By By Austin Bishop / EMG regional sports director
Sept. 23, 2003
STARKVILLE Jackie Sherrill wants you to like his football team.
The veteran Mississippi State University head football coach says there is plenty to love about his Bulldogs, despite the team's 0-3 start that includes losses to perennial Conference USA non-contenders Houston and Tulane.
"The good thing about this team is we don't quit," Sherrill told the 10 reporters listening in to his weekly telephone press conference on Monday morning. "We have the people, we just have to make sure we don't give up."
MSU fell behind 28-0 to homestanding Houston last weekend before rallying to within a touchdown, only to lose 42-35. The Bulldogs saw the Ducks of Oregon jump out to a 28-0 first-quarter advantage in the season-opener, only to have MSU battle back to within a touchdown and two-point conversion of tying the game in the fourth quarter.
"In the Houston game there were 10 plays that hurt us, five of them resulted in touchdowns," Sherrill said. "You take any one of those plays back and you have a chance to put yourself in position to win the game."