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Bulldogs Top Commodores 30-21 10/4/2003
Bulldogs Top Commodores 30-21 10-4-03 In Vanderbilt’s first conference road game, the Bulldogs proved to be too much as Mississippi State topped Vanderbilt 30-21 Saturday afternoon in Starkville, Mississippi. Vanderbilt quarterback Jay Cutler was very sharp as he went 22 of 35 for 295 yards and two touchdowns. STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Jerious Norwood ran for 113 yards and his first career touchdown and Justin Jenkins had 118 yards receiving to help Mississippi State snap a nine-game conference losing streak with a 30-21 win Saturday over Vanderbilt. Mississippi State (1-4, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) had won just six of its last 27 games. The Bulldogs’ SEC losing streak was the third longest in school history and they found the perfect opponent to snap it against. Vanderbilt (1-5, 0-3) has lost 20 straight SEC games and 24 of its last 26 against Division I-A opponents, but the Commodores hung tough. Trailing 27-14 with 9:07 remaining, Vanderbilt’s Jay Cutler threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Erik Davis. Cutler completed 22 of 35 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns, but he was intercepted once and had a fumble late in the game. After a field goal put Mississippi State ahead 30-21, Vanderbilt drove down to the Bulldogs’ 37. Cutler threw two passes to receivers in the end zone — both were dropped — including a pass to Davis that hit him in the hands. The ball was knocked out by Mississippi State’s Kevin Dockery and Cutler fumbled two plays later on a run up the middle, ending the scoring threat. After Norwood fumbled with 2:10 left, Vanderbilt moved the ball down to Mississippi State’s 32. The drive ended with an incomplete pass on fourth down with 1:41 left to seal the win for the Bulldogs. Brent Smith kicked three field goals for Mississippi State, including a 47-yarder with 5:43 remaining to give the Bulldogs the 30-21 lead. Norwood started in place of Nick Turner at running back and the move paid off. He put the Bulldogs on top 7-0. Kevin Fant threw a 15-yard pass to Jenkins with 11:45 left in the first quarter to move to the Vanderbilt 10-yard line on the Bulldogs’ opening drive. Norwood scored two plays later on a 5-yard run. Norwood would later run for 20 yards on one play and 19 on another setting up Fant’s 15-yard TD pass for Jenkins to put Mississippi State ahead 14-0 with 1:40 left in the first quarter. Fant was 18-for-30 passing. He threw for 215 yards, had one interception, one touchdown pass and a 5-yard TD run in the third quarter that put the Bulldogs ahead 27-14. Turner ran the ball effectively late, finishing with 90 yards on 12 carries. Cutler got Vanderbilt off to a good start in the second half. He completed two passes to Brandon Smith for 16 and 11 yards to set up Norval McKenzie’s 2-yard touchdown run to cut Mississippi State’s lead to 17-14. That was as close as the Commodores would come. Smith had nine receptions for 124 yards. Mississippi State has never gone 0-5 to start a season. Vanderbilt’s only win this year came against Division I-AA Chattanooga. |
