Mississippi State Sports Blog

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Finishing up the final day of play in its spring opening tournament, the Mississippi State men’s golf team posted a third-round score of 304 to bring its Gator Invitational total to 903. The two-day event was played at the par-70 Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Fla.
For the first time in his career sophomore John Darden led MSU with a three-round total of 217, which was a career-best tournament. Darden fired an even-par 70, which was also a career-best round for him, on the final day of play to finish the tournament at 7-over-par and in a tie for 19th among the individual field, another career mark. Darden was also the Bulldogs’ leader in birdies made with eight through three rounds of action.

“I’m proud of the way John (Darden) finished up the tournament,” Coach Clay Homan said. “He is improving and I feel like he is starting to tap into his potential.”

Robi Calvesbert and Lee Heaton tied for the runner-up finish in the Bulldog lineup, both playing consistent rounds and finishing with a 54-hole score of 228 at the Gator Invitational. Calvesbert led MSU in pars made through three rounds of play with 36.

MSU’s Evan Hugall finished the tournament with a 230 followed by Alex Rowland of the Maroon and White who tallied a 54-hole score of 245.

The Bulldogs will look to rebound on Feb. 21 when they tee off in the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate.

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STARKVILLE, Miss – For the very first time, the Lady Bulldog tennis squad will hold a USTA Campus Kids’ Days on Saturday February 19, during their match against Southern Miss.
Campus Kids’ Day is a United States Tennis Association sponsored event designed to expose and attract local communities and aspiring young players to the realm of college tennis. The event also allows junior players, parents and coaches the opportunity to interact with collegiate players and coaches in a match day setting.

“There are several athletics events on campus this weekend and we should have great weather for it,” said head coach Daryl Greenan. “We hope a lot of kids and parents stop by our match for our USTA Kids’ Day. Watching a college match is a great way for aspiring young players to learn more about tennis. We look forward to meeting fans and signing posters after the match.”

On Saturday, fans will be encouraged to participate in a variety of promotional activities such as racket stenciling, serve-speed competition, and skills. Various prizes will be rewarded during the activities. The Lady Bulldogs will also be available for a meet and greet at the conclusion of the match.

Attendance, food, refreshments and promotions are free and open to all. Come on out and join the Lady Bulldogs in a day full of food, fun and competition as they take on the Golden Eagles of Southern Miss.

Match time is slated for 1 p.m. CT at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. Admission to all MSU home matches is free.

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STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State’s modest two-game win streak was snapped as the Lady Bulldogs dropped a hard-fought defensive struggle, 60-53 to South Carolina in a Southeastern Conference women’s basketball game played Sunday afternoon in the Humphrey Coliseum.
MSU won back-to-back league road games last week, taking victories at Auburn and Ole Miss. However, MSU failed in its attempt to win a third straight game for the second time this season. The Lady Bulldogs fell to 0-6 in league games at home this season.

South Carolina improved to 15-10 overall and 7-5 in league play, while MSU fell to 10-14 and 2-10.

“Games in our league are going to come down to several possessions,” MSU head coach Sharon Fanning-Otis said, “You have to make a stand. You have to make a score. You have to make another stand. We lost some opportunities there when we had the lead.”

The Lady Bulldogs actually held the better of it for most of the contest Sunday afternoon. MSU actually held a 42-34 lead with 11:15 left in regulation. The Gamecocks followed with a 16-3 run, seizing complete control of the contest.

“You have to take care of the basketball,” Fanning-Otis said. “We had two or three possessions where we did not do a good job. We have to be able to execute regardless of what we are running. We are still getting better. I thought we matched their energy. We didn’t have the focus and the execution that we needed there in the end.”

The Maroon and White scored the game’s first four points and sprinted out to a 9-4 advantage with about seven minutes to go in the first half. The Gamecocks rectified things and grabbed a 14-13 lead on a Samone Kennedy layup with 5:15 left before the half.

The Gamecocks still held a 17-16 lead before the hosts ended the half on a 7-2 run. The Lady Bulldogs held USC to 27.3 percent shooting in the opening half and led 23-19 at the break.

The Lady Bulldogs kept up the defensive intensity in the early stages of the game’s final half. For MSU, Diamber Johnson broke a 26-all tie with a 3-point basket at the 16:10 mark.

MSU would later use a 6-0 run to push the advantage to 42-34 with 11:15 left. The Gamecocks answered with an 11-3 run for a 45-all tie. One possession later, a 3-point make by Markeshia Grant placed the Gamecocks on top for good.

The Lady Bulldogs were held to two field goals over the final 9:44.

For the contest, the Lady Bulldogs hit 20 of 52 shots from the field (38.5 percent), 4 of 10 shots from 3-point range (40.0 percent) and 9 of 13 shots from the foul line (69.2 percent). The Gamecocks hit 22 of 51 shots from the field (43.1 percent), 5 of 12 shots from 3-point range (41.7 percent) and 11 of 20 shots from the foul line (55.0 percent).

USC held a 38-32 rebounding advantage. The Lady Bulldogs had eight assists and 13 turnovers, while the Gamecocks had eight assists and 12 turnovers.

Johnson paced the Lady Bulldogs with 21 points, while Ashley Brown added 10 points. Porsha Porter saw her string of five straight games with double figure scoring snapped thanks in large part due to heavy foul trouble. Porter finished with four fouls, scoring six points and pulling down a team-high eight rebounds in 27 minutes of work.

Walker paced USC with 16 points.

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OXFORD, Miss. – Hot shooting early lifted the Mississippi State women’s basketball team to a 59-43 victory over in-state rival Ole Miss in a Southeastern Conference game played Thursday night at UM’s Tad Smith Coliseum.
The Lady Bulldogs hit six of their first eight shots from the field and never trailed in the contest. MSU has now won eight of the last 13 series meetings, including four of six in this arena. MSU head coach Sharon Fanning-Otis is now 18-15 against her chief rival.

With the victory, MSU improved to 10-13 overall and 2-9 in league play, while Ole Miss fell to 10-13 and 3-8. The Lady Bulldogs also made it back-to-back road wins in league play, as Thursday’s victory followed a thrilling 57-45 win over Auburn Sunday on the Plains.

“To get these last two wins and progress as a team is huge,” Fanning-Otis said. “Not real excited about the lull there late in the first half. However, our overall effort was very good. Our rebounding was really good tonight. We also did a good job of taking care of the basketball.”

The teams traded baskets in the first 38 seconds of activity. MSU followed with a 13-0 run, including three straight makes from 3-point land. Mary Kathryn Govero, Porsha Porter and Govero hit the treys.

Still leading 17-4, the Lady Bulldogs hit an offensive lull while the Lady Rebels found a rhythm, much to the delight of a crowd of 574 on “Pack the Pad” night. Ole Miss ripped off an 11-0 run. A layup by LaTosha Laws brought UM within 17-15. Govero answered with a jumper on the other end, stopping an MSU scoring draught 7:21 in length.

Govero’s basket started a 9-0 run by the Maroon and White. Porter had a steal and fast-break layup, prior to a Danielle Rector 3-pointer to highlight that run. A pair of free throws by Govero extended the Maroon and White advantage to 26-15 with 3:23 left before halftime.

Porter hit her second 3-point basket of the half to close out the scoring in the first 20 minutes. That trey placed MSU on top 32-22 at the break.

Despite the scoring lull, the Lady Bulldogs still hit 42.9 percent of their shots in the opening half. MSU hit 6 of 10 3-point baskets in the opening half and only had six turnovers in the first 20 minutes of play.

“The girls are beginning to understand the work ethic that it takes to win on this level,” Fanning-Otis said. “Several players stepped up. Whether it was a defensive stop or a big rebound…we made the plays. The more patience you have; the better offensive shots you get.”

The Lady Bulldogs maintained the double-digit advantage at 36-25. Ole Miss then responded with a 6-0 run to climb back within five. Despite only netting nine points over the first eight minutes of the final half, the Lady Bulldogs still held a 41-33 lead.

A basket by Courtney Marbra brought Ole Miss within 41-37 with 10:00 left. Govero answered on the other end with a fade-away jumper. The Lady Bulldogs would enjoy an 8-2 run with back-to-back 3′s from Govero and Diamber Johnson running the lead out to 49-39 with 5:25 left to play.

On the next two possessions, Johnson and Govero ran the string to four straight 3-point baskets. A basket by Johnson capped a 16-4 run and made the lead the game’s largest at 57-41 with a minute remaining.

Defensively, MSU held Ole Miss to two field goals over the final 10:08 of the contest.

For the contest, the Lady Bulldogs hit 22 of 53 shots from the field (41.5 percent), 10 of 20 shots from 3-point range (50.0 percent) and 5 of 8 shots from the foul line (62.5 percent). The Lady Rebels hit 18 of 56 shots from the field (32.1 percent), 2 of 19 shots from 3-point range (10.5 percent) and 5 of 5 shots from the foul line (100.0 percent).

MSU held a 40-30 rebounding advantage. The Lady Bulldogs had nine assists and 13 turnovers, while the Lady Rebels had nine assists and 10 turnovers.

Govero paced the Maroon and White with 20 points, including a 4 of 5 night from 3-point range. Porter added 16 points – her fifth straight game of 13+ plus points. Johnson finished with 15 points. Ashley Brown and Govero each had a team-high eight rebounds.

Freshman point guard Valencia McFarland paced Ole Miss with 16 points.

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STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State erased an early seven-point deficit, rolling to a 67-56 victory over Arkansas in a Southeastern Conference men’s basketball game played Wednesday night amongst a minor snow blizzard on the MSU campus.

Dee Bost, a junior guard, scored a team-high 18 points and became the Bulldogs’ 33rd member of the 1,000-point club. His leadership and offensive prowess proved critical as MSU made it back-to-back wins in league play.

MSU improved to 13-10 overall and 5-4 in league play – hanging onto sole possession of second place in the Western division. Arkansas fell to 14-9 and 4-6. The Bulldogs have taken 11 straight from the Razorbacks on the Humphrey Coliseum hardwood.

“It was really a gutsy effort,” MSU head coach Rick Stansbury said. “This was about finding a way to defend the home court tonight. Really we weren’t playing on having Riley (Benock) tonight. It was until after the starting lineups that he told me ‘Coach, I can give you something’.”

Still, Benock did not start. Thus, Shaun Smith drew his second career start. True freshman Jalen Steele also played a career-high 35 minutes. The Bulldogs officially scored 21 bench points, after receiving none in its last home game – a 71-64 win over Florida.

“Really, the bench was great tonight,” Stansbury said. “We didn’t know what Riley was going to be able to give us until the second half. We tried some different combinations. The story of the game may have been the defensive effort by Jalen. He did as a good a job as you can do on Rotnei (Clarke). Other than two baskets to start the second half, Clark was a not a factor in the game.”

Arkansas sprinted to a 21-14 advantage less than 11 minutes into the contest. The Bulldogs scored the game’s next eight points to take their second lead in the contest. MSU grabbed a 22-21 lead on a Wendell Lewis dunk.

The Bulldogs capped a 17-4 run, while advancing the lead to 31-25 on back-to-back 3-point baskets from Bost and Steele. MSU still held that lead, carrying a 33-28 push into the locker room at halftime.

The Hogs opened the second half on an 8-2 run to take their last lead, at 36-35. The Arkansas run included back-to-back treys from UA’s leading scorer Clarke, who only totaled nine points for the evening.

MSU then found an answer on the defensive end and found overdrive on the offensive end. MSU pieced together a 23-6 run to grab a 58-42 advantage. A Brian Bryant 3-point basket with 9:39 capped that run and created the game’s largest advantage.

Fortunately for the Maroon and White, enough offense had been registered. MSU actually went the final 9:39 without a field goal. Arkansas also had a 4:54 stretch without a field goal.

The Razorbacks closed within 60-53 thanks to an 11-2 run. A 3-pointer by Jeff Peterson preceded Clark hitting one of two free throws to bring the guests within 60-53.

The Bulldogs eventually hit 9 of 10 free throws to close out the victory.

For the contest, the Bulldogs hit 22 of 47 shots from the field (46.8 percent), 7 of 16 shots from 3-point range (43.8 percent) and 16 of 18 shots from the foul line (88.9 percent). The Razorbacks hit 20 of 60 shots from the field (33.3 percent), 7 of 20 shots from 3-point range (35.0 percent) and 9 of 14 shots from the foul line (64.3 percent).

MSU held a 41-28 rebounding advantage. MSU had seven assists and 21 turnovers, while the Razorbacks had eight assists and 13 turnovers.

For MSU, Renardo Sidney recorded his second career double-double with 12 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Kodi Augustus had nine rebounds.

Marcus Britt paced Arkansas with 10 points.

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AUBURN, Ala. – Mississippi State surrendered a 19-point second-half lead, dropping a 65-62 decision at Auburn Saturday in the Bulldogs’ first trip to the new Auburn Arena.
The Tigers closed the contest on a 30-9 run to win a conference game for the first time in the history of this building. MSU hit eight 3-point baskets in the opening half and actually extended the lead to 51-32 with 11:24 remaining. However, seven turnovers in the final 5:45 doomed the Maroon and White’s chances.

With the defeat, MSU fell to 13-11 overall and 5-5 in league play. For a second time this season, the Bulldogs fell in their attempt to win a third straight league game. Auburn is now 9-15 and 2-8. The Bulldogs still remain in sole possession of second place in the Western Division race.

“We played so well for about 35 minutes,” MSU head coach Rick Stansbury said. “In the last five minutes, we had too many unforced turnovers. You can’t turn the ball over that many times on the road and expect to win the game. It does not matter who you are playing.”

The Bulldogs may have played their best first half of the season. After missing the first four attempts from 3-point land, the Bulldogs hit eight of their next 10. Auburn held an early 7-2 lead, before MSU forged ahead with a 22-6 run.

Dee Bost tied the game at 7-7 on a 3-point basket. Bost placed the Bulldogs ahead with another trey. Renardo Sidney hit one from the top of the key, prior to Bost hitting another trey for a 19-13 lead.

A 3-pointer by Riley Benock capped the run and extended the advantage to 24-13 with 5:46 left in the half. The Bulldogs ran the lead to 33-18 on a Ravern Johnson 3-pointer. Johnson played 19 minutes after missing the past two games for suspension.

MSU carried a 36-24 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Bulldogs continued to penetrate the Auburn defense with ease in the early stages of the second half. Bost scored on back-to-back possessions. Back-to-back dunks by Kodi Augustus and Wendell Lewis pushed MSU out to a 53-35 lead with 9:46 left in the contest.

MSU still maintained a 58-45 lead on an Augustus dunk with 4:21 left. However, after the basket went through, Augustus was called for a technical foul as headed back up court.

“The technical was the turning point in the game,” Stansbury said. “They hit both free throws and score on the possession. Later, Dee missed the front end of a one-and-one. So you have those two plays and all of the turnovers. Those plays hurt your chances of winning the game. It was a total meltdown in a game that you should have won.”

Auburn scored 17 straight points to turn the 58-45 deficit into a 62-58 lead. The Tigers took their first second-half lead at 59-58 on a Kenny Gabriel 3-point basket with 1:18 left.

After the Augustus dunk and technical, the Bulldogs managed only four points over the final 4:21.

Still, MSU had a final chance as Bost missed a shot from just past mid-court as the final horn sounded.

For the contest, the Bulldogs hit 21 of 48 shots from the field (43.8 percent), 9 of 24 shots from 3-point range (37.5 percent) and 11 of 15 shots from the foul line (73.3 percent). The Tigers hit 26 of 59 shots from the field (44.1 percent), 6 of 12 shots from 3-point range (50.0 percent) and 7 of 12 shots from the foul line (58.3 percent).

MSU held a 34-30 rebounding advantage. The Bulldogs had 12 assists and 16 turnovers, while the Tigers had 14 assists and 12 turnovers.

Bost paced the Bulldogs with 22 points. Sidney just missed a third double-double with nine points and a team-high 13 rebounds.

Auburn received 21 points from Earnest Ross and 18 points from Gabriel.

MSU plays Kentucky Tuesday night in Rupp Arena. Game time is set for 6 p.m. CT for a “Super Tuesday” national broadcast on ESPN. The Bulldogs host Ole Miss at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

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STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State head football coach Dan Mullen will get his first look at the 2011 Bulldog team when practices begin on Friday, March 4, and fans are invited to watch along during the spring sessions on the practice fields behind the Shira Fieldhouse and Holliman Athletic Center. The Bulldogs will hold their annual Maroon-White Spring Game on April 9 at Davis Wade Stadium as part of Super Bulldog Weekend.

“We can’t wait to get back out there and get to work,” Mullen said. “I know the players have been working hard in the weight room and we’ll get to see the progress they’ve made since we last saw them in Jacksonville.”

The Bulldogs return 15 starters and 44 letterwinners from the 2010 team that won nine games, including a second-consecutive Egg Bowl victory and a resounding 52-14 victory over Michigan in the Gator Bowl.

After four practices during the initial week, the Bulldogs will observe the university’s week-long spring break before returning to work the week of March 21. Weekday practices will take place in the afternoon, with Saturday workouts usually beginning in the morning.

Highlights of the five-week practice schedule include Junior Day on March 5 and the annual coaches’ clinic on Thursday, March 24 and Friday, March 25. Possible Saturday scrimmages will be announced as the schedule approaches.

SPRING PRACTICE DATES
Friday, March 4
Saturday March 5
Tuesday, March 8
Thursday, March 10
Thursday March 24
Friday, March 25
Saturday, March 26
Tuesday, March 29
Thursday March 31
Friday, April 1
Saturday, April 2
Tuesday, April 5
Thursday, April 7
Saturday, April 9 – Maroon-White Spring Game – Davis Wade Stadium

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Mississippi State All-SEC senior forward Jarvis Varnado has been named one of the Top 30 candidates for the John R. Wooden Award, the nation’s most coveted college basketball honor, the Los Angeles Athletics Club’s John R. Wooden Award committee announced on Monday.

The list contains 31 players, not the traditional 30, because the playing status of Ohio State’s Evan Turner is uncertain due to a back injury.

Varnado, who has guided the Bulldogs to a nine-game winning streak en route to a 12-2 ledger, is one of three SEC players to make the cut of 30, joining Kentucky’s Patrick Patterson and John Wall. The Big East leads the Midseason Top 30 with 6 players selected, followed by the Big 12 and ACC with five. The Big Ten had four, while the Pac-10, Mountain West and West Coast had two, followed by the Horizon League and Ivy League with one selection each. Overall, more than 90 different players received votes.

“It’s a great honor to make it this far and to be recognized like this,” said Varnado, a native of Brownsville, Tenn. “You look at that list and you see a lot of great players. It’s a tremendous honor to be mentioned with those guys.”

The winner will be announced on April 9 in Los Angeles.

Through the first 14 games of the season, the 6-foot-9, 230-pound Varnado is averaging 14.1 points and is tops in the SEC in rebounding at 10.8. He also leads the nation with 71 blocked shots and is just 70 shy of tying the NCAA career record.

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Mississippi State junior guard Ravern Johnson has been named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week after leading the Bulldogs to a pair of wins over DePaul and UCLA.

Johnson, who earned his first league player of the week laurel, averaged 21.5 points and five rebounds per game as the Dawgs (7-2) rolled to a 76-45 win against the Blue Demons in Tampa, Fla., at the SEC/Big East Challenge and a 72-54 triumph against the Bruins at the John Wooden Classic in Anaheim, Calif.

The Lyon, Miss., native opened the week with a 14-point effort against DePaul in which he went 5-of-8 (62.5 percent) from the field and 4-of-6 (66.7 percent) from three-point range. He also added three rebounds and a block in the win.

Two days later, Johnson lit up UCLA for a career-high 29 points, the most by a Bulldog this season, on 80-percent shooting (12-of-15). He connected on five of his eight attempts from beyond the arc, pushing his team lead to 27 three-pointers on the season as MSU defeated the Bruins for the first time in school history.

Johnson, the team’s scoring leader with 14.4 points per game, and his Bulldog teammates return to the friendly confines of Humphrey Coliseum on Wednesday against Wright State in a 6 p.m. contest that will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

Mississippi State sophomore quarterback Chris Relf ran for a career- high 131 yards and senior running back Anthony Dixon set MSU’s single-season rushing record as State (5-7, 3-5 SEC) reclaimed the Golden Egg with a 41-27 win against No. 25 Ole Miss (8-4, 4-4 SEC). Bulldog head coach Dan Mullen’s first Egg Bowl victory came in front of a crowd of 55,375, the fourth-largest in school history.

Relf scored on his feet and in the air, rushing for one touchdown and passing for two more as he completed three of his five attempts for 43 yards. Relf also combined with Dixon for 264 of the Bulldogs’ 317 rushing yards as the pair became the first MSU duo to rush for 100 or more yards in a game since Fred Reid and Jerious Norwood each passed the century mark against Kentucky in 2004.

Dixon registered his eighth 100-yard rushing game of the season as he capped his career with a 133-yard effort against the Rebels. The Jackson, Miss., product finished 2009 with 1,391 yards on the ground, pushing him past James Johnson’s 1998 record of 1,383.

State’s offense out-gained the Rebels 412-385, but limited Ole Miss to just 90 yards on the ground.

Rebel quarterback Jevan Snead was 17-of-29 for 275 yards, but was picked off three times, twice by sophomore Charles Mitchell and once by redshirt freshman Corey Broomfield for a 64-yard touchdown with 5:17 left in the game.

Mississippi State outscored Ole Miss 38 -14 in the second half after trailing 13-10 at halftime.

Relf guided State on a seven-play, 32-yard drive to open the third quarter. The sophomore ran for 20 yards to the Ole Miss 32-yard line. The Bulldogs worked the ball down to the 31 and Derek DePasquale connected on a career long 48-yard field goal to knot the game at 13.

The State defense stopped the Rebels on their first offensive possession of the final half, and the offense returned to the field and marched 70 yards in 13 plays. Relf capped the drive as he found Marcus Green on a two-yard touchdown pass that put State up 20-13.

On the ensuing Ole Miss possession, Mitchell picked off a Snead pass and gave the Bulldog offense the ball at the Ole Miss 34. On the fourth play of the drive, Relf connected with freshman Chad Bumphis, and the Tupelo native broke several tackles and scored a 34-yard touchdown that put State up 27 -13 with 38 seconds left in the third quarter.

Snead cut the lead back to seven (27-20) with a 48-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Markeith Summers, but the Bulldogs immediately responded with an eight-play, 46-yard drive. After Bumphis returned the kickoff 55 yards to the Rebel 46-yard line, MSU marched down to the 10 where Relf ran in to put MSU up 34-20 with just under 11 minutes left.

Ole Miss’ offense was shaken up again as Snead was intercepted by Mitchell for the second time in the game. State was unable to capitalize off the turnover, however, as Arnil Stallowrth fumbled the ball just shy of the goalline. The Rebel moved the ball to the Bulldog 40, but Broomfield stepped in front of a Snead pass and returned it 64-yards to give the Dawgs a 41-20 lead.

Snead hit Dexter McCluster on a 52-yard touchdown pass that put the icing on the Bulldogs’ 41-27 victory.

State’s dominating second-half effort followed an evenly-played opening half that saw UM take a 13-10 advantage into the lockerroom. Ole Miss put the first points on the scoreboard as Joshua Shene’s 26-yard field goal capped a 13-play, 60-yard drive and gave the Rebels a 3-0 lead. The big play of the drive came from the MSU 36. With Ole Miss facing fourth down, the Rebels faked the punt and Billy Tapp found Reggie Hicks for a 20-yard completion down to the Bulldog 16-yard line.

State answered however, marching 69 yards in 13 plays. Starting at its own 20, the Bulldogs moved the ball out to the 47 on a Tyson Lee second-down pass that found Marcus Green for 23 yards. Two plays later, Lee again went to the air and found freshman Chad Bumphis who picked up 11 yards into Rebel territory at the 41.

Lee again picked up a big gain, but this time it came using his legs on second down. The Columbus, Miss., native scrambled out of the pocket and picked up 22 yards down to the UM 18. The Mississippi State drive stalled at that point, however, and Derek DePasquale opened the second quarter with a field goal from 28 yards that knotted the game at 3-3.

On the ensuing drive, junior linebacker K.J. Wright forced an Ole Miss fumble which was recovered by senior linebacker Jamar Chaney on the Ole Miss 35-yard line, only to give the ball back to the Rebels two plays later. Ole Miss linebacker Patrick Trahan intercepted Lee’s pass and picked up 28 yards in the return which set up a seven-play, 28-yard scoring drive capped off by a 28-yard field goal by Shene.

On their next offensive possession, State began to use a two quarterback system incorporating Relf into the mix. Relf rushed for 54 yards on three carries to put the Bulldogs inside the five yard line. Dixon scored his 42nd career rushing touchdown from two yards out to finish a nine-play, 8- yard drive and give MSU a 10-6 lead with 3:22 left in the half.

Ole Miss answered quickly, moving the ball 73 yards. The Rebels completed the drive as Snead found Shay Hodge in the endzone for the 13-10 advantage.

State ended the day with a new season attendance record of 376,574, bettering the old record of 306,545 set in 2004, and also set a season average attendance record, 53,792 surpassing the previous record set in 2007 by more that 4,00 per game.

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Mississippi State plays its first game away from the friendly confines of Humphrey Coliseum on Friday night when it faces Richmond in the semifinals of the South Padre Island Invitational.

Tip is slated for 5 p.m. and the game will be broadcast by Fox College Sports.

Mississippi State (3-1) enters the South Padre Island Invitational sporting an all-time record of 82-70 in regular-season tournament play. The Bulldogs have also won 17 titles, the last coming at the 2000 Bank One Fiesta Bowl Classic.

Last year, MSU participated in the Legends Classic in Newark, N.J., and lost to Washington State (63-52) and Texas Tech (77-73).

Friday also marks the second time the Bulldogs and Spiders (4-1) have met in tournament play. In the 2001 Las Vegas Classic, Mississippi State claimed a thrilling 74-72 win.

Overall, MSU holds a 2-1 advantage in this series.

On Saturday, the Bulldogs will play either Missouri or Old Dominion in the finals or consolation outing. Tipoff for the consolation game is set for 4:30 p.m., while the finals will be played at 7 p.m.

MSU has battled Missouri three times, with the Tigers holding a 2-1 advantage. The two last met on Dec. 30, 2007, in Starkville, with MSU claiming an 87-75 victory.

Mississippi State and the Monarchs have split their four games, with MSU winning the last time out, 62-57 in Norfolk, Va., on Dec. 18, 1997. They’ve met twice in tournament play, with ODU staking an 82-78 win in the 1976 Old Dominion Classic and a 72-71 OT victory at the 1996 Puerto Rico Holiday Classic in San Juan.

The Bulldogs enter play against the Spiders led in scoring (16.0) and rebounding (12.0) by senior All-SEC forward Jarvis Varnado, who has also recorded three double-doubles this season. Richmond is led by Kevin Anderson’s 19.8 scoring clip, followed by David Gonzalvez

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Mississippi State’s bid to knock off Florida for the fifth-consecutive time at Scott Field came up short Saturday night as the top-ranked Gators defeated the Bulldogs 29-19 in front of a record crowd of 57,178.

However, the score wasn’t at all indicative of just how close this SEC showdown on ESPN actually was.

In fact, with 9:32 remaining in the third quarter, a 31-yard field goal by Derek Pasquale tied the game at 13-apiece.

From that point, though, the defending national champions scored 16 unanswered points to take control of the game.

And that run started with 5:15 left to play when Florida (7-0, 5-0) regained the lead for good on a 27-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis.

Then in the fourth, the Gators extended their advantage to 22-13 on an 8-yard scamper by Chris Rainey.

But if there was any hope remaining for the Bulldogs (3-5, 1-3), it was thwarted at the 8:25 mark of the final frame when Dustin Doe picked off a Tyson Lee pass and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown.

Still, the Bulldogs maintained their fight, especially true freshman safety Johnthan Banks.

With 3:51 left on the clock, he intercepted Tim Tebow, and returned it 20 yards to the end zone to cut the Gators’ lead to 29-19.

For Banks, it was his second pick-six of the night, the first time in school history that has happened.

His first came with 27 seconds left in the opening half that covered 100 yards to make it 13-10 Florida.

The two interceptions matched Tebow’s total for the entire season, and the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner finished the night 12-of-22 passing for 127 yards. He also rushed for 88 yards as the Gators manufactured a total of 376 on the night.

Lee, whose team travels to Kentucky next Saturday for a 6 p.m. outing with the Wildcats, was 15 of 23 for 145 yards. He was also picked off three times. MSU finished with 237 yards, while senior running back Anthony Dixon accounted for 53 on 15 carries.

Lee’s first interception came on the Bulldogs’ opening drive of the game. However the defense picked up the slack and held the Gators to a missed field-goal attempt to end their first offensive possession.

The Bulldogs took advantage and scored the game’s first points on their next possession when DePasquale capped off a 10-play, 54-yard drive with a 43-yard field goal to give MSU a 3-0 lead.

Florida attempted to get in the end zone first on its ensuing drive, but the Bulldog defense tightened up. After three failed attempts inside the MSU 10, the Gators settled for a 21-yard field goal to tie the game, 3-3.

In the second quarter, Florida’s offense put up 10 points on its first two drives to go up 13-3.

It appeared the Gators were going to add to their lead as the half was winding down, but Banks’ first interception for a touchdown made for a different story.

Via Media Relations

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Mississippi State’s Corey Broomfield was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, the league office announced Monday.

Broomfield, a redshirt freshman from Palm Bay, Fla., earned his first career start in last weekend’s victory over Middle Tennessee State.

In the win, Broomfield intercepted a pair of fourth-quarter passes and recorded five tackles (all solo). He was also credited with a pass breakup and a tackle for loss.

The Bayside High graduate is now tied for the SEC lead with three interceptions on the season.

Via Media Relations

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Anthony Dixon became Mississippi State’s career rushing leader, and the Bulldog defense shut down any major threats by Middle Tennessee’s offense, as the Bulldogs to a 27-6 road triumph over the Blue Raiders Saturday afternoon.

State (3-4) broke a three-game losing skid with the win, while the Blue Raiders (3-3) dropped their second in a row after a 3-1 start to the season.

In the second quarter, the senior Dixon burst through the line for a 57-yard score, a run which handed him the all-time MSU rushing yardage record. He surpassed Jerious Norwood (3,212 yards, 2002-05) for that mark. Dixon ended the game with 135 yards and two scores on the ground – his fifth consecutive 100+-yard game.

Defensively, the Bulldogs limited MTSU to 248 total yards and registered four interceptions – two each by freshmen Corey Broomfield and Johnthan Banks.

Scoring in the game took some time in getting going. After each team had two drives that stalled, State finally broke scoring ice with 6:24 to go in the first period when quarterback Tyson Lee broke free up the middle for a 39-yard touchdown run, the longest of his Bulldog career. Derek DePasquale’s extra point made it 7-0.

Lee also ended very efficient 14-of-20 for 155 yards through the air for State in the game.

The ensuing Blue Raider drive stalled after 43 yards from scrimmage before the teams traded field goals on their next two drives, both very lengthy marches that were halted in the red zone. MSU drove 78 yards to the Middle Tennessee 7 to set up a 24-yard kick from DePasquale. The Blue Raiders then tallied 62 yards to the MSU 1, where the Bulldogs stymied the MTSU drive on three downs to set up an 18-yard field goal by Alan Gendreau.

Mississippi State would answer that score with its second touchdown of the contest, Dixon’s record-setting rumble.

The Blue Raiders would close out scoring in the first half with another solid drive that stalled inside the MSU 10. Gendreau nailed his second field goal of the game to cap the drive, good from 24 yards out.

Neither team was able to manufacture much in the third quarter. State generated the only points of the period when DePasquale connected on a 36-yard field goal with 3:37 on the clock. The kick capped a short eight-play, 35-yard drive by the Bulldogs, who led 20-6 at that point.

A sequence of two plays cost Middle Tennessee a score early in the fourth period that would have brought MTSU to within a touchdown. Quarterback Dwight Dasher connected with Chris McGlover for an apparent 36-yard touchdown, but McGlover was called for offensive pass interference, negating the score. On the very next play, Dasher was picked off by Broomfield, who would add another interception to his ledger on the next MTSU possession as well.

The Blue Raiders could never muster any semblance of a late comeback. Dasher would be picked off on the next two drives as well – both times by Banks. His second pick setup the final score of the afternoon – a 1-yard leap by Dixon with 3:25 remaining in regulation.

The Bulldogs now return home to host the top-ranked Florida Gators next Saturday, Oct. 24. The game, which will kickoff at 6:30 p.m., will be televised be either ESPN or ESPN2.

Via Media Relations

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