From staff reports

Anthony Dixon and Dexter McCluster went head-to-head on the football field on Saturday. Tonight, they’ll clash one more time in a banquet hall.

Conerly finalists

Tim Buckley, QB, Alcorn St.

Cordario Calvin, WR, Belhaven

Trevar Deed, WR, Delta St.

Malcolm Palmer, DB, Jackson St.

Chris Graves, QB, Millsaps

Adam Shaffer, QB, Miss. College

Anthony Dixon, RB, Miss. State

Jared Green, DL, MVSU

Dexter McCluster, RB, Ole Miss

Damion Fletcher, RB, USM

Dixon, a running back for Mississippi State, and McCluster, Ole Miss’ speedy tailback, are the favorites among 10 finalists for the Conerly Trophy that will be presented tonight at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in Jackson. The award is given annually to the top college football player in Mississippi.

Dixon made his case for the award on Saturday. In front of 55,000 fans at Scott Field in Starkville, the bruising 235-pounder rushed for 116 of his game-high 133 yards in the second half as Mississippi State beat Ole Miss 41-27. Dixon finished the season with 1,391 yards, tops in the Southeastern Conference and a single-season MSU record.

“He leads the SEC in rushing and he did it against the toughest schedule anyone has faced this season,” MSU coach Dan Mullen said.

McCluster caught a touchdown pass and had 145 total yards against Mississippi State to cap a strong second half of the season. He set an Ole Miss single-game record with 282 rushing yards against Tennessee, and had a stretch of four straight 100-yard games against SEC opponents.

“He’s a great player,” Dixon said of McCluster. “But I hope I win. I thought I should have won the last time and when I didn’t, I was pretty mad about it.”

In a tweak to the Conerly Trophy voting this year, one finalist from each of Mississippi’s 10 four-year, football-playing colleges was selected. In the past, only three finalists from across the state were invited to Jackson.

Other finalists this year are Alcorn State quarterback Tim Buckley; Belhaven wide receiver Cordario Calvin; Delta State receiver Trevar Deed; Jackson State defensive back Malcolm Palmer; Millsaps quarterback Chris Graves; Mississippi College quarterback Adam Shaffer; Mississippi Valley State defensive lineman Jared Green; and Southern Miss running back Damion Fletcher.

If anyone can upset Dixon or McCluster for the award, it might be Shaffer or Fletcher.

Shaffer is one of 10 finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in Division III. He threw for more than 3,000 yards this season and led the Choctaws to the second round of the NCAA playoffs.

Fletcher won the Conerly Trophy in 2007 and is Southern Miss’ career rushing leader. He has 937 yards this season, and the most career yards of any active Division I running back.

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Sports writer Jeff Byrd contributed to this report.