http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/aug/27/miss-state-faces-mystery-football-foe/
Considering LSU beat Mississippi State, 45-0, in last season’s opener in Starkville, the following theory may not make sense.
The Bulldogs are having a harder time preparing for Saturday’s season opener at Louisiana Tech than they did for the eventual BCS national champions a year ago.
Why? Because with LSU, State coach Sylvester Croom knew exactly who he was facing. He knew the personnel and schemes and understood the enormous challenge.
But Louisiana Tech, a Western Athletic Conference member that went 5-7 last year in Derek Dooley’s first year as head coach, is somewhat of a mystery.
“We don’t know as much about them as they do about us,” said Croom, whose team rebounded from that LSU loss and finished 8-5 as the AutoZone Liberty Bowl champions. “On film, they did very well last year against some good competition. But we don’t know their personnel probably like they know our personnel.”
What has Croom scratching his head is how former Georgia Tech starting quarterback Taylor Bennett fits into Louisiana Tech’s equation.
Bennett, a 6-3, 214-pound lefty, started all 12 games for Tech last year, completing 162-of-327 passes for 2,136 yards and seven TDs.
Because he graduated with a remaining year of eligibility, he’s a graduate student able to transfer to another Division 1-A school without sitting out a season.
He also wanted to transfer since he clearly didn’t fit in with new Tech coach Paul Johnson’s option offense.
Memphis commercial appeal
8/27/08
Magnolia Tribune
