Watching the 1999 Egg Bowl reminds me of so much...

[5 Star]

Madkin was a winner. The dude played over half a season with a pin in a finger of his throwing hand that kept it locked where he could throw the ball. He remains one of my all time favorite MSU players.

So much of a winner that he basically did nothing leading up to his senior year, including skipping numerous practices. So much of a leader that he had to fake an injury on senior year because Fant had taken his spot.

I am not going to downplay what he did for us, the accomplishments speak for themselves. And some of it might have been the senior quarterback curse, dead indians and all. But the lack of effort leading up to 2001 didn't sit well with me. Of course, Jackie was losing control at that time, so it wasn't any one player. It certainly got much worse in the following years.

[Bama_Dawg]

Ya'll reminded me of when I got to meet Madkin:

During the last 5 weeks of the summer semester the team had an unofficial meet the team night at Ricks. It was during the middle of the week, I think a Tuesday. There were about 15 guys from the team there and including staff from Ricks, about 20 other people in the entire bar. We really got to know a few of the guys that night. A buddy and I were sitting at the bar and Madkin walks up, introduces himself and we have about a 5 minute conversation. Then he leaves. About 15 minutes later, he comes back, introduces himself, again, and we have an eerily similar conversation. We dismiss it. Then about 20 minutes later the EXACT same thing happens again!

After the 3rd time we leave and decide that unfortunately Wayne probably can't remember the play from the huddle to the line.

I really wish I made that up.

[Liverpooldawg]

The fact remains that Madkin was the QB for two of the best seasons in school history. Some people have never forgiven him for that.

[Bama_Dawg]

The fact remains that Madkin was the QB for two of the best seasons in school history. Some people have never forgiven him for that.

Nothing to forgive Liverpool, I also recall that Brad Johnson won a Super Bowl, but that doesn't make him a great QB.

[Maroonthirteen]

What stood out to me is that in 2015, the game has changed from 1999. Players are now are a lot more skilled.

Exactly. GO back and watch a game from 1980 (when we were really good) compared to 1999 or even 99 vs 91,92.... In 99 the players were more skilled than in 80, 81 and the offenses were much more advanced. Same for 2015 vs 1999. Hell, I remember it being just short of a miracle if comepleted a long pass in 91 and 92. We were good those years too.

I have met Madkin. Nice guy, loyal Bulldog.

I don't get our fans trashing graduated players.

[FlabLoser]

The Sherrill era changed MSU football for the foreseeable future. I really, really doubt we'd be where we are now without Sherrill. So don't trash those guys. They won more than MSU had ever won to that point in our lifetimes. They made us believe what our program could be. They laid the foundation for what Mullen is building on today.

Madkin, Fant, Sleepy Robinson...all those guys and their teammates were damn great Bulldogs.

[BrunswickDawg]

The Sherrill era changed MSU football for the foreseeable future. I really, really doubt we'd be where we are now without Sherrill. So don't trash those guys. They won more than MSU had ever won to that point in our lifetimes. They made us believe what our program could be. They laid the foundation for what Mullen is building on today.

Madkin, Fant, Sleepy Robinson...all those guys and their teammates were damn great Bulldogs.

People need to keep in mind too that as a whole, the year-round conditioning and x&o learning was no where near what it is today. Think of it like stories you hear about Mickey Mantle or Babe Ruth being out all night and never working out - there was no real expectation (or need for that matter) to work and live the same way that elite athletes do now. The early 2000s was really the transition period for CFB that began to really "professionalize" the approach of the athlete to what it is now. We shouldn't bash guys in the 90s for doing what was the norm then.

[LC Dawg]

The Sherrill era changed MSU football for the foreseeable future. I really, really doubt we'd be where we are now without Sherrill. So don't trash those guys. They won more than MSU had ever won to that point in our lifetimes. They made us believe what our program could be. They laid the foundation for what Mullen is building on today.

Madkin, Fant, Sleepy Robinson...all those guys and their teammates were damn great Bulldogs.

I agree. I love all former Bulldogs unless they've done something to disparage Mississippi State. I had a conversation with Sleepy recently and his conditioning included spending a lot of time at The Landing.

[Coach34]

The fact remains that Madkin was the QB for two of the best seasons in school history. Some people have never forgiven him for that.

and if we had had a good QB- they would have been championship seasons. Madkin was the weak link

[Tbonewannabe]

and if we had had a good QB- they would have been championship seasons. Madkin was the weak link

His senior year, I remember a hell of a lot of dropped passes. The Oline wasn't great either. Madkin came through in some clutch situations so I can't say anything bad about him. He wasn't great but he was pretty good.

[Tbonewannabe]

I will say that 99 Defense is probably the best I have ever seen live. Those Bama National title Defenses were good but they had a hell of a lot more help than the 99 D. If we had the offense from 2000 with the defense of 99, I don't think we would have lost a game.

[Pollodawg]

36 tds to 35 ints is not a good QB, folks. I have absolutely nothing against Wayne, but let's be real here. Nostalgia has colored your opinions.

[5 Star]

If we had the offense from 2000 with the defense of 99, I don't think we would have lost a game.

We shouldn't have lost a game with the offense we did have. Phantom holding call against Pig, and the Arkansas game the following week was a letdown and we still only lost 14-9. If I remember correctly we had every chance to win that game even then.

[Coach34]

His senior year, I remember a hell of a lot of dropped passes. The Oline wasn't great either. Madkin came through in some clutch situations so I can't say anything bad about him. He wasn't great but he was pretty good.

If he had been "pretty good"- he wouldnt have needed Wyatt to come in and save some games. How quickly people forget that if we hadnt subbed in Wyatt in 1999- that would have been a 6-5 team

[FlabLoser]

I will say that 99 Defense is probably the best I have ever seen live. Those Bama National title Defenses were good but they had a hell of a lot more help than the 99 D. If we had the offense from 2000 with the defense of 99, I don't think we would have lost a game.

I remember Gary Danielson saying "these guys just line up anywhere and come after you". It was a great defense with great athletes. Great DBs especially.

Sometimes Gary would draw a line on the screen 5 yards on the D side of the LOS saying "look at that! there's nobody behind this line!"....Sack!

I don't think JLD was a X&O defensive genius like Saban. But whatever he did gave other offenses hell for a couple years.

[BulldogBear]

The Sherrill era changed MSU football for the foreseeable future. I really, really doubt we'd be where we are now without Sherrill. So don't trash those guys. They won more than MSU had ever won to that point in our lifetimes. They made us believe what our program could be. They laid the foundation for what Mullen is building on today.Madkin, Fant, Sleepy Robinson...all those guys and their teammates were damn great Bulldogs.

Wrong. Sylvester Croom did that remember*****

[Tbonewannabe]

If he had been "pretty good"- he wouldnt have needed Wyatt to come in and save some games. How quickly people forget that if we hadnt subbed in Wyatt in 1999- that would have been a 6-5 team

Wyatt also lost the Ark game when Madkin went down. Also Wyatt threw a pick with a little over 2 minutes at AU. Without that shutdown defense we don't get the ball back. The game winning TD should have been a pick. Madkin was pretty good for what we had before but wasn't great. There was a reason Wyatt came off the bench.

[Pollodawg]

Wyatt also lost the Ark game when Madkin went down. Also Wyatt threw a pick with a little over 2 minutes at AU. Without that shutdown defense we don't get the ball back. The game winning TD should have been a pick. Madkin was pretty good for what we had before but wasn't great. There was a reason Wyatt came off the bench.

I have to disagree. One good pass out of every seven or so doesn't make you even a "pretty good" QB. I watched that replay and thought, "damn, I remember Wayne being better than that for some reason" as well. So, I see where coach is coming from.

[MSUDawg99]

1. Cutcliffe is the best coach Ole Missus has had since Vault
2. Wayne Madkin was not a good QB
3. Pig Prather may have actually tried to throw that game
4. I really loved Tirico, Herby, and Corso doing games
5. I smile hearing Flick announce
6. Its great seeing Dontae when he had NFL talent
7. Loved seeing Sparky run the Speed Sweep with Kelvin Love. He and I had a 30 minute convo in his office during the July 7 on 7 camp on how to get the timing just right. To hear him tell me I did a damn good job teaching the timing with my kids made me feel 10 ft tall.
8. Ashley Cooper was such a badass
9. Robert Bean was a better CB than Smoot. He just didnt have the size- but he still logged some NFL time
10. Sluder, Stephens, and company on that DL was special
11. Wayne Madkin was not a good QB
12. Dicenzo Miller is a straight winner
13. Auburn 2014 was awesome- but 99 may still be my favorite
14. Our OL really was not that good that year- but running the Power and Micheal Fair pulling around was done well.
15. The fake screen and throw to the TE for the TD was an awesome play design by Woods. I used it the next couple years and scored a couple myself with it.
16. Westerfield made some big kicks- but he hooked the piss out of that XP on the 1st TD
17. I love that uniform and helmet. Best we have ever had

#2 bout Wayne Madkin was so bad you had to mention that twice (see #11) huh? Ha!

[Tbonewannabe]

I have to disagree. One good pass out of every seven or so doesn't make you even a "pretty good" QB. I watched that replay and thought, "damn, I remember Wayne being better than that for some reason" as well. So, I see where coach is coming from.

I don't think we had much of anything on offense in 99. I don't think Madkin was that good in 99 but had a good year in 2000. I just don't see any reason to run him down. He was better than a lot of other QBs that have played for us. He stepped up and made some big plays when it counted. I will never forget his lunge across the goal line at the Snow Bowl. He was also a really nice guy.