All manner of updates below.

6:49 pm – Just got Alex out of the tub, and now I’m sitting in the living room and wishing that D would CHANGE THE CHANNEL, ALREADY from the US Open coverage because WHAT IF THEY START THE FOOTBALL EARLY? WHAT WILL WE DO THEN?

(I’m just guessing, but I doubt that “Change! The channel! CHANGE IT!” is an appropriate response when your husband is expressing awe over Andy Roddick’s 137 mph serve.)

6:53 pm – We’re still watching Roddick. I’m screaming on the inside.

6:59 – Still watching tennis. The State game is probably over by now.

6:59.59 – Channel finally on ESPN. Praying nerves recover.

7:02 – Just saw cowbells. All is well now. Except that Alex won’t quit singing, “Excuse me, I pooted! I have gas!”

7:03 – MSU’s field could not look any more beautiful than it does tonight. The grass is flawless. I am understandably proud.

7:04 – Feel that James Carville announcing the LSU lineup has jinxed the Bulldogs and therefore is responsible for the early fumble.

7:07 – Excellent punt coverage by the Bulldogs. COME ON, NOW, SONS.

7:08 – Received our first trash-talking text message from our friend Benji in Baton Rouge. Bulldogs promptly sack the Tigers. Keep up with that trash-talking, Benji.

7:13 – Total number of times I’ve talked to my sister already: two.

7:14 – EXCELLENT coverage by our cornerback in the corner of the end zone. Tigers have to punt. Will call Sister again.

7:17 – Intercepted by the Tigers. Think I may need to eat something.

7:25 – Tigers score a field goal. Tickled to death it wasn’t a touchdown.

7:30 – 3rd & 4 Dogs. GOT IT! Alex just told me not to yell so loud. I am a delicate maternal flower.

7:32 – Another first down for the Dogs. I did not yell.

7:36 – 4th & 2 – and we’re going for it. May throw up.

7:36 – Contemplating writing ESPN a letter to remind them that we are MISSISSIPPI STATE, not MISSISSIPPI, and as such they might want to show OUR public service announcement and not the Rebels’.

7:39 – Rain pouring down.

7:42 – State gets their first penalty of the game with one second left in the first quarter. This has to be a record. Coach Croom has this team well-prepared.

7:43 – First quarter over. LSU up 3-0. Feeling somewhat pleased that the Tigers are only up by a fieldgoal.

7:45 – Wondering when Brett Favre started doing commercials for Wrangler?

*****

8:32 – Safari crashed. All my pithy 2nd quarter observations are lost in the process. Somewhat concerned that the WordPress autosave feature was apparently neither automatic nor saving.

Plus, I had to get Alex to bed so I missed about 15 minutes of the game. At some point I will tell the story of how I tried to help the little man with his scissor skills today, but right now I just can’t because I’m too busy trying to block it out. At one point there were actually tears when I was trying to coach him through cutting out a rectangle, and he didn’t fare so well, either.

So. Yes. The game. Back to it. Of course.

Here’s the gist of my 2nd quarter comments:

I miss ESPN’s normal Starkville crew of Chris Fowler, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit. And something tells me that Chris Fowler is missing them, too. Because Doug Flutie, bless his heart, knows about as much about Bulldog football as I know about Boston College football. Which is, to say, not a lot.

Also: the LSU punter is so good that we started one drive from somewhere around Biloxi.

End of first half: LSU – 17 MSU – 0

Hey. You know what would be delightful? Some offense.

*****

9:15 – So now that we’re down by 24, I guess I need to turn my attention to other matters.

9:20 – Like, perhaps, the badly bungled attempt at podcasting Big Mama and I experienced earlier today. I couldn’t get my microphone to work, and D had to provide technical support on at least three different occasions. Then, when we finally started recording – an hour after we had planned – we ended up getting a world-class case of the giggles which resulted in a complete inability – at least on on my part – to form words.

I laughed so hard that I wheezed.

And could not compose myself.

At which point we decided it might be better to try again tomorrow.

9:26 – Doug Flutie just said that our team has heart. I’m starting to warm up to him a little bit now.

9:30 – Fifth interception of the night for MSU’s quarterback. It’s getting ugly, my friends.

9:33 – LSU scores again. Maybe I need a light snack.

9:39 – I haven’t mentioned it, but I do think LSU has the best fight song in all of college football. I’ve been reminded of that tonight because I’ve HEARD IT SO OFTEN.

9:45 – End of the 3rd quarter. LSU – 31, MSU – 0

Still looking for offense. Obviously.

*****

9:49 – SIXTH interception for MSU’s quarterback. This has to be a record. Only not the good kind.

9:57 – LSU scores again. The phrase “adding insult to injury” takes on a whole new meaning.

9:59 – D is still watching the game but also listening to one of our friend Kevin’s sermons on his iPod. The Lord is the Source of all comfort, you know.

10:06 – Jackie Sherrill is on now. It makes me smile. He looks tan and rested – I think retirement is agreeing with him. And somebody needs to put him in a broadcast booth. In my opinion.

10:10 – LSU scores again. Ditto what I said at 9:57.

10:15 – Is it over yet?

10:21 – The up side is that we’ll have plenty of Rotel dip and Mississippi (State) Sin Dip to eat tomorrow. Because what could possibly better for you than not one but TWO (TWO!) dips loaded with cheese and / or cheese product?

10:23 – Do y’all think we can score 45 points in two minutes?

10:25 – It’s over.

LSU – 45, MSU – 0

Poor Bulldogs. God love ’em.

I’m going to bed now.

I’ve been a little distracted today because, well, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but tonight, around 7:00 central time, my beloved Mississippi State Bulldogs will take the field against the LSU Fightin’ Tigers in the first SEC football match-up of the season.

The game should be a total cinch for us to win since LSU is only ranked #2 in the nation.

A cakewalk, really.

But for now? And for the next few hours? Optimism reigns supreme.

And needless to say, we’ve played this song about 400 times today at our house. Aye, and loudly.

So in the spirit of the new college football season, I think I’m going to live blog the game tonight. I know that only about six of you will even care about what happens between MSU and LSU on the gridion, but let’s not forget that this is Alex’s heritage, people.

I mean, quite frankly it would be irresponsible if I didn’t document this particular facet of my insanity. Plus, I’d like to think that a running talley of how many times I scream “COME ON, NOW, SON” during the second quarter will one day be a priceless treasure for future generations of our family.

I’ll be back after kick-off – and until then I’ll be watching the game day cam, frying up some sausage for my favorite Rotel dip, and screaming “GO, STATE” with Alex.

It’s a happy, happy day.

And if we can beat the Tigers? It’s going to be even better.