'I hate them bells,' Sammie Coates not attune to Mississippi State's cowbells

AUBURN -- Sammie Coates would happily make do with less cowbell than is in store for him and his Auburn teammates in their trip to Starkville this Saturday

The Auburn wide receiver is not fond of Mississippi State's cowbells, the school's traditional noisemakers fans clang insistently at Davis Wade Stadium.

"It's crazy. I hate them bells," Coates said. "Their fans be into it, we've just got to block it out and play our ball."

During the SEC Spring Meetings in May, the league approved the use of music, computerized sound systems and "institutionally-controlled artificial noisemakers" and "traditional institutional noisemakers" at any time during football games except when the center is over the ball until the play is whistled dead. The change allowed Mississippi State to continue its traditional practice, which it had been fined for in recent years, including $25,000 last season.

Mississippi State also expanded Davis Wade Stadium during the off-season, closing the north end zone and expanding capactiy to over 61,000.

"They (cowbells) are loud and they affect the game, but it's no different than a really good home crowd environment, which they have," Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said. "I know they've even added some seats and closed it in since the last time I was there. Noise is noise and when you go on the road in our league you've got to prepare to play without any verbal communication, whether it's 100,000 fans or cowbells or both. ... Those cowbells, they do the trick, but we've got to overcome it."

Tigers defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson served in the same role at MSU from 2004-07 and is "anxious" to see newly renovated stadium.

"I'm sure it's going to be a louder environment, and more fans," Johnson said. "I think it's going to be one of the toughest environments we've been in, including last year."

With Mississippi State (5-0, 2-0 SEC) tied with Ole Miss at No. 3 in the AP poll, the highest in MSU history, and No. 2 Auburn coming to town for a 2:30 p.m. game on CBS and ESPN's College GameDay on site, the environment should be at an all-time fervor.

Auburn holds a 61-24-2 lead in the all-time series, including last year's 24-20 comeback win on the Plains.

The Tigers will be put to the unusual test they face every two years in a game with major implications in the SEC and nationally.

"It's just a weird noise," Coates said. "You don't expect crowds to do that, but they do it and it's weird. They like it I guess."