“Two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar…all for the MSUBulldogs stand up and holler!”

As the Ole Miss Rebels and Mississippi State Bulldogs strugglethrough what appears to be a long, losing football season, alumniwith a sense of humor are coming out of their respective closets.Some have been accused of living under rocks and slithering outonly after dark.

Dave “Bulldog” Pace telephoned the sports desk the other day toshare his latest encounter with an unknown Rebel from The Grove.Apparently, several local MSU leaders have been receiving funnymail.

After the Bulldogs lost to Division I-AA powerhouse Maine, atthe Dog Pound, in Starkville, business began picking up for the USmail. Quarters, commemorating Maine’s statehood, began arriving inthe mail boxes of MSU alumni.

Was it a coin collector gone berserk for just some Rebel alumnuswith a sense of humor?

Last Saturday, the Bulldogs were buried in Death Valley by theLSU Tigers, losing 51-zip. Pace was among the recipients of aLouisiana quarter.

Anxious to return the favor, Bulldog faithful eagerly dugthrough their piggy banks in search of Wyoming quarters. In caseyou missed it, the Ole Miss Rebels flew out to Laramie, Wy. lastweekend and were ambushed by the Cowboys.

Unfortunately, Wyoming statehood coins haven’t been minted yet.Cowboy boots are too heavy and much too expensive to send throughthe mail. Perhaps a used toothpick would suffice.

Meanwhile, Professor Hoopla B.S., was picking turkey meat out ofhis teeth after enjoying a low-carb lunch. He lost 35 pounds on thelow-carb menu so it obviously works.

Last week Hoopla predicted the winners of 31 football games andgot 26 right. Special congratulations to the Bogue Chitto Bobcatson their homecoming victory over St. Al.

Here’s a preview of this weekend’s winners, starting with aThursday night community college special.

Co-Lin at Gulf Coast: Wolves invade Perkinstonfor a South Division test and suffer an ambush. Gulf Coast17-14.

McComb at Brookhaven: Another overflow crowdwatches one of the oldest high school rivalries in the MagnoliaState, as the Panthers host the Tigers. In a cat fight, Brookhaven17-7.

Silliman at Brookhaven Academy: Homecomingbrings out the best in the undefeated Cougars who hike their recordto 7-0 on the season. Brookhaven Academy 27-12.

Loyd Star at Wesson: Both teams are in arebuilding mode but the Cobras have a lot more shoes to fill. In aheated rivalry, Loyd Star 28-13.

Bogue Chitto at West Lincoln: Bobcats chalkedup their first win last week and now they’re ready for the Bears.Bogue Chitto 30-22.

Stringer at Enterprise: Perhaps homecoming willinspire the slumping Yellow Jackets. Enterprise 26-21.

Jim Hill at Lawrence County: This looks like anoffensive showcase. Lawrence County 35-20.

Jefferson County at Franklin County: Ahomecoming bash in Meadville keeps the unbeaten Bulldogs fromreaching the 40-point plateau. Franklin County 39-12.

Terry at South Pike: Bulldogs are better andmuch more confident when they invade Magnolia. Unbeaten Eagles aremuch better. South Pike 48-17.

In other area action, Hazlehurst should takeWilkinson County 27-12, Riverfield should clip Copiah Academy28-14, East Marion should edge North Pike 21-18, Madison-Ridgelandshould boot Parklane 32-10, and Richland should keep CrystalSprings winless 29-6.

Moving to Saturday, Hoopla starts the forecast with a communitycollege contest.

Southwest at Jones County: Winless Bearsencounter an aerial blitz on the road. Jones County 31-19.

Mississippi State at Vanderbilt: Quarters flyagain as the Commodores author an ambush in Nashville. Vandy28-17.

Arkansas State at Ole Miss: Rebels reboundagainst the outmanned Indians. Ole Miss 21-7.

Southern Miss at South Florida: Golden Eaglesenjoy a third straight victory. USM 32-14.

Other Magnolia State games: SoutheasternLouisiana should dump Valley State 28-9, Belhaven should clipVirginia-Wise 19-17 and Mary Hardin-Baylor should smash MississippiCollege 44-10. Millsaps, Jackson State and Alcorn State have opendates to promote their volleyball programs.

In SEC action, LSU over Georgia 28-21,Tennessee over Auburn 33-23, Arkansas over Florida 22-14, SouthCarolina over Alabama 21-10 and Kentucky over Ohio 31-21.

Write to sports editor Tom Goetz, c/o The DAILY LEADER, P.O.BOX 551, Brookhaven, MS 39602 ore e-mailsports@dailyleader.com