Red, Maroon, White And Blue

STARKVILLE – The country was still reeling.

The date was September 20, 2001. Nine days had passed since the United States suffered terrorist attacks that had claimed the lives of 2,977 individuals.

For more than a week, America had collectively been in a bit of a pause, catching its collective breath. Events nationwide had been canceled or postponed, and sporting events were no different.

On September 20, that was all about to change. It was time for the U.S. to stand back up and dust itself off, and the soundtrack for the resurgence was some 43,000-plus individuals clanging cowbells in Starkville.

Mississippi State hosted South Carolina in a Top-25 matchup in what was the first major sporting event following 9/11. It was a resounding statement that the country might've been knocked down, but it wasn't going to stay down. The U.S. was on the mend, and on this particular night, a gigantic Maroon and White Band-Aid was going to help with the healing.

When Mississippi State hosts NC State this Saturday, it marks the 20-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks. That means it's also been nearly 20 years since the night the country's eyes turned to Starkville for a dose of normalcy after so much tragedy.

Let's take a look back at the evening through the eyes of some of the ones who put it together and participated.

Larry Templeton – Former Mississippi State Director of Athletics

Mississippi State had originally been set to host BYU on September 15, only four days after the country had been attacked. However, the contest between the Bulldogs and Cougars was postponed and shifted to the end of the 2001 schedule.

But what about the September 20 game against South Carolina, set for Thursday night in primetime on ESPN? Could that one happen? Washington, D.C. said, 'Yes'.

"[Then-Southeastern Conference Commissioner Roy Kramer] called me and said The White House wants us to play college football," Templeton recalled. "So then, all of a sudden, we started putting it in motion."

Safety was of utmost concern for Templeton as preparation for the game got underway. There'd been no gathering of this size anywhere in the country for days. There was at least a touch of uneasiness. Nonetheless, when game time rolled around, Templeton was confident ample measures had been taken to ensure security.

"Early in the process, there were some concerns, but everybody in the world joined in – the Mississippi National Guard, the FBI and everybody participated," Templeton said. "I remember we closed some streets around the stadium that normally weren't closed. We put up some barricades in places. Then once we had those people involved, I felt pretty secure we were doing the right thing because you could just feel it among the people – the excitement of getting back to doing something normal was important."

If ever there was a night where the score of a Mississippi State game was secondary for Templeton, this was it. Yes, MSU's comeback attempt fell short and State fell 16-14 to South Carolina. That's what the record books show. But it certainly can be argued that in reality, the Bulldogs, Gamecocks, and Americans everywhere all won.

"To be honest, I don't even remember the game," Templeton said. "There were so many things going on and once we got it started, there was such a relief. I thought, 'Hey, we pulled this off and the nation is watching us.' Both teams put on a great show and it accomplished what the country needed that night."

Jackie Sherrill – Former Mississippi State head football coach

While Templeton was tasked with ensuring the game happened logistically, Sherrill had quite the challenge of his own during game week.

How exactly do you get young men ready to play under these circumstances, with so many distractions?

"You had to get back in the same routine," Sherrill said. "Still, there were an awful lot of players who had relatives or part of their families are either military people or descendants [or were involved in some way with the aftermath of 9/11]. Their thoughts were not focused purely on the game. You had to give the players time to [process everything]."

Under Sherrill, the Bulldogs found a way to carry on, even with so much happening around them. Then, come game day, Sherrill got to watch on as his daughter, Bonnie, sang what – given the circumstances – surely has to stand as one of the most powerful national anthems in the history of college football.

"There's no question she did a great job," Sherrill said. "She finished it by hitting the high note, which is very impressive."

By the time the night was through, Sherrill was disappointed by the result of the game but honored to have been a part of such a moving, emotional, feel-good event.

"You were able to help set the stage to heal a lot of people's feelings and move away from their fears," Sherrill said. "Every Mississippi State person can be very proud that they, either in person or in spirit, was able to watch Mississippi State do something and be the first to do it to help heal the U.S. after 9/11. It's a big deal for the Mississippi State family."

Wayne Madkin – Former Mississippi State quarterback

Madkin remembers practice leading up to the South Carolina game as a time that he and his teammates certainly had trouble locking in.

"That's the hardest part, knowing you've got all these other emotions going on around you and yet you still have to be ready to play a football game on national television," Madkin said. "That's tough."

Nonetheless, he and the Bulldogs soldiered through with all eyes on the Thursday night kickoff. The magnitude of the moment wasn't lost on Madkin or his teammates.

"Once we were told that we were going to be back on with South Carolina and that's going to be the first football game back on, we knew that this was something that was going to be remembered for the rest of our lives," Madkin said.

Madkin would go on to be a part of one of the most emotional parts of the evening before he even took a snap. Players from both MSU and South Carolina walked slowly onto the field in the pregame ceremony as a gigantic American flag was unfurled. The Bulldogs and Gamecocks held the flag together as one while State's Famous Maroon Band played "America, the Beautiful' during the proceedings.

"It was surreal," Madkin said. "It's something I can tell my kids about one day. Matter of fact, you don't realize it, but that was part of something that is now sketched in history. You know, usually the opposing team gets booed when you go out and you get a little homefield advantage. In this particular case, we're just all Americans. I may be in maroon, and you may be in white and red right now, but right now, we're all Americans and we're going to show solidarity towards our country and get a sense of that normalcy and let everybody know it's going to be OK. I think being part of that was really special."

Rod Gibson – Current Director of Football Recruiting Communications/Former Strength GA

Gibson, a graduate assistant for State's strength staff at the time, was sitting in the MSU equipment room enjoying his morning coffee on September 11. It was like most any other start to a day. Then, suddenly, it wasn't.

"I saw an update pop up on the TV with people running down the street, but I didn't really know what was going on," Gibson said. "So I remember vividly [continuing to watch] and I was like, 'Is that a plane headed toward that building?' I was sitting there by myself and I was like, 'What is going on? A plane just flew into the building!' I started running down the hall telling everyone, 'Y'all, a plane just flew into the buildings in New York.'"

Two decades later, the shock is still very much evident in Gibson's voice. And he can remember how virtually the entire Bulldog locker room struggled to process the situation leading up to the South Carolina game.

"As the days passed and more and more started coming out about what had happened, I think everyone just kind of sat back and was like, 'Wow, this really took place on our homeland,'" Gibson said. "It was emotional for a lot of people in the building. It was tough to get going for a few days as we all processed what had happened in the United States. That stuff isn't supposed to happen here, you know? It was something to try and get players ready to play that week."

But get ready, the Bulldogs did. Like others, Gibson recalls the pregame scene much more than the game itself.

"It was a lot of emotion and a lot of tears from everybody, including myself," Gibson said. "What was happening was way bigger than football. Football is just a game we play. A lot of people lost their lives [on 9/11] and I can still remember it like it was yesterday. It was a lot of emotion that went into that game. And that day, it was hard to get going knowing what'd happened to a lot of Americans."

Even now, Gibson's mind still goes back to the lives lost whenever he thinks back to 9/11. When asked if he's proud he got to be a part of helping the country recover nine days later, it's apparent how big of an impact the attacks had on Gibson then, as well as how it's played a part in shaping him into who he is today.

"Quite honestly, I don't know if I was proud [the day of the MSU-South Carolina game], I was still in shock," Gibson said. "We'd witnessed people jumping out of buildings and planes driven into those buildings. Then, after the fact, as people regrouped and rebounded and everyone pulled together as Americans to watch the whole country kind of pull together as one family, it made you proud to be an American. Looking back on it all today, I'm still very, very, proud to be an American."

Freedom Rings

For several days, the nation had been broken. There were broken hearts, broken spirits and broken lives. On that September night 20 years ago, Mississippi State was right there to help put the pieces back together. So, too, was South Carolina, as well as the fans in the stands and those watching at home.

America's enemies had tried to cripple the country. Instead, right on the campus of MSU, it was put on full display that perhaps the United States had never been stronger.

It seems appropriate. In the place known for cowbells, freedom once again started ringing loud and clear.

Mississippi State University Athletics

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