Outlook
Coming off of the most successful season since a Jackie Sherrill-led Bulldogs team went 10-2 and won the
Peach Bowl in 1999, there is much reason for optimism in Starkville.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs, in Head Coach Dan Mullen’s second season, went 9-4, winning a second
consecutive Egg Bowl game over Ole Miss and capping their season with a 52-14 shellacking of a talented
Michigan Wolverines squad in the Gator Bowl, the Southeastern Conference’s first appearance in the game
since 1994.
Mullen has worked the Bulldog fan base into a frenzy with a combination of success on the gridiron and
an aggressive campaign for in-state superiority, with Mississippi State billboards posted around the state
welcoming visitors to “Our (MSU’s) State” and referring to their in-state rival as “The School Up North”.
It’s hard to argue with the results. An ecstatic fan base has sold out of season tickets, breaking a season
ticket sales record that had been set the previous year.
Despite numerous key losses from last year’s squad, the Bulldogs return enough talent to again make some
noise in the SEC’s western division, widely regarded as the most competitive division in college football.
On Offense
The Quarterbacks
When the Bulldogs take the field with possession of the ball, they’ll be led at the quarterback position by
Chris Relf. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound senior is the most decorated running quarterback in the conference.
Relf, who struggled early in his career from a passing standpoint, finished the season with a solid eight
passing scores to only two interceptions over the final six games while adding three rushing scores.
Behind Relf, Mississippi State boasts a former 4-star recruit in Tyler Russell. Russell, a 6-foot-4, 220-
pound redshirt sophomore out of Meridian, is a traditional pocket passer not known for his mobility.
Behind Russell are redshirt freshman Dylan Favre, nephew of Hattiesburg-native and former NFL great
Brett, and Dak Prescott, an incoming freshman out of Louisiana with a skill set similar to that of Relf.
The Running Backs
Mississippi State’s 2011 offense will be known for running the football, and with good reason, as the
Bulldogs return senior Vick Ballard and a standout sophomore in LaDarius Perkins.
Ballard, a 5-foot-11, a former 220-pound Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College product, turned in an
impressive junior season in 2010, establishing himself as the go-to-guy on offense. Ballard finished just shy
of the 1,000-yard rushing milestone (968) and carried for 19 scores.
Perkins established himself as the Bulldogs’ backup, finishing his freshman campaign with 566 yards, good
for third on the team behind Ballard and Relf (713), and three rushing touchdowns. Perkins caught three
touchdown passes on the year. He solidified himself in the Egg Bowl with 319 yards of total offense and
two touchdowns.
The Receivers
Mississippi State may be known for its rushing attack, but the Bulldogs have talented hands waiting to
catch the football. Junior Chad Bumphis leads the way for Bulldog receiving corps.
Bumphis, a former standout at Tupelo, is a jack-of-all-trades for the Bulldog offense. The team’s leading
receiver as a sophomore, Bumphis finished with 44 catches for 634 yards and five scores, while also
rushing for 137 yards. Bumphis also sees return duty and is a player who could be in line for a big-time
season in 2011.
Junior Arceto Clark returns from a 25-catch, 362-yard campaign in which he reached pay dirt three times.
Also returning for the Bulldogs are juniors Chris Smith (264 yards-1 TD) and Brandon Heavens (316-2).
Incoming freshman Joe Morrow, a 4-star Dandy Dozen recruit out of Ocean Springs, could also see playing
time.
At Tight End, reports have surfaced that senior Kendrick Cook may miss the 2011 season due to a neck
injury he suffered during spring practice, leaving the position up for grabs. Marcus Green is the leading
active TE with three grabs for 36 yards.
Offensive Line
Any potent rushing attack starts with the offensive line, and often depends on the success of the unit.
The position stands out as one of the big question marks heading into the season, as the Bulldogs have to
replace two starters, including former Left Tackle Derrick Sherrod, who was drafted in the first round of
the NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers.
The Bulldogs do return three starters, however, which include two former Tate County standouts. Addison
Lawrence, a 6-foor-4, 300-pound redshirt senior and former Magnolia Heights Chief, returns at Right
Tackle. Lawrence is a two-year starter. Redshirt senior Quentin Saulsberry, a former Independence
Wildcat, is 6-foot-2 and 300-pounds, and is a three year starter for the Bulldogs. A versatile player,
Saulsberry has started at four positions along the line and is expected to play Center in 2011. Also returning
is redshirt sophomore Gabe Jackson, who started at Guard in 2010.
One noteworthy move on the offensive line revolves around James Carmon, The massive 6-foot-7, 320-
pounder played defensive tackle for the Bulldogs last season, earning 3 starts, following a standout career
at MGCCC. He moved to offense during spring practices and looks to replace Sherrod at Left Tackle.
Tobias Smith saw playing time in 2010 and could get a good look at one of the open positions in fall camp.
Also hoping to figure into the offensive line rotation is former North Panola standout Templeton Hardy. A
junior, Hardy was selected as a Dandy Dozen player coming out of high school. Having seen action in two
games in 2010, Hardy has been considered a key reserve at both guard and tackle. Could 2011 be his year?
On Defense
Defensive Line
The interior line for the Bulldogs may be the strongest unit on the squad, and figures one of the strongest
groups of defensive tackles in the SEC. The defensive ends don’t appear to be in bad hands either, even
though star Pernell McPhee graduated and was a fifth round selection for the Baltimore Ravens.
The loss of McPhee is eased by the return of senior Sean Ferguson. Ferguson is the most experienced
player on the defensive line, having played in 37 games in his career. Ferguson finished the 2010 season
with five tackles for a loss.
Also expected to figure into the rotation at end will be juniors Trevor Stigers and Shane McCardell.
Redshirt freshman Kaleb Eulls should have a successful 2011 campaign. A highly recruited athlete out of
high school, the Yazoo County product has the versatility to contribute at either defensive end or defensive
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| RS Freshman Kaleb Eulls is splitting reps at DE and DT. |
competitive recruiting process. Jones possesses the size (6’2, 270) to contribute right away.
Mississippi State also returns All-SEC-caliber tackles in Fletcher Cox and Josh Boyd. The two juniors
combined for 14 tackles for a loss and five sacks in 2010 and could be in line for even more successful
seasons in 2011. Behind Cox and Boyd, redshirt freshman Curtis Verges could factor in, as could Devin
Jones, P.J. Jones and Eulls.
Linebackers
The Mississippi State Linebacker corps also has to replace multiple losses. Gone from the 2010 squad are
Chris White, the middle linebacker was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the NFL Draft,
and outside linebacker K.J. Wright, from Olive Branch, who was drafted in the fourth round by the Seattle
Seahawks.
Former Magnolia Heights standout Cameron Lawrence returns as a projected starter at one Outside
Linebacker position. Lawrence was a multi-position star for the Chiefs and led them to a state
championship during his sophomore season. A junior, Lawrence played in 10 games for the Bulldogs
before an injury, but returned for the Gator Bowl. He finished the season with 31 tackles with 2.5 tackles
for a loss. Redshirt freshman Matthew Wells is expected to proved depth at Lawrence’s position.
Sophomores Chris Hughes and Deontae Skinner are expected to battle for the other outside linebacker
position.
There is a fall camp battle brewing to determine who will step in for White at Middle Linebacker between
Senior Brandon Wilson and Senior Brandon Maye. Maye is a highly decorated transfer from Clemson,
having put up massive numbers in three seasons as a starter. Maye had 231 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss,
5.5 sacks, an interception, four forced fumbles and three recovered fumbles in 33 starts at Clemson. He
transferred after completing his undergraduate degree and is in graduate school at Mississippi State similar
to what Jeremiah Masoli did at Ole Miss in 2010.
Defensive Backs
The Bulldogs return a strong secondary, having lost no starters from last year’s squad.
At the corner positions, Mississippi State will be led by juniors Johnthan Banks and Corey Broomfield.
Banks has started 19 games in the past two seasons at Cornerback and Safety. Banks has seven career
interceptions: four as a freshman at Safety and three as a sophomore at Cornerback.
Broomfield has started 16 games in the past two seasons. He had six interceptions during his redshirt
freshman season and three interceptions as a sophomore.
Sophomore Nickoe Whitley returns at Free Safety. Whitley finished the 2010 season with three
interceptions. Senior Wade Bonner will also see plenty of the field at the position. Bonner has played in 35
career games at Mississippi State.
The star of the secondary is senior Strong Safety Charles Mitchell. The native of Clarksdale has had an
outstanding career, having played in all 37 games during his time as a Bulldog. Mitchell has currently
has 189 total tackles and four interceptions in his career. Also expected to see playing time as a reserve is
redshirt freshman Jay Hughes, the son of Mississippi State safeties coach Tony Hughes.
Special Teams
The Special Teams unit appears pretty solid for the Bulldogs, as they return their kicker and their kick
return and punt return specialists.
Kicker Derek DePasquale is 20-24 on field goal attempts in the past two seasons, as well as 51-51 on extra
point attempts. DePasquale also handles kickoff duties.
The Punter position will likely come down to sophomore Baker Swedenberg and Junior William Berg, as
the Bulldogs search for a replacement for Heath Hutchins.
Chad Bumphis will handle the punt return duties. Bumphis averaged 8.6 yards per return last season for the
Bulldogs on 16 attempts.
LaDarius Perkins will handle the kick returns for the Bulldogs. Perkins averaged 20.1 yards per return on
14 attempts in 2010. Bumphis will also likely contribute on kick returns as well.
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