STARKVILLE — For the first time in 20 years, the Mississippi State University football team had a quarterback recognized as one of the conference’s best.
On Monday, the Southeastern Conference named junior quarterback Tyler Russell its offensive player of the week. The last time MSU had had a quarterback earn the weekly honor was Sleepy Robinson in Nov. 24, 1991, after he led MSU to a 24-9 victory against the University of Mississippi in the Egg Bowl.
On Saturday, Russell was 20 of 29 for 222 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in a 28-10 victory against Auburn University. Russell led the Bulldogs on three touchdown drives in first four second-half possessions, as MSU scored 21 unanswered points to seal the game. He completed passes to nine receivers.
“I think that’s the evolution of Tyler Russell,” MSU coach Dan Mullen said Monday. “A couple years ago, when he came here, that’s what’s been expected out of him. You’re in such a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately society in the world we live in that they kind of forget that’s what was expected out of him. He has developed, matured, and grown into that position. Now he is ready to perform at the level everybody expected him to be at.”
Through two games, Russell is one of only four quarterbacks in the SEC to have thrown for more than 400 yards and five or more touchdowns without an interception. Against Jackson State University and Auburn, Russell is 35 of 53 for 407 yards with five touchdowns.
“We feel like we have a real quarterback this year and one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Tyler Russell,” MSU senior cornerback Johnthan Banks said.
Russell wasn’t made available to the media Monday.
Mullen said one of the more impressive aspects to Russell’s performance Saturday didn’t come until Monday when he met with his junior quarterback to talk to him some tight throws into coverage.
“He threw a pass to Jameon Lewis over the middle that we watched it on film today and I said, ‘You’re not making a living on making that throw all year long,’ ” Mullen said. “He said, ‘No, I stepped up, and as I stepped up I saw the window, and I knew it was going to be a tight window. I felt the safety was really deep, I took a shot to fire it in there.’ He could explain exactly what happened and understood what happened, and when you have that confidence, he’s going to make more plays.”
Hill listed as doubtful due to ankle injury in Auburn game
The tight end position depth got even smaller Monday with the announcement that redshirt sophomore Brandon Hill injured his ankle against Auburn.
The former West Lowndes High School standout is being listed as “doubtful” for MSU’s game at 6 p.m. Saturday (ESPN3) at Troy University because of a severe ankle injury he suffered in the first half.
Hill, who has three catches for 33 yards in the first two games, was seen on the ESPN broadcast having his ankle looked at by the MSU training staff on the sidelines. Mullen didn’t say when he expected Hill to return. The injury leaves MSU with starter Marcus Green, redshirt freshman Rufus Warren, and freshman Gus Walley as active tight ends on the roster.
MSU redshirt sophomore tight end Malcolm Johnson is out with a pectoral injury suffered before the end of fall camp. Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 225-pounder was one of 33 players selected to the 2012 John Mackey Award Watch List, which is given to the nation’s best tight end. Johnson had 11 catches for 206 yards last season, but he had formed a bond with Russell, and had combined with him for two touchdown in 2011.
Green is tied for the team lead in catches (seven). The sixth-year player leads MSU in yardage with (85) and touchdowns with three.
“The thing that dictates opportunities is how your opponent plays you,” MSU tight ends coach Scott Sallach said. “Tyler has made a bunch of good reads, and the defenses are allowing us to beat them throwing the ball to Marcus. Now he’ll have to make an adjustment to what future teams will see already on film.”
Troy player from Mississippi bashes cowbells in interview
When asked by local reporters about growing up in the Magnolia State, Troy University offensive left tackle Jarred Fleming took an opportunity to sound off on MSU’s treasured school symbol, the cowbell.
“I don’t own one of those things, those God awful devices,” Fleming told The Dothan Eagle on Monday.
Fleming, who resides in Louisville and was a MSU fan growing up, has started seven of his 14 games at Troy since transferring from East Central Community College. While at Louisville High School, Fleming earned first-team All-State honors after leading the Wildcats to the Class 4A state championship.
Southeastern Conference presidents and chancellors voted Friday to continue the cowbell compromise established two years ago.
The provision allows the use of cowbells at football games in MSU’s Davis Wade Stadium. The policy on artificial noisemakers allows fans to use a cowbell only at Scott Field during pregame, halftime, between
quarters, timeouts, after scoring plays, and during possession changes.
According to the wording of the rule, MSU fans aren’t allowed to bring a cowbell into an opponent’s stadium, or to ring one in an opponent’s stadium.
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