Bulldogs4

Interesting information. I would much rather attend a baseball game where the umpires are generous (consistently) with the strike zone. I am old fashioned in baseball that I would much rather see a 2-1 game that is well played in the field than a 11-10 ball buster where no pitcher can get an out and lazy fly balls are HR’s. So here is hoping that comes to fruition this season. We shall see.

Vandy with the upset over A&M and LSU lost at FL by two. No conference game outside of Mizzou can be looked at as an automatic win. One game at a time maybe a cliche but it is the truth in the SEC this year in basketball. Unfortunately for Ole Miss, they caught KY at the very worst time. Difficult loss but not unexpected. I said I was concerned about where Ole Miss is emotionally right now. The team is still very capable but that loss to SCAR may have taken a lot out of this team.

If Southern wins the SWAC and their Tournament and thus makes the Big Dance then the loss does not look quite as bad at the end of the season. Still a game we should have won easily. But in the jungle of college basketball those games happen occasionally. Plus, if they do win their conference and tournament, having a win against a P5 team legitimizes their argument “that hey we have a deserving team and we belong”

I looked at the lineup Steve listed the other day. Those pieces look good BUT BUT we have got to hit the ball better than the Dave Kingman style from the last two years (.200 BA, 50 HR, 62 RBI’s with 250 strikeouts). Larry & Mershon should be a good 1-2 at the top of the order. If we don’t pitch it better it will all be a moot point. I dare say that we all thought we shoot the ball better this year in basketball and that has not happened so there is no reason to think we will pitch the ball any better this season. Unless we throw strikes and locate pitches well it will not matter. Finally, our fielding defense was suspect last year too….if we do not improve there, we will be last again. I guess that about covers it. To sum it up, we will not know about State until we play about 30 games. Here is hoping that we will be better. As Harry Carey said “Hope Springs Eternal and the Cubs are going to win the World Series this year”. LOL

Blocked EXP was big but SF had opportunities in the first half and third quarter to put some distance between themselves and KC but they failed to cash in. Agree with 83 that SF lost the game much earlier than the blocked PAT. Second game in a row that Chris Jones saved a TD being scored by putting pressure on the QB and forcing an errant pass. Both were also in late game crucial situations.

Selfishly I would like to see State finish 5-2 down the stretch to be 10-8 on the league. That is going to be difficult as you figure Auburn on the road is going to be a loss. @A&M is going to be a tall chore. Now whether we can win the other games remains to be seen. Of course, the only game that matters right now is Arkansas. Given the conference schedule we are playing this year, 10-8 would be a great accomplishment. Ole Miss is in a bit of danger IMO. They have played really well this year but I wonder if they can sustain it the rest of the season. Not a criticism at all just kind of a feeling I have right now. KY presents a great opportunity Tuesday and if they find a way to win that game, then disregard the above. I say that knowing you will beat Missouri twice (even though as a State fan I was worried about them). Still a lot of games left and the conference season can certainly take some twists and turns over the next four weeks.

Plus State has a bye this week which I think comes at a very good time. 83 the first half was just awful. Missed FT’s and missed shots and turnovers…. please practice free throws this week…

I know this is crazy but this was a huge WIN. I know they are bad but an 0-10 team is really scary because eventually they are going to beat someone. And to finally win a road game. Hopefully will take some of the pressure off the team and the next road games we can just go out and play. That burden will be gone from the team. We will see.

Hopefully it is 1-6 and O and 11 about 10P tonight…LOL

Jackson State had some great players particularly in the 1970’s. Had Jackie Parker signed with the Giants instead of Edmonton, I think he would have been in NFL HofF. He was a freak of an athlete and is in the college HoF as well as the Canadian HoF. Otherwise State has had a lot of decent/good NFL players but not really any that have quite been NFL HofF players. Surprising that DD Lewis was not considered for the HoF. He started 135 straight games at LB for the Cowboys and was an integral part of those great Cowboy teams in the 1970’s. Possibly he was overshadowed by some of the other superstars Staubach, White, Dorsett etc. He was only consistently good but never really was remembered for a great play or performance so I think was possibly why he was overlooked for consideration to the HofF. But I agree 83, that State has some current players who will be in the NFL HofF at some point in the future.

Unfortunately injuries severed his career a few years before it would have otherwise ended. He was a great LB and is right up there with Joe Fortunato, Robert Brazile, DD Lewis and Larry Grantham as one of the great MS college linebackers ever in the NFL. I think he would have been elected sooner had been able to play 2-3 more years. Congratulations on a well earned and deserved honor!!!

State women with a solid win over Georgia. LAS oddsmakers are generally good at what they do. State was favored by 14 points Won by 19 Close enough there O/U was 131.5 Score was 76-55 and at the buzzer UGA hit a jumper to make the final score 76-57. Thus the under now went over… I don’t do any betting but I found that interesting that they nailed the O/U game. A&M pummeling Ole Miss in the Pavilion. Very surprising as the Ole Miss women have a good team. However getting blown out by a decent A&M team at home is definitely not a good look.

But he is young and the defense will definitely improve with time, practice and most importantly with playing time.

And if Murphy can remain healthy, he can be star in this league. To be 6’10” and have the versatility he possesses, he can really help us down the stretch this season and into the future.

I don’t want to say we are better by subtraction but if Jones and Murphy can play like this each game (and there is no reason to think they can’t) then I would let Jeffries be a reserve when he is healthy again. These two give us much more offensive firepower. He is a veteran but he is a liability on the offensive end of the court. Just my observation and opinion. Which is not worth much….LOL

Free Throws were huge. Hopefully that will start a good trend. Yes and after the start, I agree that we played well.

A decent second half for State and a much needed win. If Jones, Murphy and Davis can play like this each game, that will give us a big boost.

FUGLY UGLY Did I say FUGLY and UGLY… Ugggghhhhh

The next three games are absolutely critical for State to win all three. Georgia has a decent team but if State is going to be a NCAAT team, then it is a game you must win. Missouri & Arkansas are both struggling and need to be victories as well. Simple as that.

Wow, I was listening on the radio and Ole Miss was down 17 and then I went into a meeting for about an hour and a half, come out and see that they lose by three. After reading the recap, it appears that they should have won this game. For SCAR, this game may prove to be a red flag. Yes they hung on to win but blowing a big lead at home will affect your psyche in future games. Will be interesting to see how they play going forward. Would not be surprised to see them lose some games down the stretch.

Which is disappointing because coming into the season the depth of this team seemed to be a great strength. And early in the season Jans was playing 10+ guys each game. Hopefully the injury is not too serious though. Reb, it is a disappointing day in that Ole Miss was not able to sustain the lead they built in the first half and the fact that State was not competitive at Bama. Neither will be hurt too bad in the NET but each team missed an opportunity to score some NET points.

That would be cool to see the ladies square off at 8-3 with an excellent chance for the winner to finish second in the conference and potentially be in position for a deep NCAAT run. Here we go again with the State men. Another opportunity to snag a road win in a winnable game. Yes Alabama is good but they are not invincible. We have got to be tough around the rim, make some outside shots, protect the ball and most importantly make FREE THROWS. Of course I am not asking for much either…LOL Big game for Ole Miss at home against Auburn. Definitely need to protect the home court.

They are certainly connected. I think I mentioned before that Petal is a high floor and low ceiling job. No doubt, Coach Boyles will do a good job there. I don’t see a State Championship team on the horizon, though. As to how Coach Gandy will do at Meridian, we will see. There is talent on the team and a good nucleus of starters are coming back. In 2024, we will be competitive but we are not winning a State Championship this year either. Petal can crow all they want about facilities etc. but Ray Stadium and Between the Bricks are the two most historical and iconic high school stadiums in Mississippi and that is not changing anytime soon. Also, Ray Stadium is about to have a Jumbotron installed (that has been in the works for several years now) and will be nice enhancement to the grand ole facility.

State women did just what I expected. Beat LSU and then almost lose to a terrible Kentucky team. The operative word being “almost” as they did persevered in OT and also the game was played in Rupp Arena. That had to be cool deal for the State women especially since we eeked out a win in OT. Really big game @A&M Sunday. Need to win there to stay in upper quadrant of the conference.

What happens if they finished tied? Will play a game of HORSE to decide the winner errrrr loser?