2002 SEC Football Previews

 
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    MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY "BULLDOGS"

    QUICK FACTS

    Location: Starkville, Miss.
    Founded: 1878
    Enrollment: 16,878
    Stadium: Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field (52,884)
    Interim President: Dr. J. Charles Lee (North Carolina State, '64)
    Faculty Representative: Dr. Kirk Arnett (Mississippi State, '68)
    Athletics Director: Larry Templeton (Mississippi State, '69)
    Head Football Coach: Jackie Sherrill (Alabama, '66)
    Off. / Def. Systems: Multiple I / 5-2
    All-Time Record: 459-470-39 (.494)
    SEC Championships: 1 (1941)
    Bowl App. / Record: 12 / 6-6 (.500)

    2001 IN REVIEW

    2001 Record: 3-8 (.273) (3-4 H, 0-4 A)
    SEC Record/Finish: 2-6 (2-2 H, 0-4 A) / 6th Western
    Bowl: None
    National Ranking: Not Ranked
    Home Attendance: 296,456 (42,351)

    SEC/NCAA Statistical Rankings
    Total Offense: 11th / 93rd (343.5)
    Rushing Offense: 10th / 79th (128.6)
    Passing Offense: 8th / 62nd (214.9)
    Scoring Offense: 12th / 108th (17.8)
    Total Defense: 7th / 59th (371.5)
    Rushing Defense: 9th / 64th (156.9)
    Pass Efficiency Defense: 10th / 87th (132.3)
    Scoring Defense: 9th / 65th (26.2)


    2001 RESULTS
    (3-8 Overall -- 2-6 SEC) 

    Sept. 3		MEMPHIS (ESPN2)		45,662	 W	30-10
Sept. 20	SOUTH CAROLINA (ESPN)	43,579	 L	14-16
Sept. 29	at Florida (CBS)	85,579	 L	0-52
Oct. 6		at Auburn (ESPN2)	86,063	 L	14-16
Oct. 13		TROY STATE		26,000	 L	9-21
Oct. 20		LSU (ESPN2)		45,514	 L	0-42
Nov. 3		KENTUCKY		41,433	 W	17-14
Nov. 10		at Alabama (JP)		83,818	 L	17-24
Nov. 17		at Arkansas		67,314	 L	21-24
Nov. 22		OLE MISS (ESPN)		51,112	 W	36-28
Dec. 1		BRIGHAM YOUNG (ESPN2)	43,156	 L	38-41


    2001 STATISTICAL LEADERS 

    RUSHING    	G    	ATT  	YDS  	AVG  	PG	TD	
D. Miller	9	132	676	5.1	75.1	4
* D. Walker	11	136	548	4.0	49.8	5
* F. Reid	10	25	108	4.3	10.8	0
Miss. State	11	397	1415	3.6	128.6	10
Opponents	11	445	1726	3.9	156.9	14	
 
PASSING		G    	ATT  	CMP  	INT  	PCT  	YDS	TD
* K. Fant	9	170	94	9	55.3	1352	8
W. Madkin	8	185	93	7	50.3	1012	5
Miss. State	11	355	187	16	52.7	2364	13
Opponents	11	311	170	13	54.7	2360	21

RECEIVING	G	REC	YDS	AVG	RPG	TD	
* J. Jenkins	11	42	661	15.7	3.8	8
* T. Grindle	11	40	463	11.6	3.6	0
D. Miller	9	19	337	17.7	2.1	3
* D. Lee	11	16	197	12.3	1.5	0
Miss. State	11	187	2364	12.6	17.0	13
Opponents	11	170	2360	13.9	15.5	21

PUNTING		NO   	YDS  	AVG  	LP	BLK
* J. Cook	60	2445	40.7	63	1
Miss. State	64	2556	39.9	63	1
Opponents	51	2004	39.3	57	1

KO RETURNS	NO   	YDS  	AVG  	TD   	LP
P. Prather	25	569	22.8	0	50
* D. Walker	9	184	20.4	0	39
Miss. State	47	952	20.3	0	50
Opponents	36	710	19.7	0	30

PUNT RETURNS	NO   	YDS  	AVG  	TD   	LP
* R. Bivines	12	125	10.4	0	41
Miss. State	20	213	10.6	1	41
Opponents	33	341	10.3	0	35

TACKLES			TOTAL		TFL		SACKS	INT	FC-FR
* M. Haggan		95 (62-33)	12 (-56)	4 (-33)	 0	0-0
* T.J. Mawhinney	93 (47-46)	4 (-11)		1 (-7)	 1	1-0
* J. Morgan		79 (50-29)	5 (-10)		0	 3	0-2	
P. Prather		71 (57-14)	3 (-14)		2 (-11)	 1	2-0
S. Byrdsong		66 (39-27)	6 (-29)		3 (-21)	 1	2-0
    * - Returning Player

    TEAM INFORMATION

    LETTERMEN
    Returning: 55 (23 Offense, 28 Defense, 4 Specialists)
    Lost: 18 (8 Offense, 9 Defense, 1 Specialist)

    STARTERS RETURNING -- 21
    Offense (8):
    SE Terrell Grindle (5-10, 191, Sr.)
    TE Donald Lee (6-4, 248, Sr.)
    LT Derrick Thompson (6-6, 294, Jr.)
    C Blake Jones (6-2, 291, Jr.)
    FL Justin Jenkins (6-1, 214, Jr.)
    OG Donald Tucker (6-4, 332, Jr.)
    FB Justin Griffith (5-11, 231, Sr.)*
    FB Darnell Jones (5-11, 247, So.)
    Defense (7):
    LE Mario Haggan (6-3, 253, Sr.)
    NG Kahlil Nash (6-4, 281, Sr.)
    RT Tommy Kelly (6-6, 306, Jr.)
    LB T.J. Mawhinney (6-1, 235, Jr.)
    LCB Demetric Wright (5-10, 170, Sr.)
    FS Josh Morgan (6-1, 199, Sr.)
    RCB Korey Banks (5-11, 175, Sr.)
    Specialists (6):
    P Jared Cook (5-10, 175, So.)
    PK John Michael Marlin (5-8, 155, Jr.)
    SN Kevin Sijansky (6-2, 278, Sr.)
    H Davey Crawley (5-9, 182, Sr.)
    KOR Dontae Walker (5-10, 225, Sr.)
    PR Ray Ray Bivines (5-11, 172, So.)

    STARTERS LOST -- 9
    Offense (5):
    LG Courtney Lee (6-4, 327, Sr.)
    RG Tommy Watson (6-4, 292, Sr.)
    RT Kenric Fairchild (6-4, 318, Sr.)
    TB Dicenzo Miller (5-10, 213, Sr.)
    QB Wayne Madkin (6-4, 221, Sr.)
    Defense (4):
    LT Dorsett Davis (6-6, 303, Sr.)
    RE Conner Stephens (6-4, 260, Sr.)
    LDS Pig Prather (6-2, 186, Sr.)
    RDS Shawn Byrdsong (5-9, 186, Sr.)
    Specialists (0)

    NOTE: Specialists include kicker, punter, holder, snapper, punt returner and kickoff returner if they are not already listed at another offensive or defensive position.
    *-Starter at Fullback in 2000.

    2002 SCHEDULE 

    Aug. 31		at Oregon		Eugene
Sept. 14	JACKSONVILLE STATE	STARKVILLE
Sept. 19	AUBURN			STARKVILLE
Sept. 28	at LSU			Baton Rouge
Oct. 5		at South Carolina	Columbia
Oct. 12		TROY STATE		STARKVILLE
Oct. 19		at Memphis		Memphis
Nov. 2		KENTUCKY		STARKVILLE
Nov. 9		at Alabama		Tuscaloosa
Nov. 16		TENNESSEE		STARKVILLE
Nov. 23		ARKANSAS		STARKVILLE
Nov. 28		at Ole Miss		Oxford

    COACH JACKIE SHERRILL

    Alma Mater: Alabama (1966)
    Coaching Experience: Alabama Graduate Assistant 1966; Arkansas Assistant Coach 1967-68; Iowa State Assistant Coach 1968-73; Pittsburgh Assistant Coach 1973-75; Washington State Head Coach 1976; Pittsburgh Head Coach 1977-81; Texas A&M Head Coach 1982-88; Mississippi State Head Coach 1991-Present.

    SHERRILL YEAR-BY-YEAR 

    Year	School		Conf.	 Pct.	All	Pct.	Bowl
1976	Wash. State	 2-5	.286	 3-8	.273
1977	Pittsburgh			 9-2-1	.792	Gator
1978	Pittsburgh			 8-4	.667	Tangerine
1979	Pittsbugh			11-1	.917	Fiesta
1980	Pittsburgh			11-1	.917	Gator
1981	Pittsburgh			11-1	.917	Sugar
1982	Texas A&M	 3-5	.375	 5-6	.455
1983	Texas A&M	 4-3-1	.563	 5-5-1	.500
1984	Texas A&M	 3-5	.375	 6-5	.545
1985	Texas A&M	 7-1	.875	10-2	.833	Cotton
1986	Texas A&M	 7-1	.875	 9-3	.750	Cotton
1987	Texas A&M	 6-1	.857	10-2	.833	Cotton
1988	Texas A&M	 6-1	.857	 7-5	.583
1991	Miss. State	 4-3	.571	 7-5	.583	Liberty
1992	Miss. State	 4-4	.500	 7-5	.583	Peach
1993	Miss. State	 3-4-1	.438	 4-5-2	.455
1994	Miss. State	 5-3	.625	 8-4	.667	Peach
1995	Miss. State	 1-7	.125	 3-8	.273
1996	Miss. State	 3-5	.375	 5-6	.455
1997	Miss. State	 4-4	.500	 7-4	.636	
1998	Miss. State	 6-2	.750	 8-5	.615	Cotton
1999	Miss. State	 6-2	.750	10-2	.833	Peach
2000	Miss. State	 4-4	.500	 8-4	.667	Independence
2001	Miss. State	 2-6	.250	 3-8	.273
TOTALS			80-66-2	.547   175-101-4.632	24 Years
Miss. State Record	42-44-1	.489	70-56-2	.555	11 Years
Texas A&M Record	36-17-1	.676	52-28-1	.648	7 Years
Pittsburgh Record			50-9-1	.842	5 Years
Wash. State Record	2-5	.286	 3-8	.273	1 Year
Bowl Record		                 8-6 (.571) 
                                         [2-1 Texas A&M; 4-1 Pitt; 2-4 MSU]

    BULLDOG ASSISTANT COACHES

    Sparky Woods (Carson-Newman, 1976) - Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
    Joe Lee Dunn (UT-Chattanooga, 1968) - Defensive Coordinator/Def. Ends
    Terry Lewis (Southern, 1970) - Tight Ends/Offensive Tackles
    Glenn Davis (Delta State, 1982) - Running Backs
    John Hendrick (Pittsburgh, 1981) - Defensive Line
    Jim Tompkins (Troy State, 1962) - Asst. Head Coach/Linebackers
    Curley Hallman (Texas A&M, 1970) - Defensive Backs
    Carroll McCray (Gardner-Webb, 1983) - Centers/Offensive Guards
    Craig Stump (Texas A&M, 1987) - Wide Receivers

    TOP RETURNEES

    LB MARIO HAGGAN * 6-3, 253, Sr., Clarksdale, Miss.
    Led Bulldogs in total tackles with 95 (62 solos) in 2001 ... Also had 12 tackles for losses (-56), including four sacks (-33) ... Named second-team All-SEC by AP ... Had six double figure tackle games in 2001, including season-best 16 against Arkansas ... Had six games with at least one tackle for loss.

    FS JOSH MORGAN * 6-1, 199, Sr., Vicksburg, Miss.
    Had 79 tackles (50 solos), including 5 for losses (-10) in 2001 ... Also had 3 interceptions, 9 pass deflections and 2 fumble recoveries ... Named first-team All-SEC by Football News and second-team by AP ... Posted season-best 12 tackles against BYU.