BulldogBlitz Players of the Week

Last season BulldogBlitz recognized outstanding efforts during Mississippi State's four wins with fictitious "game balls" on Sundays.

This year publisher Logan Lowery will expand that segment and give his picks and thoughts on the top offensive, defensive, special teams, freshman and coach from each of the Bulldogs wins.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Quarterback Chris Relf

Sophomore * 6-3 * 235 * Montgomery, Ala.

Passing: 7-of-10 for 75 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions Rushing: 12 carries for 82 yards and one touchdown.

Logan's take: I thought that Dan Mullen and Les Koenning called a good game to showcase Relf's talents and not put him in situations that he would not succeed in. Relf is the more athletic of the two quarterbacks and is ideal with his size and speed in running situations. His problem has always been his accuracy and all of the throws he made Saturday were manageable. I'm sure many fans will be on the Relf bandwagon after this game but the Bulldogs will need both Relf and Lee's talents if they are going to succeed in the Southeastern Conference this season.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Cornerback Corey Broomfield

Redshirt Freshman * 5-10 * 170 * Palm Bay, Fla.

Defense: 3.5 tackles (three solo, 1 assist), one interception return for a 43 yard touchdown

Logan's take: Of the four top corners on the roster Broomfield concerned me the most because he is just so skinny. But on Saturday he proved that he had plenty of playmaking ability. He scooped up a blocked extra point and raced it the length of the field untouched before it was called back when Tay Bowser was flagged for being offsides. He made sure he would find his place in the scoring column when he picked off Tray Rutland for his first career interception and returned it 43 yards for the fourth quarter touchdown.

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Long Snapper Aaron Feld

Junior * 6-1 * 230 * Homewood, Ala.

Snaps: 10 snaps - five extra points, three field goals, two punts

Logan's take: You may be wondering why I would give the special teams player of the week to the long snapper? Well just take a look at what happened to Jackson State on the first two punt snaps and you can appreciate a good snap. Long snapper is one of the positions that goes unnoticed unless something goes wrong. You might remember the Alabama game last year that Feld had to miss and the chaos that followed with the first snap of that game. Being a former high school center myself, I can appreciate the job that long snappers do and thought I would show some recognition of a job well done.

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

Wide receiver Chad Bumphis

Freshman * 5-10 * 195 * Tupelo, Miss.

Receiving: two catches for 22 yards and two touchdowns. Passsing: 0-for-1

Logan's take: People wondered just how long it would be before Bumphis would throw his first pass in a maroon and white uniform. Coach Mullen did not leaving them waiting long as the Bulldogs ran a reverse pass but Bumphis' pass was broken up intended for O'Neal Wilder. He only touched the ball twice after that but both catches went for touchdowns. He still has some work to do on his downfield blocking but is electric with the ball in his hands.

COACH OF THE WEEK

Head coach Dan Mullen

Logan's take: How could I not recognize the man that made all of this possible. Coach Mullen has waited 37 years to get his first win as a head coach and got his career started at 1-0. Mississippi State has always drawn a good crowd for home openers but Saturday's 54,232 was the third largest crowd ever at Davis Wade Stadium. Fans are no doubt excited about the direction of the program and the energy and enthusiasm that Mullen has brought from Florida. The 45 points the Bulldogs put up were the most in seven years and is no doubt a result of Mullen and his staff putting the right players in the right positions to succeed.