MISSISSIPPI STATE GAME NOTES

MISSISSIPPI STATE GAME NOTES MSTATE (3-2, 1-2 SEC) VS. UAB (1-3, 0-1 C-USA) DAVIS WADE STADIUM (55,082) OCTOBER 6, 2007 1:30 P.M. MSTATE SCHEDULE & RESULTS Date Opponent W-L Score/Time Aug. 30 * LSU L 0-45 Sept. 8 at Tulane W 38-17 Sept. 15 * at Auburn W 19-14 Sept. 22 GARDNER-WEBB W 31-15 Sept. 29 * at South Carolina L 21-38 Oct. 6 UAB (Homecoming) 1:30 p.m. Oct. 13 * TENNESSEE TBA Oct. 20 at West Virginia 11 a.m. Oct. 27 * at Kentucky TBA Nov. 10 * ALABAMA TBA Nov. 17 * at Arkansas (Little Rock) TBA Nov. 23 * OLE MISS 11:30 a.m. All times Central The Series Overall Record........................ Series tied, 1-1 at Starkville......................... UAB leads, 1-0 at Birmingham............. Mississippi State leads, 1-0 at Neutral Sites......................... Never Met Last meeting:........ Mississippi State, 16-10 (OT), 2006 Last meeting in Starkville:.............UAB, 27-13, 2004 Last 10 meetings:..................... Series tied, 1-1 Current Series Win Streak:.... Mississippi State one game Sylvester Croom vs. UAB:........................ 1-1 at Starkville.................................. 0-1 Neil Callaway vs. Mississippi State:........... Never Met at Starkville............................ Never Met Croom vs. Callaway:....................... Never Met Broadcast Information Television..................... Comcast Sports (Delay) Announcers............... Steve Ellis and Matt Wyatt Radio................. Mississippi State Radio Network Announcers......... Jack Cristil, Jim Ellis, John Correro XM Radio............................. Channel 200 in Starkville.......................... 107.9, WFCA Quick Facts - Mississippi State Record....................................... 3-2 Ranking (AP/Coaches')....................... NR / NR Last Game................. L, at South Carolina, 21-38 Head Coach.........................Sylvester Croom Career Record..................12-27 / fourth season MSU Record...................12-27 / fourth season Quick Facts - UAB Record....................................... 1-3 Ranking (AP/Coaches')....................... NR / NR Last Game......................... L, at Tulsa, 30-38 Head Coach........................... Neil Callaway Career Record..................... 1-3 / first season South Carolina Record.............. 1-3 / first season MISSISSIPPI STATE ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS P.O. Box 5308 Mississippi State, MS 39762 Football Contacts: Mike Nemeth, Joe Galbraith Phone: (662) 325-2703 Fax: (662) 325-2563 MISSISSIPPI STATE PLAYS HOST TO UAB FOR HOMECOMING 2007 Following last week's 38-21 Southeastern Conference loss at South Carolina, Mississippi State returns home and to non-conference action when the Bulldogs play host to UAB, Saturday, Oct. 6. It is homecoming at MSU and the game will not be aired on live network television. The game will kick off at 1:30 p.m. CT, at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field on the MSU campus. MISSISSIPPI STATE HOPES TO EXTEND ITS HOMECOMING SUCCESS Mississippi State has posted a 45-20-3 (.684) overall record in homecoming games through the years. MSU has played 34 different opponents covering those 68 games. UAB spoiled State's 2004 homecoming with a 27-13 victory, the only time the two schools have met on State's alumni weekend. Despite the Bulldogs' solid homecoming record, MState has lost two of its last three such games. BULLDOGS HAVE BEEN SOLID AGAINST NON-LEAGUE OPPONENTS Mississippi State has posted a 158-116-10 (.574) record all-time against teams that are not members of the Southeastern Conference, an impressive 45-16-1 (.734) mark in regular-season, non-conference games since 1989. MSU, however, has won just eight of its last 16 non-conference games, dating to the beginning of the 2003 season. MISSISSIPPI STATE LOOKS TO IMPROVE LEDGER VS. CONFERENCE-USA Mississippi State has posted an impressive 82-61-3 (.572) record against teams that currently comprise Conference- USA. State has played C-USA member schools more frequently than any other non-sec league. The Bulldogs are 4-3 vs. C-USA under head football coach Sylvester Croom. SUCCESSFUL SPECIAL DISCOUNT TICKET OFFERED AGIAN FOR UAB GAME The Mississippi State Athletic Department experienced a tremendous walk-up crowd, and demand for, a special discounted ticket for the Bulldogs' last home football game with Gardner-Webb (Sept. 22). MSU will once again make that specially priced ($15) ticket available for the UAB game this Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. The tickets are located in the west side upper deck of the stadium and are being sold through the MSU Athletic Ticket Office in the Bryan Athletic Administration Building and at the stadium ticket office on gamedays, as long as supplies last. Regular-priced lower level tickets also remain for the UAB contest. For more information, fans are encouraged to contact the ticket office at 1-888- GO-DAWGS (1-888-463-2947). IT HAS BEEN SEVEN SEASONS SINCE MSU OPENED WITH A 4-2 SLATE Mississippi State looks to reach the mid-point of the 2007 season the same way it did the 2000 campaign, with a 4-2 record. That is the last time that the Bulldogs won four of their first six games in a season. CROOM AND CALLAWAY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP THAT DATES TO THE '70s Mississippi State head football coach Sylvester Croom and UAB head man Neil Callaway have an association that dates to the mid-1970s. Their playing careers at the University of Alabama overlapped in 1974 -- Croom was a senior while Callaway was a freshman there. Croom began his collegiate coaching career as first a graduate assistant and then a full-time assistant at the University of Alabama in 1976 and '77. At that time, Callaway was completing his playing career with the Crimson Tide, earning varsity letters in 1976 and '77. OTHER BULLDOG COACHES HAVE AN ASSOCIATION WITH CALLAWAY, AS WELL Mississippi State defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, offensive coordinator Woody McCorvey, and safeties coach Charlie Harbison also have a working association with the UAB head coach. Johnson was the defensive coordinator at Alabama in 1998-2000 when Neil Callaway was the offensive coordinator. McCorvey coached the wide receivers on the 1997 UA staff on which Callaway Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. UAB Blazers October 6, 2007 Football Game Notes Early Week Notes

was the offensive line instructor. From 1998-2000, Harbison served as the defensive backfield coach for the Crimson Tide. THE TWO SCHOOLS' COACHING STAFFS ARE EVEN FURTHER INTERTWINED Like with UAB head coach Neil Callaway, the collegiate playing careers of Mississippi State head coach Sylvester Croom and UAB defensive coordinator Eric Schumann also overlapped at Alabama in 1973-74. MSU assistant coaches Melvin Smith, Woody McCorvey, Ellis Johnson and Charlie Harbison worked in various capacities with UAB wide receivers coach Tim Bowens at Alabama. Bowens played wide out for the Crimson Tide and was coached by McCorvey in 1996-97. Johnson was the defensive coordinator in 1997-99, Bowens' final three seasons as a Tide player. Harbison was the defensive backfield coach at UA Bowens' last two years. Smith coached the Tide safeties in 2002 when Bowens was the school's director of football operations. McCorvey and Johnson were also on the UA staff when UAB offensive line coach Will Friend, a West Point, Miss., native played for the Crimson Tide and then served as a graduate assistant coach. STATISTICAL COMPARISON Mississippi State vs. UAB (2007 per-game averages) Mississippi State UAB Overall Record.................. 3-2......... 1-3 Conference Record............ 1-2......... 0-1 Points Scored.................. 21.8........ 23.5 Points Allowed................. 25.8........ 31.8 Total Offense................. 297.4....... 326.5 Rushing Yards.............. 160.6....... 125.8 Passing Yards............... 136.8....... 200.8 Yards Allowed................. 329.8....... 510.2 Rushing Yards Allowed....... 142.4....... 236.0 Passing Yards Allowed........ 187.4....... 274.2 First Downs.................... 17.4........ 18.0 Time of Possession............. 30:48....... 30:34 3rd Down Conversion........... 38%........ 35% INDIVIDUAL COMPARISON Mississippi State vs. UAB (2007 per-game averages) A SLEW OF ALABAMA-BORN BULLDOGS WELCOME HOME-STATE SCHOOL No less than 15 Mississippi State football student-athletes from the state of Alabama will welcome home-state UAB to Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. True freshmen DB Zach Smith (Altoona), OL D.J. Looney (Birmingham), LB Terrell Johnson (Cullomburg), and QB Chris Relf (Montgomery) have the pleasure of seeing a familiar school on their new turf. Offensive linemen Mark Melichar (Birmingham) and Johnny Carpenter (Citronelle), running back Arnil Stallworth (Daphne), snapper Aaron Feld (Homewood), defensive linemen Rodney Prince (Irondale) and Titus Brown (Tuscaloosa), wide receivers Ryan Mason (Mobile) and Aubrey Bell (Prichard), defensive backs Keon Humphries (Montgomery) and Chris Nance (Tuscumbia) and quarterback Michael Henig (Montgomery) also call the state of Alabama home. The 15 players from Alabama are the most out-of-state Bulldogs on the MSU roster. THREE MISSISSIPPIANS DOT UAB PRE- SEASON MEDIA GUIDE ROSTER Three players from the state of Mississippi are listed on UAB's roster. Holder/snapper Chris Barrett is from Gulfport, defensive back Zach Britten hails from Abbeville, and place-kicker punter Swayze Waters calls Jackson home. One player that is not on that roster, but has played in two games for the Blazers, is former MSU running back Brandon Thornton. Mississippi State UAB Rushing Yards-per-Game Dixon.......... 86.8....... 45.0....... Slaughter Ducre.......... 46.0....... 45.0....... Thornton Williams........ 19.4....... 26.0..........Webb Passing Yards-per-Game Henig......... 119.7....... 170.0..........Hunt Riddell......... 80.0....... 30.8..........Webb Carroll.......... 17.0 Receiving Yards-per-Game Burks........... 36.8....... 67.5..........Webb Bell............ 21.4...... 49.5......... Wright Smith.......... 19.6...... 33.8.......... Sigler Total Tackles O'Neal........... 33....... 41.......... Dunbar Chaney........... 31....... 29........Henderson Douglas.......... 30....... 28......... Tashman Interceptions Pegues............ 2....... 2........... Dunbar four players........ 1....... 2........... Sanders Sacks T. Brown........... 6....... 3.........Henderson Holmes............ 2....... 1........ four players WWW.MSTATEATHLETICS.COM

LIKE THE COACHES, SEVERAL TIES EXIST BETWEEN THE TWO TEAMS' PLAYERS Mississippi State true freshman quarterback Chris Relf was one year behind UAB strong safety Anthony Davis at Carver High School in Montgomery. Also in that city, State defensive back Keon Humphries played at the same high school (Lanier) as UAB true freshman DB Broderick Ferguson. Wide receivers Ryan Mason of MSU and Frantrell Forrest of UAB attended Shaw High School in Mobile. State running back Arnil Stallworth and Blazer defensive linemen D.J. Reese and Bryant Turner played together at Daphne (Ala.) High School. Outside the two respective states involved, MSU defensive back Keith Fitzhugh and UAB defensive end Richard Carter both played scholastically at Lovejoy (Ga.) High School. MISSISSIPPI STATE IMPROVES ITS RUSH DEFENSE NUMBERS AT SOUTH CAROLINA After permitting South Carolina just 123 yards on 35 attempts this past Saturday, Mississippi State ranks seventh in the Southeastern Conference in rushing defense, lowering its per-game average to 142.4. For the 11th-straight game, MSU did not allow an opponent rusher to reach the 100-yard plateau, a streak that covers games against BenJarvus Green-Ellis (Ole Miss), Darren McFadden and Felix Jones (Arkansas), Kenneth Darby (Alabama), Kregg Lumpkin (Georgia) and Cory Boyd (South Carolina). That streak dates to State's Week 6 game last year against West Virginia. BULLDOG PASS RUSH, SECONDARY HAVE BEEN FORMIDABLE AGAINST AIR GAME Key to Mississippi State's total defense ranking (7th in SEC) is a pass defense that currently rates sixth-best in the league. The Bulldogs have allowed just 187.4 yards per game through the air. MSU also ranks in a second-place tie in the SEC with 11 quarterback sacks. METHODICAL MSU GROUND GAME MONOPOLIZES TIME OF POSSESSION Mississippi State ground out 140 yards rushing at South Carolina this past Saturday. MSU ranks seventh in the Southeastern Conference, averaging 160.6 rushing yards per game. State's downfall at USC can be traced to several areas, but one was its inability to convert third downs. After making first downs 41.4 percent of the time on thirddown snaps (fifth in the SEC) through the season's first four weeks, the Bulldogs only converted three of 13 opportunities against the Gamecocks and fell from third to 10th in the league in that category. State's potent rushing game has helped the Bulldogs rank fourth in the league in time of possession average (30:47 average per game). TITUS BROWN ADDS TO SACK TOTAL, LEAGUE LEADER IN THAT CATEGORY Mississippi State senior defensive end Titus Brown (Tuscaloosa, Ala.), who has recorded 143 career tackles, including 31.5 for loss (minus 142 yards), 16.5 of which were sacks (minus 97 yards), had two quarterback sacks at South Carolina this past weekend to raise his season average to 1.2 per game, best in the SEC. That game came following a career night against Gardner-Webb two weeks ago. Brown, who has recorded at least one tackle for loss in each of the season's first five games, had three tackles for loss (minus 14 yards) against GWU (second-most in his career; most since Tulane [3.5 TFL; 9/16/06]). He matched his career best with two quarterback sacks (minus 10 yards) against the Runnin' Bulldogs (2.0 QBS vs. West Virginia, 10/7/06). His 16.5 sacks move him past Robert Young (16; 1987-90) and into seventh place all-time at Mississippi State in that category. Greg Favors (19.5; 1994-97) is next on the school list. Brown has now had at least one TFL in 12 of the last 13 games, dating to last season, and a QB sack in 10 of the last 13. Brown is also tied for third in the league in tackles for loss (1.60 per game). SCHOOL-RECORD SETTER DEREK PEGUES MATCHES BROWN ON 'BIG PLAY' CHART Mississippi State junior defensive back Derek Pegues (Batesville, Miss.), selected to the 2007 Jim Thorpe Award watch list as one of the nation's top defensive backs, recorded his seventh career interception at South Carolina this past weekend. He has returned three of those for touchdown, the most in school history. Pegues has also been a threat in the return game, ranking third on the school's all-time kick return (67) and yardage (1,456) lists, and eighth all-time at the school in punt return yards (409). Bernard Euell (1992-95) currently ranks seventh with 411 yards. SENIOR CENTER BLACKLEDGE NAMED TO RIMINGTON WATCH LIST Mississippi State senior center Royce Blackledge (Sandersville, Miss.), named to the 2007 Rimington Trophy Watch List for centers, has now started 23 consecutive games for the Bulldogs, including 17 in a row at center. He has been on the field for every offensive snap 15 times. Blackledge began his senior season the way he ended his junior campaign. He scored a team-high 82 percent blocking grade against LSU in the season opener, a team-best 85 percent mark vs. Tulane in Week 2, and a starter-best 86 percent at Auburn. He recorded an 86 percent grade vs. Gardner-Webb. MSU STREAKS & 2007 RECORDS Overall Streak 2007 Overall.......................... L1...... 3-2 Home........................ W1...... 1-1 Away......................... L1...... 2-1 Neutral........................ L1....... SEC Games.................... L1...... 1-2 Non-Conference Games......... W3...... 2-0 Day Games.................... L1...... 1-1 Night Games.................. W2...... 2-1 August........................ L4...... 0-1 September..................... L1...... 3-1 October....................... L2....... November..................... L2....... vs. Top 10 Teams (AP)........... L12...... 0-1 vs. Top 25 Teams (AP)........... L11...... 0-2 Television Games.................. L1...... 2-2 ABC.......................... L5....... CBS.......................... L2....... CSS......................... W1...... 1-0 CSTV........................ W1....... ESPN......................... L5...... 0-1 ESPN2........................ L1....... Fox........................... L1....... Jefferson-Pilot / Lincoln-Financial... L1...... 1-1 NBC......................... W2....... When MSU Wins Coin Toss.......... L1...... 1-1 When Opponent Wins Toss......... W2...... 2-1 When MSU Scores First............ W4...... 3-0 When Opponent Scores First........ L4...... 0-2 When MSU Leads at Halftime....... W7...... 1-0 When Tied at Halftime............. W1...... 1-0 When Opp. Leads at Halftime........ L1...... 1-2 When MSU Leads After 3 Quarters... W8...... 2-0 When Tied After 3 Quarters........ W2....... When Opp. Leads After 3 Quarters... L1...... 1-2 When MSU Scores 25+ points....... W2...... 2-0 When Opp. Scores 25+ points...... L15...... 0-2 When MSU Rushes for 100+ yards.... L1...... 3-1 When Opp. Rushes for 100+ yards.... L1...... 2-2 When MSU Rushes for <100 yards... L27...... 0-1 When Opp. Rushes for <100 yards... W1...... 1-0 WWW.MSTATEATHLETICS.COM

2007 MISSISSIPPI STATE FOOTBALL DEPTH CHART (UAB) OFFENSE X 89 JAMAYEL SMITH 6-0 183 JR. 87 Aubrey Bell 6-3 217 Jr. 15 Co-Eric Riley 6-1 200 Jr. LT 77 MIKE BROWN 6-3 300 JR. 74 Mark Melichar 6-5 284 RFr. LG 53 ANTHONY STRAUDER 6-3 290 JR. 78 Michael Gates 6-4 305 Jr. C 76 ROYCE BLACKLEDGE 6-4 293 SR. 59 Johnny Carpenter 6-2 290 So. RG 75 CRAIG JENKINS 6-4 315 SO. 78 Michael Gates 6-4 305 Jr. RT 60 J.D. HAMILTON 6-4 295 SR. 79 Derek Sherrod 6-5 298 Fr. TE 48 DEZMOND SHERROD 6-3 245 SR. 88 Eric Butler 6-3 255 Sr. 82 Jason Husband 6-3 230 Sr. Z 4 TONY BURKS 6-4 217 SR. 86 Lance Long 5-11 186 Sr. 81 Brandon McRae 6-4 200 So. FB 35 BRANDON HART 5-11 240 JR. 84 Jeremy Jones 6-2 275 Jr. HB 29 CHRISTIAN DUCRE 6-0 215 SO. 24 Anthony Dixon 6-1 240 So. 33 Justin Williams 5-10 207 Sr. QB 13 WESLEY CARROLL 6-1 190 FR. 14 Chris Relf 6-3 211 Fr. DEFENSE LE 54 TITUS BROWN 6-3 250 SR. 39 Tim Bailey 6-3 241 Jr. LT 95 KYLE LOVE 6-1 320 SO. 90 Cortez McCraney 6-4 272 Jr. RT 99 QUINTON WESLEY 6-4 310 SO. 98 LaMarcus Williams 6-1 290 Fr. 94 Jessie Bowman 6-1 305 Jr. RE 51 AVERY HANNIBAL 6-1 240 SR. 97 Jimmie Holmes 6-3 235 Jr. SLB 5 GABE O NEAL 6-1 220 SR. 56 Anthony Littlejohn 6-2 225 Jr. MLB 22 JAMAR CHANEY 6-1 236 JR. 36 Jamon Hughes 6-0 230 So. WLB 10 DOMINIC DOUGLAS 6-2 227 JR. 56 Anthony Littlejohn 6-2 225 Jr. LCB 11 ANTHONY JOHNSON 5-10 194 SO. 23 Jasper O Quinn 5-10 185 Jr. SS 8 DE MON GLANTON 6-1 190 JR. 1 Keith Fitzhugh 5-11 206 Jr. 42 Zach Smith 6-0 180 Fr. FS 3 DEREK PEGUES 5-10 196 JR. 6 Demario Bobo 6-0 180 Sr. RCB 18 MARCUS WASHINGTON 5-10 180 SO. 40 Chris Nance 5-10 182 Jr. SPECIALISTS PK 37 ADAM CARLSON 6-4 195 JR. 41 Brad Moore 6-1 190 RFr. P 43 BLAKE McADAMS 5-10 190 JR. 37 Adam Carlson 6-4 195 Jr. SN 46 AARON FELD 6-1 225 RFR. 65 Anthony Bowles 5-11 220 Jr. H 43 BLAKE McADAMS 5-10 190 JR. 45 Ben Shelton 5-11 196 Jr. KR 3 DEREK PEGUES 5-10 196 JR. 15 Co-Eric Riley 6-1 200 Jr. PR 3 DEREK PEGUES 5-10 196 JR. 86 Lance Long 5-11 186 Sr. PRONUNCIATION GUIDE 3 Derek PEGUES... puh-geese 7 Michael HENIG... HEN-igg 17 Josh RIDDELL... RIDD-uhl 29 Christian DUCRE... doo-cree 45 DE MON Glanton... duh-mahn 47 DOMINIC Douglas...dom-in-EEK 48 Dezmond SHERROD... shuh-rod 53 Anthony STRAUDER... STRAW-der 70 J.C. BRIGNONE... brig-no-nee 74 Mark MELICHAR...MELL-eh-car 79 Derek SHERROD... shuh-rod 89 JAMAYEL Smith... juh-mail WWW.MSTATEATHLETICS.COM

THE LAST MEETING 2006 Mississippi State 16 UAB 10 September 23, 2006 Legion Field Birmingham, Ala. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Omarr Conner jumped across the goal line for a touchdown in overtime and Mississippi State got its first win with a 16-10 victory over UAB. Conner - State's third starting quarterback this season after Michael Henig was hurt in the opener - was swarmed by teammates after the 21-yard run. UAB challenged the TD call, but it stood after a video review. UAB had gotten the ball first in overtime, but Adron Chambers picked off Chris Williams' pass in the end zone on the second play to hold the Blazers. Mississippi State (1-3) rallied on offense and then kept UAB (1-3) out of the end zone just to get to overtime. Trailing 7-3 in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs got the ball at the UAB 46 after a 25-yard punt return by Derek Pegues. UAB fans went wild when the Blazer GAME NOTES State snapped a 15-game road losing streak, dating back to an October 19, 2002, victory at Memphis. The Bulldogs won for the first time in 29 games when trailing at the half, and for the first time in 31 games when trailing after three quarters. K Adam Carlson's 47-yard second-quarter field goal was the longest successful attempt of his career. It also marked the first make in three attempts this season for the sophomore. Mississippi St. 0 3 0 7 6 = 16 UAB 0 7 0 3 0 = 10 2nd Quarter UAB - Williams 9 run (Mullins kick), 3:43 MSU - Carlson 47 FG, 1:32 4th Quarter MSU - Dixon 1 run (Carlson kick), 9:11 UAB - Mullins 37 FG, 1:57 Overtime MSU - Conner 21 run (no attempt) MSU UAB First Downs 19 14 Rushes-Yards 44-166 32-94 Passing Yards 115 116 Passes (C-A-I) 14-23-0 12-26-2 Total Offense 281 210 Fumbles-Lost 2-2 1-0 Penalties-Yards 8-75 9-85 Time of Possession 28:52 31:08 RUSHING: (MSU) Dixon 19-81 TD, Conner 8-45 TD, Stallworth 14-43, Davis 1-0, Williams 2-(-3). (UAB) Burks 13-45, White 8-24, Chaney 4-15, Williams 2-10 TD, Brown 1-9, Team 1-(-2), Hunt 3-(-7). PASSING: (MSU) Conner 14-23-0 115. (UAB) Williams 9-20-2 99, Hunt 3-6-0 17. RECEIVING: (MSU) Stallworth 4-30, Long 3-17, Prosser 2-21, Husband 2-17, Davis 2-11, Butler 1-19. (UAB) Mencer 5-58, Slaughter 1-22, Edwards 1-11, Lankford 1-6, Brown 1-6, Drinkard 1-6, Erwin 1-5, White 1-2. Attendance: 36,104. defense stopped Conner just short of the goal line on fourth-and-3. But the gain was enough for a first down, and Anthony Dixon went in from the 1 for a score on the next play. The teams traded punts before the Bulldogs stopped a UAB drive and Parker Mullins kicked a 37-yard field goal with 1:57 remaining to tie it at 10 and force overtime. Conner was 14-of-23 passing for 115 yards without an interception. Dixon led Mississippi State rushers with 81 yards on 19 carries, but he also had a couple of drive-killing fumbles. The low-scoring game was more of the same for UAB and Mississippi State, which struggled to put points on the board in their first three games. State has been shut out twice, and UAB hadn't scored more than 17 points in a game. True to form, defense dominated and the teams swapped punts most of the first half. UAB finally scored late in the second quarter when Williams ran 9 yards for a TD to cap a 12-play, 73-yard drive that was keyed by his 21-yard pass to Sylvester Menster for a first down at the State 35. State answered with a career-long, 47- yard field goal by Adam Carlson. The Bulldogs were twice in position to go ahead in the third quarter but couldn't make it into the end zone either time. UAB, a member of Conference USA, played host for the first time in 11 games against SEC opponents. The announced attendance of 36,104 was second-largest in UAB history. THE LAST MEETING WWW.MSTATEATHLETICS.COM

2007 MISSISSIPPI STATE OPPONENTS ALABAMA (3-2, 2-1 SEC) Sept. 1 WESTERN CAROLINA W, 52-6 Sept. 8 at Vanderbilt W, 24-10 Sept. 15 ARKANSAS W, 41-38 Sept. 22 GEORGIA L, 23-26 (OT) Sept. 29 at Florida State L, 14-21 Oct. 6 HOUSTON Oct. 13 at Ole Miss Oct. 20 TENNESSEE Nov. 3 LSU Nov. 10 at Mississippi State Nov. 17 LOUISIANA-MONROE Nov. 24 at Auburn KENTUCKY (5-0, 1-0 SEC) Sept. 1 EASTERN KENTUCKY W, 50-10 Sept. 8 KENT STATE W, 56-20 Sept. 15 LOUISVILLE W, 40-34 Sept. 22 at Arkansas W, 42-39 Sept. 29 FLORIDA ATLANTIC W, 45-17 Oct. 4 at South Carolina Oct. 13 LSU Oct. 20 FLORIDA Oct. 27 MISSISSIPPI STATE Nov. 10 at Vanberbilt Nov. 17 at Georgia Nov. 24 TENNESSEE TENNESSEE (2-2, 0-1 SEC) Sept. 1 at California L, 31-45 Sept. 8 SOUTHERN MISS W, 39-19 Sept. 15 at Florida L, 20-59 Sept. 22 ARKANSAS STATE W, 48-27 Oct. 6 GEORGIA Oct. 13 at Mississippi State Oct. 20 at Alabama Oct. 27 SOUTH CAROLINA Nov. 3 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE Nov. 10 ARKANSAS Nov. 17 VANDERBILT Nov. 24 at Kentucky ARKANSAS (2-2, 0-2 SEC) Sept. 1 TROY W, 46-26 Sept. 15 at Alabama L, 38-41 Sept. 22 KENTUCKY L, 29-42 Sept. 29 NORTH TEXAS W, 66-7 Oct. 6 TENNESSEE-CHATTANOOGA Oct. 13 AUBURN Oct. 20 at Ole Miss Oct. 27 FLORIDA-INTERNATIONAL Nov. 3 SOUTH CAROLINA Nov. 10 at Tennessee Nov. 17 MISSISSIPPI STATE Nov. 23 at LSU LSU (5-0, 2-0 SEC) Aug. 30 at Mississippi State W, 45-0 Sept. 8 VIRGINIA TECH W, 48-7 Sept. 15 MIDDLE TENNESSEE W, 44-0 Sept. 22 SOUTH CAROLINA W, 28-16 Sept. 29 at Tulane W, 34-9 Oct. 6 FLORIDA Oct. 13 at Kentucky Oct. 20 AUBURN Nov. 3 at Alabama Nov. 10 LOUISIANA TECH Nov. 17 at Ole Miss Nov. 23 ARKANSAS TULANE (1-3, 0-1 C-USA) Sept. 8 MISSISSIPPI STATE L, 17-38 Sept. 15 HOUSTON L, 10-34 Sept. 22 SE LOUISIANA W, 35-27 Sept. 29 LSU L, 9-34 Oct. 6 at Army Oct. 13 at UAB Oct. 20 at SMU Oct. 27 MEMPHIS Nov. 3 TULSA Nov. 10 UTEP Nov. 17 at Rice Nov. 24 at East Carolina AUBURN (3-2, 1-1 SEC) Sept. 1 KANSAS STATE W, 23-13 Sept. 8 SOUTH FLORIDA L, 23-26 (OT) Sept. 15 MISSISSIPPI STATE L, 14-19 Sept. 22 NEW MEXICO STATE W, 55-20 Sept. 29 at Florida W, 20-17 Oct. 6 VANDERBILT Oct. 13 at Arkansas Oct. 20 at LSU Oct. 27 OLE MISS Nov. 3 TENNESSEE TECH Nov. 10 at Georgia Nov. 24 ALABAMA OLE MISS (1-4, 0-3 SEC) Sept. 1 at Memphis W, 23-21 Sept. 8 MISSOURI L, 25-38 Sept. 15 at Vanderbilt L, 17-31 Sept. 22 FLORIDA L, 24-30 Sept. 29 at Georgia L, 17-45 Oct. 6 LOUISIANA TECH Oct. 13 ALABAMA Oct. 20 ARKANSAS Oct. 27 at Auburn Nov. 3 NORTHWESTERN STATE Nov. 17 LSU Nov. 23 at Mississippi State UAB (1-3, 0-1 C-USA) Sept. 1 at Michigan State L, 18-55 Sept. 8 at Florida State L, 24-34 Sept. 15 ALCORN STATE W, 22-0 Sept. 26 at Tulsa L, 30-38 Oct. 6 at Mississippi State Oct. 13 TULANE Oct. 20 HOUSTON Oct. 27 at East Carolina Nov. 3 SOUTHERN MISS Nov. 10 UCF Nov. 17 at Memphis Nov. 24 at Marshall GARDNER-WEBB (2-2, 0-0 BIG SOUTH) Sept. 1 at Ohio L, 14-36 Sept. 8 JACKSONVILLE W, 27-6 Sept. 22 at Mississippi State L, 15-31 Sept. 29 AUSTIN PEAY W, 20-13 Oct. 6 at Appalachian State Oct. 13 at Wofford Oct. 20 at VMI Oct. 27 CHARLESTON SOUTHERN Nov. 3 SAVANNAH STATE Nov. 10 at Coastal Carolina Nov. 17 LIBERTY SOUTH CAROLINA (4-1, 2-1 SEC) Sept. 1 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE W, 28-14 Sept. 8 at Georgia W, 16-12 Sept. 15 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE W, 38-3 Sept. 22 at LSU L, 16-28 Sept. 29 MISSISSIPPI STATE W, 38-21 Oct. 4 KENTUCKY Oct. 13 at North Carolina Oct. 20 VANDERBILT Oct. 27 at Tennessee Nov. 3 at Arkansas Nov. 10 FLORIDA Nov. 24 CLEMSON WEST VIRGINIA (4-1, 1-1 BIG EAST) Sept. 1 WESTERN MICHIGAN W, 62-24 Sept. 8 at Marshall W, 48-23 Sept. 13 at Maryland W, 31-14 Sept. 22 EAST CAROLINA W, 48-7 Sept. 28 at South Florida L, 13-21 Oct. 6 at Syracuse Oct. 20 MISSISSIPPI STATE Oct. 27 at Rutgers Nov. 8 LOUISVILLE Nov. 17 at Cincinnati Nov. 24 CONNECTICUT Dec. 1 PITTSBURGH Overall Record............................... 33-22 Non-Conference Opponent Record................ 8-9 SEC Opponent Record........................ 25-13 OPPONENT TOTALS Teams in Top 5.............................. 1 (LSU) Teams in Top 10.....................2 (LSU, Kentucky) Teams in Top 20...... 4 (Kentucky, USC, West Virginia, LSU) Teams in Top 25............ 4 (South Carolina, Kentucky,................................ West Virginia, LSU) MSU record vs. Opponents with winning record...... 1-2 MSU record vs. Opponents with even record......... 1-0 MSU record vs. Opponents with losing record........ 1-0 WWW.MSTATEATHLETICS.COM

No. 2 LSU 45 Mississippi State 0 August 30, 2007 Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field Starkville, Miss. 2007 GAME RECAPS Mississippi State 38 Tulane 17 September 8, 2007 The Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, La. STARKVILLE, Miss. - LSU opened the 2007 season by showing why it's the No. 2-ranked team in the country Thursday night, downing homestanding Mississippi State 45-0 at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field in the lidlifter for both squads. The loss was State's eighth in a row to the Tigers. The Tigers picked off six State passes in the contest to aid in the shutout effort over MSU. State struggled offensively all evening against the highly touted LSU defensive unit, managing just 146 yards from scrimmage. MSU quarterback Michael Henig could not find a rhythm on the home field as he threw a school record-tying six interceptions. Meanwhile, LSU's offense tallied 347 yards in total. Quarterback Matt Flynn was 12-of- 19 for 128 yards through the air, including two touchdown passes, one to Early Doucet who had 78 yards receiving on the night. Tiger GAME NOTES Tonight s captains were seniors Titus Brown and Royce Blackledge and junior Jamar Chaney. Junior Michael Henig s six interceptions tied Max Stainbrook s individual school record (vs. Cincinnati, 1949). MSU s longest reception of the game was a 45-yard pass to senior wide running back Keiland Williams ran in a pair of scores for the Tigers on the ground in the first half. Backup signal-caller Ryan Perrilloux rushed and threw for scores in the fourth quarter to round out scoring. The offenses for both squads came out flat at first, not scoring a single touchdown in receiver Tony Burks from Henig. the first quarter. The only points came on a With his 86 yards recorded on kickoff returns this evening, junior returner 27-yard field goal from LSU kicker Colt David. Derek Pegues moves into fifth on the MSU career list for kickoff return yardage. Pegues is also now tied with Reid for fifth on the all-time list with 61 career kickoff returns. The Tigers held a 3-0 lead at the end of the period. In the second quarter, the Bulldogs still couldn t muster up any offensive production. Henig threw four of his six interceptions in the first half. He was 11-of-28 for 120 yards in LSU 3 14 14 14 = 45 Mississippi State 0 0 0 0 = 0 the game. On the other side of the ball, the Bulldog defense started to lose ground as the 1st Quarter LSU - David 27 FG, 6:28 Tigers put up 14 points in the last six minutes 2nd Quarter of the first half to head into the locker room LSU - Williams 1 run (David kick), 5:52 LSU - Williams 1 run (David kick), 0:00 with a 17-0 lead. The Bulldogs were outgained 3rd Quarter LSU - Doucet 11 pass from Flynn (David kick), 12:53 LSU - Scott 11 pass from Flynn (David kick), 2:09 4th Quarter LSU - Perrilloux 3 run (David kick), 8:20 LSU - LaFell 15 pass from Perrilloux (David kick), 5:45 LSU MSU 185-79 in the first half. At the beginning of the second half, the Tigers continued their attack, scoring on their first drive, an 11-yard touchdown pass from Flynn to Doucet to push the lead to 24-0. LSU then capitalized on another Henig interception by scoring another touchdown, a Flynn pass to First Downs 22 9 Rushes-Yards 50-198 26-10 Charles Scott to go up 31-0. Passing Yards 149 136 LSU also kept State sophomore running Passes (C-A-I) 14-22-0 14-33-6 Total Offense 347 146 back Anthony Dixon from breaking loose, only Fumbles-Lost 0-0 3-1 tallying 29 yards rushing on 13 carries. Senior Penalties-Yards 8-60 7-39 Time of Possession 32:45 27:15 Tony Burks led the Bulldog receiving corps with 45 yards on one catch. RUSHING: (LSU) Hester 14-68, Flynn 11-42, Murphy 6-35, Holliday 6-19, Williams 7-18 2TD, Perrilloux 7-12, Scott 3-4. (MSU) Dixon 13-29, Williams 4-10, Ducre 1-(-2), Carroll 3-(-6), Henig 5-(-25). PASSING: (LSU) Flynn 12-19-0 128 2TD, Perrilloux 2-3-0 21 TD. (MSU) Henig 11-28-6 120, Carroll 3-5-0 16. RECEIVING: (LSU) Doucet 9-78 TD, Toliver 1-19, Mitchell 1-16, LaFell 1-15 TD, Scott Dominic Douglas, making his first career start, led the team with nine tackles on the night. He, along with Jimmie Holmes and preseason all-sec defensive end Titus Brown, accounted for one sack apiece. Junior defensive back Derek Pegues moved 1-11 TD, Hester 1-10. (MSU) Stallworth 3-33, into fifth place on the MSU career list for kickoff return yardage. He is also fifth all-time in Long 2-16, Ducre 2-2 Burks 1-45, Husband 1-26, Smith 1-11, Williams 1-4, Jones 1-0, Riley 1-0, Butler 1-(-1). career kickoff returns. He had 100 all-purpose Attendance: 50,112. yards for the night. NEW ORLEANS, La. - Behind a strong second-half performance, Mississippi State posted a 38-17 road win over home-standing Tulane in the Louisiana Superdome. After the Bulldogs (1-1) and Green Wave (0-1) battled to a 17-17 tie at the half, State shut out TU 21-0 in the second half to secure the triumph. Highlighting the night for MSU was sophomore running back Anthony Dixon, who rushed 27 times for 131 yards (both career highs) and two second-half touchdowns. Starting quarterback Michael Henig completed 20-of-31 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown, and scored his first career rushing touchdown. The Bulldogs jumped on top of the Green GAME NOTES Wave early, with Gabe O'Neal intercepting State had 489 yards of total offense - most since State racked up 547 total Scott Elliot's second pass of the game and yards against Jacksonville State in 2002. Mississippi State finished with 290 yards rushing - most since rolling up returning it 47 yards for the score. Tulane answered on its next drive on a Matt Forte touchdown run from 39 yards out. The Bulldog 304 yards against Ole Miss in 2005. defense held the highly touted running back in Michael Henig s first-quarter rushing touchdown (18 yards) was his first check otherwise, as he ended the night with career rushing touchdown. Anthony Dixon finished with 131 yards rushing on 27 carries. Both are career bests for the sophomore (previous: 25 carries, twice; 125 yards, Ole Miss 2006). Dixon, Christian Ducre and Justin Williams all set career high rushing totals. just 47 yards on the ground. State went up 14-7 later in the first period on Henig's 18-yard touchdown run, but Tulane returned the favor on its ensuing possession to knot the score at 14-14. In the second quarter, both defenses played well, allowing only a field goal apiece. Henig Mississippi State 14 3 14 7 = 38 engineered an 82-yard State drive but was unable to get a touchdown in the red zone. Adam Carlson then connected on 23-yard field Tulane 14 3 0 0 = 17 goal with 6:25 before the half to put State up 1st Quarter 17-14. On the next drive, Tulane drove 65 MS - O'Neal 47 INT return (Carlson kick), 13:50 yards before being stopped inside the 10-yard TU - Forte 39 run (Thevenot kick), 12:16 line. Their resulting field goal left the score tied MS - Henig 18 run (Carlson kick), 5:10 TU - McKinney 8 pass from Elliott at 17 at the intermission. (Thevenot kick), 2:33 2nd Quarter MS - Carlson 23 FG, 6:25 TU - Thevenot 26 FG, 3:21 3rd Quarter MS - Jones 8 pass from Henig (Carlson kick), 11:30 MS - Dixon 27 run (Carlson kick), 5:45 The Bulldog offense came out firing in the second half. MSU drove the ball 67 yards, scoring when Henig completed an 8-yard pass to Jeremy Jones. The defense continued its strong play by holding Tulane's offense to 4th Quarter negative yardage for the third quarter and by MS - Dixon 7 run (Carlson kick), 9:33 forcing a fumble that led to a 27-yard touchdown MSU TU First Downs 27 8 run by Dixon. Rushes-Yards 54-266 17-44 Dixon continued to carry the load in the Passing Yards 223 199 Passes (C-A-I) 20-31-1 16-29-1 fourth quarter. He rushed the ball on all but Total Offense 489 243 one play on State's final scoring drive of the Fumbles-Lost 2-1 3-2 Penalties-Yards 8-85 7-60 night, completing the charge with a 7-yard Time of Possession 39:04 20:56 scoring run. The defense held Tulane to only RUSHING: (MSU) Dixon 27-131 2TD, six yards of offense in the second half. Williams 9-60, Ducre 9-46, Henig 6-23, Stallworth 1-6, Carroll 1-1, Team 1-(-1). (TU) Forte 14-47, Williams 1-8, Elliott 2-(-11). PASSING: (MSU) Henig 20-31-1 223 TD. (TU) Elliott 15-26-1 197 TD, Scelfo 1-2-0 2, Forte 0-1-0 0. RECEIVING: (MSU) Smith 4-53, Burks 4-31, Husband 2-27, Riley 2-16, Long 2-13, Butler 2-13, McRae 1-33, Bell 1-33, Jones 1-8 TD, Stallworth 1-(-4). (TU) Forte 6-49, Defensively, the Bulldogs were paced by Jamar Chaney's six tackles. In addition to his first career interception, O'Neal also recovered a Green Wave fumble. Keith Fitzhugh notched five tackles and a sack for State on the evening. Williams 4-85, King 3-48, McKinney 2-10 TD, Guidroz 1-7. Attendance: 31,076. WWW.MSTATEATHLETICS.COM

Mississippi State 19 Auburn 14 September 15, 2007 Jordan-Hare Stadium Auburn, Ala. 2007 GAME RECAPS Gardner-Webb 15 Mississippi State 31 September 22, 2007 Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field Starkville, Miss. AUBURN, Ala. - An interception that led to a mid-fourth-quarter drive by Mississippi State proved to be the difference in the Bulldogs' 19-14 upset win at Auburn Saturday afternoon on the Plains. After Blake McAdams' 73-yard punt had pinned Auburn deep in its own territory, Demario Bobo's first career interception of a tipped Tiger pass at the AU 44-yard line would set up an MSU drive that was the only scoring play of the second half. State drove the 44 yards on 10 plays and finished it with a 5-yard Christian Ducre rush with 5:29 to go in regulation. The two-point conversion failed. Ducre had an 18-yard rush earlier on the drive on a third-and-12 draw play from the Auburn 25. Neither team had mounted much momentum in the second half of action before the MSU score, trading short drives back and forth throughout. The only other possessions of significance in the half were Auburn's first and last of the half. AU took the ball to open the third quarter and went 60 yards to the MSU 16 before fumbling the ball away. On its last attempt of the game, to try and answer MSU's score, Auburn starting quarterback Brandon Cox returned to the field after being benched early on in favor of backup Kodi Burns. Cox quickly moved Auburn down the field 67 yards on 12 plays - to the Bulldog 9 - before State's defense stood GAME NOTES The Bulldogs have won their last three games in the State of Alabama (at both UAB and Alabama in 2006). State ended a six-game slide against Auburn with today s win. Derek Pegues INT return was his third career pick-six, setting a new school record. Blake McAdams boomed a 73-yard punt in the fourth quarter. It was the longest of his career, and the longest by a Bulldog punter since Jeff Walker hit a 79-yarder at Alabama in 1999. Anthony Dixon finished with 103 yards on a career-high 29 carries. Titus Brown moved into a tie for ninth place on the school s all-time sack list. Mississippi State 10 3 0 6 = 19 Auburn 0 14 0 0 = 14 1st Quarter MS - Carlson 32 FG, 9:19 MS - Pegues 20 INT return (Carlson kick), 8:34 2nd Quarter MS - Carlson 30 FG, 12:27 AU - Tate 28 run (Byrum kick), 4:18 AU - Burns 1 run (Byrum kick), 0:30 4th Quarter MS - Ducre 5 run (Carlson kick), 5:27 MSU AU First Downs 14 16 Rushes-Yards 43-172 46-216 Passing Yards 41 107 Passes (C-A-I) 5-18-0 12-22-3 Total Offense 213 323 Fumbles-Lost 2-1 2-2 Penalties-Yards 7-40 4-42 Time of Possession 29:11 30:49 RUSHING: (MSU) Dixon 29-103, Ducre 10-63 TD, Riley 1-12, TEAM 2-(-2), Riddell 1-(-4). (AU) Tate 15-91 TD, Burns 22-87, Fannin 7-40, Cox 2-(-2). PASSING: (MSU) Henig 1-3-0 16, Riddell 1-5-0 15, Carroll 3-10-0 6. (AU) Burns 8-12-1 65, Cox 4-10-2 42. RECEIVING: (MSU) Bell 1-16, Burks 1-15, Long 1-6, Carroll 1-2, Riley 1-2. (AU) Smith 4-78, McKenzie 2-11, Dunn 2-6, Tate 2-(-4), Fannin 1-16, Steward 1-0. Attendance: 82,129. strong, finally watching a last-minute, fourth down attempt fall incomplete in the end zone. Highlighting the day statistically for MSU was running back Anthony Dixon, who posted his fourth career 100-yard game, rambling for 103 yards on 29 carries. Dominic Douglas led the MSU defensive effort with nine tackles. State opened the game strong, building a 13-0 lead, only to see Auburn score twice late in the first half to lead 14-13 at the intermission. MSU took the opening drive and went 58 yards on 12 plays before being halted by the AU defense. Adam Carlson was then true on a 32-yard field goal. Bulldog starting quarterback Michael Henig suffered a broken bone in his throwing hand on the drive and never returned. Reserves Wesley Carroll and Josh Riddell would split time under center for State the remainder of the afternoon. On the second play of the ensuing Tiger possession, Bulldog Derek Pegues intercepted a tipped Cox pass and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown. Carlson's extra point made the State lead 10-0 just 6:24 into the contest. After the teams went scoreless the remainder of the first quarter, the Bulldogs added to their lead early in the second period with a Carlson 30-yarder, the result of an AU fumble forced by an 11-yard sack from State's De'Mon Glanton. But Auburn would get things cranked up late in the half under the direction of the option-style, signal-caller Burns, scoring twice in the final 4:18. He led the Tigers on a 5-play, 54-yard drive - capped by a 28-yard rumble by Ben Tate. State then handed AU a golden opportunity when Pegues fumbled the ensuing kickoff at the MSU 30. Seven plays later, Burns dove in from a yard out to give the Tigers their 14-13 halftime lead. STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State won its third straight football game, downing non-conference visitor Gardner-Webb 31-15 at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. It marks the first time since the 2000 season the Bulldogs have won three consecutive gridiron contests. State (3-1) amassed 379 yards of total offense in the game, led by another solid rushing effort from running back Anthony Dixon. Dixon tallied 86 yards on 16 carries while scoring two of the Bulldogs' early touchdowns in the affair. MSU scored on its opening possession, completing a 68-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown run by Dixon. On Gardner Webb s opening drive, De Mon Glanton intercepted Devin Campbell s pass and returned it 60 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 Bulldog advantage. Glanton s return marked GAME NOTES For the third straight week, Mississippi the third consecutive week a Bulldog player had returned an interception for a touchdown State ended the opponent s opening on the opponents opening drive. drive on an interception returned for touchdown. About halfway through the second quarter, With tonight s win, MState won their third-straight game for the first time since the 2000 season (75 weeks). It is also the first time since the 2000 campaign the Bulldogs have started the year 3-1. Dixon recorded his third and fourth touchdowns of the season during the first half of Saturday s game. It was also the second two-touchdown game of the year for the running back. Josh Riddell replaced starting quarterback Wesley Carroll (both splitting time in place of the injured Michael Henig) and drove the Bulldogs down the field for another Dixon touchdown run, this one for 12 yards. On the next drive for State, Riddell threw his first career touchdown pass, hitting Tony Burks for a 30-yarder to give the Bulldogs a 28-0 lead at the intermission. The Bulldog defense held the Running Bulldogs option offense to only 64 yards in Gardner-Webb 0 0 6 9 = 15 Mississippi State 14 14 3 0 = 31 the first half. Bulldog penalties and a stagnant offense 1st Quarter MS - Dixon 9 run (Carlson kick), 10:02 helped GWU back into the game in the second half. MSU had nine penalties for 102 MS - Glanton 60 INT return (Carlson kick), 7:55 2nd Quarter yards, and those penalties helped the Running MS - Dixon 12 run (Carlson kick), 2:42 MS - Burks 30 pass from Riddell (Carlson kick), 1:18 3rd Quarter GW - Kay 22 FG, 10:43 MS - Carlson 33 FG, 7:19 GW - Kay 20 FG, 4:34 GW - Peoples 6 run (pass failed), 12:21 GW - Kay 28 FG, 6:10 Bulldogs get in good field position. However, they could not capitalize as the MSU defense only allowed one touchdown, a 6-yard Phillip Peoples scoring run, and forced three Evan Kay field goals. The Bulldogs lone second-half points came GW MSU from an Adam Carlson field goal. He had First Downs 20 19 Rushes-Yards 35-131 39-215 missed one earlier, the result of a bad hold. Passing Yards 203 166 In addition to Dixon's night, backup Passes (C-A-I) 21-37-1 12-19-1 Total Offense 334 381 Christian Ducre ran for an additional 52 of his Fumbles-Lost 4-1 4-1 own. Riddell ended the night 8-for-11 through Penalties-Yards 7-63 9-102 Time of Possession 31:53 28:07 the air with 124 yards, one touchdown and one interception. RUSHING: (GW) Montgomery 10-42, Peoples 7-33 TD, Collins 2-25, Doolittle 13-19, Jackson 3-12. (MSU) Dixon 15-88 2TD, Ducre 10-51, Carroll 2-33, Williams 6-27, Riddell 2-10, Stallworth 2-9, Bell 1-1, Long 1-(-4). PASSING: (GW) Doolittle 19-33-0 191, Campbell 2-4-1 12. (MSU) Riddell 8-11-1 On the defensive side of the ball, Gabe O Neal led the way for the Bulldogs with 10 tackles. Titus Brown added two sacks and moved into eighth place on the school's career sack list. 124 TD, Carroll 4-8-0 42. RECEIVING: (GW) Collins 6-94, Flagler 6-57, Montgomery 4-23, Pittman 2-5, Millere 1-13, Jackson 1-7, Dixon 1-4. (MSU) Dixon 3-41, Burks 2-49 TD, Bell 2-30, Long 2-5, Smith 1-25, Butler 1-12, Hart 1-4. Attendance: 42,272. WWW.MSTATEATHLETICS.COM

Mississippi State 21 No. 16 South Carolina 38 September 29, 2007 Williams-Brice Stadium Columbia, S.C. 2007 GAME RECAPS COLUMBIA, S.C. - Mississippi State's upset bid at 16th-ranked South Carolina fell short as the Gamecocks used a blocked punt to change momentum and pull away for a 38-21 victory. It marked the fifth win in a row for USC (4-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) in the series with MSU (3-2, 1-2) and broke a three-game State win streak. With South Carolina leading 17-14 at halftime, neither team mounted much of a drive on their first tries of the second half. But State, on its second possession of the third quarter, would take the lead on a solid scoring drive of five plays - all rushes by Christian Ducré and Anthony Dixon. Dixon finished off the march with a 2-yard score and MSU led 21-17 at the 8:56 mark of the third. The Bulldog defense forced a 50-yard field goal attempt by Ryan Succop on the next possession. But as quickly as State seemed to have gained a bit of momentum, it would lose it just as fast. After the Gamecocks stopped MSU on five plays, Eric Norwood broke through the line and blocked Blake McAdams' punt, which Carolina recovered on the MSU 27. On the very next play, Gamecock quarterback Chris Smelley hit receiver Kenny McKinley near the goal line and McKinley then darted into the end zone to put the home squad back on top 24-21. The longest drive State would muster following that scenario was 32 yards. Meanwhile, USC tacked on two more touchdowns, both GAME NOTES With a Derek Pegues interception, State intercepted a pass in the opening period in each of the last four games. Mississippi State s 14-play, seven minute touchdown drive in the second quarter was its longest scoring drive this season. Junior quarterback Josh Riddell and junior wide receiver Co-Eric Riley each earned his first career start. Junior wideout Aubrey Bell s first-quarter 28-yard touchdown reception was the first score of his career. Mississippi State 7 7 7 0 = 21 South Carolina 7 10 7 14 = 38 1st Quarter SC - Davis 3 run (Succop kick), 10:22 MS - Bell 28 pass from Riddell (Carlson kick), 5:17 2nd Quarter SC - McKinley 20 pass from Smelley (Succop kick), 13:28 MS - Dixon 1 run (Carlson kick), 8:56 SC - Succop 4 FG, 0:02 3rd Quarter MS - Dixon 2 run (Carlson kick), 8:56 SC - McKinley 27 pass from Smelley (Succop kick), 3:43 4th Quarter SC - Davis 2 run (Succop kick), 14:07 SC - Davis 12 run (Succop kick), 0:58 MSU USC First Downs 18 21 Rushes-Yards 43-140 35-123 Passing Yards 118 279 Passes (C-A-I) 12-27-1 19-37-1 Total Offense 258 402 Fumbles-Lost 1-0 1-0 Penalties-Yards 9-87 11-94 Time of Possession 30:21 29:39 RUSHING: (MSU) Dixon 22-83 2TD, Ducre 15-68, Stallworth 1-6, TEAM 1-(-2), Carroll 2(-4), Riddell 1-(-11). (SC) Davis 18-59 3TD, Boyd 11-58, Smelly 5-7, Culliver 1-(-1). PASSING: (MSU) Riddell 9-21-1 101 TD, Carroll 3-6-0 17. (SC) Smelley 19-37-1 279 2TD. RECEIVING: (MSU) Riley 3-20, Burks 2-44, Bell 1-28 TD, Butler 1-11, Smith 1-9, Stallworth 1-5, Jones 1-3, Husband 1-0, Ducre 1-(-2). (SC) McKinley 4-107 2TD, Cook 4-66, Brown 3-50, Davis 3-16, Lecorn 2-12, DiMarco 1-9, Saunders 1-6, Stafford 1-3, Boyd 0-10. Attendance: 78,883. rushes by back Mike Davis, to pull away for the victory. The Bulldog offensive production was once again led by Dixon, who amassed 83 yards and two touchdowns on the day. Ducré added 68 rushing yards for the MSU cause. Josh Riddell, in his first career start at quarterback for State, went 9-for-21 for 101 yards, a touchdown and one interception. Gabe O Neal and Anthony Johnson led the way defensively for State with seven tackles apiece. Titus Brown adds two more sacks to his SEC-leading total. Derek Pegues tallied the lone Bulldog interception of the afternoon. The Gamecocks were paced by Davis, who had 59 yards and three scores on the ground. McKinley was also stellar on the receiving end, hauling in four catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Smelley was solid in his new starting role for USC, completing 19-of-37 aerials for 279 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. In a penalty-plagued first half (15 called between the two teams), South Carolina got on the board first in the game taking the opening drive 12 plays and capping it with a 3-yard touchdown run by Davis. After the teams traded possessions and McAdams pinned the Gamecocks at their own 3-yard line, MSU capitalized by stopping USC on three downs and forcing an errant punt that gave the Bulldogs the ball on the USC 31. Two plays later, Riddell found Aubrey Bell for a 28- yard touchdown pass. South Carolina got good field position for its next score, a punt return leaving the ball at the MSU 37. The fourth play of the drive saw Smelley find McKinley for a 20-yard touchdown. But the Bulldogs would answer again on its last drive of the first half, taking the ball 62 yards on 14 plays, highlighted by solid running from Ducré and Dixon - Dixon scoring from a yard out. South Carolina used the remaining 2:20 of the half to take a small lead into the locker room. After gaining 54 yards on 10 quick plays, Succop nailed a 45-yard field goal for a 17-14 USC advantage. WWW.MSTATEATHLETICS.COM