Thursday, October 16, 2014   
 
Magazine mayhem: Demand for Sports Illustrated issues outstrips supply
Bonnie Mims, who can trace her family's Mississippi State roots to the early 1900s, was back in Barnes & Noble on Wednesday morning, a day after spending a few hours at the bookstore. She, like many MSU and Ole Miss fans, quickly snapped up several of the "Mississippi Mayhem" edition of Sports Illustrated on Tuesday. Both teams were featured on the cover of the magazine. Then word came that this week's issue of Sports Illustrated would feature MSU quarterback Dak Prescott and the headline "1 Mississippi 2 Mississippi" about the Bulldogs and Ole Miss Rebels on its regional cover, and Mims was back at the store Wednesday morning when it opened at 10 a.m. "It's really fun," she said. "It's like Black Friday." "The last time we had something like this was when 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' came out" in 2007, said manager Gina Collins of the excitement and anticipation during the past week.
 
Mississippi State Fans Crowd Meridian Bookstore for Latest Sports Illustrated
Mississippi State fans lined all the way to the back of Books-a-Million Wednesday in search of the latest Sports Illustrated issue. This marks the second week in a row that Mississippi State football has graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. Last week's cover featured both MSU and Ole Miss with the title "Mississippi Mayhem." Meridian's Books-a-Million sold out in less than an hour, which is why so many people are rushing to get their hands on this copy. "I never did see this in a million years. I mean just a few weeks ago. And now Dak for Heisman, and being ranked number one in the country, never in a million years," MSU fan Jason Combs says.
 
College Football Fun: Mississippi State, Ole Miss Student Newspapers Honor Teams' Successes
The stunningly swift, unexpected and simultaneous ascents of the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University squads to the top of the college football polls have sparked a media frenzy. The standout student newspapers at both schools have also dived in with some front-page theatrics -- boasting special designs, images and headers capturing the madness and significance of the teams' (so far) undefeated runs. At Mississippi State, The Reflector has run a pair of special pages commemorating the team's rise to its current perch atop the polls. As the paper's adviser Frances McDavid shares on a popular college media list-serv, "The Reflector at Mississippi State normally uses a traditional front page layout, but rising to No. 1 in national football polls has been an inspiration for our staff in many ways. These two front pages have swiftly become collectibles and have been posted in places of honor in the homes of many Bulldog fans."
 
Student Success Initiative Helps Students Find Their Place at Mississippi State
Mississippi State administrators, faculty and students are working together to promote the Student Success Initiative by ensuring the entire student population becomes lifelong learners. "Mississippi State's Student Success Initiative isn't only about encouraging academic success, it's also about being successful in life and society," said Jerry Gilbert, university provost and executive vice president. Gilbert led in developing the Student Success Initiative which includes several programs aimed specifically at freshmen. Promoting class attendance, providing academic support and connecting students to the 136-year-old land-grant institution are its primary goals.
 
Mississippi State Celebrates Fossil Day with Exhibit
Starkville residents took a trip back in time Wednesday evening at Mississippi State University. Parents and their children got a glimpse of history in MSU's Dunn Seiler Museum, which had a plethora of fossils from ages past on display. The Fossil Extravaganza offered up a blend of fun and education for children as they ate cake and punch. The event celebrates National Fossil Day, which coincides with Earth Science Week.
 
Mississippi State teams receive EPA P3 grants
Two teams from Mississippi State are among 43 to receive grants to help attain a sustainable future. The Environmental Protection Agency awarded grants of up to $15,000 each for the research and development of new technologies. The People, Prosperity and Planet (P3) program involves a wide range of categories including water, energy, agriculture, built environment, and materials and chemicals. One Mississippi State team is looking for ways to remove nitrogen from wastewater to use for energy while removing the salt from the water during the same process. The second team will look for low-cost, efficient ways to remove nutrients from wastewater systems in rural and low-income advantaged areas.
 
Livestock producers turning to goats to supplement income
Goats are growing in popularity among Mississippi livestock producers who have limited acreage or want to diversify their farming business. "Since 2012, the overall number of meat goats in the southeastern region of the state has increased," said Mitch Newman, Greene County agricultural agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. "More small farmers want to raise livestock to supplement other income, and some landowners have fragmented property, which makes raising cattle unrealistic." Compared to cattle, goats that are managed well can thrive on fewer acres, reproduce more quickly and mature faster, Newman said. Interested individuals can learn about raising goats during the Southeast Kiko Goat Association Fall Roundup and Sale Nov. 14-15 at the Forrest County Multipurpose Center in Hattiesburg.
 
Starkville leaders remind residents of debris policies
The City of Starkville is reminding residents about the policies for cleanup of debris from Monday's storms. Officials say it is the responsibility of the property owners to place the debris curbside for city pickup. They say city workers cannot enter private property to remove debris. City leaders also say wood cuttings and trimmings placed curbside cannot exceed an eight-inch diameter or be longer than 10 feet in length. Waste products from structural damage cannot be placed curbside.
 
Starkville Electric Department employee arrested for embezzlement
Starkville police arrested an employee with the local electric department this week for embezzling from the business. Officers say Elizabeth Peacock embezzled money from the Starkville Electric Department more than one time. She turned herself in for the crime on Wednesday and was processed and released on a $5,000 bond.
 
Starkville man charged with capital murder
A Starkville man, 18, is facing the death penalty in connection with the death of a 2-month-old child. Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said emergency responders were called to 9630 Griffith Road in the western part of the county on Oct. 8. Iriana Mullins was airlifted to the University Medical Center in Jackson. She was removed from the ventilator on Friday and died early this week. Medical reports cite blunt force trauma as the cause of death. Charles T. Mullins, of 734 New Light Road, Starkville, was arrested Oct. 9 and was initially charged with child abuse. Clay County investigators upgraded the charge to capital murder Tuesday afternoon.
 
Sewer repairs lead to road closures in Starkville on Thursday
Starkville city leaders say they will close a section of Lafayette Street Thursday. Crews will be working to make repairs to the sewer system in the area. The work is scheduled to take place between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. The area affected is located between the railroad tracks and Lampkin Street. Drivers will need to find another route during those hours.
 
Meridian Working on Wi-Fi for Parks
Laptops, cell phones and tablets could soon be a common sight at your local park. Meridian Mayor Percy Bland says after an analysis of the city's needs, the administration is now in the process of trying to bring wi-fi to five parks. "We focused on certain strengths and weaknesses and assets on this community to make some decisions on some things that we think would bring forward a better quality of life," the mayor explains. The city is now in communication with Mississippi State University Extension Service to define the technical requirements for that transition. "The Extension branch is going to be working with us," he says. "If we get it approved, we're going to try to get it done as quickly as we can."
 
Cochran has half million-plus in cash on hand
Incumbent U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran has $550,864 in cash on hand and is still raising funds as his bid for a seventh term enters the final stretch. Wednesday was the deadline for federal candidates to file their latest round of campaign finance reports. Neither Cochran's campaign finance report nor that of his Democratic challenger had been posted late Wednesday on the Federal Election Commission website. But Jordan Russell, a spokesman for Cochran, said the Republican incumbent had raised an additional $150,000 thus far in October and still had fundraising events planned prior to the Nov. 4 general election. As of late Wednesday, the Childers campaign had not provided information on its campaign finance report.
 
Senate candidate Travis Childers says he's building a winning coalition
Travis Childers brought his middle-of-the-road Senate campaign to South Mississippi on Wednesday, a region he knows doesn't know him so well. Name recognition is just one problem in his uphill battle to unseat Republican Sen. Thad Cochran in the Nov. 4 general election. He doesn't have a lot of financial support from the national Democratic Party, nor a lot of money, and he's facing a six-term senator who's something of a hero in South Mississippi. Still, Childers, who stressed his working-class background in a meeting with the Sun Herald and in a new ad his campaign released Wednesday, said he can win.
 
Travis Childers shakes hands, courts voters in Jackson County
Democratic former U.S. Rep. Travis Childers, who is running against six-term Republican Sen. Thad Cochran in the Nov. 4 election, was courting coastal voters Wednesday. He began his day in Jackson but eventually made his way through Gulfport, lunch at Mary Mahoney's, a meeting with Moss Point Mayor Billy Broomfield and on to Pascagoula. In Pascagoula, he visited the courthouse and the Jackson County General Services Complex, where he mingled with county employees and residents there on business. On Tuesday, he visited northeast and northwest portions of the state, and on Friday he will spend time in Hattiesburg and Laurel. "We're taking this time to travel and meet as many people as we can," Childers said from the Jackson County Courthouse on Wednesday afternoon.
 
Secretary of State's Office launches election text messaging service
The Secretary of State's Office is making it easier for Mississippi voters to "Be Informed, Get Connected" leading up to the Nov. 4 general election. Mississippians can now text "MSVoter" to 95577 to receive text message updates and reminders from the agency regarding the election process. "We want our citizens to have access to the most up-to-date information leading up to every election," says Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann. "A text message is a quick, easy way to help keep everyone informed."
 
Lawmakers call for more minority contracts
The Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus wants state government to do more business with minority-owned companies and on Wednesday endorsed an online marketplace to help that effort. "We allocate billions of dollars for tools and resources to lure large corporations to this state," said state Sen. Kenny Wayne Jones, chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus. "Too often, minority-owned and women-owned, and African American-owned businesses in particular don't get anywhere near their fair share of public dollars." The state Institutions of Higher Learning last year launched its Minority Economic Opportunity Initiative and entered an agreement with the online marketplace. The state's eight public universities and the University of Mississippi Medical Center now use the database to send quotes, requests for proposals and subcontract opportunities to African American vendors, and the businesses can use it to submit quotes and proposals.
 
Martinson won't seek seventh term in state Senate
A bill requiring children to be able to read at the third grade level is one of state Rep. Rita Martinson's crowning achievements during her two decades in the Legislature. The Madison Republican on Wednesday confirmed rumors circulating for months that she won't seek re-election after her present term ends in 2015. As the rumors have flown, tech executive Joel Bomgar has said he would consider running for the District 58 seat if Martinson does not. As chair of the Tourism Committee, Martinson said she has big plans for the upcoming session. "Music and sports, in particular, are two of the most important to Mississippi history," she said. "Now that we're excelling in sports we should capitalize on that."
 
Atheist group: Rankin County school aided Bible giveaway
An atheist group says it objects to a Mississippi principal telling fifth-grade teachers to take students through a public school lobby where Gideons were handing out Bibles. The American Humanist Association sent a letter of complaint Tuesday to Kara Killough, principal of Northwest Rankin Elementary School in Rankin County, just outside Jackson; and other Rankin County School District officials, including Superintendent Lynn Weathersby. The Washington-based association said the school violated the First Amendment ban on government establishment of religion by making it easy for Gideons to hand out Bibles on campus Friday. The association said several courts -- including the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals -- have ruled government entities have violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment by helping Gideons or other groups hand out Bibles.
 
President Obama's Ebola problem
The Ebola crisis in the United States has become an anchor threatening to sink the Obama presidency. Already under fire from critics who saw the federal response to the outbreak as disorganized and timid, things went from bad to worse on Wednesday when it was revealed a second nurse had contracted the disease while treating a Liberian man at a Dallas-area hospital. More alarmingly, the diagnosis was made just hours after the nurse, 29-year-old Amber Vinson, had flown from Cleveland to Dallas on a commercial airliner, despite reporting to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that she had a fever. That Vinson was allowed to travel at all -- along with continued questions about why federal procedures for Ebola treatment appear not to have been implemented in Dallas -- have prompted serious questions about the administration's handling of the disease less than three weeks before the midterm elections.
 
An epidemic of fear and anxiety hits Americans amid Ebola outbreak
Ebola started as a faraway thing, and that was scary enough. Then it jumped to a Dallas hospital, where one man died and two nurses were infected. On Wednesday, Ebola took a different kind of leap -- a psychological one -- as concerns spiked nationally about how the threat of the virus might interfere with commerce, health and even daily routines. As authorities disclosed that an infected nurse had taken a flight from Cleveland to Dallas one day before showing symptoms, Ebola moved closer to becoming the next great American panic -- an anthrax or SARS for the social-media age. Though Ebola's dangers are real and terrifying, epidemiologists and other authorities say that, for now, its greatest mark could be on the psyche of the country where other health threats are more perilous.
 
New GMOs Get A Regulatory Green Light, With A Hint Of Yellow
Government regulators have approved a new generation of genetically engineered corn and soybeans. The actual decision, at first glance, seems narrow and technical. The Environmental Protection Agency has announced it had "registered" a new weedkiller formula that contains two older herbicides: glyphosate (better known as Roundup) and 2, 4-D. Versions of these weedkillers have been around for decades. But farmers in six Midwestern states will be allowed to use the new formula, called Enlist Duo, on their corn and soybeans. And that counts as big news. Farmers will now be able to plant new types of corn and soybeans that have been genetically engineered by the biotech company Dow Agrosciences to tolerate doses of those two weedkillers. And that may actually be one of the most significant developments the world of weedkilling in more than a decade.
 
Bennie Thompson discusses diversity at UM's Overby
United States Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., a native of Bolton, spoke to University of Mississippi students and faculty Tuesday about growing up aware of the injustices that plagued the South. Thompson described his early schooling as "separate and unequal," but said that his college years were a wonderful experience. "In college, I met Martin Luther King Jr., Stokely Carmichael, everybody you can imagine who were part of the civil rights movement at the time," Thompson said. Chancellor Dan Jones introduced Thompson as both his friend and adviser and said he is known for representing people from different backgrounds.
 
Forty percent of faculty, staff donate to USM Foundation
When God speaks, Birdie Holloway listens. And while reading the 23rd chapter of Psalms, the University of Southern Mississippi custodian said she was instructed "to do something prosperous for somebody." She did. The Hattiesburg resident joined the University of Southern Mississippi Foundation and started donating to the general scholarship fund. That was nearly two years ago, and Holloway is still giving. In fact, she plans to increase her donations in 2015. She is among the more than 970 employees -- 40 percent of Southern Miss' total 2,400 faculty and staff -- who are giving $183,524 to the university for Fiscal Year 2014 through donations to the foundation. Since the Southern Miss Foundation started the initiative, employee giving has steadily increased.
 
College Board meets at USM for first time in three years
The University of Southern Mississippi is hosting a meeting of the state College Board for the first time in three years. The Board met Thursday morning at the Thad Cochran Center. Board members got an update on USM programs and accomplishments from Southern Miss president Dr. Rodney Bennett. They also listened to personal stories from two USM scholarship recipients.
 
U. of Southern Mississippi continues to stress energy savings
The University of Southern Mississippi has undertaken significant changes in energy consumption and efficiency that have resulted in a savings of more than $10 million since 2009. Facilities across the Hattiesburg campus -- including those designated for academics, athletics, residence life and dining -- continue to be examined to determine amounts of energy used, cost, and the energy-use infrastructure in each building. The university's Physical Plant reviews utility data, targets "hot" spots -- high-energy consumption areas of campus -- and makes adjustments that have minimal impact on building occupants and materials.
 
Human Rights Campaign president talks importance of 'coming out' at Auburn University
In front of an auditorium full of people Wednesday night, Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin pulled a creased sheet of paper from his jacked pocket. He read the letter he had written to his father aloud. In it, he came out to his dad. The letter closed: "I hope you'll love me just the same now." "I wrote that letter a decade ago, and I never sent it," Griffin said. "My dad died four years ago. ...No one should have to fear sending this letter. No one." Griffin, an Arkansas native, spoke to the crowd at the Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center as part of a southern speaking tour with stops in Auburn, Arkansas and Mississippi. Washington, D.C.-based HRC has opened offices in Little Rock, Arkansas; Montgomery and Jackson, Mississippi.
 
Kent Fuchs chosen as next president of U. of Florida
The University of Florida Board of Trustees has picked an experienced, accessible administrator of a large research institution to be UF's next president -- one who has shown he can connect with students and faculty, raise millions for large-scale projects and help the university reach pre-eminent status. Kent Fuchs (pronounced "fox"), the provost of Cornell University, was unanimously chosen Wednesday as UF's 12th president and will begin Jan.1, pending confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors when it meets Nov. 5-6. The position comes with a new president's mansion and a salary between $925,000 and $1.25 million. The 59-year-old Fuchs said he and his wife are excited to move back to Florida, where he graduated from high school and where she once taught.
 
Panel considers Louisiana's campus sexual assault survey
Louisiana advocates against sexual assault say they want to survey college students about their experiences on campuses here. A task force formed by state Sen. J.P. Morrell to address campus sexual assault met for the first time Wednesday at the State Capitol to provide a general overview of plans for addressing the topic. One agreement the task force members came to early on in the meeting: They need more data before moving forward. "The problem you have right now -- as long as the data isn't complete -- people say, 'Things aren't as bad as you say they are,' " said Morrell, who formed the task force after he received a statewide report from the state Board of Regents.
 
LSU employee under quarantine after returning from Ebola training mission in Liberia, TV station reports
An LSU employee who recently returned to the Baton Rouge area from Liberia where he trained police there to avoid contracting Ebola will remain under a precautionary 21-day quarantine before returning to campus, WAFB reports. Jason Krause, an associative director at LSU with the National Center for Biomedical Research and Training, was among a team of five from the United States on a three-week mission to train officers how to react to the spreading of the virus. He trained more than 1,200 officers about how to protect themselves and prevent spreading Ebola during their daily dealings on the job. He did not, he told the TV station, deal with patients or in any medical setting. The university asked him to comply with the quarantine recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
 
UGA instruction VP candidates to visit campus
Four finalists for the position of vice president for instruction at the University of Georgia will visit campus in the coming weeks to meet members of the university community. A committee chaired by Jennifer Frum, vice president for public service and outreach, conducted a national search to identify the finalists and was assisted by the UGA Search Group in Human Resources. Each finalist will make a public presentation from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the Grand Hall of the Tate Student Center.
 
Texas A&M specialists advising on care of Ebola patient's dog
The dean of the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences said Wednesday that A&M specialists are helping to monitor Bentley, the year-old King Charles Spaniel owned by 26-year-old Dallas nurse Nina Pham, who has been hospitalized with the Ebola virus, and will develop plans for handling Ebola-exposed animals in the future. Dr. Eleanor Green said at a press conference that the A&M specialists' "role at this point has been to provide expert advice and counsel to teams of people who are providing the best route for handling this dog," she said. "We have been part of those discussions in determining the best handling of this dog in addition to developing guidelines and protocols for animals that might become affected. In other words, we're going to be ready."
 
Texas A&M student in hospital after reportedly ingesting sodium cyanide
A 20-year-old Texas A&M student remained in critical condition Wednesday night after authorities said he ingested a chemical substance while on the Texas A&M campus. Bryan Battalion Chief Jordan Gallagher identified the substance as sodium cyanide, a toxic chemical that can be fatal because it interferes with a person's ability to breathe. Tim Ottinger, St. Joseph vice president of communications, said the six people he saw go through the decontamination and observation process had been discharged as of 9 p.m. The patient was decontaminated before being admitted into the emergency room. "Our trauma team has a protocol for every known chemical or substance, so decontamination is an important piece to make sure patients or caregivers don't spread any contaminant that might be on the individual to other health care providers or the emergency room," Ottinger said.
 
Unclear rules for U. of Missouri's homecoming blood drive spur competition, concerns
Ten years ago, the University of Missouri's fraternities and sororities found themselves in the spotlight for tactics they were using to garner the most points in the spring Greek Week blood drive. To win, some chapter leaders were encouraging members to give blood even if they were not fit to do so. In one instance, members were being pressured to lie to nurses and on the blood donation form. Since then, the spring blood drive has cleaned up its act, said Janna Basler, MU's director of Greek life and leadership. The rules no longer require 100 percent participation by members. Instead, chapters that have up to 100 people sign up to donate blood earn bonus points, she said. Meanwhile, the pressure for students to give in the Homecoming blood drive has stayed relatively the same. The drive, which began Monday and ends Thursday, is one of the largest in the country each year, according to the Mizzou Alumni Association, which oversees it.
 
Battle between NSF and House science committee escalates: How did it get this bad?
Four times this past summer, in a spare room on the top floor of the headquarters of the National Science Foundation (NSF) outside of Washington, D.C., two congressional staffers spent hours poring over material relating to 20 research projects that NSF has funded over the past decade. The visits from the staffers, who work for the U.S. House of Representatives committee that oversees NSF, were an unprecedented -- and some say bizarre -- intrusion into the much admired process that NSF has used for more than 60 years to award research grants. The congressional staffers weren't really there to judge the scientific merits of each proposal. The peculiar exercise is part of a long-running and bitter battle that is pitting Rep. Lamar Smith and many of his panel's Republican members against Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson and the panel's Democrats, NSF's leadership, and the academic research community.
 
UCLA legal fees neared $4.5 million in lab fire case
After UCLA chemistry professor Patrick Harran walked out of court in June, his lawyers issued a news release hailing the "first-of-its-kind" deal that all but freed him from criminal liability in a 2008 lab fire that killed a staff researcher. The "deferred prosecution agreement" that allowed Harran to avoid pleading guilty or no-contest to any charge might have been a novel resolution, as his attorneys said. But it certainly didn't come cheap. Top-tier law firms hired to defend him and the University of California against felony charges in the death of Sheharbano "Sheri" Sangji charged more than 7,700 billable hours and nearly $4.5 million in fees, according to documents obtained by The Times through a California Public Records Act request.
 
When Guns Come to Campus, Security and Culture Can Get Complicated
When a feminist critic of video-gaming culture canceled a speaking engagement at Utah State University this week, many observers were quick to condemn the misogyny of the death threats that had led her to pull out. But the speaker, Anita Sarkeesian, was just as quick to reframe the issue: It wasn't the threats themselves had that forced her to cancel, she said. It was the university's response -- a response she considered inadequate. And so Utah State became the latest poster child for a continuing problem---the challenge facing public universities in states that permit people to carry concealed firearms on college campuses. Such institutions can find themselves balanced on a knife's edge between safeguarding their campuses and complying with state gun laws.
 
Private Student Loan Flexibility
Private student lenders are not doing enough to help struggling borrowers avoid default, according to a report released Thursday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. That finding is part of the consumer bureau's annual analysis of the complaints it received from the public about private student loans. The bureau reported a 38 percent increase in such complaints over the past year. The most common issue in the approximately 5,300 complaints received in the past year related to borrowers' lack of repayment options and flexibility when they cannot afford payments, according to Rohit Chopra, the bureau's student loan ombudsman, who wrote the report.
 
BOBBY HARRISON (OPINION): Some senators have bucked debate conventional wisdom
The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Bobby Harrison writes: "Conventional wisdom is that Thad Cochran is following conventional wisdom as he seeks a seventh term in the United States Senate. Conventional wisdom is that the Republican Cochran is a heavy favorite against his Democratic challenger, Travis Childers of Booneville, so he has everything to lose and nothing to gain by engaging in a debate. So he is not. That is the playbook that the favored candidates use all the time, according to conventional wisdom. But a quick Google search reveals that what is believed to be conventional wisdom is not always so."


SPORTS
 
Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott on cover of this week's Sports Illustrated
The Mississippi State Bulldogs have had a season to remember, even though they have only played six games. But what a season it has been so far, going from unranked in August and dispatching three top 10 teams in impressive fashion, Mississippi State finds itself on top of the AP Poll after topping second-ranked Auburn 38-23 last Saturday at home. "It means the same thing it meant before the season, when we weren't even ranked," said quarterback Dak Prescott, who is featured on the regional cover of this week's Sports Illustrated. "It doesn't mean much." Whether a school from Mississippi finishes No. 1 at the end of the season remains to be seen. But the best college football in the nation is being played in the state right now.
 
Dan Mullen works magic at Mississippi State
In the spring of 2009, Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen showed up at an event on campus to celebrate the school's meteorology department winning the forecasting equivalent of a national championship. Mississippi State edged out the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Mullen worked the room to be sure to meet all of the individual forecasters. When he went on speaking tours over the summer, Mullen brought up the meteorology national title as an example of what Mississippi State is capable of. "He used it to illustrate that such championships are possible here," said former MSU geosciences department head Darrel W. Schmitz. No forecaster could have accurately predicted the perfect storm that's brought Mississippi State from unranked to No. 1 in the nation. It's the school's first-ever top ranking in its 119-year football history. A confluence of coaching, talent and leadership has resulted in the most improbable story in college football this season.
 
Mississippi State, Mullen downplay No. 1 ranking
It took Mississippi State eight weeks to jump from unranked to No. 1 in the Associated Press poll. No team has ever done that since it expanded to 25 teams in 1989. What thought has that left Dan Mullen with? "My biggest reflection is to make sure it's not the fastest fall either," the MSU coach said. "That's our focus right now." Mississippi State's focus remains on winning the Southeastern Conference's Western division. A win in Atlanta would likely catapult the Bulldogs into the College Football Playoff.
 
Mississippi State's Prescott would consider leaving early
Mississippi State's Dak Prescott is considering an early move to the NFL, if the league is interested. The Bulldogs' quarterback told Sports Illustrated that if he projects as a first-round draft pick in April then he will forgo his senior season in Starkville. "One of the worst things is not going, getting injured and hurting your situation," Prescott told Sports Illustrated. "I wouldn't risk it if I had a chance to go first round. I'm graduating college, and my time here will be done, I'll do exactly what I wanted to do." Prescott, who enrolled in college a semester early, is scheduled to graduate in December with a degree in educational psychology.
 
NFL teams undecided on Dak Prescott's draft stock
Dak Prescott mentioned the NFL for the first time this season on Wednesday. Mississippi State's quarterback told Sports Illustrated that he would consider leaving MSU if he was projected to go in the first three rounds. "When the time came and there's an option, first, second or third round, and I had the season I wanted to have, I'd go," Prescott told the magazine. Overall, it's really nothing groundbreaking. Most -- if not all -- college football players dream of playing in the NFL. A selection in the first three rounds equates to a nice salary. The question becomes, what is Prescott's draft stock?
 
Dak Prescott surprises fourth-graders at East Oktibbeha Count
Rocky Felker waited for Mississippi State players in the lobby of the football complex. The MSU Director of Player Personnel asked various players to go speak to East Oktibbeha County High School. Fourth grade teacher Carrie Word worked with Felker since the start of school for a Bulldog to come speak to her students. After receiving a handful of "I can'ts," Dak Prescott walked up to Felker and volunteered. "To have Dak Prescott, the quarterback for the No. 1 ranked team in the nation to come out and echo the things you've been telling your students is huge," East Oktibbeha County Elementary principal Joseph Stone said.
 
Mississippi State enters bye with 'training camp mentality'
With an extra week to prepare for Kentucky, Mississippi State is returning to training camp. Through seven weeks the Bulldogs are 6-0 and own the No. 1 ranking in the country. The daily routine of practice, film and preparation pull focus away from the fundamentals of the game. The extra time allows MSU to focus on the little things. "There's certain things you don't get to work on so we're going back to training camp mentality," MSU coach Dan Mullen said on the SEC Teleconference. "A lot of fundamentals, a lot of technique things that we have to get better at and spend our time doing that stuff this week."
 
Redmond blazes own trail for Bulldogs
All Auburn needed was a yard. Will Redmond wasn't going to let that happen. With No. 3 Mississippi State leading No. 2 Auburn 38-20 and the game still hanging in the balance Saturday afternoon, the Tigers turned to tailback Cameron-Artis Payne in an attempt to convert a crucial third-and-1 situation late in the fourth quarter. Redmond was having none of it. Redmond, MSU's junior cornerback, knifed through the Auburn offensive line and dropped Artis-Payne for a two-yard loss, forcing Auburn to settle for a field goal in the eventual 38-23 loss. As soon as Artis-Payne hit the ground, Redmond bounced to his feet and let out a celebratory scream, a show of emotion rarely seen from a player who has developed into one of MSU's steadiest defenders.
 
Mississippi State, Ole Miss ticket prices on the rise
An index that tracks the resale of college football ticket prices say Ole Miss and Mississippi State have climbed into the top 25 when it comes to the most expensive prices. TiqIQ Top 25 says Ole Miss currently ranks fifth on its listing. The average price of a ticket to see a game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium is $181. The average prices for a ticket to see Mississippi State in Davis-Wade Stadium is $136. That puts MSU at 17th on the list.
 
Women's golf enjoying football success at Mississippi State
Not long after Mississippi State walloped the field at the Schooner Fall Classic, the school's athletic director sent coach Ginger Brown-Lemm a text: "We finally have a football team that the women's golf program can be proud of." Brown-Lemm beamed. The vibe around Starkville, Miss., these days is downright electric. The football team is ranked No. 1 in the AP poll for the first time in school history. In fact, the Bulldogs are the first team in the poll's 78-year history to rise from unranked to No. 1 in five weeks. "I literally think my hearing is damaged," Brown-Lemm said of the scene last Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium. The women's golf team knows a thing or two about turnarounds.
 
Ray, Bulldogs working to be in position for postseason basketball
Entering his third season as Mississippi States men's basketball coach, Rick Ray was blunt when asked about his team's prognosis for the 2014-15 season. "I think when's it's all said and done, it's pretty simple," said Ray. "We need to be challenging for postseason basketball. Whether that is the NIT or the NCAA, that's yet to be determined and that's really out of our hands because if you sit down and ask what the requirements are for an NCAA Tournament basketball team, you really don't know. For us, we want to make sure that we're in a position to be challenging for postseason basketball." That was the talk on Wednesday, as Ray heads into his third season as MSU's coach after building a foundation for the first two years.
 
Better depth eases sting of injury bug for Mississippi State
Mississippi State basketball has suffered two injuries since preseason practice began on Oct. 3. Junior guard Craig Sword will miss 4 to 6 weeks with a with a bulging disc in his back while junior college transfer Johnny Zuppardo is out for the entire year with a torn meniscus and ACL. During Rick Ray's first two seasons and with limited roster numbers, losing two players to injury would have been devastating. But with more options on Ray's team this year, the Bulldogs are hoping to overcome the setbacks until Sword is able to return. "The injuries do matter but then again, we've got enough bodies to keep going," said senior guard Trivante Bloodman.
 
Mississippi State women look to blend new with old for NCAA tournament berth
Jerica James has appreciated the meaning of the word responsibility ever since she was a freshman. Now in her third season under coach Vic Schaefer and his coaching staff, James has a greater grasp of what it means to be a leader and how she is expected to set the tone for the teammates. "Coach has always said the win is my greatest stat," James said. This season, the Mississippi State women's basketball team is expected to look to James to provide the same spark she brought off the bench to the starting lineup. James also will be counted on to deliver on-the-job training and advice to freshman Morgan William, the Bulldogs' other true point guard, in a season filled with expectations.
 
Mississippi State's Butch Thompson named National Assistant Coach of the Year
Butch Thompson was named the 2014 Baseball America and American Baseball Coaches Association National Assistant Coach of the Year, both organizations announced Wednesday. Thompson is the first assistant coach in Mississippi State history to win the award and the first from the Southeastern Conference since 2011. Since 2012, Thompson has guided the Bulldogs' pitchers rank third in the country in total strikeouts (1,637). "I am thankful for every coach who has invested in me, every coach that has worked alongside me and every player who has worked hard and performed well to the team concept," Thompson said.
 
SEC contacts Auburn, discusses concerns about critical penalties at Mississippi State
The Southeastern Conference has contacted Auburn and explained the close calls that went against the Auburn during its 38-23 loss at Mississippi State. "I had a conversation with coach (Gus) Malzahn," said Steve Shaw, the SEC's coordinator of officials. "They sent in some plays this week as is routine, as they always do, and we communicated back and forth on that." Shaw is unable to comment on specific plays, but confirmed the two pass interference calls against Auburn were among those reviewed and explained in a film review sent to Auburn this week. Both penalties hurt Auburn in critical moments Saturday. Shaw did not speak specifically about the plays, but he did discuss the difficulty of making judgement calls on close plays.
 
Greg Sankey a top candidate to replace Mike Slive as SEC commissioner
Greg Sankey is limping around on a knee that is feeling the effects of 41 marathons, most of which he has run during the last 12 years when he has been working as the Southeastern Conference commissioner's right-hand man. A few years back, Sankey decided to run a marathon a month for a year. He ended up doing it for 15 straight months, and one month he ran two. The 50-year-old upstate New Yorker-turned-honorary-Southerner has never shied away from taking on challenges. And he may have a big one coming up next year. As the SEC's executive associate commissioner and chief operating officer since March 2012, he's been handling day-to-day operations while Commissioner Mike Slive worked on major projects such as the SEC Network and the College Football Playoff.



The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
Mississippi State University  •  Mississippi State, MS 39762  •  Main Telephone: (662) 325-2323  •   Contact: The Editor  |  The Webmaster  •   Updated: October 16, 2014Facebook Twitter