Mississippi State fooled the so-called experts again in 2001. After underrating the Bulldogs for years only to watch them play in bowl games, the preseason prognosticators decided to give them some respect. Blue Ribbon, among others, picked them to win the Southeastern Conference West Division despite the fact they were going to be reliant on several newcomers on defense.

Once the pollsters got on State’s bandwagon, the Bulldogs slid backward. They won their season opener against Memphis, but then proceeded to lose five straight games, four of them to SEC opponents. The shocker in the losing streak was a 21-9 upset by Troy State, a team that wouldn’t earn full-blown Division I-A status until 2002.

The Bulldogs wound up 3-8 overall and 2-6 in the SEC, missing out on a bowl game for the first time since 1997.

Team Info Location:   Starkville, MS   Conference:   Southeastern (Western)   Last Season:   3-8 (.273)   Conference Record:   2-6 (6th)   Off. Starters Returning:   8  Def. Starters Returning:   7  Nickname:   Bulldogs   Colors:   Maroon & White   Home Field:   Scott Field (40,656)   Head Coach:   Jackie Sherrill (Alabama '66)   Record at School:   70-56-2 (11 years)   Career Record:   175-101-4 (24 years)   Assistants:   Jim Tompkins (Troy State '62) Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers      Glenn Davis (Delta State '82) Running Backs      Joe Lee Dunn (UT-Chattanooga '68) Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Ends      Terry Lewis (Southern '70) Offensive Tackles/Tight Ends      Carroll McCray (Gardner-Webb '83) Centers/Guards      John Hendrick (Pittsburgh ‘81) Defensive Line      Curley Hallman (Texas A&M ‘70) Defensive Backs      Craig Stump (Texas A&M ‘87) Wide Receivers      Sparky Woods (Carson-Newman ‘76) Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks   Team Wins (last 5 yrs.):   10-8-7-5-3   Team Rank (last 5 yrs.):   33-19-12-24-75   2001 Finish:   Lost to BYU in regular-season finale.

What happened? Some players pointed to a lack of team chemistry, and to the fact that not enough leaders stepped forward. Defensively, State slipped significantly as several junior college players were forced to start without having much experience in the system. The Bulldogs went from second in the SEC against the run in 2000 to ninth in 2001, giving up an average of almost 60 more yards per game.

Still, State might have been able to maintain its bowl streak -- if not live up to its lofty preseason expectations -- by holding on against Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas and BYU, teams it led deep into the fourth quarter. Each time, a defensive stop might have altered the outcome. Even if the ‘Dogs had won just three of those four games, they would have been bowl eligible.

Veteran Mississippi State coach Jackie Sherrill was generally pleased with how the Bulldogs addressed their problems in the spring, but he was concerned about his defensive line and his punters.

On the plus side, junior quarterback Kevin Fant showed in the spring game he was recovering nicely from surgery. Running back Dontae Walker was impressive all spring, as were the Bulldogs’ solid group of receivers. The Bulldogs even got a little present from the school’s basketball team in the form of defensive back Michael Gholar.

This fall, State brings in a recruiting haul that includes four Parade All-Americans. Unlike last year, the Bulldogs won’t be so reliant on newcomers. But if the freshmen can provide depth here and there and Fant plays as well as he did late in 2001, State could easily bounce back from 3-8. Given Sherrill’s track record, that record seems more of an aberration than a trend for Bulldog fans to fret over.

Fant (6-2, 212), a junior, got to showcase his skills a year earlier than anticipated. When Wayne Madkin, State’s all-time leading passer, went down with a toe injury last November, Fant (6-2, 212) answered the call. Not particularly effective as a caddy to Madkin earlier in the season, Fant emerged as the man, leading the Bulldogs to a victory over Ole Miss and nearly directing an upset of BYU in a game that turned into a shootout.

Against the Rebels, Fant completed 14-of-21 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown. That yardage total was the most by a Bulldog quarterback in six seasons.

Fant was even better against BYU, piling up 346 yards and three touchdowns while completing 20-of-28 passes. The 346 yards were the fifth most in school history, and the first time in six years a State quarterback passed the 300-yard mark.

Suffice to say Fant’s handiwork in the season’s final two games earned him the starting job in 2002, even though he underwent elbow surgery in the off-season. Despite having started just three games in his career, Fant has gained the respect of his teammates and the confidence of his coaches.

Fant’s ability to come back from the surgery and perform so well in the spring game (18-of-22 passing for 201 yards and four touchdowns) wasn’t lost on his teammates.

Sherrill is hoping Fant’s elbow holds up, and that no more harm befalls him. Fant’s backup is red-shirt freshman Kyle York (6-0, 190).

The Bulldogs lost Dicenzo Miller, who led them in rushing last season with 676 yards, but Sherrill has two options in replacing him.

Senior Dontae Walker (5-10, 225) started two games in 2001 and has played in 35 in his career, piling up 1,727 yards, already 13th on the school’s all-time rushing leader list. He’s also scored 17 touchdowns, 10th all-time at State.

Last season, Walker carried 136 times for 548 yards and five touchdowns. Walker, who has rushed for more than 100 yards in a game seven times in his career, did the deed once last season, picking up 101 yards on 15 carries against Alabama.

Fred Reid (5-9, 180), a sophomore, played in 10 games last season and started once. He picked up 108 yards on 25 carries for the season and also caught eight passes. Reid carried 10 times for 52 yards in the spring game.

"Fred has always shown an awful lot of talent," Sherrill said after the spring game. "You saw some runs today that showed that. In open field it’s going to be hard to corral him."

If the Bulldogs need any help at tailback, it will come from two heralded freshmen, Parade All-Americans Jerious Norwood and Nick Turner . Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming rated State’s incoming group of running backs No. 1 in the nation.

The Bulldogs have two solid, experienced fullbacks in senior Justin Griffith (5-11, 231) and sophomore Darnell Jones (5-11, 247).

The Bulldogs are loaded with quality wide receivers; their top three pass catchers from a year ago return.

Junior Justin Jenkins (6-1, 214) started nine times in 2001 and caught 42 passes for 661 yards and eight touchdowns. Jenkins was 10th in the SEC in receptions per game (3.82). The eight touchdown catches set a school record.

Like Fant, Jenkins stepped up his contributions markedly in the last two games. He caught seven passes for 116 yards against Ole Miss, including a 45-yard reception in the second half that set up a touchdown. In the BYU game, Jenkins caught another seven passes, this time for 133 yards and two touchdowns.

Terrell Grindle (5-10, 191), a senior, was right behind Jenkins with 40 catches. He put together some big games, such as his six-catch, 80-yard effort against South Carolina and a six-catch, 66-yard day against BYU.

Grindle’s backup is sophomore Ray Ray Bivines (5-11, 172), who started 10 games in 2001 after missing the season opener with a hamstring injury. Bivines caught 14 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Sherrill is hoping to take advantage of Bivines’ quickness.

"We’re looking for ways to get the ball in Ray Ray’s hands, and we’ll be doing that more and more," Sherrill said after the spring game.

State has a capable tight end in senior Donald Lee (6-4, 248), who started nine games last year and eight the season before. He caught 16 passes for 192 yards in 2001, 62 yards coming on one play against BYU.

State has a solid nucleus at this position in junior tackle Derrick Thompson (6-6, 294), junior guard Donald Tucker (6-4, 332) and junior center Blake Jones (6-2, 291), all returning starters.

In addition to that trio, sophomore tackle David Stewart (6-6, 294) has starting experience. As a red-shirt freshman in 2001, Stewart played in six games and started three times, against Troy State, LSU and Arkansas.

Thompson has played in 22 games in his career and started 15 times. Last season Thompson started 10 games, and would have made it a clean sweep if not for some knee trouble before the LSU game.

Tucker has played in 15 games for the ‘Dogs and has started six times.

Jones walked on as a freshman and was red-shirted. Since that time, he has played in 12 games, earning six consecutive starts in 2001.

The right guard position will be held down by sophomore Brad Weathers (6-5, 320), who has played in just two games. In 2001, Weathers returned from a church mission in time to go through spring practice with the Bulldogs.

Senior Carl Hutchins (6-5, 206), is the only old-timer on the line. He has played in 16 games in his career that has now spanned five years.

State doesn’t have a lot of depth, which is why Sherrill and his staff hope junior college transfer Manuel Dickson (6-4, 290) and three red-shirt freshmen can help right away.

An interesting battle shaped up during the spring between junior John Michael Marlin (5-8, 155) and well-traveled junior Brent Smith (5-11, 185), a walk-on from Northwest Mississippi Community College who turned down scholarship offers from Memphis, Northwestern and West Virginia. Smith, a Mississippi native, had tried leaving his home state before when he walked on at Tennessee, but eventually left there for Northwest Mississippi, where he was 8-for-14 in field-goal attempts last season. He had a long kick of 51 yards.

In the final spring scrimmage, Smith -- who wasn’t even listed on the Bulldogs’ spring roster -- kicked field goals of 47, 52 and 57 yards and just missed from 62 yards.

By contrast, Marlin, who was 8-of-16 on field goals for the Bulldogs in 2001, missed field goals of 39 and 50 yards in the scrimmage.

After the spring game, Sherrill expressed concern about this position.

"What I’m concerned about now is our defensive line," he said. "We don’t use our hands very well at all, and we just don’t have anybody on our defensive line that’s a bell-cow. Usually in each group you’ll have somebody who will be the person that pushes everybody, and we don’t have that."

Sherrill is hoping to get more consistency from tackles Kahlil Nash (6-4, 281), a senior, and junior Tommy Kelly (6-6, 306). Both transferred to State from junior college in 2001. Nash earned eight starts and came up with 41 tackles and two sacks. Kelly started seven times and made 50 tackles, eight of them for loss, including one sack.

Sophomore Ronald Fields (6-2, 294) started three games as a freshman last season and will take over the starting nose guard job. Fields -- who earned enough respect from his coaches to be inserted into the starting lineup in the opener against Memphis -- was credited with 21 tackles for the season.

Junior Jason Clark (6-1, 244) and sophomore Robert Spivey (6-1, 243) were listed as the starting defensive ends after spring practice. Clark played in all 11 games in 2001 and started four times. He made 32 tackles and was credited with a half sack. Spivey played in five games as a red-shirt freshman and made 19 tackles. His best game came against LSU, when he broke out with seven tackles and a pass breakup.

Dunn, the crafty veteran defensive coordinator, is toying around with a 5-1-5 set this season, so that means only one true linebacker will be on the field. Luckily for the Bulldogs, that lone linebacker is a good one, senior Mario Haggan (6-3, 253), second-team All-SEC last season after earning first-team all-league and All-America honors from The Sporting News the season before.

Haggan started 10 games last season, missing one because of injury, and led the Bulldogs with 95 tackles and 12 tackles for losses totaling 56 yards. Included in that latter number were four sacks totaling 33 yards. Haggan also had 10 quarterback pressures and batted down a pass.

Haggan shifted from linebacker to defensive end during the season with no letdown in his contributions.

Haggan got better as the season progressed, saving his best effort for the last four games. He made 10 tackles against Alabama, then followed that with a career-high 16 tackles against Arkansas. Then, in the win over Ole Miss, Haggan reached double figures again with 10 tackles. He closed out the season with 10 more stops against BYU.

For his career, Haggan has made 240 tackles, 24 of them for loss, and 10 sacks.

Haggan will get solid support from junior T.J. Mawhinney (6-1, 235), who made a big impact last season after transferring from Division I-AA Charleston Southern. Mawhinney wasn’t heavily recruited out of high school, but proved that somebody missed on him after his debut season for State in 2001. Playing in 11 games and starting eight, Mawhinney made 93 tackles, four of them for loss, including one sack.

Seniors Korey Banks , Demetric Wright and Josh Morgan are part of a solid secondary.

Banks (5-11, 183), a physical cornerback, made 48 tackles last season, two for loss. He also intercepted four passes, three of them coming in the final two weeks against Ole Miss and BYU.

Banks was a hero in the win over Ole Miss. With just under 11 minutes to play and State ahead just 22-21, Banks intercepted an Eli Manning pass at the Ole Miss 20-yard line to set up a touchdown. On the Rebels’ next possession, Banks picked off another Manning pass deep in Ole Miss territory. Four plays later, the Rebels scored again to take a 36-21 lead with 5:27 remaining.

Like Banks, Wright (5-10, 170) arrived in 2001 from junior college and made a big impact, starting 10 games at cornerback. He finished with 46 tackles, two interceptions and six pass breakups.

Free safety Morgan (6-1, 199) started 11 games last season and finished third on the team with 79 tackles and second with three interceptions and nine pass deflections. He also led the ‘Dogs with two fumble recoveries, one of which he returned 23 yards for a touchdown against Arkansas.

Other starters in the secondary are junior Milas Randle (6-2, 205) and sophomore Gabe Wallace (5-11, 196). Most of Randle’s work in his first two seasons has been on special teams. Likewise for Wallace, who played in nine games last season and came up with nine tackles.

State’s secondary got a bonus after the basketball season when Gholar (6-5, 200), a senior small forward, decided to come out for football after the Bulldogs were eliminated in the NCAA tournament

State has two punters, but Sherrill wasn’t happy with either of them after the spring game.

Sophomore Jared Cook (5-10, 175) started nine times last season and averaged 40.7 yards per kick, eighth in the SEC and 49th in the nation. Cook had several efficient games in his rookie year. He punted eight times for a 43.9 average against Florida, six times for a 43.2 average against LSU and eight times for a 45.7 average against Arkansas. His long kick of 57 yards came against Florida.

Robert Wallis (5-10, 180), a junior, played in two games last season -- the opener against Memphis and the finale against BYU. He punted three times for a 37.0 average with a long of 45 yards. Wallis started his career at Missouri Valley College.

Last season, Walker returned nine kickoffs for 184 yards, a 20.4 average. That was second on the team to departed defensive back Pig Prather.

Bivines returned 12 punts for 125 yards, a 10.4 average that ranked fourth in the SEC and 45th in the country.

As a team, State was ninth in the league in kickoff returns (20.3), fourth in punt returns (10.6.) and fourth in kickoff coverage (19.7).

The good news about last year’s 3-8 record was that the State coaches could sell playing time. Sherrill and his assistants put together an excellent class that, for a change, was dominated by high school players.

"This class comes as close to meeting our needs as any we’ve had here," Sherrill said. "The speed, size and skill really stand out about this class. The skill players are all gifted athletes, many of whom can play different positions."

State signed four Parade All-Americans, including talented running backs Norwood (6-1, 195) of Brandon (Miss.) High School and Turner (5-11, 190) of Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta. Norwood, ranked the No. 21 player in the country by The Sporting News, rushed for 2,152 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2001. Turner, ranked the No. 25 player in the country by Tom Lemming, was limited by injury to five games last season but still rushed for more than 800 yards and 12 touchdowns. He racked up 5,223 yards and 80 touchdowns in his career.

The other Parade All-Americans signed were Marvin Byrdsong (6-3, 240), a linebacker from Longview (Texas) High School, and defensive back Darren Williams of Clarksdale (Miss.) High School.

Byrdsong, ranked the 17th-best player in the country by Lemming, made 133 tackles, seven sacks and three interceptions in 2001. Williams (6-3, 215) was ranked No. 34 overall and No. 2 among defensive backs by Lemming. He also topped the Jackson Clarion-Ledger’s list of the top ten players in Mississippi.

In all, 19 of the 27 recruits signed by State were from Mississippi. That wasn’t by accident.

After being underrated for so many years, Mississippi State finally earned the respect of the preseason prognosticators in 2001. Blue Ribbon, among others, chose the Bulldogs to win the SEC West and they surprised us and everyone else by finishing sixth with a 2-6 record and a disappointing 3-8 overall.

Team chemistry -- or the lack thereof -- was listed as the culprit. But after a cohesive spring practice, the chemistry problem had seemingly been overcome.

This is a team that, as usual, has a lot of talent, much of it home grown. In Fant, the Bulldogs have a tough and talented quarterback who took a couple of late-season starts in 2001 and ran with them, racking up gaudy statistics and earning the respect of his teammates.

Defensively, State has some stars, most notably linebacker Haggan, an All-SEC player the last two seasons.

Expect the Bulldogs to rebound in 2002, because no one is going to pick them to finish first in the SEC West. They seem to do their best work when they fly under the radar of the forecasters.