STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State football team”s objective Friday night in a scrimmage at Davis Wade Stadium wasn”t to see its standouts perform.
That will happen starting at 7 p.m. Sept. 1 (Fox Sports Net) when MSU takes on the University of Memphis at the Liberty Bowl.
MSU third-year coach Dan Mullen said Saturday his team used the 151-play closed scrimmage to test the effectiveness of the backups and young players who haven”t become household names.
“The backups got 70 reps in a 150-play scrimmage,” Mullen said. “There are some guys that played 70 plays last night that we”re counting on playing 10-15 against Memphis. They need to learn that, so when they”re number”s called they”re ready to go play.”
Mullen said he restricted the duty of veteran defensive players such as Charles Mitchell, Nickoe Whitley, Wade Bonner, Fletcher Cox, and Josh Boyd.
“Nickoe was a (freshman) All-American, (and) Charles was the best player on our team,” Mullen said. “I”m feeling pretty good at what they”re playing at.”
When asked about details of the scrimmage in which the quarterbacks weren”t live, Mullen said junior receiver Chad Bumphis returned a kickoff for a touchdown. He also senior tailback Robert Elliot and redshirt freshman Jameon Lewis shined after his staff evaluated the film.
Mullen said redshirt freshman tailback Nick Griffin likely would be ready for full participation on Oct. 1 but has started to take part in position drills in camp.
“I get nervous,” Mullen said. “He”s out there doing a lot of drills, and now he”s out in helmet and shoulder pads doing some drills the other day. I try to hold back. We think he”s way ahead of schedule.”
On defense, Mullen said junior linebacker Cameron Lawrence and defensive tackle Kaleb Eullis graded out well, but he saw a difference on both sides of the line when veteran players weren”t on the field.
“You see a veteran player and a young player next to each other,” Mullen said. “And you see the speed at which the veteran player”s playing, and you see the speed at which the younger player”s playing, so it”s pretty evident. You can look and say, ”We need you playing at that speed.” ”
While the players have this weekend off, Mullen said the coaching staff will have a scout team unit, made up of mostly freshmen, planned out by Monday.
“Just because guys go to a scout team doesn”t mean they”re redshirting. It doesn”t mean they”re doing anything,” Mullen said. “We”re still kind of installing, so we”ll still do a lot of good-on-good this week, but kind of teach the scout team.”
Mullen declined to discuss the depth chart behind senior quarterback Chris Relf.
“I don”t know,” Mullen said with a smile. “We”ll see what happens on Sept. 1, if something happens to Chris, (or) if I take him out.”
State ranked No. 20 in preseason Associated Press poll
For the first time in 10 years, MSU is ranked in both preseason polls.
The Bulldogs, who are No. 20 in the USA Today Coaches poll, are also No. 20 in The Associated Press poll.
The last time the Bulldogs were ranked in the opening-week polls was 2001, when they finished 3-8.
“I look at it as a compliment to where our program is,” Mullen said. “I think when you go preseason rankings, I don”t think they mean a thing in this season except for people”s opinion of your program as a whole.”
The University of Oklahoma received 36 of the 60 first-place votes to grab the top spot in the poll, which has no ties to Bowl Championship Series formula. The University of Alabama, Oregon, LSU, and Boise State all received first-place votes in the rankings.
Eight teams from the Southeastern Conference — the most from any league — are ranked, including LSU (No. 4), South Carolina (No. 12), Arkansas (No. 15), Georgia (No. 19), Florida (No. 22), and defending national champion Auburn (No. 23).
TCU, which finished second in last year”s final poll, is No. 14.
MSU defeated the University of Michigan in the 2011 Gator Bowl to cap a 9-4 season. The victory was the school”s first in a New Year”s Day bowl game since 1941.
“I thank everybody for looking at our program saying, ”Hey you”re a top-20 program,” ” Mullen said. “How it affects this season? I have no idea how it affects this season.”
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