The Mississippi State Game

Auburn 17...Mississippi State University 14

A Thursday night game usually isn't a lot of fun. It disrupts university functions and generally inconvieninces everyone involved, except maybe ESPN.

The afternoon in Starkville was warm (hot)...and humid. Visiting with the State fans is usually pleasant and this trip was no exception. Thanks to Danny and Debbie for their hospitality and for sharing their shade with us.

Shawn, Jen, Corye, Neil, Skip, Skip and...(insert old folks joke here)...dropped by for a road Hot Damn! As usual, we tempted a few on-lookers into the group.

Before we get to the game and pictures, let me mention the cowbells . Now I'm a big believer in traditions, but turning 45,000 (insert your own descriptive noun) loose with cowbells in a competitive atmosphere is just dumb. Read the rules yourself, then explain to me why Mississippi State should have any money left after the season. The prediction from here is that next year the SEC tradition of NO ARTIFICIAL NOISEMAKERS will return.

Last time Auburn played football in Starkville, a field goal and a safety were the only scoring plays. This one was a little better, but until the season unfolds a little more, we won't know if State's defense is very good or if Auburn's offensive aim is directed towards both feet.

Behind The Head player of the game...Nick Fairley. The SEC Defensive Player of the Week had 5 tackles, 3 quarterback hurries, a fumble recovery, an interception and 2 sacks.

Runnerup...Cameron Newton. Cam's numbers weren't spectacular, but without his veritility, Auburn would be 1-1 instead of 2-0.

Yes, that is a standard Weber grill next to the cowbell. Yes, it really rings.

Tiger Walk is right next to the student gates. Fortunately, the bell ringers were in the stadium before the Tiger Walk got underway.

You can see all of the people gathered on the South side of Davis Wade Stadium. In the foreground, people await Tiger Walk. In the background, the Dawg Waddle is taking place at The Junction, the State answer to The Grove. You can see the ESPN cranecam above the crowd.

Tiger Walk in Starkville is fun because you can get up close and personal with the team, coaches, cheerleaders, the band and even ol' 01.

I think I have this picture from every trip to Starkville. In the first ones, there were no buildings, just the water tower.

Where are our home flyovers hiding?!? I think these were F-18s.

Who's idea was it to have both teams enter the field at the same time? Oh, yeah, nevermind, the same people that like to string wires across a stadium so they will have something to hold up a useless camera.

The only reason for this picture is that I like to see receivers catch the ball with their hands, not trap the ball against their body. This "hands only" catch by Terrell Zachery from Cam Newton was good for 13 yards.

Corey Broomfield is about to get a face full of Cam Newton...Big C meeting Little C on the big M.

This was a perfect play. Newton zipped the ball to Emory Blake in the left flat and he followed two downfield blocks for a 39 yard score.

It really is a game of inches. Josh Bynes is a little late getting to State's Chris Relf. The result was a 17 yard MSU gain. The large ellipse is around my favorite piece of ESPN equipment. This is the camera that causes our eagles to drop straight to the field during ESPN televised games. The camera rides on cables that crisscross the field. Pictures from the camera are next to useless, too.

Relf found the endzone on this one yard plunge to tie the game. Actually, he fumbled and State's Gabe Jackson recovered in the endzone, but the picture of that looked like a bunch of big people in a pile.

Nick Fairley found himself in pass coverage and MSU #2 quarterback Tyler Russell found Nick wide open. It looked like Nick ran a good route, but he needs to work on his "yards after catch" stat. Right now he is -1 yard per catch.

Newton to Darvin Adams (12 yards)...almost as fast as the F-18s!

Wes Byrum finished off Auburn's scoring for the night with a (for him) routine 34 yard field goal. Of course, there was still four and a half minutes left in the FIRST HALF!

The Tigers had possession of the ball again at the end of the first half, but 3 incomplete passes to Emory Blake killed the drive.

On the opening drive of the second half, MSU took advantage of Auburn's soft secondary coverage (Relf to Chris Smith in the picture) to put up another touchdown, making the score 17-14. The AU defense held the Bulldogs scoreless for the last 24 minutes of the game.

There were some exciting (frightening?) moments in the second half. Auburn attempted to recreate the first touchdown to Blake, but Corey Broomfield got both hands on the ball. All of the uninhabited grass in front of him must have scared him because he dropped it.

Mike Goggins (left) and Nick Fairley came close to catching Russell. Russell didn't go down nor did he throw the ball to Nick again.

Michael Dyer's fresh legs helped Auburn kill the clock in the fourth quarter. This 16 yard jaunt set up the next heart attack.

Situation: 3 point lead, 4:30 left in the game, ball on your opponent's 48 yard line. Would you have Newton throw the ball backwards to Kodi Burns...

...who then would heaved the ball back to...

...Newton? Newton picked up 22 yards, but only because Ryan Pugh pancaked Jonathan McKenzie. It all worked out, except I needed a clean pair of pants.

We won, it's over. Dan Mullen looks like someone kicked his dawg and Trooper Taylor looks like it may have been him! By the way, the Ford advertisement in the top right-hand corner of the scoreboard was supposed to be the cowbell controller. When it said "RING!", well, if you can read this, you would know what to do. When the cowbells were supposed to be silent, the ad turned into a box that read "YELL!". It didn't work...big surprise.