Bulldogs4

Meridian 21 Columbus 18 Very poor coaching by Meridian the last minute of the game. Basically handed the game to Columbus on a silver platter in the last seconds of the game. But Columbus said “No, no, we don’t want it.”

MHSWriter is still living in the Jackson area but I have not seen or talked to him in several years. I see his Mom regularly and I will ask her how he is doing. And like CC said, Meridian is just not very good anymore. I post on the college board some but that is about it.

Well we do need to win Saturday simply because it is the next game. Beyond that the schedule is daunting but there does not seem to be a completely unbeatable team in the SEC this year. Transfer portal and NIL have potentially put a dent in to any team really dominating for an extended time. State may go 4-8 but if a couple of teams have an off game, State could win a couple of games in the conference. At least it seems to be a possibility now. Again predicated on winning tomorrow first.

State will probably pick Bama back up given the proximity of the universities, even though Bama has dominated the series. The third team, I would prefer KY just because we had a pretty good series going with them over the last 20 years. Ole Miss playing State, LSU and Arkansas would be the perfect setup.

Kudos to USM for their impressive win over App State. And I am glad that former State RB Jeffrey Pittman is playing well for USM. I will always have fond memories of him scoring the winning TD against AZ in 2023 on a well designed screen pass from Rogers in OT. That was the lone highlight of that entire season.

Quote “Arkansas team who destroyed Arkansas St who was in a dog fight yesterday with a good Iowa St team gives me hope that maybe Arkansas is actually pretty decent” I do think Arkansas is a quality team but IMHO, Iowa State slept walk through that game yesterday. After an emotional last second win over their arch rival last Saturday, they were due for a major letdown. You could see that happening from a mile away. That is not a good comparison in this particular case. Comparing how teams do against common opponents is a part of evaluating a match up but only one of several factors. With the transfer portal, I think we will see a lot of inconsistent play from teams during the season.

Craver played well last night. Last year you could see the potential and this season he has flourished. At least, State looks competent as a team. Need to take care of business against Northern Illinois. And then that sets up a great opportunity against Tennessee. Ole Miss has won two tough games against SEC teams. There are no breathers when it comes to winning a SEC Game. Even though Georgia persevered against Tennessee, I don’t see anyone running the table this year in the conference. In fact, winning 10 games in the regular season is going to be a major accomplishment. Going to be a lot of unexpected results in the next couple of months.

State’s win @ USM took a notch up tonight after the Eagles drubbed App State (who is usually a formidable opponent). Agree with you 83 that we just need to take care of business with N. Ill. and get out a W and no injuries. Ole Miss w/Tulane at home. Will not be a cupcake but Ole Miss should be able to win without it being nerve racking. Maybe due for a bit of a letdown after two emotionally and very difficult games.

Dang what a finish with the A&M - ND game! Missed XP was the difference.

QB played well. Will we have a QB competition now? He handled himself very well.

Ole Miss wins. Never a doubt.

Tennessee finds a new way to lose to Georgia. But nothing to see here folks. Move along now.

Not really surprised. Arkansas-Ole Miss has been a good rivalry for decades. I remember seeing them play in JAN on the back end of a double header with State playing in the afternoon and Arkansas-Ole Miss playing that night. Always drew a huge crowd then ( early1980’s).

Do we really know how good Arkansas is after beating Alabama A&M & Arkansas State? I think Ole Miss punches them in the mouth early and often. Arky will score some points later in the game but I think OM wins comfortably 31-17. Ole Miss is toughened up after a mug slog last week in LEX. Arky has been on cruise control but they are going to get hit by an eighteen wheeler Saturday.

Incredible atmosphere last night. I am not a fan of the black out, black uniforms but winning makes up for it. I have seen two games where the fans rushed the field at DWS. 1996 when we beat Bama 17-16 and then last night. And honestly last night was even more crazy than 1996. We were in the upper deck and so we just enjoyed the moment. As far as the game goes, ASU’s OL bullied us in the second half except for three plays when we stopped them at goal line late to force the FG. And even they took lead, the stadium felt like we were still in it and that stand created some momentum for us. First and third TD passes were essentially the same play. And as 83 noted, for the first time since Coach Leach died, we have something to celebrate! Lets Go Dawgs!!!

Meridian has been the short end of the officials so many times over the years, I guess we can accept a gift one time.

Neshoba Central 30 Meridian 31 Final

As I mentioned here in Meridian/Lauderdale County, the number of Schools is not the issue. But having two bloated central offices located in proximity to each other is completely ridiculous. There could be one superintendent, one office that is streamlined. Right now they shuffle principals, who are not doing their jobs, around and create fluff positions for them in the central office. Meanwhile the teachers get thrown a bone occasionally. And with the Federal Government shuttering the Department of Education, all these liaison jobs connected to Uncle Sam should be abolished. The folks in those jobs need to get back in classroom and teach, where they belong. Doubtful this will happen because it makes too much sense. And obviously it is just my opinion which is worth not more than a plug nickel.

If they do so, they may start seeing their scholarships dry up and it may put a stop to it. Especially with the transfer portal. High school kids may find themselves on the outside looking in.

Not sure why Dillingham chose to make a mountain out of a plain. Typically teams like to stay away from a stadium/campus when playing on the road. No big deal there. Obviously this game has been on the schedule for years so they could have easily made hotel reservations a long time ago. Second, there are plenty of caterers in the Starkville area so food prep should not be an issue at all. So why he chose to impugn Texas Tech and indirectly throw a barb at State with the food prep issue is beyond me. Then chose to praise Seattle for their food options. As if that had anything to do with this situation. Third, when someone discovers a casino in Starkvegas, someone please let me know… Back to the game, not sure what to expect. Arizona State is in a different position this year. Last year, they came out of nowhere to have an excellent season. This year they are ranked #12 after one game. Expectations are different. More pressure on the team to win and win big. Talent wise, I really don’t know what the difference is between the two teams. Intangibles: State is a hungry team. AZ State is the team that may feel a bit entitled. Depending on Turnovers, generally speaking, games are W/L at the LOS. Are we better enough this year to break even or be better than them at the LOS. That will tell the tale.

Well I guess I will stay home then since we have no chance. But JK, I will still be there anyway. I did not say we would win but at the least hopefully we can make it competitive. Replacing a generational player like Skattebo with someone just as good will be interesting to see with my own eyes. That guy had a presence that elevated the whole team (like Mangum in baseball). If this new guy can do that as well, I will tip my hat to him.

Good win for LSU on the road. Not that I like LSU but for the SEC it was a good win. Ole Miss rolled as expected. AZ State & State is intriguing match up. We are certainly improved and they don’t have Skattebo any more. That guy was a freight train last year. We have got to clean up the penalties on offense. Certainly it may be a competitive game and being at home with a big crowd in DWS will hopefully help. We will see what happens. I will be there. At the very least it feels good going into a game where I feel we have a boxer’s chance. Let’s Go Dawgs!

Yep and Bama’s OL is struggling as well. But it is a 14 point game and still a long way to go.

Kind of what I expected. USM was going to play hard with emotion but State would eventually wear them down. Defense has played well.

One quarter to play, to this point, Auburn is the better team. 31-17. But game is not over.