STARKVILLE, Miss. - Ranked in the preseason for the first ineight years and playing in front of a national television audience,Mississippi State might have been too eager to start the season.
The No. 18 Bulldogs bumbled and fumbled around for 35 minutesMonday night, but once they got rolling, they looked every bit likeone of the nation's top teams.
Mississippi State scored on five straight second-half possessionsto beat Memphis 30-10.
"It was our first game and there were a lot of expectations,"quarterback Wayne Madkin said. "It just took us a half to get there.We were a little too juiced up. Once we got calm it was a totallydifferent game."
The Bulldogs defeated the Tigers for the eighth straight time,but found themselves behind 10-0 in the third quarter after GlennSumter returned a Mississippi State fumble 74 yards to set up TravisAnglin's 18-yard touchdown pass to Bunkie Perkins.
It was the Bulldogs' third turnover of the night to go withnumerous foolish penalties.
"We started badly," Mississippi State Coach Jackie Sherrill said."We would take one step forward and then two back."
The Bulldogs finally responded two possessions later.
"We needed a big play to set us off," Dicenzo Miller said. Andthe senior tailback gave it to them.
Madkin hit Miller sneaking out of the backfield, without aMemphis defender in sight. Miller received a downfield escort fromClarence Parker and dived headlong into the end zone for a 51-yardscore at 4:34 of the third.
Miller ran 12 times for 108 yards, caught two passes for 59 andscored two touchdowns.
"He is certainly a big-time player," Sherrill said. "He turnsgames around."
The Bulldogs forced a punt on Memphis' next possession afterMiller's touchdown, and the special teams gave Mississippi State itsfirst lead of the season.
Curtis Stowers broke through the middle and blocked JamesGaither's punt. Nathan Jackson picked up the ball on one hop andwalked in from 6 yards out to put the Bulldogs up 14-10 late in thethird.
Another three-and-out by Memphis sent the home crowd into afrenzy. The Bulldogs followed with a 53-yard touchdown drive, cappedby Miller's 6-yard touchdown run with 10:18 left to make it 21-10.
Madkin hit Justin Jenkins, who had a fumble and costly dropearlier, for a 22-yard touchdown, and John Michael Marlin's 24-yardfield goal completed the onslaught with 5:40 left in the game.
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