As the Jackets head on over to Starkville, Mississippi this weekend to take on the Bulldogs, we got in touch with jeremyflint of the MSU blog on SBNation "For Whom the Cowbell Tolls". We sent Jeremy 7 questions and he answered them all and even told those of you who are traveling to the game where to eat!
1) We are going to be nice to our Jackets and just say that our line play is not our strongest point. How about your offensive and defensive lines? Any specific mismatches you'll try to take advantage of? Think you'll change your gameplan at all?
Since the pitiful showing against Auburn, our defense has really turned it around, especially on the run defense. We held Vanderbilt to 33 yards rushing and held LSU to just 30 yards rushing. The triple-option offense of Georgia Tech will present some challenges, but I think we will be able to have a decent performance against it.
One place we are weak on D is our secondary. We are missing Derek Pegues and Keith Fitzhugh, who both graduated. The guys that are in their place are not quite as fast. That doesn't worry me as much since your offense doesn't produce many passing yardage.
2a) Since there are no bans on artificial noisemakers in OOC play, how many cowbells can we expect to hear?
Probably just as many as you hear when another SEC opponent is in town. We generally ignore the ban and bring in our cowbells anyway we can. The sound of 50,000 cowbells can have quite a nice ring to it.
2b) When you guys do bring the cowbells, how do you manage to find your wives/girlfriends/moms after the game? (TAKE YOUR ASS TO THE BURN WARD, BECAUSE YOU JUST GOT BURNED)
We just tell our women to make sure they meet us back at the car after they beat the crap some Yellow Jacket nerds.
3) We love our Coach Paul Johnson. We love the fact that he screams at, well, everyone. We love the fact that he crushes our team after embarrassing losses. We love the fact that he does not love us, and does not care about what Tech fans think. Anything in particular about Coach Mullen that you guys are taking a liking too?
Mullen has brought a definite spark of excitement to MSU football. After 5 years of watching Croom wear his crooked hat and waddle up and down the sideline, it is great to have a young coach that is energetic about our program. We also have a young AD that brings that same passion to all of the sports our school participates in.
4) Was the LSU loss the most terrible loss in recent memory?
It was definitely the most gut wrenching since we were a mere 6 inches away from beating LSU for the first time in 9 years. LSU is probably our second biggest rival next to Ole Miss, and it would have been a sweet victory for the Maroon and White.
5) Tech fans have a particular dispassion for Georgia. We follow all of their games second only to our own game. We know you guys hate Ole Miss but is there an out of conference team that has little to no bearing on MSU's season that MSU fans follow closely (and vehemently root against)?
I am sure most fans have their own non-conference team or teams that they can't stand, but I think as a whole, we keep our hate in the family. Ole Miss is our #1 rival (GTHOM!), followed by Alabama and LSU. Most fans hated Auburn when Tommy Tubberville was there just because of the fact he used to be at Ole Miss.
6. We know about that car dubbed the "dawgmobile" and it's blatant copying of the GREATEST TRADITION OF ALL TIME,THE RAMBLIN' RECK FROM GEORGIA TECH!!! What's the story behind the car for you guys?
Honestly, your question was the first I had heard about it. I don't think it is any sort of official mascot, just some old car that a booster restored and donated to the school. I will have to do some digging on that one to see what the deal is.
7. Where is the one restaurant or bar in Starkville that the Tech fans need to experience?
It's hard to pick just one. There are a few places that I always like to eat when I am in starkville. The first is Oby's. It is away from campus a bit, but worth the drive. Great sandwiches there. Little Dooey's used to be the best BBQ in town, but since they became a mini-franchise (locations in Columbus and West Point now), I hear they are not as good. I have a friend that swears by Petty's, which is just a trailer on the side of the highway with some picnic table around it.
Harvey's is nice if you want a little bit of everything (steak, pasta, etc). Old Venice in downtown serves up some great pizza too.