Dixon, Sherrod, McPhee earn All-SEC

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State senior running back Anthony Dixon claimed first-team All-Southeastern Conference accolades from the league's coaches, the conference office announced Tuesday. Offensive tackle Derek Sherrod and defensive end Pernell McPhee, both juniors, were named to the second team.

Dixon is the school's all-time career leader in all-purpose yards, scoring, rushing yards, rushing attempts, rushing touchdowns and 100-yard games. This season, he set school records for single-game and single-season rushing, finishing with 1,391 yards on 257 attempts. He ranks second in Southeastern Conference history with 910 rushes, and his career total of 3,994 rushing yards ranks eighth all time in the conference. His 42 rushing touchdowns is the seventh most in SEC history as well.

Last week, Dixon, a native of Jackson, Miss., was awarded the Cellular South Conerly Trophy, awarded to the top collegiate player in the state of Mississippi. He is the first Mississippi State running back to be a consensus first-team all-SEC selection since James Johnson earned the honor in 1998.

Sherrod, from nearby Columbus, Miss., helped pave the way not only for Dixon, but for the Mississippi State running attack that finished the regular season ranked ninth nationally with a 227.58 yard-per-game average. The Bulldog offensive line allowed just 20 sacks on the season, down from 36 the year prior. Sherrod lead the team in blocking grades nine times, and posted a remarkable 97 percent grade in State's season-ending win over its in-state rival.

McPhee, a junior from Pahokee, Fla., racked up 56 total tackles including a team-leading 12 tackles for loss and five sacks in his debut season for Mississippi State. McPhee's 12.0 TFL ranked sixth in the conference this season, and his total tackles were among the league leaders for defensive linemen.