2009 Mississippi State Bulldogs Football Preview
2009 Mississippi State Bulldogs season preview from Maddux Sports. Below you can find our official Mississippi State Bulldogs football preview as well as the 2009 Mississippi State Bulldogs Football Schedule. We also offer a free odds comparison service of lines and totals on the NCAA football odds page.
Coach: Dan Mullen (1st year at Mississippi State)
Team Name: Bulldogs
2008 Overall Record: 4-8
Returning Starters: 10
In 2008, the Mississippi State Bulldogs (4- 8 overall, 2- 6 SEC) finished tied for fourth in the SEC West. It was a big downturn for a team that had won eight games in 2007 and beaten UCF 10- 3 in the Liberty Bowl.
Head coach Dan Mullen is looking to expand the team’s offensive output. Last season, the club put just 15.3 PPG (115th nationally). Mullen will institute a spread offense. In order to gear up, the new coach has brought in a slew of new receivers and a quarterback. Look for freshmen wide receivers Chad Bumphis and O’Neal Wilder to see action. It’s hoped that senior WR Brandon McRae (51 REC, 518 YDs, 3 TDs) can bring his game to a new level. Senior QB Tyson Lee (260 ATT, 153 COMP, 1,519 YDs, 7 TDs, 5 INTs) will be adequate this season with freshman recruit Tyler Russell taking over signal calling duties next year. RB Anthony Dixon (197 ATT, 869 YDs, 7 TDs), who led the team in rushing last season, is also an able pass catcher and could be the club’s go-to player on offense. The frontline, which allowed 37 sacks last season, needs to show major improvement.
The defense, which was ranked 60th and allowed 24.7 PPG, has lost all but two starters. Despite that fact, the Bulldogs have a wealth of talent. The club welcomes junior college All-American Pernell McPhee, a sack master, to the frontline. Although just one starter returns to the linebacking squad, there’s a range of talent in its ranks. Junior SLB K.J. Wright (72 TKLs, 4 SKs, 5 TFL) will anchor the unit. The Bulldogs were ranked 17th nationally against the pass. Strong safety Charles Mitchell, a sophomore, could put up All-SEC numbers this season. Senior corner Marcus Washington (44 TKLs) is a sound talent. If a few guys can step up, the secondary will be one of the better ones in the conference.
Two junior college All-Americans join the kicking squad, which was abysmal last season. Junior Sean Brauchie will take care of field goals and kickoffs and junior Heath Hutchens will punt. Sophomore Delmon Robinson will return punts and perhaps kickoffs. Leon Berry, a junior, will be the other runback man.
This is Mullen’s first crack at a head coaching position, replacing Sylvester Croom who had four losing seasons in five years at Mississippi State. It will take at least another year for Mullen to turn this team around. But he’s dedicated to actively recruiting the best in-state talent available. Last season’s Auburn game sums up the 2008 Mississippi State Bulldogs. State lost to Auburn 2- 3, which indicates that the defense did it all. The September 12 meeting with Auburn will be an interesting rematch as will the game versus Ole Miss on November 28. Last year, the Rebels humiliated the Bulldogs 45- 0. This year, Mississippi State will finish last in their division and sit out the bowl season. But wait until next year.
Mississippi State Bulldogs Football Schedule
| Date | Team | Opponent | Site | Line | Total | Points | Opp Points |
| 9/5/2009 | Mississippi St. | Jackson St. | home | ||||
| 9/12/2009 | Mississippi St. | Auburn | away | ||||
| 9/19/2009 | Mississippi St. | Vanderbilt | away | ||||
| 9/26/2009 | Mississippi St. | LSU | home | ||||
| 10/3/2009 | Mississippi St. | Georgia Tech | home | ||||
| 10/10/2009 | Mississippi St. | Houston | home | ||||
| 10/17/2009 | Mississippi St. | Middle Tenn. St. | away | ||||
| 10/24/2009 | Mississippi St. | Florida | home | ||||
| 10/31/2009 | Mississippi St. | Kentucky | away | ||||
| 11/14/2009 | Mississippi St. | Alabama | home | ||||
| 11/21/2009 | Mississippi St. | Arkansas | away | ||||
| 11/28/2009 | Mississippi St. | Mississippi | home |
For more info on the 2009 Mississippi State Bulldogs football program, view the Bulldogs official website or scroll down below to read up on the rest of the SEC competition.
