Patient Bulldogs welcome Blazers to Starkville

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Posted 5:33AM on Friday, October 8, 2004

STARKVILLE, Miss - Sylvester Croom didn't take any shortcuts in rebuilding Mississippi State's downtrodden program. Through five games, it shows. The Bulldogs (1-4) have lost four straight and are nearly two-touchdown underdogs to UAB in Saturday's non-conference game. Mississippi State has one of the worst offenses in the country, and nobody in the Southeastern Conference gives up more points. Coaches and players expected a long, trying process, and that's exactly what they're getting. ``For this program to be shaped in the way that coach Croom desires ... it was going to require a great deal of endurance,'' quarterback Kyle York said. ``The way that everyone involved in this program endures through the tough times is going to lay a foundation for how this program is going to be over the next several years, maybe even the next century.'' The short term has been a test of patience. Mississippi State's scoring average of 12 points ranks 116th of 117 Division I-A teams only New Mexico State (10 ppg) is worse and the Bulldogs are near the bottom nationally in total offense. They've struggled with injuries, inexperience and ineffective execution during their four-game slide. ``We're still working on our psyche when something is not going our way, being able to respond immediately (after) and making the next play,'' Croom said. But UAB isn't a homecoming patsy quite the opposite. The Blazers (3-1) are 12-point favorites after winning two straight, and UAB is eager for its shot at the Bulldogs, coach Watson Brown said. ``Anytime you play an SEC team, it's an image boost for you, if you can make something happen,'' Brown said. ``It still gives us momentum as we get back into league play. You don't like playing a non-league game like this at this time of the year, but with who it is I don't think it bothers us at all.'' UAB started from scratch 13 seasons ago and grew into a solid, respectable program, although the Blazers have never played in a bowl game. UAB (3-1) is coming off consecutive 5-7 seasons and beat Cincinnati 30-27 in a thriller last week. The Blazers are reluctant favorites this week, though the players say they're neither in awe of nor full of pity for Mississippi State. ``You cannot go in there overconfident,'' quarterback Darrell Hackney said. ``I sometimes like being the underdog, because it makes you play harder. I'm going to go into the game treating it like we're the underdog.'' Kickoff is 1:30 p.m. CDT.