Bulldogs celebrate win, prepare for consecutive Top 25 opponents

JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom had more to celebrate Monday than his 52nd birthday.<br> <br> The Bulldogs beat Alabama-Birmingham in overtime Saturday, and that has made all the difference in Starkville where fans had been howling through Mississippi State&#39;s 0-3 start.<br> <br> ``A win makes everything better, I mean absolutely everything,&#39;&#39; Croom said during his Monday news conference.<br> <br> Croom arrived at his office Monday morning and found a birthday card on his desk.<br> <br> ``I had forgotten about it,&#39;&#39; Croom admitted.<br> <br> But he hadn&#39;t forgotten most of the details of the Bulldogs&#39; 16-10 win over the Blazers in Birmingham. The team struggled early with costly penalties and mistakes, and trailed entering the fourth quarter. But Omarr Conner&#39;s 21-yard touchdown run in overtime makes it easier to revisit and correct those mistakes.<br> <br> Most importantly, Croom said the victory over the Conference USA opponent gives the Bulldogs (1-3) a little time to feel good about themselves as they prepare for games against Top 25 teams over the next two weeks. They start with No. 9 LSU (3-1) on Saturday in Baton Rouge, then host No. 4 West Virginia (4-0) the following weekend.<br> <br> ``That was a big plus for our program and more than anything else for our players,&#39;&#39; Croom said. ``I think they feel a lot better about themselves and got a little pay off for all the hard work they&#39;re doing.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Of course, it didn&#39;t have to be so dramatic. Mistakes the same kind that helped Mississippi State stumble with two consecutive shutout losses to start the season put the UAB game in doubt. Croom pointed out the turnovers and a late hit on the UAB quarterback that kept a drive going.<br> <br> ``Had those things not occurred the game would&#39;ve been over in regulation time and we would&#39;ve been breathing a lot easier at the end of the ballgame,&#39;&#39; Croom said. ``And we would&#39;ve had a whole lot more fun had we not done some of those things.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> Croom said he hopes the lessons the team is learning as it struggles this season are making Mississippi State better. But he admitted the Bulldogs face long odds against LSU and West Virginia. Both teams have a wealth of playmakers, something his team lacks as it rebuilds.<br> <br> ``We&#39;ve got two of the best teams in the country we&#39;re facing two weeks in a row,&#39;&#39; Croom said.<br> <br> ``But that&#39;s part of being in the Southeastern Conference. You&#39;re going to play big-time football. You&#39;re going to play the big dogs,&#39;&#39; he said. ``You&#39;ve got to line up and let&#39;s get ready to go. We don&#39;t worry about what we don&#39;t have or those kind of things. You line up, look at the guy across from you in the eye and let&#39;s just get it on.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> (Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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