Friday, October 10, 2014 |
Retailers again eye profits on huge football, event Saturday | |
While Mississippi State University and Auburn University put hype aside and battle for at least a share of the Southeastern Conference's western division's top spot tomorrow, local business owners are hoping to cash in historic sales figures. Thousands of people are expected to visit Starkville in hopes of witnessing what could be a watershed moment for the Bulldogs' football program. Starkville restaurant, hotel and retail managers say they're coming off their best weekend in terms of profits after MSU decisively defeated Texas A&M University last week, and tourism officials predict an even greater influx of visitors and national attention for tomorrow's game. | |
GameDay set for Saturday's Mississippi State broadcast | |
A day after ESPN's College GameDay made its first appearance at Ole Miss for the Rebels' game against Alabama, Lee Fitting, the program's executive coordinating producer, proclaimed the show "its best ever." Fitting doesn't expect that "best ever" title to last very long. The GameDay crew has set up shop in The Junction for Saturday's Mississippi State-Auburn game and, as it was with last week's game at Ole Miss, it the first time ESPN's wildly-popular pregame show has been on the MSU campus. "Whenever we go to a school for the first time, it's really special," said Fitting, who has been with GameDay since 2000 and its executive producer since 2012. "Last week in Oxford, it was off the chart. I expect that it will be off the chart at Mississippi State this week, too. I predict it will be just as good, if not better, than last week." | |
ESPN preps for College Game Day at Mississippi State | |
For the first time ever, ESPN College Game Day has set foot on Mississippi State University soil. The Bulldogs undefeated season has brought the extra attention to the university. Thursday, ESPN set up the stage in front of the stadium's south entrance for extensive coverage of the game against Auburn University Saturday. "It's really exciting because, I mean, I didn't think we were ever gonna get this far," said biochemistry senior Hillary Burgess. "Being number three in the nation is incredible, and it's like the best feeling in the world." | |
Mississippi hosts ESPN GameDay for a second time in two weeks | |
It's almost game day -- take two -- in Mississippi. Fans are getting pumped to welcome ESPN College GameDay in Starkville for the first time. This is just one week after a historic stop at Ole Miss. Mississippi State University will be in the national spotlight on Oct. 11 when the Bulldogs take on Auburn. Fans can even take a live look at the GameDay webcam showing the tailgating area, where tents are already set up. The excitement among the students is sky high, including speculation about who could be the guest GameDay picker. Kickoff at Mississippi State is set for 2:30 Saturday afternoon. | |
ESPN crew rolls in at Mississippi State's Junction | |
ESPN's College GameDay bus arrived at Mississippi State University for the first time ever to the warm, raucous welcome of hundreds of MSU fans and students. GameDay will broadcast live from the Junction, beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday, before the No. 3 Mississippi State Bulldog football team hosts the No. 2 Auburn University Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium. The game begins at 2:30 p.m. and will air on CBS. For many students, including freshmen Mitchell Sones and Wilkes Skelton, the GameDay's arrival added another notch to an already-exciting week. (Subscriber-only content.) | |
'College GameDay' sets up in Starkville | |
ESPN's "College GameDay" is coming to Mississippi State this weekend, and crews began setting up in the Junction on Thursday morning. Journal photographer Thomas Wells was there to capture the scene. "GameDay" will air from 8-11 a.m. Saturday on ESPN. The game between No. 2 Auburn and No. 3 MSU will start at 2:30 p.m. on CBS. | |
Mississippi State's Athletics Department Turns To Technology To Improve Fan Experience | |
Seen as one of the most dominant conferences in college football, in 2012 the SEC formed the SEC Fan Experience Working Group. One of the goals of the group was to develop recommendations to enhance SEC fans' experiences at games. Recognizing the time fans spend on their smart phones, Mississippi State turned to technology to improve its fans' experiences at games. "Everyone has their phone in their hands at all times. In terms of improving fan engagement, we wanted to do something that wasn't fully centered on one particular social media medium, like Twitter or Facebook. Rather, we wanted something that fans of all age ranges could and would use," Mississippi State's assistant athletic director for marketing, Leah Beasley, explained. | |
Mississippi State students cautioned about gameday ID use | |
Mississippi State University is warning students that giving their student IDs to other people to get them into Saturday's game could result in disciplinary action through the Dean of Students. Dean of Students Thomas Bourgeois says MSU students will now need a valid student ID or student guest ticket to enter the game and the student section. Bourgeois adds the MSU policy does not allow anyone other than the student identified on the ID card to use it. This is to keep those who are not students from taking student seating. | |
Mississippi State Offers Students A Lesson In Football 101 | |
It's one of the most popular sports and now Mississippi State students are getting an opportunity to dig deeper into the game of football. Just one of hundreds of freshman level courses, designed to welcome new students to the college while earning a one hour credit, Football 101 has come to campus and students are filling up the class. | |
Jackson Zoo expands partnership with Mississippi State | |
The Jackson Zoo's extended partnership with the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine opens up opportunities for vet students and for research help on endangered and threatened species. The move formalizes a years-long relationship where vet students worked with the zoo's consulting veterinarian Dr. Michael Holifield, an MSU-CVM alum, for hands-on learning. Zoo director Beth Poff said this is the next step to making the zoo part of the students' rotation. It welcomes students into the program next spring. "Now, our students won't have to go far at all to get involved in research of zoological epidemiology, and understand infectious diseases in captive and free-ranging wildlife," Dr. Kent Hoblet, MSU-CVM Dean, said. | |
Displaced Oak Hall residents get helping hand Thursday | |
Student volunteers showed up Thursday to help their fellow Mississippi State students as they moved out of Oak Hall. A Sunday night fire temporarily displaced more than 150 students from the dormitory. While about half of those can already return to their rooms, the other half sought assistance in moving the remainder of their belongings out, said Avent Clark, marketing and communication coordinator for MSU Department of Housing and Residence Life. (Subscriber-only content.) | |
Mississippi State prepares to host Freedom Summer conference | |
Mississippi State University is holding a conference later this month about Freedom Summer, the 1964 effort to expand voting rights and education programs to black citizens in Mississippi. The conference is Oct. 20-21 on the university campus in Starkville. One session on Oct. 20 will feature several people who organized or participated in the civil rights activities 50 years ago, including activists Dave Dennis and Hollis Watkins. Another session that day features the current Tougaloo College president, Beverly Wade Hogan, and former Gov. William Winter. | |
Mississippi State Announces 'Empty Bowls' Luncheon | |
A Mississippi State student organization is joining with a university academic department to provide a special way of acknowledging and helping alleviate food insecurity and hunger in the Starkville community on World Food Day. "Empty Bowls," a soup luncheon and silent auction on Oct. 16, will take place at the Bost Extension Center auditorium. In conjunction with the Maroon Edition series of events and open to all, the event will raise funds to benefit local food pantries. The 11 a.m.-12:45 p.m. silent auction will feature about 200 auction bowls made and signed by well-known members of the campus and local communities, along with others designed by students and MSU alumni. The 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. luncheon will be catered by MSU Dining Services and City Bagel. | |
Scottish singer to perform tonight at MSU Riley Center | |
Gaelic vocalist Julie Fowlis will perform tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the MSU Riley Center in downtown Meridian. Fowlis, who will perform her adaptations of songs from her native Scottish tradition, was chosen by Disney Pixar as the featured singer for the soundtrack to Brave, an animated feature set in 10th century Scotland. "Brought up on North Uist in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, Fowlis has been a proud standard bearer for Gaelic music and culture over the course of a solo career which has spanned three award-winning studio albums and numerous highly acclaimed projects and collaborations," a press release states. | |
Robotics Club at BA prepares to compete for regional award at MSU | |
A group of Brookhaven Academy students will leave Friday for Mississippi State University to compete with other schools in the Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology competition, a national six-week robotics competition held each fall around the country. The program is designed to help build interest in middle school and high school students for possible engineering careers. The high school robotics competition hosted by the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State is designed to engage and excite students about engineering, science and technology. | |
New company, familiar faces: Coblentz, Kenne team up to form Tellos Creative | |
Coblentz, executive producer and chief executive officer of Starkville-based full-service production company Broadcast Media Group Inc., and Kathy Kenne, former co-founder and partner of the advertising, public relations, social media and special events firm Quest Group of West Point, have formed Tellos Creative. Tellos, headquartered on North Jackson Street in Starkville with a Jackson office on Briarwood Drive, houses eight full-time employees and two part-time workers. Both Coblentz and Kenne, who combined have more than 40 years of industry experience, have already tasted success as entrepreneurs. Broadcast Media Group, founded by Coblentz in Starkville in 1996, has earned a reputation for executing unique projects. This year, Broadcast Media and Coblentz earned a Southeast regional Emmy nomination for work on "One Night in March," a documentary on the 1963 Mississippi State University basketball team's historic NCAA tournament game with Loyola University. | |
Starkville City Hall downplays forecasted water rate hikes | |
Starkville administrators downplayed a department head's prediction of future water rate hikes by saying the forecast is premature before the city receives its Fiscal Year 2013-2014 audit in early 2015. Public Works Director Doug Devlin made the prediction at Tuesday's board of aldermen meeting as he discussed an upcoming $400,000 Mississippi Capital Improvements (CAP) Loan application that could fund a lengthy sewage pipe replacement near the southern industrial park. Starkville Chief Administrative Officer/Finance Director Taylor Adams walked back Devlin's comments later by saying Devlin's prediction is "putting the cart ahead of the horse" before the city fully studies SPW's financial standing. | |
Mississippi Hills management plan gets federal approval | |
Three years and 800 pages later, the management plan for the Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area has the seal of approval from the federal government. The plan will help guide cultural and heritage development of the 30-county area, which stretches over all of 19 counties and parts of 11 others mostly in the northeastern part of the state. The designated area is bordered by Tennessee, Alabama, Interstate 55 and U.S. Highway 14. The ultimate goal of the plan is to tell the untold stories of the area not only to its own residents, but also to people outside the region that will serve as an economic driver for communities as more money is spent in hotels, restaurants and attractions. "Our future is bright," said Gloria Kellum, vice chancellor of university relations, emeritus at the University of Mississippi and a member of the alliance. "We the people are willing to preserve, promote and protect north Mississippi." | |
Work Underway to Improve State's Internet Speed and Access | |
Calls to improve Mississippi's access to the Internet are growing louder. The state has the sixth slowest average Internet speed in the country. Mississippi-based C Spire is adding Jackson to its list of cities where it will install new faster broadband Internet services, bringing the total to 10. Company CEO Hu Meena says access to the Internet is a modern essential. Meena compared access to the Internet with access to electricity, which also started as luxury before becoming a modern staple. Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley has been a strong advocate for improving Internet access and speed state wide and agrees with the analogy. Presley says the commission is working with the federal government to fund improved access and speeds statewide. | |
Judge dismisses lawsuit over voters' birthdates | |
A Texas-based group will not appeal its loss in a lawsuit that sought access to Mississippi voters' birthdates after a disputed Republican primary for U.S. Senate. U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas filed an order Tuesday dismissing the lawsuit filed by True the Vote and several Mississippi residents. The dismissal came more than a month after Atlas ruled against the plaintiffs. Atlas said in her Aug. 29 ruling that disclosing voters' birthdates "raises serious concerns" about privacy, particularly if dates were released with full names and addresses. | |
Plea talks underway in Cochran photo case | |
Prosecutors say they are in plea bargain talks with a man allegedly involved in plotting to take unauthorized photos of Sen. Thad Cochran's bedridden wife during the Republican primary campaign. Madison County District Attorney Michael Guest tells the Madison County Journal the talks could result in Richard Sager, a teacher from Laurel, testifying against the only man indicted in the case, Clayton Kelly. Guest says Sager's case has not been presented to a grand jury pending plea negotiations. Kelly was indicted on charges stemming from the April incident at St. Catherine's Village nursing home in Madison, where the senator's wife, Rose Cochran, has lived for several years with dementia. | |
Late-season surprises shake GOP confidence in Senate elections | |
For months, the 2014 midterm elections have looked like a deck stacked in favor of Republicans. But as campaign season heads into its final weeks, some wild cards are on the table in states where the GOP had been expecting easy victories on its way to gaining six seats and taking control of the Senate. Election Day may not resolve things, either. Conservative firebrand Chris McDaniel, a Mississippi state senator who was defeated by Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) in a June primary, said he expects many of his hard-right supporters from around the country to stay home in November in order to send a message to the national party. "Conservatives feel betrayed by elements within the Republican Party," said McDaniel, who is challenging Cochran's victory in state courts. "It's always regrettable when people decline to take part, but thousands of them will, and I understand their frustration." | |
Senators write letter over concern for rural health care delivery | |
U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) are pushing the Obama administration to more effectively consider the effects its federal rules and regulations have on the delivery of health care in rural areas. The senators are among 34 who have signed a letter to Marilyn B. Tavenner, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, that asks her to provide comprehensive details about the CMS rulemaking process and how rural health care concerns are addressed. The senators assert that recent policy decisions have not adequately reflected the reality of health delivery in rural areas. | |
Wisconsin and Texas voter ID laws blocked by courts | |
The U.S. Supreme Court late Thursday blocked Wisconsin from enforcing its strict voter identification law in November's election. By a 6-3 vote, the justices granted an emergency appeal from civil rights lawyers, who argued it was too late to put the rule into effect this year. At nearly the same time, a federal judge in Texas struck down that state's new voter ID law on the grounds that it violated the constitutional right to vote and discriminated against racial minorities. The Wisconsin and Texas cases were the two most closely watched tests of new voter rules this year. In both states, Republican-led legislatures sought to tighten the rules for voting and to require all registered voters who did not have a driver's license to obtain a photo ID card at a state motor vehicles office. | |
Taliban shooting victim Malala Yousafzai and Indian child rights activist share Nobel | |
A 17-year-old Pakistani girl who survived a Taliban gunshot to the head for her advocacy of female education became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, winning alongside an Indian advocate for ending child labor. Malala Yousafzai, who has emerged as a global spokeswoman for the rights of children after her long recovery, was awarded the prize just a day after the second anniversary of the attack on her in Pakistan's Swat Valley. Co-winner Kailash Satyarthi, 60, has been a longtime crusader against child slavery and is credited with saving tens of thousands of lives. The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Yousafzai and Satyarthi "for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education." | |
Mississippi soldier nominated for Nobel Peace Prize | |
When Army Reserve Sgt. Randy Sandifer of Pinola deployed to Iraq as a sophomore at Ole Miss, he didn't realize he was on a journey that would take him not only overseas, but eventually would tie his name to one of the most prestigious honors in the world. Sandifer, now 30 and a ballistics expert at the Army Crime Lab in Atlanta, is nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for research he did while stationed at Abu Ghraib prison -- research that ultimately would lead to the closure of the controversial facility. On Friday, Pakistan's Malala Yousafzai and India's Kailash Satyarthi won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for their struggles for the rights and against the oppression of children. But Sandifer's nomination stands through next year. | |
Shakespeare to forensic science, LEP classes start Monday at MUW | |
Time is running short to register for Mississippi University for Women's Life Enrichment Program second fall term. These non-credit classes are offered Oct. 13 through Nov. 21. "These courses are taught by volunteers who are experts in their field and have a passion for teaching others," said Janie Shields coordinator of the Life Enrichment Program. The Life Enrichment Program offers non-credit courses for adults (age 18 and over) who share a love of learning and/or teaching. There is a $35 registration fee which will allow a student to enroll in up to five classes. | |
USM turning its attention to younger, out-of-state students | |
The University of Southern Mississippi is rolling out a three-pronged approach in an effort to turn its enrollment trend in a positive direction. Because of declining enrollment numbers dating back to 2011, USM is currently holding budget briefings in an effort to cut $6.79 million from its budget. The school is projected to lose $2.3 million during the current year if spring enrollment numbers mirror the fall. The new approach seems simple enough: Target younger students and extend Southern Miss' footprint beyond the Magnolia State. Provost Denis Wiesenburg said Tuesday the university has increased its recruiting budget by about $100,000 in an effort to reach more high school juniors and target more international students. The school also hired three additional academic recruiters. | |
USM student Devin Nottis of Pascagoula charged in theft of zoo flamingo, fraternity suspended | |
A 19-year-old college student on a scavenger hunt has been charged with snatching a Chilean Flamingo from a Mississippi zoo in what police say was a prank gone wrong. Hattiesburg police spokesman Lt. Jon Traxler said Devin Nottis of Pascagoula is charged with grand larceny. The University of Southern Mississippi student was arrested Wednesday night. USM responded Thursday by suspending Nottis and the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity of which he is a member. "This is a terrible and heinous act that has occurred, and inconsistent with the values of our institution," USM Vice President for Student Affairs Joe Paul said in a statement. | |
Police investigating 9 other students in flamingo case | |
Nine other college students are being investigated in connection with the early Tuesday morning theft of a Chilean flamingo from the Hattiesburg Zoo. So far, only Devin Nottis, a University of Southern Mississippi freshman, was arrested late Wednesday on charges of grand larceny, two counts of animal cruelty and trespassing in the case. On Thursday, Southern Miss placed the Pascagoula resident on interim suspension, and the fraternity he was pledging -- the Delta Mu chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha -- was indefinitely suspended, said Joe Paul, vice president for Student Affairs. The chapter also was placed on administrative suspension by the national organization. Hattiesburg police and Southern Miss are continuing to investigate the incident. | |
Actress Sela Ward among inductees into U. of Alabama communication college's Hall of Fame | |
The 2014 class of the University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences Hall of Fame was inducted in a ceremony Thursday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium's North Zone. Established by the college's board of visitors, the Communication Hall of Fame was created in 1998 to honor and perpetuate the names and accomplishments of civic and communication personalities who have brought prominence to Alabama. | |
U. of Georgia frat might face charges in alleged hazing incident | |
A University of Georgia fraternity might face criminal charges following an alleged hazing incident that forced pledges into trash cans filled with ice water. UGA officials received a tip last month concerning reported physical violence during an initiation ceremony. UGA police recently submitted results of their investigation into the Sept. 26 incident to Clarke County Magistrate Judge Patricia Barron for possible issuance of warrants, UGA Police Chief Jimmy Williamson said Thursday. University officials suspended the fraternity, the Theta Chi chapter of the national Delta Sigma Phi organization, after an initial investigation of a tip alleging "credible claims of physical violence," said Stan Jackson, a spokesman for UGA's Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. | |
Louisiana Board of Regents: Joseph Rallo selected new higher ed commissioner | |
Louisiana's next higher education commissioner has served in the Navy and Air Force, speaks multiple languages, has studied European law and Russian history, and is seen as an expert on global policy. The state Board of Regents on Thursday hailed as a coup its decision to hire Texas Tech System administrator Joseph Rallo for the state higher education post that's been vacant for several months. "There was a great deal of invigorating conversation. Thoughtful insights were given, and I'm quite happy and pleased with the result," Board of Regents Chairman Clinton "Bubba" Rasberry said of the hire. Rallo said tuition hikes and TOPS will be among the issues he looks into once he starts in Louisiana. | |
U. of Florida gets started on new chemistry building | Gainesville.com | |
University of Florida officials are set to break ground Friday on a new $67 million chemistry building -- one of President Bernie Machen's long-sought goals. "The continued rise of UF's chemistry department is vital to the university and our plan for pre-eminence, and we will only remain on the trajectory with a facility that is truly world class," Machen said. The 110,000-square-foot building will be built on the lot adjacent to the old chemistry building. | |
U. of Arkansas Announces 4 Inductees For Business Hall of Fame | |
The Sam Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas has announced the 2015 inductees into its Business Hall of Fame. Representing the Class of 2015 inductees into the University of Arkansas Business Hall of Fame are Millie Ward, Al Bell, Stephen L. LaFrance Sr., and Donald E. "Buddy" Wray, the UA said Thursday. The 2015 class will be inducted in a Feb. 13 ceremony in Little Rock and join 66 other members of the hall. "We are pleased to welcome another distinguished group of business leaders to the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame," said Walton College Dean Eli Jones. | |
U. of Missouri Faculty Council members discuss strategic plan, Title IX | |
University of Missouri Faculty Council members discussed the future of the MU Strategic Operating Plan and its evaluation committee at Thursday's council meeting, in addition to addressing Executive Order 41 and Title IX. The strategic plan is a revised version of an earlier plan launched by University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe. MU will spend more than $300 million in the next five years to carry out a strategic plan to increase its ranking among the Association of American Universities, according to previous Missourian reporting. Funding for the plan would come from student fees, private sources and new state funds. But the largest portion of funding, at more than $183 million of the total $300 million, would come from budget reallocation. | |
Higher education on the ballot | |
Education may be a key issue in several states' elections this fall, but referendums related to higher education are thin this political season. There are significant proposals in North Dakota, Oregon and Georgia, but the other five ballot measures that are tied directly to colleges and universities would have relatively minor effects. Two of this year's biggest potential changes for higher education were placed on state ballots by largely one-party efforts, a reflection of today's strongly partisan politics. Over all, though, the slate for higher education is light this year, said Daniel J. Hurley, associate vice president for government relations and state policy at the American Association of State Universities and Colleges. "I don't mean to dismiss any of them, but to me, there's nothing terribly significant that stands out," he said. | |
NIH Awards $32-Million to Tackle Big Data in Medicine | |
The National Institutes of Health on Thursday awarded almost $32-million in grants to more than two dozen institutions to devise innovative ways of helping researchers handle huge sets of data seen as increasingly central to future medical discoveries. The grants are the first outlay in a project, announced last year and known as Big Data to Knowledge, that's expected to involve more than $600-million in spending by 2020. Its goals include developing and distributing methods, software, and tools for sharing, analyzing, managing, and integrating data into medical research. "We see more and more the NIH as a digital enterprise," said Philip E. Bourne, who this year became the agency's first permanent associate director for data science. | |
Researchers and Schools Diverge in Definitions of Bullying | |
One of the biggest challenges for those who seek to end bullying among students has been defining exactly what "bullying" is. Even as efforts to address the behavior have moved to the front burner of child well-being initiatives in recent years, researchers and educators say that major studies have relied on inconsistent definitions and methods of measuring its prevalence. And if researchers can't agree on exactly what the problem is, they can't help identify effective solutions for K-12 educators, who are increasingly facing new accountability measures that incorporate issues related to school climate and student behavior. Even the two largest federal surveys on bullying -- by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Education -- use very different language to ask students if they've been a victim of bullying. |
SPORTS
Prescott's field work speaks to Heisman chances | |
Scott Stricklin understands the fickleness of a Heisman Trophy discussion. A prime example comes to Davis Wade Stadium this weekend. Dameyune Craig returns to Starkville as Auburn's offensive coordinator. Mississippi State's athletic director remembers him as a Heisman Trophy candidate. Stricklin, while working for the Tigers, helped promote Craig for the award in late October of 1997. That year, they mailed out "Dameyune Craig for Heisman" T-shirts on a Friday. By Saturday, Mississippi State beat No. 11 Auburn 20-0. Michigan's Charles Woodson won the award that year. Craig didn't finish in the top 10. "Those shirts are probably collector's items today," Stricklin said. Stricklin doesn't want more memorabilia from a failed Dak Prescott campaign. | |
Mississippi State AD: Everyone heed cowbell rules | |
Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin wants the school's fans to practice proper "cowbell etiquette" when the No. 3 Bulldogs host No. 2 Auburn on Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State fans have long brought cowbells to games, even when they were deemed illegal noisemakers. The Southeastern Conference approved the cowbells in 2010, provided they are not used when the opposing team is trying to run offensive plays. Stricklin posted a note on the school's athletic website on Wednesday criticizing the "25 or so percent of fans who continue to ignore the rules on cowbell etiquette." | |
Mississippi State doesn't want to let this Auburn game get away | |
Call it the one that got away. A year before his team defeated then-No. 8 LSU and then-No. 6 Texas A&M in back-to-back games, Mississippi State football coach Dan Mullen had the Bulldogs in position for a huge win at Auburn early in the 2013 season. At the time, few knew how good Auburn really was. Leading for much of the game and owning a 20-17 lead deep into the fourth quarter, quarterback Nick Marshall capped an 88-yard drive with a touchdown pass to tight end C.J. Uzomah that gave the Tigers a 24-20 win. At 2:30 p.m. Saturday (WCBI), No. 3 MSU will have a chance for revenge. If that happens against No. 2 Auburn, it would provide one of the program's biggest victories. | |
Mississippi State, Auburn similar in style | |
Auburn's magical season started against Mississippi State last year. Quarterback Nick Marshall found C.J. Uzomah with 10 second remaining to give the Tigers a 24-20 win at home. The Tigers wound up playing for a national title. The Bulldogs fought for their bowl-lives at the end of the season. Ten seconds separated the two teams. A year later, the margin for error appears to be the same. Mississippi State (5-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) and Auburn (5-0, 2-0 SEC) enter Saturday's top-3 matchup separated by one spot in the rankings. They rank within one spot of each other in scoring, total offense and rushing and run defense in the SEC. Both defenses are led by a strong front-seven line. Both offenses run on a dual-threat quarterback. | |
Linebackers continue to shine for Mississippi State | |
Beniquez Brown wasn't fooled. Early in the first quarter of Mississippi State 48-31 victory against Texas A&M, Brown, waited patiently as quarterback Kenny Hill approached the line of scrimmage for a critical fourth-and-1 inside MSU's 20-yard line. After scanning MSU's defense, Hill changed Texas A&M's plan to run off the right side of its line to the left. Brown knew what Hill was thinking. As soon as the ball was snapped, Brown, a sophomore outside linebacker from Florence, Alabama, knifed through the offensive line and tackled tailback Tre Carson for a 2-yard loss, giving MSU the ball and momentum it used to go on to the 17-point win. "Big down, fourth down in our territory," said MSU defensive coordinator Geoff Collins, "and they checked the play. Beniquez knew where the ball was going, and he ran back there and made the play. That's special." | |
Auburn looks to keep rolling | |
Auburn enjoyed four fourth-quarter comebacks during its run to the BCS championship game last season. The first of those rallies fell at the expense of Mississippi State in the SEC opener for both. "That was a really big game for us and the season because we hadn't won an SEC game at home in a really long time," said Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn. "For us to win that game the way we did at the very end really gave us momentum." | |
Auburn fans should expect another close one at Mississippi State | |
Something strange happens when Dan Mullen and Gus Malzahn stand on the same football field. The last three times these coaches have met, the game went down to the final play. Auburn came out on top each time and Mullen walked off beaten and asking himself questions. The offensive gurus will meet again Saturday in a showdown of top 3 teams in Starkville. The small college town in the Golden Triangle is bursting at the seams. ESPN's College GameDay is in town and the possibility of jumping to No. 1 in the polls is a reality. | |
Bulldogs, Rebels Sports Illustrated hits stands | |
They're both ranked at number three in the nation, and are the talk of the town everywhere you go. This week, the excitement continues, after both Ole Miss and Mississippi State were recognized in the biggest sporting magazine on the planet. The Mississippi Mayhem Sports Illustrated issue was released in metro Jackson on Thursday. If you already have your hands on one, you're one of the lucky ones. All over town they're disappearing off of shelves fast. As you can imagine these were hot items when they hit the shelves. At the Colony Crossing Kroger store in Madison, shoppers were rushing to pick up their copy, or should I say copies. Many people were grabbing multiple magazines to take home and show off to their friends and family. | |
Searching for Sports Illustrated | |
It appears there is high demand locally for copies of this week's Sports Illustrated featuring Mississippi State and Ole Miss on the cover. Barnes and Noble in Tupelo has been receiving calls for the magazine, which is expected to go on sale there Friday morning. According to employees, nine out of ten calls this week have been about getting a copy. "We've even had people from Houston, Texas, wanting to know if we have a copy we can ship to them," said store manager Star Newsom. "I can't remember anything where every single phone call, every person that walks in basically, everything the store is doing has to do with the magazine," added store employee Glenn Payne. | |
Big wins by Mississippi State, Ole Miss inspire high school athletes | |
Football fever hasn't cooled down since Ole Miss and Mississippi State took signature wins last weekend. It's just now started. The football practices at Pascagoula High School are picking up a little this week. One could call them inspired. What happened last week when Mississippi State defeated Texas A&M and Ole Miss beat Alabama has had a ripple effect, and it's giving some high school teams motivation. At Pascagoula, both wins have special meaning. Offensive Coordinator Kevin Fant was a star quarterback at MSU in the early 2000s, and standout defensive end Marshean Joseph has committed to the Bulldogs. The game-winning interception by Ole Miss was made by former Pascagoula player Senquez Golson. Both Fant and Joseph were at the MSU game. | |
Deeper Mississippi State will look to leaders to set tone on court | |
Mississippi State guard Fred Thomas wants to be a leader on the basketball court. Part of that desire comes from the fact that it will help the Bulldogs, 24-41 in the past two seasons, win games more games. The other part? Thomas wants to provide MSU's newcomers with something he didn't have when he entered the program three years ago. "We didn't really have anybody to look up to when we got here," said Thomas, a junior who averaged 9.3 points per game as a sophomore. "With all these new guys coming in, I just want to be a leader and help them out as they adjust to this level." | |
Mississippi State hoops drawing inspiration from football | |
Prior to each film session, Rick Ray hands out a paper to his team. The handout includes facts, figures and motivation for the team. This week's handout had Dak Prescott on it. "It was just saying how he's just trying to be a leader every day," MSU senior Trivante Bloodman said. "He's the first and last one off the field. Being a leader and trying to lead his team to where they've never been." | |
Mississippi State's Okorie working to improve touch, offensive skills on court | |
Chinwe Okorie has gone from sitting and watching to being able to do everything the rest of her teammates on the Mississippi State women's basketball can do. For the next month, that means Okorie will be doing a lot of running, bumping and banging bodies with center Martha Alwal, and pushups. The 6-foot-5 sophomore center would prefer not to have to do a lot of pushups -- the punishment for missed layups in practice -- but her ability to develop a softer touch, particularly around the basket, will play a big part in how many she will have to do between today and before MSU's exhibition opener against Arkansas-Fort Smith at 2 p.m. Nov. 9. | |
University Police Department plans for future gameday behavior | |
The University Police Department experienced unruly behavior from fans last weekend as a result of Ole Miss' historic win over Alabama and said it will not tolerate such behavior for future games. UPD Police Chief Calvin Sellers was present in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium when thousands of fans began storming the field and removing the goal posts from the ground. UPD Captain of Field Operations Michael Harmon said he doesn't expect the upcoming homecoming game against the Tennessee Volunteers to be as hectic as last weekend; however, he does expect another high-volume crowd. "Our fans are unique," he said. "They're passionate about us winning, now, but they're also passionate about partying. So, it goes hand in hand." Three disorderly conduct, eight assaults and 35 alcohol-related incidents were reported to the department last Saturday, according to UPD's online daily crime log. | |
U. of Tennessee fans voice concerns over vulgar chant | |
A handful of Tennessee football supporters wrote sternly worded emails to athletic director Dave Hart and Chancellor Jimmy Cheek expressing disappointment in vulgar chanting by students at Neyland Stadium in UT's 10-9 loss to Florida last Saturday. After Cheek condemned the chanting as "totally unacceptable" in an email to the student body also signed by Hart and the vice chancellor for student life on Monday, Hart and Cheek received even more feedback on the issue. Karen Simsen, the director of media and internal relations, said that Cheek typically does not receive much feedback about the fan experience after a game at Neyland Stadium. Records obtained on Thursday by the News Sentinel contained 32 emails, some addressed to Cheek, others to Hart. | |
Georgia's Todd Gurley, Heisman Contender, Is Suspended Indefinitely | |
Georgia tailback Todd Gurley, a leading Heisman Trophy contender, has been suspended indefinitely while the university investigates a suspected violation of N.C.A.A. rules. The suspension is the second for a Heisman candidate this season, after Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, last year's recipient, was suspended for the Seminoles' game against Clemson on Sept. 20 for shouting an obscene phrase in the student union. With a victory against No. 2 Auburn on Saturday, Dak Prescott, quarterback of No. 3 Mississippi State who was a Heisman long shot at best at the beginning of the season, could vault to the top of the list. | |
Attorney staunchly defends Florida QB Treon Harris | |
The attorney for University of Florida quarterback Treon Harris released a statement on Thursday proclaiming his client's innocence in response to a heavily redacted police report distributed Wednesday by the University of Florida administration. Gainesville attorney Huntley Johnson said the report, which only lists his client's name, the sexual battery charge he could face, and the day and time the incident allegedly happened -- followed by practically 18 pages of nothing -- left room for wild speculation. "It did nothing but hurt my client," Johnson told The Sun. However, a victims' rights advocate said Johnson's release was a typical strategy for a defense attorney representing a high-profile client with a career at stake. | |
New sexual assault claim surfaces in Vandy rape case | |
A separate sex assault investigation at Gillette Hall at Vanderbilt University surfaced in court Thursday during a hearing for four former football players indicted on rape charges. The four ex-players are charged in what police said was the rape of an unconscious 21-year-old female student in a second-floor Gillette dorm room on June 23, 2013. One night before, in the early hours of June 22, something happened on the sixth floor that also prompted a separate police investigation, defense attorneys and a city prosecutor said in court. That allegation didn't lead to charges. But defense attorneys for indicted ex-player Brandon Vandenburg want to learn more about what happened June 22. |
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