Croom turns Bulldogs into winners with opening-game victory

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Croom turns Bulldogs into winners with opening-game victory By JOEDY McCREARY, Associated Press Writer Sep 6, 2004 - 11:43:00 AM	Email this article Printer friendly page
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) -- Mississippi State's players held their helmets skyward as they did a victory dance around Sylvester Croom. Flashbulbs popped, cowbells clanged and Croom tipped his cap to the thankful fans before jogging off the field. The Bulldogs made the first black head football coach in the Southeastern Conference a winner in his debut, beating Tulane 28-7 Saturday night. ``This victory is not just for us in the football program; it is for the Bulldog fans and the entire university,'' Croom said. Mississippi State scored on four of its seven possessions in the second half to set off a wild party in a town with little to celebrate in recent seasons. The downtrodden Bulldogs entered with just eight wins in the past three years. They have a winning record for the first time since winning the 2001 opener -- when this year's seniors were freshmen. As the players whooped it up on the sidelines, Croom received a traditional victory dousing. ``I thought I was going to have a heart attack,'' he said. The Bulldogs did it with a disciplined defense and a rushing game that found its groove in the second half. ``It was just a very good win for (Croom), being the first black coach in the SEC,'' quarterback Omarr Conner said. ``It's just a new beginning, and it just feels good to win.'' Mississippi State intercepted Lester Ricard twice, allowed just 26 rushing yards in the second half and committed just three penalties. The Bulldogs also would have scored on a 70-yard fumble return had an official not blown the play dead and given the ball back to Tulane. ``That's part of coach Croom's discipline rubbing off,'' safety Darren Williams said. ``He always stresses, no pre-snap penalties, we don't need penalties, we can't give away yards, we're not that good to give away yards. And we didn't give away yards, and we came out on top.'' Jerious Norwood rushed for 112 yards, and the Bulldogs' West Coast offense produced three rushing TDs. ``Croom changed a lot of attitudes around here,'' Norwood said. ``We pull together as one unit, not individuals on the team.'' Croom, a longtime NFL assistant, was passed over by his alma mater, Alabama, when its coaching job came open last year. The Tuscaloosa native played and coached under Bear Bryant and was crushed when the Crimson Tide choose Mike Shula over him. So, Croom took his years of experience to Starkville when the Bulldogs were looking for someone to rebuild a program in disarray. He preached discipline and conditioning, and those virtues paid off in Game 1. ``We are extremely proud to have a start like this,'' Croom said. ``They did things from a character standpoint that I wanted, to not beat ourselves and be a physical football team.'' Copyright 2007 - MOP Squad Sports Top of Page