Relf shines in final Egg Bowl

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football coach Dan Mullen pulled a fast one on everybody willing to listen.

Less than 30 minutes after MSU lost to No. 3 Arkansas 44-17 last week, the third-year coach didn’t want to take questions on the quarterback issue because he was willing to hand over the answer: Tyler Russell was starting the 2011 Egg Bowl.

Starkville beats Ridgeland for Class 5A North State title

RIDGELAND — The Starkville High School football team’s road to Jackson is complete.

Starkville High will play for its first state football championship in a decade after its second victory this season in Ridgeland, a convincing 28-7 win Friday night that clinched the gave the Class 5A North State championship.

MSU trying to win three in a row over Ole Miss

STARKVILLE — Corey Broomfield intercepted passes before and after his first game against the University of Mississippi, but there’s one play people still want to discuss.

Starkville will have to win against at Ridgeland

STARKVILLE — Starkville High School football Jamie Mitchell can’t figure out the playoff system in the state of Mississippi.

His Yellow Jackets won the Class 5A, Region 2 title with an undefeated record, which included a 26-23 victory at Ridgeland, but his team still will have to make a second trip to play the Titans at 7 tonight to decide the Class 5A North State champion.

Liberty Bowl wants to take MSU

STARKVILLE — The Liberty Bowl committee has made it clear to Mississippi State: The bowl will select the school for its game.

Liberty Bowl Executive Director Steve Ehrhart told The Dispatch in a phone interview Tuesday his bowl game would like MSU to make its second appearance in its event since 2007.

Miller, Mitchell help transform Starkville

STARKVILLE — Respect is defined by actions, not words.

To understand that concept, you need only to examine what Starkville High Athletic Director Stan Miller and football coach Jamie Mitchell have accomplished.

Miller said this week the most important move he made nearly two years ago was hiring Mitchell as the Yellow Jackets’ football coach.

Felker knows Egg Bowl critical game

STARKVILLE — When asked what the Egg Bowl rivalry means to him, Rockey Felker looked to the sky and took a deep breath before answering.

Brevity isn’t a useful personality trait when the former Mississippi State head football coach talks about importance of that matchup.

MSU plans to start with Russell

STARKVILLE — Everybody around the Mississippi State football facility is trying to rally around sophomore quarterback Tyler Russell.

Less than an hour after a 44-17 loss to then-No. 6 University of Arkansas, MSU coach Dan Mullen made a proclamation he hoped would help him avoid media questions about who would be his team’s starting quarterback for its regular-season finale at 6 p.m. Saturday (ESPNU) against the University of Mississippi.

Teams passing MSU by

STARKVILLE — Not many kind words have said in the past couple of days about the Mississippi State pass defense.

In the eyes of MSU’s coaching staff, they’re all accurate.

“We weren’t very good at all on pass defense,” MSU coach Dan Mullen said. “That’s a coaching issue. We’ll get that fixed. We have to make sure we have guys in position to make plays.”

MSU men win without Moultrie, Sidney

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State men’s basketball program celebrated being ranked with a victory.

For the first time since January 2010, MSU was rewarded Monday afternoon with a No. 24 ranking in the latest Associated Press poll. MSU responded by outlasting the University of Louisiana at Monroe 78-63 at Humphrey Coliseum.

MSU has no answers for Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Add the Mississippi State football team to the list of squads that couldn’t slow down the University of Arkansas’ offense this season.

Quarterback Tyler Wilson had 267 passing yards before halftime, and No. 6 Arkansas had 20 plays of 10 yards or more in a dominating 44-17 victory Saturday at War Memorial Stadium.

Mullen says coaches to blame in loss to Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Dan Mullen didn’t need a statistic sheet to tell him how he felt Saturday after his Mississippi State football team lost to the No. 6 University of Arkansas 44-17 at War Memorial Stadium.

MSU’s third-year coach knew what he wanted to say.

Egg Bowl ‘means everything’ for MSU

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The final game of the 2011 regular season will mean everything to the Mississippi State football team.

For the first time since 1990, MSU (5-6, 1-6 Southeastern Conference) will have to defeat the University of Mississippi to become bowl eligible

MSU will try to slow Arkansas’ air attack

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football coach Dan Mullen isn’t excited about facing a University of Arkansas passing offense that is the Southeastern Conference’s best and one of the best in the nation.

At 2:30 p.m. today (WCBI), MSU (5-5, 1-5 SEC) will try to slow down No. 6 Arkansas (9-1, 5-1), veteran quarterback Tyler Wilson, and his numerous targets, including senior Jarius Wright, who leads the SEC with 906 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns, Joe Adams and Chris Gragg.

Russell-to-Smith connection growing for MSU

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State quarterback Tyler Russell swears he doesn’t look for specific receivers when he drops back to pass.

That theory is hard to believe when there’s a receiver on his team he has been throwing to since the ninth grade.

“There might be something there,” Russell said Tuesday “I’m just not thinking about it. Maybe other people can see it, but he always seems to catch most of my passes.”

Starkville preparing for ‘local’ title game

STARKVILLE — A lot of coaches won’t show the film of a loss to their team in preparation for a rematch with that team.

Starkville High School football coach Jamie Mitchell doesn’t operate under that philosophy.

MSU football building on Arkansas’ plan

STARKVILLE — In the short term, the Mississippi State football team would like to upset the No. 6 University of Arkansas at 2:30 p.m. Saturday (WCBI) and become bowl eligible.

The long-term plan involves using Arkansas’ strategy to attain the Razorbacks’ level next season.

MSU men will bring different styles to NYC

Mississippi State men’s basketball coach Rick Stansbury faces a debate about which style his team will implement at 6 p.m. today (ESPN2) when it faces No. 19 Texas A&M in the 2K Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The question involves junior Renardo Sidney, a player the Bulldogs’ 14th-year coach admits has been his most difficult to coach.

MSU’s mystery play talk to week

STARKVILLE — It is a one-word play call.

It also is a word Mississippi State offensive coordinator Les Koenning won’t reveal.

Wilson nominated for walk-on honor

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State linebacker Brandon Wilson was nominated Tuesday for the Burlsworth Trophy, which is presented annually to nation’s most outstanding walk-on.

Wilson is tied for second on the team with 81 tackles and one and a half tackles for loss and a fumbled recovery.