After an uneventful 4 1/2- hour drive, we arrive in Starkville at 12:30 EST. Gorgeous day for football. Bright sunshine, low humidity, temps in the low 70's. I can smell the tailgating area from a mile away. As we pull into the parking lot for Humphrey Arena, I spy the WVU Alumni Tailgate tent. The line to get in is already twenty yards long. Whew. Stood in line for nearly 40 minutes to get in. The Mountaineer and the cheerleaders show up for some pre-game photos and practice yells. Finally, we get our food (and the obligatory tasty beverage) and take a seat in the tent. Dooey's BBQ caters the meal, which includes pulled pork and BBQ ribs. Talking with other people in line and inside the tent, we get the impression this scheduled game is a godsend to Mountie fans in the Deep South. Fans come from Alabama, Tennessee (including ourselves), Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, even Texas. After the food and drink is polished off, it's a short walk to Scott Stadium. MSU fans so far have been gracious and cordial. As we get settled into our seats, the cowbells are not nearly as loud as originally feared. And the upper decks of the stadium, on both sides, are not even half full. First quarter: what a start. After a missed FG by MSU, White and Reynauld take us right down the field. "Bash" Schmitt takes it in from five yards out. Then the defense steps up. WHAT'S THIS? A SACK BY THE WVU DEFENSE? It can't be. And then another sack. Dykes, Dingle and company are really causing problems in the Bulldog backfield. Coach Rod is making wholesale substitutions on third-and long plays, trying to keep the guys fresh. Another drive, Slaton running hard, a pretty pass to Myles, and then "Dash" White goes to the corner from five yards out. 14-0, good guys. All is well. Second quarter: WVU goes into sleepwalk mode, which is irritating. Not to mention some EXTREMELY questionable officiating by the men in stripes. They miss an obvious roughing the kicker call after a Koslowski punt, in which the ref was five feet away looking at the play and never bothered to throw a flag. And Myles gets interfered with on a pass play, and it is not called. MSU finally breaks a big play on offense, getting a 40-yard TD pass just before the half. Now it's 14-7 at the half, and one fan tells me underneath the stands "Now, it's a dogfight." Third quarter. WVU takes the opening kick, and BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, right down the field. "Slash" Slaton practically waltzes in from ten yards out, and it's 21-7. MSU is having lots of trouble running the ball, and the WVU front four are getting constant pressure on the QB. But on third down, MSU either completes a pass or WVU gets flagged. It's the most lackluster 14-point lead I've seen in a while. MSU QB Omar Conner get tackled for a loss, and winds up on the ground with an ankle injury. In comes the backup QB, who was the starter when the season began. He continues to make plays, but Eric Wicks puts an end to that with a interception in the end zone. Fourth Quarter. WVU fans growing restless, and really starting to lay into the officiating crew. One guy jokes "We've only got 11 guys on the field! Ref, throw a flag!" Bobby Hathaway picks another pass. Now we get some true momentum. Then PRESTO, Chief White takes a draw up the middle, breaks two tackles and WHOOSH, 46 yards later, it's now 28-7. MSU fans start to slowly trickle out as the Bulldogs get a TD in "garbage time". Slaton has run hard all game, and gets another big gain to the MSU 10. Late hit out of bounds. NO FLAG. WVU fans nearly on the edge of lobbing cups at the men in stripes. Schmitt trucks into paydirt again, and now it's 35-7. The third MSU QB comes into the game, and first play results in a Johnny Dingle sack and now MSU has to put in their FOURTH QB of the game. Punt with two minutes left. I tell the guy next to me "We need one more, just for good measure". THANK YOU, Vaughn Rivers, as he goes 50 yards untouched. Final 42-14, as Slaton runs for 186. The score for the Arkansas-Auburn game is announced, and the Mountie fans erupt in high-fives. The faint chorus of "Country Roads" can be heard in the corner of the stadium. Man, do we need a drink of water. And four hours later, it's back in Chattanooga, sunburned, tired, but elated with the win in SEC country.   -- tnmountie