By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
Sept. 12, 2004
STARKVILLE Welcome back to the Southeastern Conference Sylvester Croom.
Auburn didn't take it easy on the first-year Mississippi State University coach, who was participating in his first SEC game since being an assistant at Alabama in 1986.
The Tigers bull rushed the Bulldogs for 465 yards in a 43-14 whipping at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Auburn tailbacks Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown sliced through Mississippi State's defense like a hot knife through butter.
The Tigers' backfield duo combined for 270 rushing yards and 286 all-purpose yards. Williams gained 123 yards and two touchdowns, and Brown notched 163 yards.
The play of the Tiger backs continued a trend set in Auburn's 45-13 whitewashing of MSU last year.
Williams' set a school record for touchdowns in one game, with six, against MSU last year en route to a 161-yard rushing performance.
Williams continued to find the end zone in his latest game against MSU, scoring twice, but it was Brown who did the most damage to the Bulldogs.
Brown ran for over 100 yards with 8:44 to play in the first half, and the junior finished the game with 147 rushing yards to go with 16 receiving yards.