Now that bastard was no-holds barred!
September 22, 2008 at 4:22 pm |
There are many, many bright young coordinators and a few current head coaches who would think about coming to Starkville for 1.8 million a year. The next hire we make should not be a guy we have to wonder about. It should be a hire that we know is good based on past performances.
The days of MSU taking chances on assistant coaches should be long gone!
September 22, 2008 at 4:28 pm |
deaddawg, the President and AD who did are no longer with the University. One resigned and the other was pretty much fired.
September 22, 2008 at 5:07 pm |
Off subject here but just a minor note to cnd46: You going to debate? JB
September 22, 2008 at 5:17 pm |
I would have to add Skip Holtz to the list.
September 22, 2008 at 5:32 pm |
Now JB, you know a Republican wouldn’t want to go to an ass-whuppin like that.
I’m just messing with ya.
It’s hard to beat a guy in a debate when he constantly diverts away from the topics and always points at the opponent to take the attention off himself.
September 22, 2008 at 5:32 pm |
Michael Wardlaw
Maroon & White Magazine
Too Much at Stake. . .(excerts)
Far too often in recent years, the Bulldogs just wanted the day to end. Hoping that when the sun comes up tomorrow things would be better…only to be disappointed in the sports arena once again.
At first it seemed as if this energized fanbase would pay large dividends for Sylvester Croom and his football program. After all they were coming off a Bowl win and promised great things this fall.
However, as it turns out the passion for change that was present in the Spring is now on hand in the fall. State fans learned that if you voice your opinion loud enough you will be heard as evidence by the hiring of John Cohen as the baseball coach.
State supporters are now asking for changes within the football program – crying enough is enough.
Despite desperate pleas…change is not close at hand.
On this morning’s teleconference Coach Croom mentioned he is still in the process of his self-evaluation and would continue that through this week of practice. He also mentioned how his team was playing hard, they were just making too many mistakes at crucial times. Leaving me to believe we will see no significant change in the near future.
If you keep doing what you’re doing…you’ll keep getting the same results – right?
Now where does that leave us?
I will not give up on this team and this program. Mississippi State is bigger than that. I will not stop supporting these players and coaches. However, I will demand they improve! Mississippi State University deserves better… plain and simple.
Greg Byrne has accepted the challenge of leading Mississippi State Athletics and I trust that he will. If and when the time comes that major decisions have to be made I am confident he will make the difficult decisions. He has proven early on that he will do just that.
Fans: We shall see!
September 22, 2008 at 5:41 pm |
TGL, trying to slip in under the radar, didn’t want to get you back upon the soapbox this early in the day. Beside did not want to disturb my good friends from the dawg pound. Gota get back over to Rebel territory, gona be a hot time in the swamp Sat.
September 22, 2008 at 7:35 pm |
Major Applewhite? Are you kidding me? What has he done other than kick our a$$, with a little help from Ricky Williams, in the ’99 Cotton Bowl. He couldn’t cut it under Saban and is now, what, the RB coach at TX?
What about these coaches (in no particular order)?
-Pat Hill, Fresno St current salary = $1.25M
-Gary Patterson, TCU, $1.3M
-Bronco Mendenhall, BYU, $650k
-Brian Kelly, Cincinnati, $1.2M
September 22, 2008 at 8:38 pm |
I will be going up to Oxford for the main party with the Republican Party.
September 22, 2008 at 8:38 pm |
And I love Bronco Mendenhall, just not sure he would leave BYU anytime soon.
September 22, 2008 at 9:48 pm |
How about Lou Holtz or Mike Ditka?
September 22, 2008 at 10:49 pm |
spaeghost, good post…applewhite is NOT even close…i like your list a lot, even more if you add skip holtz to the list…
September 22, 2008 at 11:05 pm |
Anybody know how much Zook makes at Illinois? I’m not saying we should try to get him, but how much can they dish out for a coach?
September 23, 2008 at 12:56 am |
cnd, you are braver than me if you closer than 5 miles to this debate. TGL are you kidding me!! ZooK!! Hell crxxm can beat zook.
September 23, 2008 at 6:34 am |
Evidently, you didn’t read the whole post. I was more curious how much a program that had pretty much sucked like Illinois can pay a coach.
I guess you’re one of those that thinks MSU can go out there and get a high-profile coach. That’s a joke. Nobody wants to f**king come here.
September 23, 2008 at 7:07 am |
Well, it’s called me getting there about 9 am.
September 23, 2008 at 7:49 am |
TGL said “I guess you’re one of those that thinks MSU can go out there and get a high-profile coach. That’s a joke. Nobody wants to f**king come here.”
Well said. I always laugh when I see some of the names on the list people post. Why would Skip Holtz, a guy with a good reputation and that has a program on the move, want to come here? If/when he takes another job, it will be with a big name school in a conference he can win in. We are doomed folks. We are MSU.
September 23, 2008 at 1:12 pm |
ANYBODY and I repeat, ANYBODY would be better as a football coach than what we’ve got. Hell, stick a headseat on the mascot and he’ll do better than current staff.