Mississippi State Dons Full Gear For The First Time In '07
We made some licks on defense, Croom said. Jamon Hughes, in particular, had some big hits, and I liked the way (Derek) Pegues locked up on some guys. Those guys showed up.
Hughes and Pegues are two Bulldog defenders who have made spring-time moves and, thus far, the coaching staff has been happy with the shifts. Hughes has assumed Jamar Chaney's starting role at weak side linebacker after playing on both sides a year ago. Pegues has moved from cornerback, where he started in 2006, to strong safety.
Croom expressed some disappointment with occasional missed assignments by his offensive unit, but added that those would be overcome with continued repetitions.
We were a little sloppy on offense, had some jumps, Croom said. But Mike (Henig) continues to throw the ball very well.
One player who seems to be making strides on the other end of Henig's passes is transfer wide receiver Brandon McRae, who Croom called one of our top two receivers right now.
McRae sat out the '06 season at State after leading Morehead State in receiving as a true freshman. The Chester, Va., native had 28 catches for 361 yards and one touchdown in 2005.
MSU also spent a good portion of Monday's drill on all phases of the kicking game.