Germans? MSU-Memphis moved to September 1

[Frances Drebin]

According to the Commercial Appeal, the game has been moved to Thursday September 1 to accomodate Fox Sports and C-USA television.

Thoughts?

Edited to add the story:

Opener moved



The Memphis-Mississippi State football season opener will be moved up two days to Thursday night, Sept. 1, sources close to State said today.</p>

The move is to accommodate Conference USA's Fox TV package. Because it is Memphis' home game at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, the Tigers had the option to move the game from Sept. 3.</p>

Mississippi State officials, especially coach Dan Mullen, have no objections to move. Playing the opener on Thursday gives the Bulldogs and the Tigers two extra days to prepare for their Sept. 10 games.</p>

On that Saturday, State opens Southeastern Conference play at defending national champion Auburn. The Bulldogs narrowly lost to Auburn, 17-14, last year en route to a Gator Bowl-winning season.</p>

Memphis, 1-11 last season under then first-year coach Larry Porter, plays at Arkansas State in its second game on Sept. 10.</p><p sizset="1" sizcache="3"><em sizset="1" sizcache="3">© 2011 Memphis Commercial Appeal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.[/i]

</p>

 

[Frances Drebin]

According to the Commercial Appeal, the game has been moved to Thursday September 1 to accomodate Fox Sports and C-USA television.

Thoughts?

Edited to add the story:

Opener moved



The Memphis-Mississippi State football season opener will be moved up two days to Thursday night, Sept. 1, sources close to State said today.</p>

The move is to accommodate Conference USA's Fox TV package. Because it is Memphis' home game at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, the Tigers had the option to move the game from Sept. 3.</p>

Mississippi State officials, especially coach Dan Mullen, have no objections to move. Playing the opener on Thursday gives the Bulldogs and the Tigers two extra days to prepare for their Sept. 10 games.</p>

On that Saturday, State opens Southeastern Conference play at defending national champion Auburn. The Bulldogs narrowly lost to Auburn, 17-14, last year en route to a Gator Bowl-winning season.</p>

Memphis, 1-11 last season under then first-year coach Larry Porter, plays at Arkansas State in its second game on Sept. 10.</p><p sizset="1" sizcache="3"><em sizset="1" sizcache="3">© 2011 Memphis Commercial Appeal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.[/i]

</p>

 

[hatfieldms]

Since when do we start accommodating C-USA television. I didnt even know it existed. And 2 Thursday night games in the first 3 weeks?

 

[mstatefan88]

If it's better for us tv wise, then I'm all for it. Probably will hurt our travel crowd some since it's during the week though. </p>

 

[thunderclap]

.

 

[dawgstudent]

not really feeling this move.

 

[ehnowboodogs]

crowd killer for both sides

 

[hatfieldms]

Since they are the home team

 

[futaba.79]

At AU and LSU at home 5 days later. Getting two more days of rest before that stretch is worth it.

 

[Todd4State]

is that means it's going to be a night game.

The bad news is it's on Thursday.

 

[maroonmania]

we will now have extra preparation time for Auburn. I bet that was appealing to Mullen even though it does put a crimp in MSU folks' travel plans to Memphis. Not surprised though, nobody in our athletic department cares about inconvenience to our fans when we play home games on Thursdays so certainly no reason to expect them to consider fans relative to an away game.

 

[dawgstudent]

I just don't like the idea of 2 Thursday night games. I would have to think we have some type of say if they can move it.

 

[basedog]

Yes. Most football coaches will tell you there teams will improve more from week 1 to week 2 than any other week or game. Being the first game you get to see your weakness and you get to see young players and how they react to game lights.

Better having this game on the road for Thursday as to a home game.

 

[hatfieldms]

I still dont like the move though

 

[futaba.79]

comes after 8wks of summer workouts and 30 more days of practice. So, yeah, a couple of days after all that will help.

 

[Frances Drebin]

you do realize that Memphis might be the absolute worst team in the FBS next year? I doubt that we will learn much at all from that game. It will be more like a light scrimmage.

 

[RobbieRandolph]

I can't believe we didn't object.

What's the point of playing local non-conference games if you're going to allow them to be moved to Thursday, thus preventing a large majority of your fan base from attending the game? Also if I'm the Memphis Visitors bureau I'm pissed as a large amount of MSU fans wont be consuming all weekend.

 

[basedog]

a few days regardless of who we play and like I said before we play a bunch of young guys and you get to see how they perform under pressure. As for as Memphis, they may be bad but that doesn't mean they want or can't get up for the 1st game.

 

[AlCoDog]

looks to me like Larry Porter is an *******, and has a<font style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">hard-</font>on for State for some reason. He will be sorry since the decimation and destruction will be seen by a wider audience now. Embarrass the fools!

 

[GimpyDawg]

Gives the team more rest after the first game and we get to open on Thurs night. Bring on football, I'm ready.

 

[randystewart]

I get the criticism of the move, but what most of you don't understand is that we were probably looking at no TV. Now you have a televised opener, get to start practice earlier, and have more prep time for Auburn.

 

[JerseyMSU]

Sucks for you guys that were going for the weekend though. You could be looking at maybe 50% less seats filled by this move I would think. </p>

 

[fishwater99]

Mississippi State officials, especially coach Dan Mullen, have no objections to move. Playing the opener on Thursday gives the Bulldogs and the Tigers <span style="font-weight: bold;">two extra days to prepare for their Sept. 10 games.</span>

It's good for the program, sorry it doesn't fit into your weekend schedule. You we can all go Dove hunting and not miss the game.. Winning

 

[GratefulDawg.sixpack]

Below is another reason why this is not a bad move.

http://www.usatoday.com/s...100/100246/100246422.htm

MEMPHIS, Tennessee (Ticker) -- In searing heat, Memphis wilted
under the pressure of defensive end Mario Haggan and Mississippi
State's defense.
</p>

Haggan had an interception and forced a fumble -- both of which
led to scores -- as Mississppi State shut down Memphis and
overcame its own offensive woes in a 17-3 victory.
</p>

The season opener for both schools was played at the Liberty
Bowl with a game-time temperature of 99 degrees. The teams
combined for just 295 total yards and 150 in penalties.
</p>

Haggan, a sophomore who had just four tackles last season, made
his presence felt today. Late in the second quarter, the 6-3,
246-pound sophomore picked off Travis Anglin and returned it
seven yards to the Memphis 25-yard line before recovering his
own fumble.
</p>

Six plays later, Dontae Walker banged in from the 1, giving the
Bulldogs a 10-0 lead with 3:47 left in the first half.
</p>

Memphis answered with its only sustained drive of the game with
Ryan White's 36-yard field goal, capping a 15-play, 62-yard
march with six seconds left in the half.
</p>

After a scoreless third quarter, Haggan delivered the decisive
blow in the final period. He sacked Neil Suber and forced a
fumble recovered by teammate Willie Blade at the Memphis 6.
Dicenzo Miller went in on the next play to seal it with 1:55 to
go.
</p>

Defensive lineman Pig Prather and linebacker Jason Clark both
recovered fumbles for the Bulldogs, who had just 127 total yards
and seven first downs. Miller had just 31 yards on 11 rushes
and Wayne Madkin completed just 10-of-20 passes for 82 yards.
</p>

Nevertheless, Mississippi State defeated Memphis for the seventh
straight time and improved to 19-2 in its last 21 openers.
</p>

Anglin was 8-for-27 for 66 yards and two inerceptions and was
sacked four times. Suber was not much better, going 2-of-7 for
15 yards, a pick and a sack.
</p>

After a scoreless first quarter, cornerback Fred Smoot picked
off Anglin at the Memphis 48 and returned it 24 yards. Three
plays metted minus-2 yards and Scott Westerfield kicked a
43-yard field goal to open the scoring with 10:53 left in the
second period. </p>

 

[bulldogbaja]

1. It's a Thursday night, season-opening TV game that we could actually win!
2. We should have a real shot at beating Auburn this year, and 2 extra days of prep would be huge. As we all know, AU often defines how our season is going to go.

 

[FreeDawg]

I was really looking forward to weekend of rendevous and beale st. Might be good for the team though

 

[maroonmadman]

No trip to Memphis for our opener for me and my posse. This is the main reason for my dislike of this move.No way can we make the trip up and back without missing some work, therefore we'll just fire up the old grill and burn some dead cow and watch at home. Memphis will probably loose a lot of revenue from tickets and concessions, not that any of us should give a ****. It's on Fox Sports which means it won't be national, probably just Fox Sports South, they'll probably have some other regional contest on their other regional networks and we'll be going head to head against ESPN. Everybody has ESPN, not so with Fox Sports South.The only good things about it are it's a night game, it's against Memphis and it will give us a few extra days of practice before we play Auburn. Other than that this moveis loaded with suckatude.

 

[MSU124]

Hope I won't have anything important for class Thursday or Friday. This is really bad move for students. Would have been a fun weekend.

 

[jamdawg96]

And what's more important? Winning. Particiularly against Auburn and LSU. Gives us an extra two days of rest and prep, and it'll get us familiar with playing on a Thursday night, minus all the pressure of playing someone worth a ****. Two days might not seem like a lot, but it's enough to make a difference.

As much as I love a good party weekend via football road trip, I'm all for moving this game up.

 

[Frances Drebin]

There will be a large crowd at this game, and it will be majority maroon.

Everyone poo-pooing this move will change their tune during the last couple of weeks of august when the countdown clock is 48 hours shorter than it is for anyone else. It's like getting to open Christmas presents two days early. The fans will be excited and the drive to Memphis is manageable. Students now have a built-in excuse for blowing offclass for a day or two.

Hell, Memphis will have a decent crowd there too. Hope springs eternal for everyone the first game of the year.

I honestly don't care whether it's Thursday or Saturday,because I'll be there, regardless. I understand someof the frustration within the fanbase because of work, school, and whatever else. But at the end of the day, the fans will still come out.

 

[drunkernhelldawg]

Every student at a university that hosts a Thursday game should get a refund for the class day that's been destroyed, not to mention the loss of opportunity for a great weekend experience for fans. Thursday college football is a new idea that needs an early retirement.