BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Enter Tyler Russell.
Those three words not only changed the complexion of the Mississippi State football team’s 21-3 victory Saturday at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, but they also might have changed the outlook of the rest of the 2011 season.
MSU coach Dan Mullen couldn’t help but notice everyone on the offense looking around waiting for somebody else to make a play in the first half.
In the second half, Russell was the one.
“Tyler came in and played exceptionally well,” Mullen said. “(He) came in, was on fire. Took the reins and went with it and had a lot of energy and created a spark for the team.”
Russell, a former Parade All-American out of Meridian High School, was told in the locker room he would get “a shot. That opportunity turned into an 11-for-13 performance for 166 yards and three touchdowns.
“(Russell) executed the passing game a lot better, but we knew he could do that coming in,” UAB coach Neil Callaway said. “I think (the QB change) helped them, but, at the same time, we made mistakes we can’t afford to make.”
Russell had only 17 attempts entering the game and was held out of the past two contests due to an undisclosed injury to his left knee.
The first two plays of the second half were passes to junior receiver Arceto Clark that changed the momentum at Legion Field.
“I think after I got the first completion under my belt I calmed down and just started to play football,” Russell said.
MSU struggled in a first half it gained only 118 yards, had seven first downs, was 2 of 8 on third-down conversions and scored zero points. With Russell at quarterback in the spread option attack in the third quarter, MSU had 142 yards, eight first downs, and took a 7-3 advantage.
“When your quarterback’s hot, you’re going to be pretty smooth on offense moving up and down the field,” Mullen said. “And Tyler was hot, stood there, took some shots, (and) with pressure coming after him made some tough throws. I was pretty happy with that.”
It was the second time this season MSU (3-3) removed starting quarterback Chris Relf and went to Russell. The first change came in the second half of a 19-6 loss to then-No. 3 LSU in Starkville. Russell had 45 passing yards and an interception in that game.
“It’s been rough just sitting over there watching,” Russell said. “I prepare myself to go in every week. That’s something I pride myself on because you never know when your shot is going to come.”
Russell got MSU on the scoreboard with less than six minutes to go in the third quarter on an 18-yard touchdown strike to senior tight end Marcus Green to give the Bulldogs a 7-3 lead. With a defensive player zeroing in on Russell for a big hit, the 6-foot-4 quarterback had to fit the football in between two defensive backs down the sideline while throwing off his back foot. The pass landed in the hands of Green for the tight end’s first score since the 2009 Egg Bowl win against the University of Mississippi.
“The defense showed me something different (and) I knew Marcus Green was out there and decided to give him a shot,” Russell said. “Either he was going to get that pass or nobody was going to get it.”
Russell’s second touchdown was a 57-yarder to junior Chad Bumphis on the first play of the fourth quarter.
“We needed somebody to come in and give us a spark and (Russell) did that,” Bumphis said. “We just got to start believing we can make plays and then we’ll be fine.”
Bumphis, MSU’s leading receiver the past two seasons, hadn’t caught a touchdown pass since the season opening win at the University of Memphis.
Russell was asked to execute the run option game on his sore left knee. He rushed three times for 5 yards, including an 8-yard run, the third-longest rush of his MSU career.
“Tyler knows that when he goes in the game, we’re going to run our offense,” Mullen said. “Playing option football is a lot about decision-making as much as it about athleticism.”
Relf, who was 6 of 10 for 46 yards, repeatedly said in the postgame media conference that the problem in the first half was the
MSU coached didn’t open the playbook for him.
“Coach Mullen said I’m still going to be the starting quarterback,” Relf said. “I feel I need to throw the ball more down the field. The coaches need to trust me more to throw the ball down the field.”
Mullen declined to speculate about which quarterback would start next week when MSU plays host to No. 18 South Carolina (11:21 a.m., WCBI). He suggested that decision would be made this week on the practice field.
“Chris has won a lot of football games for us,” Mullen said. “We didn’t turn the ball over, he managed. I don’t know, we’ll decide that in practice this week.”
Mullen created a new guideline in light of a future quarterback battle this week, saying all three quarterbacks on the active roster won’t be available for comment this week.
“I’ll make the rule right now,” Mullen said. “I’m available. You can talk to me. That will limit the talk.”
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