Mississippi States lopsided loss to Auburn last weekend was an eye-opener for all the wrong reasons.The Bulldogs couldnt move the ball on offense, couldnt stop Auburns power running game and also struggled on special teams.By halftime, Mississippi State had fallen into a 35-0 hole and finished with a 38-14 loss in front of half-empty Davis-Wade Stadium that was certainly one of the lowest points of coach Dan Mullens eight-year tenure at the school.But Mullen isnt in the mood to feel sorry for himself or his team. Mississippi State (2-3) has a short week to prepare for a road game against BYU (3-3) on Friday night.We have faced all kinds of highs and lows in the eight years that I have been here, Mullen said. Ill be honest with you, when you deal with a high, you get back to work. When you deal with a low, you get back to work.And theres plenty of work to be done -- starting with Fridays game against the Cougars -- if Mississippi State wants to make a bowl game for a seventh straight season. BYU is coming off an impressive 31-14 win over Michigan State.Mississippi State needs better play from plenty of people, starting with quarterback Nick Fitzgerald. The sophomore was 17 of 34 passing 181 yards, two touchdowns and an interception against Auburn. He also ran for a team-high 61 yards.But most of his good moments came in the second half when Auburn was already in control of the game.I think more than anything its just execution, Fitzgerald said. We had a good game plan going in but we didnt quite execute what we need to do.Fitzgerald could use some help, too. One promising play was when freshman Keith Mixon snagged a Fitzgerald pass close to the sideline, showed some nifty footwork to stay inbounds, and then ran 37 yards for a touchdown.Mullen said hes seeing a lot of good things on the field, but the Bulldogs are struggling to get 100 percent execution on a given play.If 11 guys do their job every play you have the opportunity to be successful, Mullen said. If 10 guys do their job the right way and one messes up or goes the wrong way, or doesnt use good technique or one of those things, your chance for success drops dramatically.The recent losses have been a jarring setback for a Mississippi State program that has improved dramatically in recent years. Just two years ago, the Bulldogs were the No. 1 team in the country for five straight weeks and a real threat to win the Southeastern Conferences Western Division.That doesnt appear to be the case these days.But Mullen insists his program hasnt lost momentum and has a great future ahead of it. Hes also not ready to give up on the current season.We have had some great years since I have been here, and we will have a lot more great years while Im here, Mullen said. And this year may end up being one of those years. You never know how its going to play out.---Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP .---AP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org . Kevin King Super Bowl Jersey . A knee to the thigh might have stung him the most, but his sixth straight double-double made up for the brief burst of pain. Kyler Fackrell Super Bowl Jersey . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. http://www.shoptheofficialpackers.com/Elite-Brett-Favre-Packers-Jersey/ .In my heart and mind Im competing for India, luge competitor Shiva Keshavan told The Associated Press in an email interview. Every day Im flooded with messages from Indians all over the world telling me they are supporting me. Josh Jackson Super Bowl Jersey . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. Jace Sternberger Super Bowl Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. MILWAUKEE -- Jonathan Villar homered to start a five-run first inning against Jason Hammel, and the Milwaukee Brewers cooled off the Chicago Cubs with a 12-5 victory on Tuesday night.The NL Central-leading Cubs had won seven of eight and were 41 games over .500 after winning Mondays series opener.But Milwaukee rallied from a 1-0 deficit as its first seven batters reached against Hammel (14-8). Villar homered on Hammels second pitch, Ryan Braun had an RBI single, Domingo Santana singled in two ruuns and Martin Maldonado added a sacrifice fly.ddddddddddddWily Peralta (6-9) gave up four runs and six hits in 7 2/3 innings, leaving after Anthony Rizzos second home run of the game, a two-run drive. Peralta became the first Brewers starter to pitch into the eighth since Junior Guerra on July 29. He has a 3.35 ERA in six starts since his Aug. 8 recall from Triple-A. ' ' '
