Giving Croom credit

[Coach007]

Ok you can have Norwood's freshmen year. After that its not close

Because Turner was sent packing.

[BuckyIsAB****]

Absolutely not. Norwood was nowhere near elusive as Turner nor harder to tackle. Turner was even a step faster as well.

Yea I disagree. I think a lot of NFL players would say the same thing. If thats the case then Turner could have been a Pro Bowl RB

[The Federalist Engineer]

A few coaches got fired for losing to State teams under him, was called "getting croomed". It wasn't much of a compliment for our upsets. I also remember his and Willie's "West Coast Offense". If it was 3rd and 5 or so, we ran a pass at the line of scrimmage or maybe the RB or WR ran a 2 or 3 and out pattern. It was then the responsibility of said receiver to break the tackle and get YAC for the 1st down. This VERY seldom worked.

Our offense was so bad it was really child abuse of Michael Henig and Tyson Lee. That last Croom Egg Bowl had 11 sacks and a horrific beating of our 5-8 QB - listed as 5-10.

[BuckyIsAB****]

Our offense was so bad it was really child abuse of Michael Henig and Tyson Lee. That last Croom Egg Bowl had 11 sacks and a horrific beating of our 5-8 QB - listed as 5-10.

The LSU game in 2004 was one of the worst ass whippings I have ever seen. I know we were bad but we looked like we couldnt beat Starkville Academy

[bulldawg28]

Yea I disagree. I think a lot of NFL players would say the same thing. If thats the case then Turner could have been a Pro Bowl RB

Nick had that type of talent. I won't go into the entirety of details but everyone there knows the truth. However, his last year there as a Sophomore he was second in the SEC in all purpose yards averaging 139 yds per game. He still holds the single season record at state for all purpose yards. He also has the MSU single game record of 344 all purpose yards in a game against Tennessee.

Nick had more rushing yards than Norwood and a higher average per attempt. He had 700 yards rushing that year splitting time. I recognize your a Brandon diehard fan that reps all things Brandon so I understand your bias. However, being there and statistically it was clear who was better.

[Goldendawg]

Our offense was so bad it was really child abuse of Michael Henig and Tyson Lee. That last Croom Egg Bowl had 11 sacks and a horrific beating of our 5-8 QB - listed as 5-10.

He put in a young Chris Relf toward the end and nearly got him killed in that game also. Chris went on to be an UM Killer. Hail Chris! Hail State!

[tcdog70]

The LSU game in 2004 was one of the worst ass whippings I have ever seen. I know we were bad but we looked like we couldnt beat Starkville Academy

he left omarr in after being killed at half-time--no reason to play him in the second half. We had I think vandy and UAB as our next 2 games--winnable with Omarr at QB--but Sly left Him in at LSU and Omarr kept getting killed and was finally hurt and couldn't play the next 2 games which we lost.

[BuckyIsAB****]

he left omarr in after being killed at half-time--no reason to play him in the second half. We had I think vandy and UAB as our next 2 games--winnable with Omarr at QB--but Sly left Him in at LSU and Omarr kept getting killed and was finally hurt and couldn't play the next 2 games which we lost.

It was an ass whipping of epic proportions

[BeardoMSU]

You always know when to throw my favorite gif out.

[Dawg61]

Because Turner was sent packing.

Because he passed multiple counterfeit $100's at Remington Hunt Club in the same night. Dude was taking fake hundreds and buying a dollar beer from the beer cart ladies to get $99 in change (probably didn't even bother to tip the girls) and he did it at about three different carts in the bar that same night. Not smart. He was a phenomenal football player and just as equally a phenomenal dumbass.

[R2Dawg]

The LSU game in 2004 was one of the worst ass whippings I have ever seen. I know we were bad but we looked like we couldnt beat Starkville Academy

Other than a Maine type loss that LSU game was the most embarrassing beat down I remember seeing.

[BuckyIsAB****]

Because he passed multiple counterfeit $100's at Remington Hunt Club in the same night. Dude was taking fake hundreds and buying a dollar beer from the beer cart ladies to get $99 in change (probably didn't even bother to tip the girls) and he did it at about three different carts in the bar that same night. Not smart. He was a phenomenal football player and just as equally a phenomenal dumbass.

He was murdered btw

[Goldendawg]

Some of you may have read the quotes, but there is a thread on SixpackSpeak from a writer from the Detroit Free Press who writes that Sly's one year as offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions helped cause Barry Sanders to retire early in disgust. The writer's opinions on this are very clear when they could have hired many other competent OC's. We all know he was a career RB coach everywhere else in the NFL.

[Homedawg]

He was murdered btw

I'm pretty sure he's aware of that. I'm not sure what that has to do with the facts he presented. And yes, it's unfortunate he was murdered. It's also unfortunate he made the choices he made.

[Captain Falcon]

Fact: Jackie left a big mess and we would?ve been bad for 2-3 years after no matter who we hired.

Also a fact: In Year 5 under Croom we were only marginally better than when he walked in the door. Go back and watch the LA Tech, Auburn, Tennessee, and Ole Miss games from 2008 and see if you still have anything positive to say about the guy.

2007 was really enjoyable at the time just because of how bad things had been previously, and that season had some of my favorite MSU moments of my lifetime (I?m only 26), but everything else about the Croom era was a train wreck. We had discipline issues galore, the baffling coaching never stopped, you could bank on us losing to a C-USA team or worse every year, and it all ended with the most embarrassing Egg Bowl performance you could possibly imagine.

He lost to Maine within his first three games and got annihilated by Ole Miss in his final game. And it rarely got much better than that in between.

[msu15]

He was murdered btw

What does that have to do with anything?

[drunkernhelldawg]

Fact: Jackie left a big mess and we would?ve been bad for 2-3 years after no matter who we hired.

Also a fact: In Year 5 under Croom we were only marginally better than when he walked in the door. Go back and watch the LA Tech, Auburn, Tennessee, and Ole Miss games from 2008 and see if you still have anything positive to say about the guy.

2007 was really enjoyable at the time just because of how bad things had been previously, and that season had some of my favorite MSU moments of my lifetime (I?m only 26), but everything else about the Croom era was a train wreck. We had discipline issues galore, the baffling coaching never stopped, you could bank on us losing to a C-USA team or worse every year, and it all ended with the most embarrassing Egg Bowl performance you could possibly imagine.

He lost to Maine within his first three games and got annihilated by Ole Miss in his final game. And it rarely got much better than that in between.

Great post. I don't agree with all of it, but I love the factual basis.

That was the worst decade in my memory. It didn't start with Croom, whose 2007 season was the only winning season of the decade. As far as him only being marginally better, maybe. But a lot of factors go into a team's performance, especially in Football, the ultimate team game.

I'll always believe that part of the anti Croom sentiment started with the emphasis on race (the only color that matters). We'd have been a lot smarter to never even reference race, history or not.

[Johnson85]

Fact: Jackie left a big mess and we would?ve been bad for 2-3 years after no matter who we hired.

No, a solid coach probably gets us bowl eligible in 2004. We only needed to beat Maine, Vandy (who finished 2-9), and UAB to get to 6-5.

Then we also played Arkansas (who finished 5-6) and Ole Miss (who finished 4-7). We certainly had issues, but if the 2009 version of Mullen takes over in 2004, we are immediately bowl eligible (although not sure 6-5 gets you a bowl game in 2004).

The 2005 schedule was harder, but who knows what we look like with competent coaching starting in 2004.

Also a fact: In Year 5 under Croom we were only marginally better than when he walked in the door. Go back and watch the LA Tech, Auburn, Tennessee, and Ole Miss games from 2008 and see if you still have anything positive to say about the guy.

2007 was really enjoyable at the time just because of how bad things had been previously, and that season had some of my favorite MSU moments of my lifetime (I?m only 26), but everything else about the Croom era was a train wreck. We had discipline issues galore, the baffling coaching never stopped, you could bank on us losing to a C-USA team or worse every year, and it all ended with the most embarrassing Egg Bowl performance you could possibly imagine.

He lost to Maine within his first three games and got annihilated by Ole Miss in his final game. And it rarely got much better than that in between.

[drunkernhelldawg]

No, a solid coach probably gets us bowl eligible in 2004. We only needed to beat Maine, Vandy (who finished 2-9), and UAB to get to 6-5.

.

Of all the ridiculous ideas, this one is a star. The idea that Jackie left us in good shape after the three years he'd put us through is mythmaking at its most dishonest.

[Goldendawg]

He "coached" at least 4 of the worse losses I have ever watched in my 50 plus years of going to State games: #4 - LSU beatdown #3 Ole Miss - 48 - 0, "I didn't see that coming" #2 Remember the Maine and #1 that offensive of truly "offensive" displays - the 3-2 loss to Auburn, (worse game that I have ever watched). He also blamed his failures on everyone but himself in the ESPN 30 for 30. I rate him right down there with Larry "I won't speak to you, as you are beneath me" Templeton. Hail State, but never Croom or LT!