Mississippi State Lineman Dillon Day Suspended for Stomping on LSU Players

Updates from Wednesday, Sept. 24

Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen spoke about Dillon Day's suspension on Wednesday, via The Dispatch:

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Asked his opinion of Day's conduct, Mullen said'"I didn't see anything wrong with it.' 

And when the subject changed to Day's eventual suspension, Mullen added, 'We completely disagree with the ruling that was given to us by the league, but we are going to follow the commissioner's decision.'

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Original Text

The Southeastern Conference has suspended Mississippi State center Dillon Day for the team's Oct. 4 game against Texas A&M for stomping on two defensive players in the Bulldogs' 34-29 win over LSU last Saturday.

Day, a senior, was shown on video leaping up and then stomping hard on LSU defensive tackle Davon Godchaux's stomach in one instance and the groin of cornerback Rashard Robinson in another instance, forcing the latter to be removed from the game. SEC commissioner Mike Slive announced the punishment Tuesday, citing Day's history of dangerous behavior.

"This action is the result of multiple flagrant and unsportsmanlike acts during the game, as well as previous disciplinary action for similar behavior," the conference's press release read, per Michael Bonner of The Clarion-Ledger.

Day was previously suspended for the start of a game against Troy last season after stomping on an Auburn player. He later entered the game, so Oct. 4 will be the first time since 2012 that Day is not under center for any portion of a Mississippi State game. For his part, Day maintains that he's been "wrongfully accused," claiming his momentum carried him into both defenders as he was attempting to finish the play.

"You never know when the ball-carrier will break loose and you can make another block or if a fumble may happen," Day wrote in a letter to Mississippi State fans, which he shared on Twitter. "It is essential to follow the ball. In the two clips, you can see I am doing just that."

The suspension is a black mark on one of the biggest wins in recent program history. Led by quarterback Dak Prescott, the then-unranked Bulldogs defeated LSU in Baton Rouge for the first time since 1991. Prescott had 373 total yards (268 passing, 105 rushing) and three touchdowns as Mississippi State got out to a 34-10 lead and held on late.

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The upset vaulted the Bulldogs to No. 14 in the Associated Press poll and No. 16 in the Amway Coaches Poll. But almost immediately after the game the narrative switched to Day and whether the SEC would levy any punishment.

"That's already in the works," LSU head coach Les Miles told reporters, indicating the school submitted tapes of the stompings. "I think not only did TV catch that, but that was something that we caught and that we sent in and certainly the conference will do the right thing."

Though Dan Mullen has two weeks to reshuffle his offensive line, Mississippi State will be losing a key leader during the most onerous stretch of its schedule. The Bulldogs host sixth-ranked Texas A&M in two weeks, a game that will assuredly come down to which star quarterback puts his team in a position to win.

The Aggies vaulted into national contention themselves with an opening-week thrashing of South Carolina and boast a legitimate Heisman threat in quarterback Kenny Hill.

If that's not enough, Nick Marshall and fifth-ranked Auburn visit Davis Wade Stadium on Oct. 11—potentially Mississippi State's third straight meeting with a Top 10 opponent. While Day will be back in the lineup against the Tigers, Prescott and Co. need all hands on deck to survive this gauntlet. Without him, an already difficult matchup with Texas A&M just got a lot harder.

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