Saturday, October 30, 2004
UK is catching a hot MSU team
But off-field news bad for Bulldogs
The Associated Press
STARKVILLE, Miss. - It has been a busy week for Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom.
The Bulldogs pulled one of the biggest upsets of the season last week when they shocked then-No. 20 Florida.
Then, Mississippi State learned it was stripped of eight scholarships over the next two seasons and placed on probation for four years by the NCAA for recruiting violations before Croom arrived in Starkville.
Now, the Bulldogs want to concentrate on the rest of the season, starting today against struggling Kentucky in a matchup of two of the worst teams in the Southeastern Conference.
"We can live with (the sanctions). I have learned through adverse situations that when you think it is the worst, that's when the sun usually starts to shine, and it did last week" against Florida, Croom said.
Mississippi State (2-5, 1-3 SEC) won't cap Croom's first season with a miraculous turnaround and a bowl game.
The NCAA took care of that by slapping the school with a one-year postseason ban.
"Now, for us seniors, four games is all that's left," fullback Darnell Jones said. "Four games is all we got, and we've got to make these last four games memorable."
Last week's 38-31 stunner over the Gators - a game in which 24 1/2-point underdog Mississippi State never trailed - was an energizing start.
"It is an emphatic validation that the plan we have in place will work," Croom said. "It is on schedule."
Mississippi State still is at the bottom of its division in the SEC, and Kentucky knows that position well.
The Wildcats (1-6, 0-4) have lost five straight and are the only SEC team winless in conference play.
They're still feeling the effects of an NCAA probation that cut scholarships and rendered them bowl-ineligible two years ago.
Still, this year's Kentucky players say they've still got something to play for.
"We're looking up. There's not much farther we can go down," tight end Jeremiah Drobney said. "It's an opportunity to get better. We're still playing to win football games this year."
Mississippi State is 11th and Kentucky ranks last in the SEC in several major statistical categories - scoring offense, scoring defense, rushing defense, total offense and passing efficiency.
"It's a game that is extremely important to Mississippi State, and it's extremely important to us," Kentucky coach Rich Brooks said.
The Wildcats have been beaten by Alabama, South Carolina and Auburn during the last three weeks, so they welcome a chance to play another lower-division league team.
Kentucky's only SEC win last year came against Mississippi State, and the Wildcats have beaten the Bulldogs in two straight.
"If you play well, you win," Kentucky receiver Scott Mitchell said.
"If you execute and play the way you've prepared, everything should go well."
UK at Miss. State
