July 1997 Unofficial MSU Football Skuttle-Butt

I just want to say from personal observations, our players and Coach Sherrill represented MSU extremely well. Coach Sherrill was very articulate and answered every question while looking you straight in the eye. After leaving the radio room, where all the radio people were, he answered more questions outside the doors. Anyone that had a question got an answer from him. All in all, I was very impressed with him as I think all the other media types were. He and his players did MSU proud.

07/29/97 - This is the Mobile Register's predictions as of July 27th compiled from 14 Sportswriters on their staff. First place votes are in parentheses and total points afterward.

East
1. Florida (11) 80 points
2. Tennessee (3) 72
3. Georgia 49
4. South Carolina 49
5. Kentucky 22
6. Vanderbilt 21

West
1. LSU (6) 72
2. Auburn (5) 71
3. Alabama (30 64
4. Mississippi State 32
5. Mississippi 31
6. Arkansas 24

Their Preseason All SEC Team:

OFFENSE
QB Peyton Manning Sr. 6-5 215 Tennessee
RB Kevin Faulk Jr. 5-10 192 LSU
RB Dennis Riddle Sr. 6-0 195 Alabama
WR Jacques Green Jr. 5-9 163 Florida
WR Marcus Nash Sr. 6-3 190 Tennessee
TE Rufus French So. 6-5 225 Mississippi
OL Matt Stichcomb Jr. 6-7 280 Georgia
OL Alan Faneca Jr. 6-5 310 LSU
OL Robert Hicks Sr. 6-8 352 Mississippi State
OL Victor Riley Sr. 6-5 321 Auburn
OL Jamar Nesbit Jr. 6-3 303 South Carolina
PK Jeff Hall Jr. 6-0 182 Tennessee

DEFENSE
DL Leonard Little Sr. 6-3 238 Tennessee
DL Chuck Wiley Sr. 6-4 274 LSU
DL Michael Myers Sr. 6-3 270 Alabama
DL Ed Chester Jr. 6-4 274 Florida
LB Takeo Spikes Jr. 6-2 228 Auburn
LB Jamie Duncan Sr. 6-1 235 Vanderbilt
LB Greg Bright Sr. 6-2 225 Georgia
DB Deshea Townsend Sr. 5-10 180 Alabama
DB Eric Brown Sr. 6-1 201 Mississippi State
DB Fred Weary Sr. 5-10 180 Florida
DB Terry Fair Sr. 5-11 175 Tennessee
P Chad Kessler Sr. 6-1 197 LSU

07/28/97 - Here are some highlights from a Keffer McGee article by Commerical Dispatch (Columbus, MS) Assistant Sports Editor Danny Smith:

Keffer will go through two-a-days practices with his teammates.

Doctor Linton, the surgeon who preformed McGee's surgery, said Keffer should be 90 to 95% by the start of the season. Linton also said he doesn't see any difference in Keffer's ability to cut and adjust, but says there may be some stiffness in the knee.

New MSU strength coach Mike Grant said he can't see any difference between Keffer and anybody else. He's been able to do everything, including running routes.

The off-season rehab hasn't hurt Keffer's school work as he was chosen to the SEC Academic Honor Roll for the third time.

07/26/97 - Here's a joke Coach Sherrill told at the Central Miss. Extravaganza the other night. Quote - "When I first arrived at MSU Coach Polk walked into my office with a list of former Mississippi State football coaches and asked me when I was leaving. I told him I would still be coaching here long after you are gone. Well, here I am and I do not plan on leaving anytime soon." He also mentioned he and his wife, Peggy, are building a house in Starkville.

BTW, I want to say thanks to the person who emailed me this information. For some reason I can't get any emails through to you. I look forward to more of your emails. They are very informative. Also, thanks for the website compliment.

07/26/97 - More Extravaganza information: MSU signee Jamaal Dinkins told a source of mine that he is upset that Ole Miss is claiming that he committed to them when, in fact, he never did. BTW, every one of the people who had a chance to talk with Jamaal at the meeting came away highly impressed with him. He is very articulate. One source mentioned that he is very excited about playing at State and can't wait to report next week. This same source said he is a very solid, well built young man.

Also, here's more info. on the circumstances surrounding the academic standing of MSU signee Dorsett Davis. According to my source, Davis' high school submitted a list of "approved" courses to the Clearinghouse last year. Since then, they changed the name, but not the content, of one of the courses. When this new course appeared on Dorsett's transcript (but not the old) they ruled that he did not have the core credits. An explanation has been sent in, but no response from the Clearinghouse has been received. If it is approved, Davis, along with Kenric Fairchild, will both come in as partial qualifiers. They can practice with the team but can't play in any games. They will be classified as sophomores next season.

Jackie Sherrill also said the wide receiver combination of the two Kevins, Cooper and Prentiss, will be as good a combination as Willie Harris and Eric Moulds. Jackie also said the combination of Keffer McGee and James Johnson would be a better combination than the Michael Davis and Kevin Bouie because both have better speed. Jackie is very high on Johnson and expects him to turn heads in the SEC this year. He also said juco defensive back Lamon Dumas has recovered and ready to go, but will have to fight for playing time because MSU is so deep at defensive back this year. Jackie also said this year's offensive line has a good chance to be as good as the 1994 line.

07/25/97 - This information comes from the Central Mississippi Extravaganza, which was held last night. According to Coach Jackie Sherrill, one of our football signees has to be cleared by the NCAA National Clearinghouse. If he is, then all of our football signees will be eligible. Who is this one signee? I only wish I knew. I assume it is either Dorsett Davis or Kenric Fairchild, since all the other signees are supposed to be eligible. BTW, Coach Sherrill said MSU interprets the signees core gpa to be good enough to qualify, but doesn't have any idea what the Clearinghouse will decide.

07/25/97 - Look for MSU wide receiver Juco signee Kevin Cooper, who is 6-4, 205-lbs. with tremendous speed according to Coach Amedee, to be a big-play guy along with Kevin Prentiss. Cooper, who had a knee injury last year, will be 100% healthy by the beginning of the season according to Amedee and other sources of mine. My sources say that Cooper has been working out very hard to get ready for the upcoming season and they also say Cooper is as good as Prentiss and possibly better. From what I have heard about our new offensive scheme, these guys are going to put a lot of pressure on the opposing teams secondary. They are both so fast and quick it will be very difficult for any one man to cover either one of them.

Another player to watch this upcoming season is DL John Hilliard. John, according to the coaches and players, has improved a great deal since this past season, and will be one of our better players. I have been told this guy has a chance to have a big impact this coming season. He is not one of the starters at the moment, but he will add great depth to the defensive line. And who knows, he may win himself a starting position. Maybe we will see this year why John was considered the top defensive player in Texas, and one of the best in the nation, before hurting his knee during his senior year.

07/25/97 - More information from Coaches Amedee and Dunn: They are both very impressed with new strength coach Mike Grant, someone I have mentioned several times recently. They say he has done an outstanding job this summer getting our players in excellent physical condition for the upcoming season.

07/24/97 - Found this article about MSU signee Floyd Womack in The Clarion-Ledger. Staff writer Todd Kelly wrote it:

Lenna Womack nicknamed her youngest son "Pork Chop" after a well-known professional wrestler.

"He was 1- or 2-years-old and he was just so stocky," she said.

Now that he's grown to 6-4 and 335 pounds, Floyd Womack surely could deliver his share of headlocks and body slams.

Instead the easy-going Womack will focus on flattening defensive linemen and barging his way up the depth chart at Mississippi State.

Womack's talent has already caught the attention of North coaches --- and the opposing South coaches, too --- during workouts for the 48th annual Bernard Blackwell All-Star Football Classic. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. Friday at Mississippi College's Robinson-Hale Stadium. Tickets are $5.

Although All-State honors eluded Womack as a senior at Cleveland East Side, he was among the state's four most-heavily recruited offensive line prospects. He chose the Bulldogs after visiting MSU, Auburn and Kentucky and cancelling a trip to Southern Mississippi.

East Side coach Charles Brady thinks the Bulldogs landed a gem in Womack, who was overshadowed by All-State defensive lineman and MSU signee Dorsett Davis.

"Floyd hurt the arch in his foot the third week of the season and he only played to about 65 to 70% of his capability," Brady said. "I don't se Floyd as redshirting at all. Dorsett has a lot to learn, but Floyd is as polished as any offensive lineman you'll have. You gotta watch him. He's the sort of cat who will knock the hell out of you, but be nice about it."

07/24/97 - I received some Jumbotron information a couple of days ago. Thought all of you would like to read the observations by a Bulldog fan who got a chance to talk to one of the owners of the construction company that is putting up the steel structure the "Tron" is going to be put on.

Quote - "I first drove to Scott field to look at the turf, and noticed two men standing near the site of the Jumbotron. I went up and introduced myself--one was Robbie Glenn of Glenn Construction Co. of Columbus, MS. They are responsible for assembling the steel structure that the Jumbrotron is attached to. The structure will be 70 ft. high and the steel beams are 36 inches wide. Robbie told me that he was going to assemble the steel (bolts and welding) on the ground and then lift the entire thing with four cranes. This structure will be bolted to the concrete pad on the ground and then the screen will be placed up top. It is going to be fantastic. He told me that they had to have the steel up by August 1. I don't know when the screen will be installed."

07/23/97 - As I mentioned yesterday, I am going to be joining OLDIES 105.3's MSU football pre-game show, BULLDOG BASH. Jim Buffington of FM 105.3 contacted me to see if I would like to be part of the show. To say I was thrilled would be an understatement. I couldn't believe my good fortune. To be contacted by my favorite radio station, 105.3, to talk about my favorite subject, MSU recruiting, was a tremenous thrill. Needless to say I said yes.

What Jim asked me to do is two three-minute skuttle-butt segments on the show, one each hour. (By the way, the show is aired at the MSU Book Store before each home game. It will also be aired before one road game, the Alabama game.)

Now, I have a request for all of you. I HAVE to receive as much information from as many of you as possible before each of these games. Three minutes may not seem like such a long time, but I can promise you it is. If you don't believe me, read something out loud for three minutes, then look back at what you read. So, I say once again, please help me out by emailing me a lot of information during the week preceding each pre-game show. All of you are the reason my website has been so popular and I will have to have your help to make my radio segments entertaining. I sure don't want you guys to tune in and hear silence for three minutes. Help me spread the word about 105.3's BULLDOG BASH pre-game show to all of your MSU Bulldog friends.

07/23/97 - Now, on to some recruiting news. Anthony Ephfrom of Madison Central HS told Southeatern Recruiting Alliance he is leaning to Tenn. over Florida, Miss State, LSU and Ole Miss. Another player that is looking at Miss State, according to Southern Recruiting Alliance, is Lothero Collier, a 6-3, 220-lb linebacker from Brandon HS (MS). Collier is also interested in Ole Miss.

07/23/97 - Here's the latest Skuttle-Butt about MSU football players and the upcoming season from various sources:

07/22/97 - I will be making an announcement tomorrow about my joining OLDIES 105.3's Miss State football pre-game show BULLDOG BASH. For those that don't know much about OLDIES 105.3, they are an FM radio station (my favorite) located in Aberdeen, Mississippi, that plays the Golden Oldies (50's, 60's and 70's music, which is my favorite music). I will give the complete details about BULLDOG BASH Wednesday morning.

07/22/97 - It appears that Bandon High School (Ms) QB/DB Ti Garner will be walking on at MSU instead of Alabama. Smart kid. All I hear about this kid is he is a class person and a good prospect.

07/21/97 - Recently I have heard a lot of great things about Miss State’s strength coach Mike Grant. Based on what I have heard from reliable sources, he is going to make a huge difference in our football program. As some of you already know, he was hired from Calhoun City High School where he was highly thought of by Ole Miss and Miss State fans alike. In fact, an Ole Miss fan was kind enough to email me to tell me Miss State got a great one when they hired him.

One of my sources, who played golf with Mike recently, said he was very much impressed with him. He is a super nice guy who is very friendly and a lot of fun to be around. I also have been told the players really like and respect him tremendously. They enjoy working out for him because he has the knack to make it enjoyable to work out. They have seen great results in just a very short time. I was told that almost all of the players, in just two months, increased their lift numbers by 15 pounds in all lifts. Look for MSU’s football players to not only be in excellent condition, strength-wise, but also look for their stamina to increase. Mike, according to my sources, has devised a great overall program that is really going to make a difference this coming year. Great to have you aboard, Mike

07/20/97 - Here’s some information I received from one of my sources who was at the Pascagoula meeting Thursday night. These are Jackie Sherrill quotes:

On a positive to the injuries last year...
"The biggest plus to it was you had a lot of people get a chance to play. You got a lot of young people to play where they're thrown into situations where the experience makes a big difference. We saw that in spring practice because a lot of these guys all of a sudden we said, 'Wow, where are they coming from?" It helped a lot at the end of the year because they were finishing knowing we had lost so many players, know we were competing and still winning. That helped. The big thing was they had an opportunity to see themselves in a better light. It carried over to the spring and carried over to the summer. All the kids that were there in the summer had the best summers in the classroom they'd had."

On losing Keffer McGee...
"Losing Keffer, there's no question we could have won two more games with him, maybe three. If a young man gets hurt, he gets hurt. We played our last game with one running back and one fullback left. If we'd lost another running back, I don't know what we'd have done."

On his recruiting philosophy...
"The worst thing that happens to you is you just go out and sign players. All of the sudden, you've got too many backs, too many linemen, too many receivers and I've always felt like you evaluate yourself and go after needs."

He said that the reason the class looked overloaded with lineman was the probation restrictions. They would have recruited that many linemen, they just made up a larger portion of the class with the limitations.

On filling holes at linebacker...
"With Earnest (Garner) being there, I felt like we were going to be okay. With our scheme, we can use defensive backs as linebackers. But as far as true inside people, that kind of hurt us. Now, we're really going to have to use some of those kids coming in."

He mentioned Ellis Wyms, Bert Keys and Jamaal Jenkins specifically in filling those holes.

On Dwayne Curry...
"Dwayne was a great player for us. It was unfortunate that he got hurt. If he hadn't got hurt, he had a chance to be All-SEC for three years which is a big deal and he would have been drafted. He wasn't ready to pass his physical but he'll end up playing somewhere."

On entering the second season with the coordinators...
"That helps a lot because those guys have an opportunity to be able to put the players in the system again. Everybody's a lot more comfortable, the players know what to expect and they know what to expect of the players."

On Earnest Garner's condition...
"Garner has been working out. It's going to be very doubtful he'll play this year but I would say he would probably be ready to play next year."

On momentum carrying over from Alabama and Ole Miss wins...
"That carried over into the spring and into the summer and these kids had an opportunity to play and compete. There's very few people that can line up with Alabama at the end of the season and beat Alabama and Mississippi."

On special teams...
"I feel good about our coverage teams and we signed Kevin Prentiss. I'm anxious to see him in the game after seeing him on the practice field and seeing him in the scrimmage, he's something to watch. If we can be consistent in punting, I think our kicking game will be as good as it was last year."

On Brian Hazlewood...
"Hazlewood is okay, he's got a strong leg as a kicker. Sometimes when you miss one, it just goes away. Maturity is the only thing that can get you through that."

0720/97 - Looks like there is a better than average chance that Miss State's games with South Carolina and Ole Miss will be on television. If this proves to be correct, that will make at least five of MSU's football games that will be the tube. I'm sure there will be others (Alabama, Auburn and Georgia maybe?).

07/19/97 - Now this is what it means when saying student/athletes. One of the things that was mentioned by Coach Jackie Sherrill during the Pascagoula meeting Thursday night was that for the seventh straight year, at least 70% of MSU’s football players have graduated. Because of this, look for the players to wear two patches on their uniforms this coming season. One will be a "7/7" patch, signifying the graduation rate and the other one will be for the school the player is in. Spread the word, folks. This is something we all should be proud of and we should let everyone we know know about it. How many other SEC schools can say this?

Another fact that came out of the meeting was that MSU has a chance to have eight games on television this year. Not sure of which games at this time, other than the first three. The Memphis game will be on SportsSouth, Kentucky is scheduled to be on Jefferson Pilot and LSU on ESPN. Won’t it be great to show off those patches on national television.

My source said Coach Sherrill appeared to be very excited about the team and upcoming season and expects the offense to be very similar to the 1994 team.

07/18/97 - Alright folks, here's what I've found out about the eligibility of MSU's football signees. According to my sources, there is a good chance ALL of MSU's signees are going to be eligible. However, until the NCAA National Clearinghouse approves a signee none of them are eligible. In fact, no high school signee in the country is eligible until the Clearinghouse approves him or her. Remember, I am not saying they are eligible, just that it appears they will be.

07/18/97 - According to the July 13th issue of The Birmingham News, these Super Dozen players in Alabama are considering Miss State.

# 1) TYLER WATTS - QB, 6' 3 1/2, 195lbs. LISTS: Bama[leaning], Tenn, PennSt, Auburn, Ole Miss, MSU, & ND. Florida is out. Pelham, AL.
*** Per the B'ham News: The most highest profile QB recruit in AL since Richard Todd & Jeff Rutledge in the 70's. Considered by many experts to be one of the top three in USA. Can both run & throw. Has a [3.48 gpa]. Heads into Sr. season having two straight 1,800-yd. passing seasons, including completing 142 of 273 last season for 1,854 yds., 13 TD's in 12 games. Also, threw 14 Int's.

# 5) JERMAINE CRENSHAW - QB, 6' 3, 195lbs. Auburn, Bama, Tenn, MSU,GA. Greenville, AL.
*** Per B'ham News: Throws and passes well. An honor student who is capable of playing receiver, running back or defensive back in college.

# 8) DON PAGE - DE, 6'3, 230lbs. Auburn[impressed], Bama, Fla, FSU, MSU, & Tenn. Foley, AL.
*** Per B'ham News: Runs the 40 in 4.5. He also plays fullback but probably will play outside linebacker in college

07/17/97 - Just thought you guys would like to know what the Miss State football coaching staff is up to these days. According to my source, Coach Sherrill and Recruiting Coordinator (RC) David Wilson will be in Pascagoula tonight. Next week the entire coaching staff will be in Jackson, Ms., Monday through Friday, at the Mississippi High School Coaches Association Clinic. They will also be attending the Central Mississippi Alumni Association Extravaganza, which I believe is Friday, July 25th. Someone who knows the actual date can correct me on this. On Friday, RC David Wilson will be headed to Montgomery, Al. to attend the Alabama Coaches Association Clinic. He will be there from Friday through Sunday. My source wasn’t sure if any of the other coaches were going with David Wilson. My source also told me RC Wilson will be in Pontotoc on August the 26th and Aberdeen on September the 8th at the Noon Rotary Club meeting. He was not sure what time Wilson will be in Pontotoc. Nor did he know whether it is a Bulldog Club or Alumni Assoc. meeting. If anyone has additional details, please email them to me.

07/17/97 - I talked to a very well informed source a couple of days ago and he mentioned that DE John Hilliard is a player to watch this upcoming season. My source also said RB James Johnson can be a special running back and he expects big things from him. He believes when gametime rolls around he is going to be a hoss on the field. He expects both of these guys to be great additions to our team. My source also said the chemistry on this years' football team is great and you can expect it to carry over onto the field. Part of this is due to the new coaches, who, according to my source, the players really like and respect. The new coaches have added additional excitement, energy and enthusiasm to the team.

07/16/97 - We all love to read about the so-called Blue Chips like Eric Dotson, John Hilliard and James Johnson, but the guys that really deserve more media than they get are guys like walk-ons Joe Cowart and John Hatcher. Most of you have probably read the article about John that I posted on my page, but you have probably not heard a lot about Joe. Well, let me tell you what I recently heard about Joe from a friend. Joe, a 6-1, 290-lb offensive lineman from Mobile, Alabama by way of Natchez, Mississippi, and a Mississippi State fan since birth, walked on at State a couple of years ago, even though he had scholarship offers from quite a few colleges, such as Louisiana Tech, Northeast Louisiana, Livingston, Millsaps and several others. In fact, he even had a possible offer from Southern Miss if he hadn’t been so adament about his desire for playing at State. This is true love for your university; giving up a full ride to walk-on, hoping, but not knowing, you would ever receive a scholarship. Because of his love for Mississippi State, Joe has kept practicing in all kinds of conditions against the likes of Eric Dotson. Now, I love my university, like I’m sure all of you who are reading this do, but Joe truly is an outstanding example of what loving your university really means.

My friend also told me that Joe is going to red-shirt this year to work on his academics because he is changing majors. And then next year he will be out on the football field once again helping those Blue Chip defensive lineman prepare for the upcoming opponent. If any of you know Joe Cowart or John Hatcher, let them know you appreciate their efforts. These guys deserve it.

07/16/97 - Joe Lee Dunn will be at Gilmore's Restaurant in Corinth, MS on July 31 for a Bulldog Club gathering. Starting time is at 6:30. Gilmore's Restaurant is at the Shiloh Ridge Golf Course. Contact people are: Bill Williams (601) 286-9408 (PM Only) and Ronnie Sleeper (601) 287-7433. Respond by July 28.

07/16/97 - Here's the latest word on the walking wounded: Keffer McGee is almost 100% and should be completely recovered by the beginning of the season. The other two players that had knee surgery (Yates and Jones) should be ready by August and 100% by October. It's looking good, folks.

07/15/97 - Here's a little more information about Choctaw Central HS football/basketball player Ivan Billie by someone who has seen him play: "I have seen Ivan Billie play both basketball (several times) and football once. He is a pure athlete. I think his future lies in football, because he doesn't move as well with the ball as he should for someone his height. Man he can leap. I saw him catch a lob around the top of the square from half court. Incredible."

07/15/97 - Just thought all of you would like to read more information I received from another source about this quality young man, who just happens to be a quality athlete. It’s great to be able to post something like this on my page.

This is a quote from a source who knows quite a bit about Choctaw Central HS football player Ivan Billie. "I can tell you he is a first-class person as well as a super athlete. The physical specs you quoted (6-3, 210) are not exaggerations at all. I have seen him dunk several times in a game on many occasions, though his lack of height would seem to preclude his playing a frontcourt position in D-1. He is a great TE/LB prospect and can easily carry a good deal of extra weight. He seems to be a man among boys when he lines up as a WR. Very quiet young man and he does make good grades. (He) simply does not cause trouble. "

07/15/97 - I'm in the process of trying to find out how our football signees stand in regard to academics. I have found several sources that should be able to clarify the situation for us. As soon as I receive all the information, I will post it to my page I'm hopeful I will receive the information in the next couple of days. Here's one bit of good news I have already received. Juco linebackers Bert Keyes and Edward Smith appear to be on schedule to complete the necessary academic requirements and should be on MSU's campus at or just after August 1st, the date when all newcomers are scheduled to report.

07/14/97 - Miss State is recruiting athlete Leonard Scott of Zachery, La. Scott, who is one of the better players in Louisiana, is also considering North Carolina (Leader), Tenn, LSU, and FSU.

07/13/97 - Is this guy a potential star? Read the following and decide for yourself. Ivan Billie, a 6-3, 210-lb LB/TE with 4.6 speed in the forty and a 35" vertical leap, plays football and basketball for Choctaw Central HS in Philadelphia. This guy is such a great athlete, he has a chance to be All-State in both football and basketball. He has been to Mississippi State’s and Ole Miss’ football camps. They, along with Auburn ("very hot pursuit" to quote my source), Alabama and several other D-IA programs are recruiting him. Early word is he favors Mississippi State, but he is very much undecided at this point. He should not have any problems academically, since it is reported that he maintains a 3.5 gpa. This guy hasn’t gotten the notoriety of other great players in Mississippi primarily because he moved from Hollywood, Fl. about a year ago. Look for huge things from this kid this upcoming season.

07/13/97 - Some of you may have read it already, but I noticed on the Alabama Tider Insider message board a few comments about Luke Tucker, a 6-1, 185-lb. QB with 4.7 speed from Fayette, Alabama. The person posted that Luke's brother Lance, who he personally talked to, said Luke "was a bit upset and miffed at BAMA because BAMA has not been recruiting him" and that Lance really likes Florida and FSU, although he was also looking at Miss State and Ole Miss. Just thought you guys would enjoy this tidbit of recruiting info.

07/12/97 - OK, folks, here's some more football info. to get you guys and gals excited about the upcoming football and recruiting seasons. A friend of mine visited with four of our new assistant coaches and he was very impressed with them. He said he had a ball talking and playing golf with them. He feels they will be a tremendous help with our recruiting efforts this coming recruiting season, plus, he said, they were all excited about the upcoming season.

Dave Wilson, according to my friend, is going to be tremendous for our recruiting efforts and public relations. The guy is just a great person who, according to my friend, doesn't meet a stranger. BTW, if you have an upcoming meeting and need a speaker, Dave is ready, willing and able to talk about MSU football with you. Call him at the MSU football office at (601) 325-2534.

I was also told a certain MSU athletic department official, who is noted for being very conservation when it comes to projecting what MSU will do during the season, is excited about the upcoming football season. No, I don't know which employee it is other than he/she is high up in the department.

Let's tee it up and get this season underway!

07/11/97 - Former MSU All SEC Wide Receiver, Mardye McDole, has been named as the new Athletic Director and Head Football Coach at Mobile Shaw High School. Coach McDole had served as an Assistant Coach at Shaw High School for the last twelve years after playing for the Minnesota Vikings between 1981-1984. He also played briefly in the USFL and Canadian Football League before returning to Mobile. Mardye McDole was a graduate of Mobile Murphy High School in 1977, and was once called by Paul "Bear" Bryant, "the best player Mississippi State ever recruitied."

07/11/97 - The word out of Starkville is our football coaches expect big things out of this year's team and are really excited. In fact, they can't wait for the season to start. They believe we have the chance to win it all this year. They are saying we have "big-time athletes" at almost every position. Our one weakness may be at linebacker. My source said the coaches are hoping the incoming recruits will help out there. They also expect freshman signee Dorsett Davis to play a lot at defensive tackle if he is eligible. QB Matt Wyatt has a "big-time arm" and has the potential to play on Sundays, according to one of our coaches.

07/09/97 - Here's some really nice information I received about Matt Wyatt. Matt's abilty to read defenses has improved greatly from last year to the end of spring practice. My source was told Matt will be a big surprise to MSU fans and the other SEC schools if we have a good running game. Matt, according to what my source was told, will not make many mental mistakes and has emerged as a true team leader.

07/09/97 - A source of mine contacted a person with Florida State connections and this is what a credible source at FSU told him about Miss State's new "Unofficial" Recruiting Coordinator (RC) Dave Wilson. "Dave Wilson is a great, great guy!!!. He most recently was an administrative assistant to Ronnie Cottrell, Florida State's RC, which is how he found out about the job opening at Miss State. He has coached at various high schools in the Florida panhandle area (Pensacola and Fort Walton primarily) prior to his employment with FSU. He was also a graduate assistant at FSU several years ago and coached at Nichols State (LA.) for a year. He is a first rate person and an outstanding coach. If you believe in Bobby Bowden, Ronnie Cottrell and (FSU coach) Mickey Andrews, you will be in Dave's corner."

Sounds to me like we got a good one in Dave, folks.

07/07/97 - The 1997 Sporting News College Football Review magazine, which is now on the newsstands, lists the top players nationally by position. MSU had the following players listed: