Why State will be better in 2010 than Mississippi....

[Coach34]

that said Mississippi would go 0-8 in Orgeron's last season
that said Bianco would take Mississippi's program to the top half of the SEC
that said Andy Kennedy would make Mississippi a much better basketball program

and so on and so on...

I love how Miles is an idiot but still finished 3rd in the SEC last season...and before I get the "who couldnt win at LSU?" retort- remind me of how many SEC titles they won in 1970-2000....A HINT- it's less than 1

 

[jackstefano]

I don't know. I know that our optimism has grown greatly...it's hard this time of year to see through the wool.

I do recall at the end of last season,significant posting by the Rebel faithful that they expected a down year, (due to players that they were losing, and gaps). Now their wool is probably getting thick also.

The shearing begins in 45 days.

I do think we will be slightly better. Good analysis. Baaa! Baaa!

I think your team willbe better than OM's, but I don't think the record necessarily will be because of OM's lightOOC schedulevs. MSU's tough schedule.

 

[Coach34]

sums it up perfectly

 

[Mean Machine say what]

around the QB like we did early in the year last year...if we don't and we won't...I don't expect it to be near that much of a negative. That is one thing...but we will need the QB to win some games...I don't expect that. I am just interested in the QB not losing games.

 

[patdog]

I think your team willbe better than OM's, but I don't think the record necessarily will be because of OM's lightOOC schedulevs. MSU's tough schedule.

Right now, I've got us both at 6-6, with one of us going to Nashville and the other to Birmingham, although you may play Houston in Memphis. I doubt we play in the Liberty because the two favorites in CUSA are Houston and USM. We can't be asked to play either since USM is in-state and we already play Houston. For the record, I'm not bitching aboutyour easy schedule. The conference part of it is just cyclical. That happens sometimes whenyour permanent opponent in the East is either Vandy or Kentucky (although you do catch a break that Tennessee is so down). And the non-conference partof it is just smart scheduling.

 

[Barkman Turner Overdrive]

than and a loss to Mississippi. With their embarrassingly easy schedule, they could very well be 5-0 to start the season. A typical Nutt surprise win or two and they could have 7 wins going into the Egg Bowl. Speaking of Egg Bowls, it will be hard for us to win this one in Oxford. We haven't won there since 1998 and that was two coaches and an SEC West title ago. Besides, I imagine the Mississippi boosters will remind Nutt that this game better not catch him by surprise again. By no means do I think Mississippi will be world beaters or even good, but things line up well for them to have an 7 or 8 win season and go to a decent bowl.

 

[Afro Dawg]

NT

 

[RebelBruiser]

around the QB like we did early in the year last year...if we don't and we won't...I don't expect it to be near that much of a negative. That is one thing...but we will need the QB to win some games...I don't expect that. I am just interested in the QB not losing games.

That's one thing I expect to be different. We leaned heavily on Snead last year, especially early in the year, and we asked him to make a lot of tough throws. We had a lot of turnovers, not as many as MSU, but I believe we were 10th or 11th in the SEC. We were down there.

Anyway, I expect to see a much more conservative approach on offense. We'll lean heavily on the defense. If the offense can take care of the football and at least punt it, that's one area we could improve from last year offensively. I expect our passing game to be a lot of fairly easy throws, many predetermined throws, and occasionally taking a shot deep to keep the defense honest.

I'm not expecting much from the offense, but I'd like to see us improve in the turnover department, and that's an area we can definitely improve. If we can limit the turnovers, that will go a long way for us. If we approach offense like punting is not necessarily the worst thing that can happen, we can have a decent season. Not great, but crappy bowl game decent.

 

[Rebel512]

I just dont see how any State fan can rely on Chris Relf as a starting quarterback. Just think about it. You are relying on a QB that threw 41 times for 283 yards and a 53% completion in 10 games played. You know what that means? It means nearly every time he takes a snap (which I hope is every snap unless you are planning on playing favre....lol at that though) that he will be going up against at least 8 guys in the box with 2 corners locked man and 1 safety. Now sure he is a big guy and a pretty good running QB, but he is not quick. He uses his size and im sorry but there is no way you can win many games against SEC defenses if your only QB option is running the ball with a physical QB. I think OM and MSU fans both can agree Tyson Lee was absolutely terrible last year but he still threw for nearly 1500 yards (not that that is a lot) but compare that to Relf's 783 TOTAL yards meaning passing and rushing. With Dixon rushing for 1400 yards last season and Relf accounting for 800 less total yards than Lee, thats <span style="font-weight: bold;">2200 yards </span>of offense you are losing and dont really have an answer for. It is just a very big stretch to say Relf will have a successful year because he is 1 dimensional and every SEC coach will know that this upcoming season.

 

[coach66]

are all well taken and if he hasn't improved along with our recievers then much of what you say could come to pass. However, if he has improvedhis passing skillsand mental acuity thenI think he could have a good year and itwould place him in the middle of the pack as far as qb's in the SEC the way I see it. The guy has got the tools to be a great qb, huge arm, height, durability, dual threat, and from what I am told he is an intelligent young man. He needs the coaching and I think he has been getting it. It will be interesting.

 

[spacecataz]

every SEC coach will know that this upcoming season.

Pretty sure Dan Mullen knows that, too. I'm not saying we're going to threaten the West, but I bet he figures out something to make us, at the very least, competitive to some degree. We're not talking about Croom drawing up the plays here.

 

[Rebel512]

I look at it this way. Stanley could be a decent QB. We dont need him to win us games we need him to manage them. If he cant we will give Cotton a try who has a VERY good arm but we know playing QB isnt just target practice. And if neither of them are effective enough then we can use Mackey who was the national offensive player of the year for juco by throwing for over 3800 yards and rushing for over 580.

 

[coach66]

I have heard he is a great athlete but no way in hell he would ever throw for those kind of yards in the SEC, isn't he about 5 foot seven?

 

[Rebel512]

hes 6' but QB height isnt a problem on this board i thought ever since favre signed. Im not saying mackey will throw 3800 yards lol but all im saying is if he threw for 3800 and got national juco offensive player of the year, obviously the kid can throw a football.

 

[coach66]

fraternity flag football league my entire career. He is obviously a pretty good player but if he is six feet then Tyson Lee is six two. I am just repeating what they were saying about his lack of vertical prowess on some of your own boards several months back.

 

[GloryDawg]

JUCO is JUCO and it does not compare to SEC football. What you do in JUCO don't mean jack until you prove you can do it in a SEC game.</p>

 

[lawdawg02]

It means nearly every time he takes a snap (which I hope is every snap unless you are planning on playing favre....lol at that though) that he will be going up against at least 8 guys in the box with 2 corners locked man and 1 safety.

It will be interesting to watch the 8 guys in the box against our 3 WR sets.

 

[Rebel512]

He was a honorable mention all american listed at 5-11. He threw for half as many yards as Mackey did last year who is listed at 6 feet.

 

[Rebel512]

It means nearly every time he takes a snap (which I hope is every snap unless you are planning on playing favre....lol at that though) that he will be going up against at least 8 guys in the box with 2 corners locked man and 1 safety.

It will be interesting to watch the 8 guys in the box against our 3 WR sets.

Really? Last time i checked 8+3 = 11. Thats 8 guys in the box and 3 DB's playing man defense on the WRs. Have you ever watched football?

 

[GloryDawg]

bd</p>

 

[RebelBruiser]

I expect Mackey to be a package QB, primarily running out of the Wildcat. I know he can throw well enough to give us a passing threat out of the Wildcat that would be enough to force teams to not load up on it.

We had to quit the Wildcat with Dex because teams knew he couldn't throw the football. No way Mackey is as athletic as McCluster, but he should be able to run the Wildcat better because he's a real QB that can complete a pass when needed.

That's what I expect from him. Fortunately we aren't bringing in Mackey expecting him to be the starter, a la The Shiv.

 

[Dollabillz]

Works out well for you, have some easy games up front, play Stanley AND Mackey. If he shows he can play, he'll play. Good thing is he's not forced into the role, and he knows there's competition. I know everybody talks about height and ****, and yeah it's ideal to be 6-3, but a 5-10 QB can make it. I mean he's either a player or he's not, you know?

 

[patdog]

Thats 8 guys in the box and 3 DB's playing man defense on the WRs. Have you ever watched football?

I've definitely watched enough to know that trying to cover3 WRs with 3 DBswith no safety help is a real good recipe for disaster.

 

[Mean Machine say what]

not so much in the Wildcat. If...big if...he picks it up quickly mackey may very well get the majority of the snaps early. I doubt it but it is not out of the question.

I am comfortable with Stanley BTW. I may regret it 3 weeks in, but I think he will be ok.

 

[lawdawg02]

You're just trying to cover your ***, which is understandable,because I called you out on not knowing how our offense actually works. If we lined up with a TE and a FB (or 2 RBs) and ran the ball, then yes, there would be 8 in the box, because you have 2 CBs and 1 S. But that's not our offense.

You spread your offensive players out to spread the defense out. There won't be 8 in the box if we have 3 WRs. If they play man on 3 WRs every play, we're in for a great season.

</p>

 

[Coach34]

****, I hope we do face 8 men in the box. Why you ask?

1. A quick pick play will open up a WR for an easy completion and probable TD
2. If those 8 miss a tackle, probable TD
3. Play-action pass? TD every time he completes it

Man-free will make Relf a better QB- I worry much more about a F/S reading his eyes as he stares down a WR and picking him off

 

[Johnson85]

I look at it this way. Stanley could be a decent QB. We dont need him to win us games we need him to manage them. If he cant we will give Cotton a try who has a VERY good arm but we know playing QB isnt just target practice. And if neither of them are effective enough then we can use Mackey who was the national offensive player of the year for juco by throwing for over 3800 yards and rushing for over 580.

But MSU needsa qb to win them games???You'll have to explain that logic.

 

[RebelBruiser]

My concerns with Mackey are less his size and more to do with the fact that he just got here this summer. It's tough to be a QB and step in and play the majority of the snaps. I think all we'll have time to do is get him ready for certain packages. If those packages are successful, he may end up playing a whole bunch, and we may start working him into the regular offense, but I'm still expecting him to just be a package QB this fall.

 

[Rebel512]

I look at it this way. Stanley could be a decent QB. We dont need him to win us games we need him to manage them. If he cant we will give Cotton a try who has a VERY good arm but we know playing QB isnt just target practice. And if neither of them are effective enough then we can use Mackey who was the national offensive player of the year for juco by throwing for over 3800 yards and rushing for over 580.

But MSU needsa qb to win them games???You'll have to explain that logic.

Who else is going to win them for you? Your RB? I thought I read somewhere it was probably Robert Elliot who had 220 yards rushing last year. Plenty of experience there. Or Bumphis? We had 3 receivers with more receiving yards than he had and yes 1 of them is returning.

 

[lawdawg02]

We won't be able to move the ball at all. It's going to be ugly.