More than 47,450 fans saw
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Mississippi State Claims 51-13 Win Over JSU
9/14/2002 10:00:00 PM | Football
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Kevin Fant threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns to lead Mississippi State (1-1) to a 51-13 win over Jacksonville State (1-1) in front of 47,456 fans at Scott Field Saturday evening.
Mississippi State scored 19 points in the second quarter, including a pair of touchdowns over the final five minutes to build a 32-13 lead at the intermission.
Mississippi State took a 6-0 lead with 5:37 left in the first quarter after Justin Griffith scored on a 5-yard run to cap a nine play, 75 yard drive, but John Marlin missed the extra point kick.
MSU then pushed the lead to 13-0 after Richard Ball returned a Gamecock fumble 50 yards for a touchdown and Brent Smith added the point after with 1:51 left in the first quarter.
Jax State got on the scoreboard with 9:41 left in the second quarter after marching 64 yards in six plays. Anthony Mayo tossed a 39-yard touchdown pass to Ralph Jenkins, but Steven Lee's extra point kick was wide right as MSU held a 13-6 lead.
Mayo finished the game with a career-high 120 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Gamecock offense.
The Bulldogs answered by taking the ensuing kickoff and going 51 yards in three plays, highlighted by a 50-yard touchdown pass from Fant to Grindle. The try for two failed, but MSU held a 19-6 lead with 8:01 remaining in the first half.
Jacksonville State cut the lead to 19-13 with 5:00 remaining in the first half after Mac Smith caught his first career touchdown pass from Mayo. Lee added the point after to pull JSU to within striking distance.
But, Mississippi State added a pair of touchdowns over the final five minutes to build a 32-13 lead at the half. Fred Reid caught a 13-yard pass from Fant and then Reid scored on a three yard run with just :41 left in the second quarter.
On the Bulldogs third play of the second half, Fant tossed an 89-yard touchdown pass to Ray Ray Bivens, which was the longest pass play in MSU history. Smith kicked the extra point for a 39-13 lead with 6:03 left in the third quarter.
Dontae Walker added a 1-yard run, while Brent Smith kicked a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and the Bulldog defense forced a safety for the final margin.
Jax State opens Southland Conference play next Saturday vs Nicholls State. Mississippi State plays host to Auburn in a nationally televised game on Thursday.
JACKSONVILLE STATE POST-GAME NOTES AND QUOTES
September 14, 2002 - Mississippi State Game
Jacksonville State head coach Jack Crowe
"They were a good football team and I hope they win all the rest of their games. I thought we played poorly. I don't want to take any credit away from them, but I don't know if we could have won a game against anyone on our schedule playing that bad."
"I'm talking about giving up deep passes, having too many penalties, having too many turnovers, and not causing any turnovers. If I just sat down here and wrote down all the mistakes, there aren't many games those mistakes wouldn't have caused us to lose. It might not have been by that score, but it would have caused us to lose.
"I thought Anthony stabilized things. He's going to be our starting quarterback next week. We are going to try and see that Reggie maintains a role on this team. Anthony gives us better chance to win. There might be an opportunity for Reggie to help us on the field. I'm sure when that opportunity comes, he will be ready to come on the field."
On Anthony Mayo's performance:
"Anthony is just a great passer. Just like in the spring, they called him comeback king. For some reason our chemistry with him is just.I don't know."
Jacksonville State QB Anthony Mayo
On his mind-set of today's game vs. last week's game:"When I go out there I just try to do the best I can do. I just try to create some touchdowns for the team, and that's what happened in the first half. The noise factored into it. We had a couple of unnecessary penalties, but other than that it was the same."
On his feeling of not being the starting QB
"It's not my decision. All I do is just play out here. I'm not the coach, and if we need a change.as far as I know, Reggie is still number one. If he wants to give me the chance to start, then he will."
"We both play as hard as we can and just do what we do."
On when he entered the game:
"Actually I thought I would go in a lot earlier. I thought I was going to get to go in after the third series, but as it turned out, I didn't go in until the 2nd quarter. You just have to wait your turn when you're second string quarterback."
On the crowd as a factor:
"It was a pretty big factor. We had about three or four false starts. If we wouldn't have had those penalties I believe we could have went ahead and punched that in." "Since I've been in college I don't believe I've played my best. I'll just get better with age and maturity, but I felt like I did alright. There is a lot I need to improve on."
Jacksonville State OG Reggie Poole
On the atmosphere and how the team handled it:
"They handled it well. It got loud at times, but that's why we had a lot of secret calling and all. We would hold hands and whatever."
On Anthony Mayo's performance:
"Anthony is just a great passer. Just like in the spring, they called him comeback king. For some reason our chemistry with him is just.I don't know."
On when the score was 19-13
"It was great. Mistakes killed us. We felt like we were about to go in there and score and be ahead. They started doing onsides kicks cause they got scared and their defense was getting tired. Their defense is just like us. They are just in a different conference."
NOTES
·The crowd of 47,456 is the largest crowd to see the Gamecocks play. The previous high was 30,043 at South Florida on Sept. 2, 2000, in Jack Crowe's debut game as the Gamecocks.
·Walter Payton Award candidate Rondy Rogers topped the 2,500 career rushing yards mark on his third carry of the game. The senior from Birmingham's Minor High School, now as 2,542 career yards.
·Jax State is now 3-7 all-time vs Division I teams. The Gameocks last win was 31-28 on Sept. 22, 2001, at Arkansas State. JSU has now lost two straight I-A games (21-3 at Troy State on 11/17/01).
·Richie Rhodes first punt of 54 yards was his longest punt of the 2002 season. His career-long punt is 74 yards set vs Troy State on 11/17/01).
·Mississippi State's 50-yard fumble return by Richard Ball with 1:51 left in the first quarter was the second fumble returned for a touchdown vs the Gamecocks this season. Alabama A&M's Desmond Hardy returned one 73 yards in the season-opener.
·Sophomore quarterback Anthony Mayo entered the game on JSU's fourth possession of the game. His two touchdown passes in the first half was the most since the Attalla, Ala., native had two vs Samford on Oct. 6, 2001.
·The 13 points in the first quarter by Mississippi State is the most points allowed by JSU in the first quarter since Troy State scored 14 points on Nov. 18, 2000, a string of 13 games.
·The 39-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Mayo to Ralph Jenkins with 9:41 left in the second quarter was the first TD reception of the season for Jenkins and his ninth career TD reception. It was also the first TD pass for Mayo this season and was the longest TD pass of the 2002 season for the Gamecocks.
·The 32 points allowed by JSU in the first half of the game was the most points since Sam Houston State scored 34 points during the second half of the Nov. 10, 2001, 55-30 loss.
·Anthony Mayo finished the game with a career-high pass yards. His previous high was 110 yards (6-for-17, 1 INT) at #15 Northwestern State on Oct. 27, 2001. He also had a career-high in rushing yards, beating the six yards he had at Samford on Oct. 6, 2001.
·Senior Mac Smith recorded his first career reception at the 5:00 mark of the second quarter and it went for a 7-yard touchdown.
·The last time JSU had 14 penalties, which was the most since Troy State on Nov. 17, 2001 (10-83 yds).
·True freshman Maurice Mullins came in at quarterback at the 10:15 mark of the fourth quarter and finished 1-for-4 for 7 yards.
·The 51 points was the most given up by JSU since Sam Houston State scored 55 on Nov. 10, 2001, when the Bearkats claimed a 55-30 win.
Mississippi State scored 19 points in the second quarter, including a pair of touchdowns over the final five minutes to build a 32-13 lead at the intermission.
Mississippi State took a 6-0 lead with 5:37 left in the first quarter after Justin Griffith scored on a 5-yard run to cap a nine play, 75 yard drive, but John Marlin missed the extra point kick.
MSU then pushed the lead to 13-0 after Richard Ball returned a Gamecock fumble 50 yards for a touchdown and Brent Smith added the point after with 1:51 left in the first quarter.
Jax State got on the scoreboard with 9:41 left in the second quarter after marching 64 yards in six plays. Anthony Mayo tossed a 39-yard touchdown pass to Ralph Jenkins, but Steven Lee's extra point kick was wide right as MSU held a 13-6 lead.
Mayo finished the game with a career-high 120 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Gamecock offense.
The Bulldogs answered by taking the ensuing kickoff and going 51 yards in three plays, highlighted by a 50-yard touchdown pass from Fant to Grindle. The try for two failed, but MSU held a 19-6 lead with 8:01 remaining in the first half.
Jacksonville State cut the lead to 19-13 with 5:00 remaining in the first half after Mac Smith caught his first career touchdown pass from Mayo. Lee added the point after to pull JSU to within striking distance.
But, Mississippi State added a pair of touchdowns over the final five minutes to build a 32-13 lead at the half. Fred Reid caught a 13-yard pass from Fant and then Reid scored on a three yard run with just :41 left in the second quarter.
On the Bulldogs third play of the second half, Fant tossed an 89-yard touchdown pass to Ray Ray Bivens, which was the longest pass play in MSU history. Smith kicked the extra point for a 39-13 lead with 6:03 left in the third quarter.
Dontae Walker added a 1-yard run, while Brent Smith kicked a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and the Bulldog defense forced a safety for the final margin.
Jax State opens Southland Conference play next Saturday vs Nicholls State. Mississippi State plays host to Auburn in a nationally televised game on Thursday.
JACKSONVILLE STATE POST-GAME NOTES AND QUOTES
September 14, 2002 - Mississippi State Game
Jacksonville State head coach Jack Crowe
"They were a good football team and I hope they win all the rest of their games. I thought we played poorly. I don't want to take any credit away from them, but I don't know if we could have won a game against anyone on our schedule playing that bad."
"I'm talking about giving up deep passes, having too many penalties, having too many turnovers, and not causing any turnovers. If I just sat down here and wrote down all the mistakes, there aren't many games those mistakes wouldn't have caused us to lose. It might not have been by that score, but it would have caused us to lose.
"I thought Anthony stabilized things. He's going to be our starting quarterback next week. We are going to try and see that Reggie maintains a role on this team. Anthony gives us better chance to win. There might be an opportunity for Reggie to help us on the field. I'm sure when that opportunity comes, he will be ready to come on the field."
On Anthony Mayo's performance:
"Anthony is just a great passer. Just like in the spring, they called him comeback king. For some reason our chemistry with him is just.I don't know."
Jacksonville State QB Anthony Mayo
On his mind-set of today's game vs. last week's game:"When I go out there I just try to do the best I can do. I just try to create some touchdowns for the team, and that's what happened in the first half. The noise factored into it. We had a couple of unnecessary penalties, but other than that it was the same."
On his feeling of not being the starting QB
"It's not my decision. All I do is just play out here. I'm not the coach, and if we need a change.as far as I know, Reggie is still number one. If he wants to give me the chance to start, then he will."
"We both play as hard as we can and just do what we do."
On when he entered the game:
"Actually I thought I would go in a lot earlier. I thought I was going to get to go in after the third series, but as it turned out, I didn't go in until the 2nd quarter. You just have to wait your turn when you're second string quarterback."
On the crowd as a factor:
"It was a pretty big factor. We had about three or four false starts. If we wouldn't have had those penalties I believe we could have went ahead and punched that in." "Since I've been in college I don't believe I've played my best. I'll just get better with age and maturity, but I felt like I did alright. There is a lot I need to improve on."
Jacksonville State OG Reggie Poole
On the atmosphere and how the team handled it:
"They handled it well. It got loud at times, but that's why we had a lot of secret calling and all. We would hold hands and whatever."
On Anthony Mayo's performance:
"Anthony is just a great passer. Just like in the spring, they called him comeback king. For some reason our chemistry with him is just.I don't know."
On when the score was 19-13
"It was great. Mistakes killed us. We felt like we were about to go in there and score and be ahead. They started doing onsides kicks cause they got scared and their defense was getting tired. Their defense is just like us. They are just in a different conference."
NOTES
·The crowd of 47,456 is the largest crowd to see the Gamecocks play. The previous high was 30,043 at South Florida on Sept. 2, 2000, in Jack Crowe's debut game as the Gamecocks.
·Walter Payton Award candidate Rondy Rogers topped the 2,500 career rushing yards mark on his third carry of the game. The senior from Birmingham's Minor High School, now as 2,542 career yards.
·Jax State is now 3-7 all-time vs Division I teams. The Gameocks last win was 31-28 on Sept. 22, 2001, at Arkansas State. JSU has now lost two straight I-A games (21-3 at Troy State on 11/17/01).
·Richie Rhodes first punt of 54 yards was his longest punt of the 2002 season. His career-long punt is 74 yards set vs Troy State on 11/17/01).
·Mississippi State's 50-yard fumble return by Richard Ball with 1:51 left in the first quarter was the second fumble returned for a touchdown vs the Gamecocks this season. Alabama A&M's Desmond Hardy returned one 73 yards in the season-opener.
·Sophomore quarterback Anthony Mayo entered the game on JSU's fourth possession of the game. His two touchdown passes in the first half was the most since the Attalla, Ala., native had two vs Samford on Oct. 6, 2001.
·The 13 points in the first quarter by Mississippi State is the most points allowed by JSU in the first quarter since Troy State scored 14 points on Nov. 18, 2000, a string of 13 games.
·The 39-yard touchdown pass from Anthony Mayo to Ralph Jenkins with 9:41 left in the second quarter was the first TD reception of the season for Jenkins and his ninth career TD reception. It was also the first TD pass for Mayo this season and was the longest TD pass of the 2002 season for the Gamecocks.
·The 32 points allowed by JSU in the first half of the game was the most points since Sam Houston State scored 34 points during the second half of the Nov. 10, 2001, 55-30 loss.
·Anthony Mayo finished the game with a career-high pass yards. His previous high was 110 yards (6-for-17, 1 INT) at #15 Northwestern State on Oct. 27, 2001. He also had a career-high in rushing yards, beating the six yards he had at Samford on Oct. 6, 2001.
·Senior Mac Smith recorded his first career reception at the 5:00 mark of the second quarter and it went for a 7-yard touchdown.
·The last time JSU had 14 penalties, which was the most since Troy State on Nov. 17, 2001 (10-83 yds).
·True freshman Maurice Mullins came in at quarterback at the 10:15 mark of the fourth quarter and finished 1-for-4 for 7 yards.
·The 51 points was the most given up by JSU since Sam Houston State scored 55 on Nov. 10, 2001, when the Bearkats claimed a 55-30 win.
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