Memphis, Tenn. ? Wesley Carroll, Mississippi State’s freshman quarterback, had endured a miserable evening throwing the football.
But he still had the savvy to make a critical suggestion on the sideline, in the fourth quarter of the 49th annual Liberty Bowl on Saturday evening.
“Wes came over and said, ‘Let’s put the option in. I’ll make it work,'” MSU coach Sylvester Croom said.
That’s exactly what Carroll and the Bulldogs did, driving 59 yards for the game’s only touchdown in Mississippi State’s 10-3 victory over Central Florida at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
MSU earned its eighth victory against five defeats while the Conference USA champion Knights finished 10-4.
Ultimately, the night belonged to Mississippi State’s defense.
The Bulldogs did an effective job on Central Florida tailback Kevin Smith, who came up short in his bid to surpass Barry Sanders as the NCAA’s all-time, single-season rushing leader. Smith carried the ball 35 times for 119 yards.
The rest of the Knights managed just 100 yards between them.
Anthony Dixon, State’s 240-pound sophomore tailback, was State’s most effective offensive player, carrying the ball 24 times for 88 yards. Carroll was just 8 of 18 passing for 39 yards and one interception and was benched briefly in favor of former MSU starter Michael Henig.
With the game on the line, Carroll had the chutzpah to make the suggestion to Croom and MSU offensive coordinator Woody McCorvey that turned the game in the Bulldogs’ favor.
“We were able to run it,” Carroll said, “and they weren’t able to stop it.”
For the Bulldogs, not a moment too soon.
