1. SPORTSSPORTS John Pitts | Sports editor, 678-1522 | CALL IN RESULTS, 678-1601
DAILY JOURNAL MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2014 | 1B
FIGHTING MAD
Tempers flare in NASCAR. 2B
WEEK 6
AT A GLANCE
AP
NFL BUZZMAKER
Joe Flacco threw five TDs in
the first 16:03 of the game as
Baltimore rolled to a 48-17 win
at Tampa Bay.
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
East W L Pct PF PA
New England 4 2 .667 160 129
Buffalo 3 3 .500 118 126
Miami 2 3 .400 120 124
N.Y. Jets 1 5 .167 96 158
South W L Pct PF PA
Indianapolis 4 2 .667 189 136
Houston 3 3 .500 132 120
Tennessee 2 4 .333 104 153
Jacksonville 0 6 .000 81 185
North W L Pct PF PA
Cincinnati* 3 1 .700 134 113
Baltimore 4 2 .667 164 97
Cleveland 3 2 .600 134 115
Pittsburgh 3 3 .500 124 139
West W L Pct PF PA
San Diego 5 1 .833 164 91
Denver 4 1 .800 147 104
Kansas City 2 3 .400 119 101
Oakland 0 5 .000 79 134
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
East W L Pct PF PA
Dallas 5 1 .833 165 126
Philadelphia 4 1 .800 156 132
N.Y. Giants 3 2 .600 133 111
Washington 1 5 .167 132 166
South W L Pct PF PA
Carolina* 3 2 .583 141 157
New Orleans 2 3 .400 132 141
Atlanta 2 4 .333 164 170
Tampa Bay 1 5 .167 120 204
North W L Pct PF PA
Detroit 4 2 .667 116 82
Green Bay 4 2 .667 161 130
Chicago 3 3 .500 143 144
Minnesota 2 4 .333 104 143
West W L Pct PF PA
Arizona 4 1 .800 116 106
Seattle 3 2 .600 133 113
San Francisco 3 2 .600 110 106
St. Louis 1 3 .250 84 119
*-Includes tie
Off: Kansas City, New Orleans
Thursday
Indianapolis at Houston, 7:25 p.m.
Sunday
Tennessee 16, Jacksonville 14
Detroit 17, Minnesota 3
Baltimore 48,Tampa Bay 17
Denver 31, N.Y. Jets 17
New England 37, Buffalo 22
Carolina 37, Cincinnati 37, OT
Cleveland 31, Pittsburgh 10
Green Bay 27, Miami 24
San Diego 31, Oakland 28
Dallas 30, Seattle 23
Arizona 30,Washington 20
Chicago 27,Atlanta 13
N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia, night
Today
San Fran. at St. Louis, 7:30 p.m.
WEEK 7
Off: Philadelphia,Tampa Bay
Thursday, Oct. 16
N.Y. Jets at New England, 7:25 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 19
Seattle at St. Louis, noon
Miami at Chicago, noon
Carolina at Green Bay, noon
Atlanta at Baltimore, noon
Tennessee at Washington, noon
Cleveland at Jacksonville, noon
Cincinnati at Indianapolis, noon
Minnesota at Buffalo, noon
New Orleans at Detroit, noon
Kansas City at San Diego, 3:05 p.m.
Arizona at Oakland, 3:25 p.m.
N.Y. Giants at Dallas, 3:25 p.m.
San Francisco at Denver, 7:30 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 13
Houston at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.
Standings
More on Page 3B
The AP’s Top 10
(First-place votes in parentheses)
W-L Pts Pv
1. Mississippi State (45) 6-0 1,480 3
2. Florida State (12) 6-0 1,415 1
3. Ole Miss (3) 6-0 1,413 3
4. Baylor 6-0 1,317 5
5. Notre Dame 6-0 1,228 6
6.Auburn 5-1 1,144 2
7.Alabama 5-1 1,068 7
8. Michigan State 5-1 1,015 8
9. Oregon 5-1 1,014 12
10. Georgia 5-1 981 13
Complete AP poll, 2B
USA Today coaches Top 10
(First-place votes in parentheses)
W-L Pts Pv
1. Mississippi State (26) 6-0 1490 6
2. Florida State (31) 6-0 1489 1
3. Ole Miss (5) 6-0 1436 4
4. Baylor 6-0 1392 3
5. Notre Dame 6-0 1292 5
6. Michigan State 5-1 1129 8
7.Alabama 5-1 1121 7
8.Auburn 5-1 1111 2
9. Oregon 5-1 1017 11
10. Georgia 5-1 1013 10
Complete USA Today coaches poll, 2B
Who’s on first?
STARKVILLE
D
an Mullen was hired in
December 2008 as the
32nd head coach in Mis-
sissippi State history.
He inherited a program that
had just one winning season in
the previous eight years going a
combined 29-65. Still Mullen
believed he
could turn the
program into a
winner.
And he has.
Mullen has
led the Bull-
dogs to four
straight bowl
appearances –
and they just
qualified for a
fifth in his six
seasons in
Starkville.
But going to bowl games on a
regular basis is not Mullen’s idea
of winning, nor what he had en-
visioned for MSU.
From Day 1, Mullen spoke of
championships – a term foreign
to most Bulldog fans. But after
all, Mullen was coming off his
second national title as Florida’s
offensive coordinator.
That’s the type of aspirations
he had for State right from the
beginning.
It was a mentality Mullen had
to teach not only to the fan base
but also the administration.
“When we came here, we
wanted to build something, and
it takes everybody to build it,”
Mullen said after Saturday’s 38-
23 win over Auburn. “There
wasn’t a simple fix. It took a
president; it took an athletic
director, a student body and an
entire university family. That’s
what it takes if you want to build
a program.”
The brass at Mississippi State,
along with its fan base, have
invested millions in turning
Mullen’s vision into reality. It
was not an overnight overhaul –
it’s been a process five-and-a-
half years in the making.
Mullen’s initial challenge to
the fans was to simply show up.
WINNING ADDS UP
It was met with 30 straight
sellouts from 2009-14 – which
not only generated the revenue
to help build a $25 million foot-
ball facility and a $75 million
stadium expansion but also cre-
ated one of the most imposing
and intimidating atmospheres
in the SEC.
So much has changed since
Mullen arrived at the Starkville
Airport on that overcast after-
noon in 2008, waving a white
“Dan the Man” T-shirt.
Six years later, the Bulldogs
are no longer the doormat of the
SEC. Today, they’re the No. 1
team in the nation.
Logan Lowery (logan.lowery
@journalinc.com) covers Mississippi
State for the Daily Journal. Read his
blog, InsideMSUSports.com.
Build it and they will win – Mullen’s plan delivers
LOGAN
LOWERY
THOMAS WELLS | BUY AT PHOTOS.DJOURNAL.COM
Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott begins the celebration
as the clock winds down on Saturday’s 38-23 win against Auburn.
INSIDE TODAY
Our SEC rewinds, 4B
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