By Brad Locke

Daily Journal

STARKVILLE - It's rare that a scowl creases Anthony Dixon's face, but don't let that fool you.

Mississippi State's jocular running back is entering his senior season in a sober state of mind, even if he won't stop smiling while talking about it. With a new coach, Dan Mullen, bringing in a new attitude and a new spread offense, it's open auditions - even for a guy who's rushed for 2,603 yards and 30 touchdowns in Starkville.

On Thursday, the second day of practice, Dixon was running with the second and third teams, his punishment for being one pound over his weight limit of 235. Christian Ducre, his backup last year, got the first-team carries.

"I don't like that. That's a demotion," Dixon said, with a smile. "That ain't a good thing, but I'm trying my best to get back there."

Dixon was a hefty 255 when Mullen arrived, and his ability and desire to drop 20 pounds this offseason bodes well for his future in the new offense. He's all business in the weight room and on the field.

Running backs coach Greg Knox, in the short time he's been here, has learned that much.

"He's a very tough individual - mentally tough; physically he's getting there," Knox said. "Just a very football-smart young man. We've just got to polish up his techniques, but you can tell he knows the game of football."

Dixon indeed knows the game, and he's quick to let you know that. Since he arrived on campus in 2006 as a highly decorated star from Terry High School, Dixon has been telling anyone who would listen just how skilled and versatile he is.

The man known as "Boobie" - see: "Friday Night Lights" - has never lacked confidence. Yet for all his talk and for all he's done, his inner motor keeps churning as fast as his mouth.

"Every day I wake up, I feel like I've got a point to prove, whether it's in a classroom or out here on the field," Dixon said. "It's kind of what Coach Mullen puts in us - every day we wake up and bring it."

Mr. Versatility

Chances are, Dixon will be the first-team tailback by the Sept. 5 season opener against Jackson State. What his exact role will be remains a mystery.

At 6-foot-1, he's thick like a linebacker. But he's not blowing smoke when he brags about being a better route-runner than the Bulldog receivers, and he could be seen lining up wide in practice last week.

"He can run routes, he can catch the ball," Knox said. "He seems to have a knack for being out in space and making people miss."

There is a misconception about Mullen's offense, and it asserts that a back like Dixon has no place in this version of the spread.Perhaps that is born of the success Mullen had at Florida, which lacked a true tailback last season but won the BCS national title on the swift legs of hybrid backs like Percy Harvin and Brandon James.

The spread offense is very accommodating, though.

Mullen referenced his days at Utah, when his boss, Urban Meyer, had a pair of heavy backs leading the offense.

"They're the perfect guys for this kind of offense," Mullen said. "We need some speed guys to do some different things, but having those big backs give you a lot of flexibility in the offense."

State doesn't have nearly as many wide receivers as Mullen would like, which could put more pressure on MSU's running backs to produce. That's fine with Dixon, who can't help but smile at the possibilities that lie ahead.

"I just want to be in the game," he said. "It don't matter where you line up or what you ask us to do, I believe I can do it."