<div class="story_item_headline"> Good reason to woof </div> <div class="story_item_info"> <div class="story_item_author"> by Brad Locke/Daily Journal </div> <div class="signature_line"> <span class="story_item_date">1 hr ago</span> | 14 views | 0
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</span> <span id="email_content_message_2346593" class="signature_email_message"></span></span> </div> </div> <div class="story_item_content"> <div class="story_item_images"> <div class="newline"></div> </div>STARKVILLE - Anthony Dixon thinks Mississippi State has an offense worth talking about. And talking smack about.
In years past, the Bulldogs' senior tailback couldn't say much to the defensive players during spring practices - and Dixon loves to talk trash - because the offense so often struggled. This year, though, it's different.
New coach Dan Mullen and his spread offense have given Dixon back his swagger and loosened his tongue.
"Last year, the defense dominated us a whole lot. This spring, we had a lot of practices where the offense was out there talking noise - we had room to speak," Dixon said.
MSU's offense did a pretty good job backing up its talk during Saturday's Maroon-White spring game at Davis-Wade Stadium. In front of an announced crowd of 31,606 - unofficially the largest ever to witness a spring game in the state of Mississippi - the White edged the Maroon, 24-21.
Both offenses started slowly, trading field goals in the first quarter, but they each found the end zone in the second quarter.
"My thoughts were, I hope we score some points," Mullen said. "It was our goal to get a lot of fans to come out there to the game, so I'm thinking, boy, we better get some points on the board so they leave happy."
Dixon, who carried 11 times for 59 yards, scored the game's first TD on a 4-yard run, giving the White an 18-6 lead. That drive was highlighted by a 63-yard pass from second-string quarterback Chris Relf to speedy wideout O'Neal Wilder.
Relf would finish 13 of 26 for 195 yards, and Wilder made four catches for a team-leading 122 yards, including a 21-yard circus catch in the first quarter.
Seeing guys like Wilder make plays was encouraging for Mullen and the offense. State is woefully short of receivers and had resorted to using fullbacks and tight ends throughout much of the spring.
Juco transfer Leon Berry led the Maroon with eight grabs for 125 yards. His quarterback, incumbent Tyson Lee, was 19 of 33 for 251 yards.
"I feel like we finished up all right, but we can't just finish strong, we've got to start strong," Lee said. "A lot of guys made plays today; when I gave them opportunities to make plays, they made them."
The game began with what Mullen calls a circle drill, a.k.a. the bullring. The White exited that session with a 5-3 advantage.
Things ended with just as much intensity, as backup kicker Derek DePasquale nailed a 24-yard field goal as the final horn sounded.
Mullen was glad to have a "clean" scrimmage: few penalties, no injuries, and only one turnover, which came after most first- and second-team players were pulled out of action.
"Our guys, when you put them in a pressure situation here and put them in front of a lot of fans, they came out and just executed on a fairly (good) basis," Mullen said.
Dixon's mouth notwithstanding, the defense could certainly be happy with how it played Saturday. End Sean Ferguson had four sacks for the Maroon, while teammate Chris White, a juco transfer linebacker, had eight tackles. The White team had four sacks total.
There were a combined five field goals against three touchdowns, and middle linebacker Jamar Chaney thinks the defense accomplished the goal it sets forth daily.
"Don't waste a day, don't waste no time out there on the field," he said. "When we go on the field, it's all about business and just making sure we're getting better. I think we did that."
MSU opens the regular season at home on Sept. 5 against Jackson State. <div class="newline"></div> </div>
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</span> <span id="email_content_message_2346593" class="signature_email_message"></span></span> </div> </div> <div class="story_item_content"> <div class="story_item_images"> <div class="newline"></div> </div>STARKVILLE - Anthony Dixon thinks Mississippi State has an offense worth talking about. And talking smack about. In years past, the Bulldogs' senior tailback couldn't say much to the defensive players during spring practices - and Dixon loves to talk trash - because the offense so often struggled. This year, though, it's different.
New coach Dan Mullen and his spread offense have given Dixon back his swagger and loosened his tongue.
"Last year, the defense dominated us a whole lot. This spring, we had a lot of practices where the offense was out there talking noise - we had room to speak," Dixon said.
MSU's offense did a pretty good job backing up its talk during Saturday's Maroon-White spring game at Davis-Wade Stadium. In front of an announced crowd of 31,606 - unofficially the largest ever to witness a spring game in the state of Mississippi - the White edged the Maroon, 24-21.
Both offenses started slowly, trading field goals in the first quarter, but they each found the end zone in the second quarter.
"My thoughts were, I hope we score some points," Mullen said. "It was our goal to get a lot of fans to come out there to the game, so I'm thinking, boy, we better get some points on the board so they leave happy."
Dixon, who carried 11 times for 59 yards, scored the game's first TD on a 4-yard run, giving the White an 18-6 lead. That drive was highlighted by a 63-yard pass from second-string quarterback Chris Relf to speedy wideout O'Neal Wilder.
Relf would finish 13 of 26 for 195 yards, and Wilder made four catches for a team-leading 122 yards, including a 21-yard circus catch in the first quarter.
Seeing guys like Wilder make plays was encouraging for Mullen and the offense. State is woefully short of receivers and had resorted to using fullbacks and tight ends throughout much of the spring.
Juco transfer Leon Berry led the Maroon with eight grabs for 125 yards. His quarterback, incumbent Tyson Lee, was 19 of 33 for 251 yards.
"I feel like we finished up all right, but we can't just finish strong, we've got to start strong," Lee said. "A lot of guys made plays today; when I gave them opportunities to make plays, they made them."
The game began with what Mullen calls a circle drill, a.k.a. the bullring. The White exited that session with a 5-3 advantage.
Things ended with just as much intensity, as backup kicker Derek DePasquale nailed a 24-yard field goal as the final horn sounded.
Mullen was glad to have a "clean" scrimmage: few penalties, no injuries, and only one turnover, which came after most first- and second-team players were pulled out of action.
"Our guys, when you put them in a pressure situation here and put them in front of a lot of fans, they came out and just executed on a fairly (good) basis," Mullen said.
Dixon's mouth notwithstanding, the defense could certainly be happy with how it played Saturday. End Sean Ferguson had four sacks for the Maroon, while teammate Chris White, a juco transfer linebacker, had eight tackles. The White team had four sacks total.
There were a combined five field goals against three touchdowns, and middle linebacker Jamar Chaney thinks the defense accomplished the goal it sets forth daily.
"Don't waste a day, don't waste no time out there on the field," he said. "When we go on the field, it's all about business and just making sure we're getting better. I think we did that."
MSU opens the regular season at home on Sept. 5 against Jackson State. <div class="newline"></div> </div>
