Jaguar Individual Statistical Leaders In The Sun Belt Conference
Below is some of South Alabama’s statistical leaders with a comparison to Troy, the Jaguars next opponent and the first team they will face in the Sun Belt Conference.
Jags do not have any rushers in the top 10, but Troy’s Shawn Southward leads the Sun Belt with 430 yards rushing on 78 carries.
Also Troy’s quarterback Corey Robinson leads the conference in passing average per game with an average of 321.5 yards per game on 119-of-178 with four interceptions and six touchdowns for a total of 1,286 yards.
The Jags C.J. Bennett ranks 10th on the list with an average of 130.2 yards per game. He is 50-of-85 with three interceptions, three interceptions and 521 yards on the season.
The Jags do not have a quarterback in the top ten of passing efficiency, however Troy’s Corey Robinson ranks fifth with an efficiency rating of 134.2.
Additionally Troy has three receivers ranked in the top ten for receptions per game with Chip Reeves is tied for fifth averaging 6.5 per game, Eric Thomas is tied for sixth averaging 6 receptions per game and Southward averages 5 receptions per game. The Jags do not have a receiver in the top ten currently.
Again the Jags do not have a receiver in the top ten for receiving yards per game while Troy’s Chip Reeves ranks second on the list with an average of 90.2 yards per game.
In the total offense rankings, Troy’s Corey Robinson ranks second with 316 yards per game while South Alabama’s C.J. Bennett comes in tenth with an average of 144 yards per game.
South Alabama’s T.J. Glover ranks fourth in the conference in Punt Return average with 11.2 yards per return and ranks third in kick return average with 30 yards per return. In both instances he ranks ahead of Troy players. Troy’s Justin Albert ranked ninth with a 2.7 yard average while the Trojan’s Worthy ranks sixth with an average of 23.4 yards per return.
In all purpose yards, the Jags once again does not have a player in the top ten, yet Troy has three in the top ten. Southward averages 141.2 all-purpose yards per game, Worthy has an average of 102.2 yards per game and Chip Reeves has an average of 90.2 yards per game.
The Jaguars Scott Garber ranks seventh in punting with an average of 41.1 yards per punt while Troy’s Will Scott is ninth with an even 40 yards per punt average. The leader Josh Davis from MTSU averages 43.1 yards per punt.
Michel Chapuseaux is fourth in the conference in kicking percentage by making 71.4 percent (5-of-7) of his field goal attempts. MTSU’s Carlos Lopez leads the conference making a perfect 5-of-5 while Troy’s Will Scott ranks fifth by hitting 60 percent of his attempts (3-of-5).
Defensively, Jake Johnson is second in the Sun Belt in tackles with 40, one behind FIU’s John Cyprien who has 41. Enrique Williams is tied for tenth and B.J. Scott tied for 40th with 20 tackles so far this season. Troy has four players in the top 40 in tackles, the highest is Trawick with 35 this season.
The Jaguars Alex Page is tied for first in the conference with three sacks with Western Kentucky’s Smith who has three sacks through three games, one less than Page. Anthony Taylor was tied for third with two sacks prior to his season ending injury at Mississippi State.
Jake Johnson is in second place in tackles-for-loss with 5.5 so far this season. He trails Tim Starson from Arkansas State who has 6. Alex Page is tied for 8th with 3.5 TFL’s this season. Again Anthony Taylor was tied for 12th with 3 before his injury. Enrique Williams and Montavious Williams are in 18th and 19th positions for the Jags.
A pair of Jaguars are in the top 13 for passes defended as well. Tyrell Pearson is in fourth place with five passes defended, three broken up and two intercepted. Terrell Brigham is in an eight way time for 13th place with three. He has two break-ups and an interception.
With his two interceptions, Pearson is also tied for 2nd place with his two interceptions.
Jones Pleased With Monday’s Practice
Head coach Joey Jones was happy with the Jaguars practice on Monday in preparation for his teams first Sun Belt Conference game against Troy on Saturday. This will be the Jaguars first game against a Sun Belt opponent.
Coach Jones said that the team practices for about an hour on Monday as they went over special teams and installed the gameplan for Saturday. The historical importance of this game has not been lost to Coach Jones. “We understand it’s a special game,” he said. “The tradition that Troy has and what they’ve done in the Sun belt is truly tremendous. When you think of the Sun Belt you think of Troy. I think having them come to our field and us getting into the Sun Belt Conference is something that we’ve looked forward to, playing great programs like that.”
Additionally, Coach Jones was able to give former Florida Atlantic head coach Howard Schnellenberger a tour of the South Alabama football fieldhouse on Monday. Coach Schnellenberger started the FAU football program from scratch and Coach Jones talked with him when he was tasked with starting the South Alabama program.
“It was great,” Jones said. “I met him four years ago. We went down there (to FAU) to visit with them and talk about starting a program. He gave me some really good pointers and I got to spend the day with him, He was good to me then and it was good to see him again. He’s a lot of fun to talk to. He has a lot of stories from coach Bryant and starting a new program. It meant a lot to have him there and it was good to see him.”
The Jags and the Trojans kick off on Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium at 2:30pm and will air on CSS.
USA Rugby Victorious over USM
Match Report from Coach Darwin for USA vs. USM 9/22/2012
In their first match of the season the South Alabama Jaguars travelled to Hattiesburg, MS to face the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles. Many of the guys in the roster were starting in their first ever rugby match. The weather for the match was warm and sunny and for the first time ever the Jaguars were playing on turf.
The referee was Jim Harsh and the match was kicked off at 1:30. Both teams agreed to play 4 – 20min periods – Jaguars would receive the kickoff. The first period was back and forth with several knock-ons and minor infractions as both teams settled into their roles. The referee did well to manage the young teams but eventually the Jaguars were penalized deep in their own end for improper binding in the scrum.
The Golden Eagles weren’t able to capitalize on the penalty and the Jaguars roared back to push the Eagles back into their own half. Several back to back penalties against the Eagles allowed the Jags to kick for touch and move the ball into scoring position. Gabriel Torres touched the ball down in the corner of the end zone @35 min. into the match. The try went unconverted. 5-0 USA. The Eagles woke up and went back to work and were finally able to put points on the board with a penalty kick from just inside the Jags 22 meter line. 5-3 USA.
More loose play from both teams saw one knock on after another. The scrum that followed was penalized after the ref again noticed improper binding in the front row forwards. Golden Eagles took the opportunity to take a small lead with a penalty kick just before halftime leaving the score at 5-6 USM. Both teams retired at halftime but only one team returned – the Jags focused on getting it right at the breakdown and amped up their constant pressure on the #9 and #10. Once they got possession they drove down the field off a series of pick and go’s inside the 22 until CJ Leggett picked up the ball from the back of a ruck 3 meters from the goal line and dove in under the sticks to score his first ever try in his first ever game! Carlos Gemenez converted the try to bring the score to 12-6 USA.
The Jaguars minimized their penalties in the second half and were only dinged for an early push in the scrum, and a dangerous tackle over the entire second half. The Eagles however were not quite as disciplined and the Jags marched down the field. Gabriel Torres bagged his second try from a pick and go off the back of the scrum and dotted down to the right of posts with 10 minutes remaining in the match. The conversion missed and the Jags led 17-6. The Golden Eagles played physical until the end but not before Carlos Gimenez was able to break through a tackle and swerve around the Eagles fullback to score his first ever try in his first ever match! Conversion was kicked wide right ending the match and leaving the final score at 22-6! Jags win! Jags win!
USA Rugby Team poses after a victory against USM
How Do The Jags Stack Up In Sun Belt Statistics
Jaguar Pat Moore closes in on Mississippi State quarterback Tyler Russell in the first quarter of the Jaguars 30-10 loss to the Bulldogs.
As the Jags head into their first Sun Belt game on Saturday against Troy University, they are competing well in the numbers game in the conference. This weekend’s game appears that it could be a very good matchup between the two teams. The Jags strong defense versus the Trojans offense.
We will start with the positives for the Jaguars.
The Jags are tied for second in scoring defense with North Texas, behind Western Kentucky, allowing an average of 24.2 points per game. Troy is fifth allowing an average of 25.8 points per game. WKU, averages 23.2 points per game while Louisiana-Monroe is last with an average of 36.3 points per game.
In total defense the Jags are second behind WKU again, allowing an average of 314 yards per game. Through four games the Jags have allowed 488 rushing yards and 768 passing yards in 256 plays for a total of 1,256 yards. That averages out to 4.9 yards per play. Western Kentucky allows an average of 279.8 yards per game, Troy is ranked seventh allowing an average of 396.2 yards per game. Louisiana-Lafayette is last allowing an average of 508 yards per game.
In rushing defense, the Jags are again number two to Western Kentucky in the conference by only allowing an average of 122 yards per game. That breaks down to 488 yards on 136 attempts for an average of 3.6 yards per rush and only four rushing touchdowns. Western Kentucky allows an average of 112.5 yards per game while Troy is ranked eighth in the conference by allowing an average of 187.8 yards per contest. Florida Atlantic comes in last by allowing an average of 252.5 yards per game.
The Jaguars slip to third in the conference in passing defense behind Western Kentucky (167.2 yards per game) and Arkansas State (168.5 yards per game). The Jags allow an average of 192 yards per game with their opponents going a combined 68-of-120 for 768 yards and six touchdowns. Opponents are completed an average of 56.7 percent of their passes, which is also third in the conference. Troy ranks sixth allowing an average of 244 yards per game, but ranks first in completion percentage with opponents only completing 49.5 percent of their passes.
The Jaguars rebound to the top spot in the conference in pass defense efficiency with a rating of 120.3, barely edging out Western Kentucky who has a rating of 120.5. Troy comes in seventh with a rating of 142.4 with Florida Atlantic coming in last with a rating of 173.8.
South Alabama is second in the conference in kickoff returns with an average of 25 yards per return. Middle Tennessee State has the top spot in the conference with an average of 34.7 yards per kickoff return. Troy is next to last with an average of 17.8 yards per KO return and Louisiana-Monroe is last with 15.4 yards per KO return.
Similarly the Jags are second in punt return average with 11.2 yards per punt return. Western Kentucky is first with 14 yards per PR. Troy is seventh with 2.7 yards per PR with Florida Atlantic in last place with an average of -0.6 yards per PR.
The Jags are fifth in interceptions with four picks in as many games. North Texas is first with six, Troy is tied for last with MTSU with only one pick.
The Jags are in third place in punting with an average of 36.5 yards per punt. Louisiana-Lafayette is first with an average of 41 yards per punt with Troy in second place with an average of 39.5 yards per punt.
With a 71.4% mark, the Jags are in fourth place in field goal percentage with Troy right behind them in fifth place with a 60% mark.
The Jags are in first place in sacks by the defense with 11 through four games. Western Kentucky, who has been near the top in most defensive categories as well are in a near second place by one sack. Troy is tied for last place with Louisiana-Monroe with two sacks.
However the Jags are in last place in the sacks against category by giving up 12 sacks on Jaguar quarterbacks so far this season. MTSU is in first place as they have not allowed a sack on their quarterback. Troy is in a three-way tie with North Texas and Arkansas State with three sacks allowed.
South Alabama is in second place in fourth down conversions with a 75 percent average as they are 3-of-4 on fourth down. MTSU is in first place converting all five of their fourth down attempts. Troy is tied for fifth with North Texas converting on half of their attempts.
South is in third place in opponent penalty yardage per game and second place in number of opponent penalties per game. Jaguar opponents have committed 30 penalties so far this season with an average of 63.5 yards per game.
The final of the positive stats for the Jags is red zone defense. The Jags are in third place with a red zone average of 69.2 percent. WKU and North Texas are tied for first place with a 66.7 percentage mark. Troy is seventh with an 83.3 conversion percentage. The Jags have allowed nine scores in 13 trips into their red zone. Four of those scores have been touchdowns, three rushing and one passing. Opponents have converted 5-of-7 field goal attempts. They have one fumble recovery and a turnover on downs.
Now for the not-so-good statistics.
The Jaguar offense is in ninth place, next to last, in scoring offense with an average of 14.2 points per game. Through four games the Jags have six touchdows, five field goals and six PAT’s. Troy is in seventh place with a 25.2 points per game average. FAU averages 12.8 points per game to come in last place.
Again, the Jags are in ninth place in total offense. The Jaguar offense averages 312 yards per game. Arkansas State is in first place with 517.2 yards per game while Troy is thired with an average of 498.8 yards per game. Again FAU came in last place with 277.8 yards per game.
Rushing offense sees the Jaguars in last place with an average of 102.5 yards per game. Arkansas State is in first place in this category with 267 yards per game with Troy coming in seventh place with 163.2 yards per game.
The Jaguar offense comes in eighth place with an average of 209.5 yards per game. Troy is in first place with an average of 335.5 yards per game. South edges out North Texas (183 ypg) and FAU (160 ypg).
As expected, the Jaguars passing efficiency comes in dead last in the conference with a 112.3 efficiency. Western Kentucky comes in first place with a 158.6 while Troy comes in fourth with a 133.3 efficiency.
After the Jaguars rough kickoff coverage performance against Mississippi State, the Jags are in ninth place in kickoff coverage in the conference. The Jags average 36.3 net average. They barely edge out WKU who has a 36.0 average. Louisiana-Lafayette comes in first place with a 44.1 average and Troy in second place with a 43.4 average.
With 71 total first downs, the Jags are tied for seventh in the Sun Belt with MTSU. Arkansas State leads the way with an 108 and an average of 27.0 per game. Troy is in fifth with 75 for an average of 18.8 per game.
As expected, the Jags are in last place in third-down conversions with a mere 29.3 percent conversion average. Western Kentucky leads this category with a 52.9 percent mark with Troy in second place with a 50 percent average.
The Jaguars are in seventh place in the conference with an average of 61.2 yards per game of penalty yards. Overall, the Jags are in sixth place in the number of penalties they are flagged for this season. Troy is dead last in both with 36 flags called on them and 76.5 yards per game.
Leading the time of possession stat is Louisiana-Monroe with an average of 35:19 per game. Troy is in seventh place with an average of 29:36 per game and the Jags are in eighth place with a 29:07 average.
Again in last place, the Jags have a turnover margin of -7 on the season for an average of -1.75 per game. Louisiana-Lafayette is on top with a +6 turnover margin with Troy in ninth place with a -6 turnover margin.
South Alabama And Troy – The Beginning Of A Rivalry?
The South Alabama Jaguars have now turned their focus to their first Sun Belt Conference football game against Troy University. While they have never met on the gridiron, South Alabama and Troy have a long rivalry in the Sun Belt.
Both schools have fought hard against each other in all other sports. But in the south, football is king. And that rivalry is about to reach new heights this week when Troy visits Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
While the Jags are playing a full Sun Belt schedule this season, they are not eligible for the conference championship or a bowl game. But that does not deter the Jags from wanting to make waves in the conference this season.
Up to this point, the Jags have only played a handful of teams more than once. UTSA and Georgia State were the closest things to a rivalry game Jags fans have experienced until Saturday’s kickoff arrives. But this game will be a true rivalry game, an intense one, between the two schools.
“It will be a very exciting thing just because of geography,” Troy director of athletics Steve Dennis was quoted by the Press-Register. “Now that South Alabama has matriculated through the football stages, and we’ve always had a great rivalry in basketball and baseball and we recruit the same areas, football is just another addition to the puzzle, so to speak. It’s a very big piece though when you talk about football in the state of Alabama.”
Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson spoke about the South Alabama and Troy rivlary. “Once South Alabama started football, that was the impetus for a true, legitimate rivalry,” he said. “When you have two schools in the same state, just a few miles from each other and fans have a chance to travel to the respective schools, that’s what makes a rivalry. The fans have to embrace the rivalry in order for there to be a rivalry.”
“Their proximity allows for it,” he continued. “The state of Alabama kind of has it’s own structure. Obviously there’s Auburn and Alabama and now you can thrown in Troy and South Alabama. … I think Troy-South Alabama has the same type of rivalry potential as Auburn-Alabama.”
Dr. Joel Erdmann, the South Alabama Athletics Director, is looking fowards to this weekend’s game as well as the rivalry’s future. “Due to several things – due to our proximity, due to the fact we’re located in the same state, due to the fact that we each have alumni in each other’s backyard – I think it’s a natural and tremendous fit for a rivalry that can be grown over the years,” Erdmann said. “They are an institution that has been around a little longer than us and they have been playing football a little longer than us – quite a while longer than us – but they have some aspects where they have climbed, too. They made a great climb from Division II through the old Division I-AA and now to the FBS. And not only has football had great success on a national level, but they have other sports that have been successful in the Sun Belt Conference and on a regional and national level.”
However, in the early days of the Sun Belt, South Alabama had a different in-state rival. UAB and South Alabama had a strong rivalry in basketball, but when the Blazers left the conference for Conference-USA the rivalry faded. Though they have played each other in basketball over the last few years, it isn’t the same.
Troy had a great rivalry with Jacksonville State when both teams were in Division II. However that rivalry was lost when Troy moved through Division I-AA to Division I-A (FBS) competition. Though they have developed a football rivalry with Middle Tennesse State and other schools in different sports, but not to the potential level a football rivalry with the Jags could reach.
“I think we can work to build this rivalry into something very special,” Erdmann said. “This could be one of those events that our people and their people circle on their calendars when the schedules come out in early spring.”
But a good rivalry has an equally good name. What name will emerge for this rivalry?
Hopefully this rivalry will stay on the positive side without the negativity that so many fans know and associate with the Alabama-Auburn rivalry.
Taylor Broke Two Bones In Right Leg Against MSU
South Alabama’s Anthony Taylor, a 6’3″ 225-pound senior defensive end/outside linebacker, will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a broken leg early in the first quarter against Mississippi State on Saturday.
Initially it was reported that he had fractured his fibula. However during surgery, doctors found that he had also fractured his tibia. Director of sports medicine Jinni Frisbey reported that Sunday’s surgery to repair the break went well.
Taylor has been a member of the Jaguars since the programs first season in 2009. He came into this season with 49 total tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss and 3.5 sacks with an interception and four pass deflections. This season Taylor had recorded eight tackles, two sacks and three tackles-for-loss.
With Romelle Jones’ injury that will keep him out for a couple weeks, Taylor’s loss will affect the depth the Jaguars had at defensive line. But worst of all is that Taylor will miss the remainder of his senior season.
Jaguar Nation will be pulling for Taylor to make a full and speedy recovery.
Jags Fall In Starkville 30-10
C.J. Bennett reads the defense while head coach Joey Jones looks on from the sidelines in Starkville Mississippi.
South Alabama (1-3) played a tough game against Mississippi State (4-0) on Saturday evening, though they came up short on the scoreboard as they lost 30-10. The difference in the game was big plays, but the Jags led or were very close in several stats.
Mississippi State scored first on a 44-yard run and had five pass completions for over 20 yards, two kickoff returns that went for over 40 yards and two interceptions that were returned over 40 yards in the game.
However statistically the Jags held their own. The Jags had more first downs than the Bulldogs (21-15), more passing yards (224-200) and led the time-of-possession (30:35-29:25) and dominated the time of possession in the fourth quarter 9:07 to 5:53. The Jags were within ten yards of matching the Bulldogs overall offensive production 356-347 total yards.
The Jags improves on last weeks 0-for-11 third down performance. They converted 5-of-15 this week. They Jaguar defense held the Bulldogs to 5-of-14 on third down themselves. While that third down conversion stat isn’t what they would like to see, it is an improvement and it was against an SEC defense.
Demetre Baker lead the Jags rushing with 12 carries for 49 yards. C.J. Bennett ran three times for 29 yards including a stunning hurdle of a Mississippi State player to gain a first down in the red zone. Unfortunately on the next play he would throw an interception inside the five yard line. Kendall Houston would rush eight times for 21 yards.
C.J. Bennett would go 14-of-26 for 154 yards with the one interception and one touchdown. Ross Metheny, the starter of the game, would go 8-of-17 for 70 yards with an interception.
Bryant Lavender led all receivers in both receptions, with six, and yards with 80. Jereme Jones and T.J. Glover both caught four passes for 49 and 12 yards respectively. Greg Hollinger had three catches for 49 yards and the only receiving touchdown of the game. Corey Walden added three catches and 17 yards. Three other Jaguars caught passes as well.
Defensively, the Jags would finish with three players racking up double-digit tackles for the first time in school history. Enrique Williams had a career best 12 tackles including 1.5 tackles-for-loss. Jake Johnson and B.J. Scott both had 10 stops. Johnson had 1.5 tackles-for-loss and Scott had one TFL.
“We have some things we need to work on for sure, but I saw a lot of heart on that football field tonight,” said Jaguar head coach Joey Jones. “You’re talking about a top-23 team, and we’re a new program. We fought our rear-ends off. I’m just proud of the team as a whole, and I told them in the locker room that I could live with that. We have to get better, we’re a young team and have a long way to go, but I can’t tell you how proud I am of them tonight.”
The Jags came out inspired in the first quarter and played lights-out defensively holding Mississippi State to only 27 total yards and zero yards rushing while gaining 67 yards offensively.
After marching down the field late in the first quarter, the Jags drive stalled at the Bulldog 30 where Michel Chapuseaux attempted a 47 yard field goad which would sail wide left. The Bulldogs would respond by driving 70 yards in three plays to score the games first touchdown.
With the Bulldogs leading 17-0 just before halftime, the Jags Tyrell Pearson would intercept a Tyler Russell pass and return it 25 yards. However two snaps later the Bulldogs would intercept the Ross Metheny pass and return it 66 yards to set up a field goal as time expired in the second quarter.
Both of the Jags scoring drives would come in the second half, both drives marching over 70 yards and spanning at least five minutes each. Metheny would lead the first scoring drive that covered 71 yards in 13 plays, but the Jags would not be able to punch the ball into the end zone from inside the five yard line and would settle for a 22-yard field goal.
Around midway through the fourth quarter Bennett would guide the offense on a 12 play 78 yard scoring drive that would be capped off by an 18 yard touchdown pass to Greg Hollinger.
Jereme Jones broke the record previously held by Courtney Smith by catching a pass in his 18th consecutive game. Jereme was quoted after the game saying, “It’s special because it puts me up there with one of the best receivers [in school history], but I’m more focused on the win-loss record. We took a huge step forward, playing with a nationally-ranked SEC team. We fought with them. It’s disappointing we couldn’t come out with the win, but we’re a work in progress.”
“We have to grow from this,” coach Jones stated. “We have to get better. We’re brand new and we’re trying to learn and find our way through it, but I was proud of what we did. We learned some things offensively. We moved the ball pretty good, but we threw a couple of interceptions in the red zone and we have to find a way to run the football down in the red zone. We have to get that done. Defensively, I thought we fought hard the whole game. Special teams weren’t as good tonight as it has been. Our coverage wasn’t that great. We gave them good field position a couple of times on kickoffs.”
The Jags return home to host their first Sun Belt game when they face the Troy Trojans at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on Saturday with kickoff scheduled for 2:30pm.
On the third down play on Mississippi State’s first possession, defensive end Anthony Taylor went down in extreme pain. Trainers from both teams cared for him and appeared to place an air splint on his right leg. We were not able to get any information about his status.
Jaguar Gameday Information
The Jags are on the road in Starkville, MS to take on #23 ranked Mississippi State. Kickoff tonight at Davis Wade Stadium is set for 6:00pm.
Viewing options: In local areas in Mississippi and Alabama it will be available on Pay Per View. Nationally, it will be available to areas that are not in the black-out zone on ESPN3.com. Play-by-play can be heard on WNSP 105.5 FM in the Mobile area or online at www.wnsp.com or on your smartphone using the Tune-In radio app. WNSP’s pre-game will begin at 5pm.
Jaguar Nation members who are going to the game, be prepared for lots of Cowbells used by the MSU fans. Gates will open at Davis Wade Stadium at around 3:45pm (2:15 minutes before kickoff). This is a “White Out” by Mississippi State fans, however the Bulldogs will be wearing their traditional Maroon home colors on the field. We encourage Jaguar Nation to wear BLUE.
Thunderjags will have coverage of the game on twitter if reception permits.
Go Jags! Beat State!
Know Your Stadiums: Davis Wade Stadium
Davis Wade Stadium on the campus of Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi. Image from Hailstate.com.
Mississippi State plays at their on-campus stadium named Davis Wade Stadium located in Starkville Mississippi. It was originally built in 1914 as Scott Field and named after Don Magruder Scott, an Olympic sprinter and one of the schools first football stars. The playing surface is still named Scott Field. It is the second oldest FBS stadium in college football.
Capacity has expanded several times throughout the years. Originally the 1914 stadium sat 20,000 fans. It now seats 55,082 with a record attendance of 58,103 on November 14, 2009 versus the University of Alabama.
In the fall of 2008, construction completed on a $6.1 Million 112 foot wide by 48 foot tall HD LED video system that is the second largest HD video board in college football behind the one at the University of Texas’ Stadium.
It was announced earlier this year that the University will expand the stadium by 6,255 seats to make the official attendance 61,337. The expansion will begin after the 2012 season and is expected to be finished in time for the 2014 season.
The university along with Populous, a world-renowned sports architecture firm, are working on long-term expansion and renovation plans. Their current renderings suggest that the stadium could one day hold up to 75,000 spectators.
The stadium is named after Floyd Davis Wade Sr. who made the latest expansion possible through donations for the project that was completed in 2002.
One of the most unique and criticized traditions by Mississippi State fans is the cowbell. Despite SEC rules and NCAA rules barring artificial noisemakers at games, Mississippi State fans continue to bring cowbells to Bulldog games.
The origin of the cowbell remains unclear, but records show it being introduced in the late 1930s and early 1940s which coincided with the “golden age” of Mississippi State football prior to World War II.
Popular legend has it that a jersey cow wandered onto the playing field during a home game against arch-rival Ole Miss. The Bulldogs soundly defeated the Rebels in that game and MSU fans immediately adopted the cow as a good luck charm. It is also said that students continued to bring a cow to football games for a while until the practice was discontinued in favor of the cowbell. By the 1950s and 60s, the cowbells were quite common and known as a symbol of Mississippi State.
The cowbell popularity grew rapidly during the long time when MSU football was unsuccessful. In the 1960s, two MSU professors obliged some students by welding handles on the cowbells so they could be rung easier and louder. By 1963, the demand for handled cowbells could not be filled by home workshops by themselves. The Student Association bought bells in bulk and the Industrial Education Club agreed to weld on handles. Then in 1964 the MSU bookstore began selling these handled cowbells with a portion of the profits returning to student organizations.
Cowbells decorate offices and homes of MSU alumni and are even passed down through generations of fans. Many different styles of cowbells are available with full Bulldog figurine handles and bulldog images painted on the cowbell.
In 1974 the SEC adopted a rule against artificial noisemakers that make it illegal to bring them to games. MSU fans were very creative in finding ways to circumvent the rule and continued to bring them to games. The ban stayed in effect until 2010.
That spring, the 12 schools of the SEC agreed to a compromise on artificial noisemakers and acknowledged the role cowbells play in the history of MSU. An amended rule was created that allowed cowbells into the stadium for the first time in 36 years. Due to fans’ adherence to the rules outlined by the conference, the “cowbell rule” will continue to allowed with specific restrictions.
However the NCAA rules still forbid artificial noisemakers.
Below is a rendering of what Davis Wade Stadium may look like after the upcoming expansion is completed.
Image from clarionledger.com.
Jags Will Face South Alabama’s First Offensive Coordinator Les Koenning In Starkville
When Coach Joey Jones was hired to start the football program at the University of South Alabama, his first hires was his offensive and defensive coordinators. He hired former Prattville High head coach Bill Clark as his defensive coordinator. But Jones also hired Les Koenning as his offensive coordinator.
I remember seeing Coach Jones and Coach Koenning around campus before their first signing class and before they even had the football fieldhouse. Koenning was hired exactly two weeks after Coach Jones was hired.
But Koenning wouldn’t be at South long. Sylvester Croom had resigned after five seasons at the head coach of Mississippi State. They then hired Dan Mullen, who was serving as the offensive coordinator at Florida under Urban Meyer at the time.
In December of 2008, Mullen hired Koenning away from South to be the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Mississippi State. Koenning previously coached at Mississippi State during the late 80s as a receivers coach. He was replaced by eventual MSU head coach Jackie Sherrill after the 1990 season.
Coach Jones then hired Coach Greg Gregory prior to the Jaguars first spring practice in 2009.
Though Coach Jones is familiar with Koenning and his style of play-calling, but he does not think it will be an advantage for his team in Saturday’s game in Starkville. “I don’t think it will help because a lot of what he is doing now with coach Mullen they have tweaked some things more toward the Florida philosophy. I wouldn’t think there would be anything we could take from that,” Jones said. “They are doing things differently than when he was here.”
Saturday’s game in Starkville will be the first of a three game series between the Jags and the Bulldogs. The Jags will host the Bulldogs in Mobile for a game on September 13, 2014 as the Jags first SEC opponent in Mobile. Then the Jags will travel to Starkville a second time for a September 10, 2016 game.
Jags have four other SEC teams on their future schedules. Next season the Jags travel to Knoxville to play Tennessee, then in 2014 they play at Georgia, at LSU in 2016 and at Ole Miss in 2017.