| Monday, November 10, 2014 |
| Mississippi State Engineering Students Take On The First 'Cowbell Challenge' | |
 | "Ring Responsibly" is heard a lot at Mississippi State football games, but Bagley College of Engineering students are testing their knowledge to see just how many ways they can ring a cowbell in the first Cowbell Challenge. "We're really excited about the Mississippi State football team and we wanted to celebrate that success by having something that's fun and involves engineering," said interim dean of the Bagley College of Engineering, Dr. Jason Keith. Seven teams of engineering students accepted the challenge to build and design a machine that can automatically ring a cowbell with just the flip of a switch. |
| Cowbells just keep on ringing for Mississippi State engineering students | |
 | Engineering students at Mississippi State University constructed self ringing cowbell machines in honor of State's football success. "It was definitely fun," student Ben Eisman said. "Obviously we don't get to do something like this on an everyday basis." MSU's Bagley College of Engineering held its first ever Cowbell Challenge Friday. "We wanted to challenge our students to come up with and ingenious way to ring a cowbell," Interim Dean Jason Keith said. |
| The Mill at MSU to be Recognized by Statewide Planning Group | |
| The Mill at Mississippi State University master plan is the recipient of a statewide award from the American Planning Association, Mississippi Chapter. Named "Best Project/Outstanding Project" for 2014, the award will be presented on Thursday at the organization's annual luncheon in Tupelo. A $40-million economic development project, The Mill at MSU is transforming the historic John M. Stone Cotton Mill, formerly MSU's E.E. Cooley Building, into a state-of-the-art conference and meeting complex. The project was submitted by APA-MS member Buddy Sanders, who serves as community development director for the City of Starkville, an important partner in moving the project forward. |
| MSU's The Mill wins best project award | |
| The Mill at Mississippi State University, slated for completion in 2015, is already winning awards. Friday, the school announced the building's master plan is the recipient of the American Planning Association, Mississippi Chapter's "Best Project/Outstanding Project" for 2014. University officials say the project was judged based on its innovation, comprehensiveness, quality and implementation. The Mill was also recognized for its transferability or potential applicability to other areas of the state. |
| Cybersecurity Authorities Share Tips with MSU Community | |
| Mississippi State University's annual Cybersecurity Awareness Week enables students, faculty, staff and others to learn protection strategies from some of the field's most distinguished authorities. MSU offers one of the top three cybersecurity-training programs in the nation, and the Bost Extension Center theater was full when the "Who Is Keeping Your Information Secure? And How?" panel convened last week. Featured speakers were Trey Breckenridge, director of MSU's Malcolm A. Portera High Performance Computing Center; Dave Dampier, professor and director of the Distributed Analytics and Security Institute; and Tom Ritter, campus security and compliance officer. Tommy Morris, associate professor and associate director of DASI, moderated the panel. |
| MSU chooses Heather Richardson Woodall for Meridian role | |
 | Meridian native Heather Richardson Woodall is the new senior coordinator in Mississippi State University-Meridian's Career Center. A 2008 West Lauderdale High School graduate, she is working from a downtown office in the Newberry Building, but also keeps office hours at the College Park campus off Highway 19 North. Woodall is helping prepare students for the job-search process, including resume development, mock interviews and cover letters, among other areas. She also is working with regional employers to identify their needs for interns, cooperative education participants and part-time student workers, as well as opportunities for MSU graduates and alumni. |
| Mississippi Town to Join the Gigabit League | |
 | Quitman, Mississippi, a town of 2,300, beat out cities many times its size to receive a blistering high-speed broadband network. Leaders and supporting organizations say it's a chance to rebuild the city's economic future. Professor Roberto Gallardo at Mississippi State University Center for Technology Outreach has helped to educate and advise the community and has helped create new services based on broadband. Those have included courses to help local business build websites and conduct online sales. Professor Gallardo and the Extension Service also arranged for the Intelligent Community Forum to get involved in the project. Subsequently, ICF has designated the Mississippi State University Extension Service as an Intelligent Community Institute, clearing the way for more collaboration in the future. |
| State officials expect less wheat acreage to be planted | |
| Excellent summer crop harvests in recent years is partly responsible for a significant decrease in the amount of wheat being planted in the state this fall. Official estimates are not yet available, but Erick Larson, grain crops agronomist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said he expects state farmers to plant less than 150,000 acres of wheat in 2014. Wheat planted in the fall is harvested early the following summer. The low acreage is mostly the result of economic considerations, but a later-than-usual harvest for summer row crops played a role as well. Brian Williams, Extension agricultural economist, said prices have a big influence on the number of acres farmers plant in wheat. |
| Gautier artist, an MSU alum, turns sketches of dolls into cottage industry | |
| Micah Nelson came from a line of "awesome seamstresses," but didn't take advantage of learning the craft when she had the chance. She wishes now she had. Sewing skills would come in handy in her cottage industry of making and selling dolls, Magnolia Fox Studios. "I learn as I go," she said. "When I see what I have on my sketch pad, it sometimes takes me a little time to get where I want." But not to worry. She calls her mother and grandmother on FaceTime for help as needed. A 2011 Mississippi State University graduate, Nelson studied art with an emphasis in photography. |
| Mississippi State to Host Veterans Day Ceremony on Drill Field Tuesday | |
| The G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Center for America's Veterans, along with several student organizations, will hold a Veterans Day ceremony Tuesday on Mississippi State University's historic Drill Field. Beginning at 2 p.m., the Student Veterans and Black Student associations will read the names of the deceased from Mississippi for the War on Terrorism from Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom. MSU President Mark E. Keenum will be the guest speaker for the Veterans Day ceremony, which begins at 3 p.m. |
| U.S. Army Field Band Jazz Ambassadors entertain at MSU Wednesday | |
 | The internationally-acclaimed official touring big band of the United States Army, known for its long tradition of free public performances, will present a Wednesday evening concert at Mississippi State University. Free and open to all, the 7:30 p.m. performance by the U.S. Army Field Band Jazz Ambassadors of Washington, D.C., takes place in historic Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium. Although admission is free, tickets are required and may be obtained from event co-sponsors at the MSU Band Hall on Hardy Road, G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Center for America's Veterans on Magruder Street, or at the Starkville Convention and Visitors Bureau main office in downtown Starkville. |
| Report: Large home, condo sales increasing in Oktibbeha | |
| More local homeowners are upgrading their living conditions and purchasing larger homes, thereby increasing the volume of residential sales and average selling prices in Oktibbeha County by 9 percent each, a housing report shows. Using the Golden Triangle Multiple Listing Service, a tool that combines listings and data from numerous Realtors across the tri-county area, the report shows the average selling price for an Oktibbeha County home -- $193,545 -- is at an all-time high in the last 10 years and remains well ahead of similar marks in Lowndes ($137,649) and Clay ($136,524) counties. Only listed homes and properties are included in the data stream. Since those structures represent a majority of transactions in the Golden Triangle, local officials use the analysis to gauge the health of Oktibbeha County's housing market. |
| KiOR files for bankruptcy, but Columbus plant isn't included | |
 | Biofuel maker KiOR Inc. has filed for bankruptcy, although its Mississippi subsidiary has not, preserving the chance that its Columbus plant could be sold quickly. The company, based in Pasadena, Texas, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection late Sunday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, where it's incorporated. KiOR defaulted on a loan from Mississippi last week when it failed to make a $1.8 million debt payment. The state says KiOR Columbus LLC, owned by KiOR, owes $78.6 million. |
| State revenue slows ahead of key meeting | |
 | When legislative leaders and Gov. Phil Bryant meet Monday to adopt an estimate of money available to budget during the 2015 session, they will do so with the knowledge that revenue collections for October were $10.7 million, or 2.3 percent, below the estimate. For the current fiscal year, which started July 1, revenue collections still are $11 million (less than 1 percent) above the estimate. Bryant and the 14-member Legislative Budget Committee will meet Monday to adopt an estimate, based on recommendations from the state's financial experts, for the next fiscal year, starting July 1, 2015. |
| Sales tax dodging on the rise in Mississippi | |
 | Last month's indictment of Fannin Mart Restaurant owner Steve Page on charges of felony tax evasion highlights what state revenue officials call a growing epidemic costing Mississippi nearly $190 million last year alone. Tax dodging has soared among businesses and corporations in the Magnolia State, particularly in the past five years, said Department of Revenue spokeswoman Kathy Waterbury. Unpaid sales taxes and use taxes due to under-reporting reached a record high in fiscal 2014, nearly doubling from the previous fiscal year's $103.5 million. "And those are just the cases we know about," Waterbury said. |
| Indicted Epps had a way with lawmakers, governors | |
| Chris Epps could sell ice to Eskimos and for years had lawmakers and governors eating out of his hand with his folksy, straight-shooting style and deep knowledge of the state prison system he ran. That ended abruptly with his indictment on 49 federal charges last week. Epps is accused of running one of the largest and longest criminal conspiracies in state government history. The 53-year-old Epps, who spent most of his life keeping people behind bars, now faces spending the rest of it locked up. Authorities say Epps took so much in bribes over the last eight years that he had to launder the money. "Like everyone else, I'm completely stunned," said former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, who first appointed Epps commissioner in 2002. |
| Musgrove disputes Hood's reasoning on lawsuit | |
| Former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove says if the Legislature did not want to fully fund local school districts it should have changed the law that mandates it. Musgrove, who is suing the state on behalf of local school districts to recoup money they were underfunded since 2008 under the formula in state law, has filed a response in Hinds County Chancery Court to Attorney General Jim Hood's argument that his lawsuit should be dismissed. In an early October response filed with the Hinds County Chancery Court, Hood's primary argument for dismissal is that one legislature's actions cannot bind later legislatures. |
| Wicker optimistic about GOP majority | |
| U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker of Tupelo is optimistic that the newly elected Republican Senate majority can achieve significant accomplishments in the new term, working with Democratic President Barack Obama. Wicker, a Republican first elected in a special election in November 2008 and re-elected in 2012 to a full six-year term, said in an interview Friday he also is hopeful that accomplishments can be achieved during "the lame duck session" in the final weeks of 2014 while Democrats still maintain a majority in the Senate. He'd also like to play a key role in the next round of Senate elections in 2016 by heading up the Republican senatorial campaign effort. |
| TV campaign for gay equality starts in Mississippi | |
| Mary Jane Kennedy considers herself a conservative Christian Republican, and she's led Bible studies in her native Mississippi for decades. She's also the mother of two gay sons and one of the faces in a new advertising campaign aimed at softening religious opposition in the Deep South to equal rights for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The Washington-based Human Rights Campaign is taking on the region's longstanding church-based opposition to homosexuality in a series of groundbreaking television commercials, direct-mail messages and phone-bank operations designed to promote equality and legal protections for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi. TV commercials will begin airing Monday in Jackson, the state's largest city and prime media market. |
| Haley Barbour apologizes after calling Obama's policies 'tar babies' | |
 | Haley Barbour called President Barack Obama's policies "tar babies" on a post-election conference call for clients of his lobbying firm, two sources familiar with the call told POLITICO. The former Mississippi governor made the remark as he was taking questions from 100 or more clients of the BGR Group during an hourlong call on Thursday morning. According to a person on the call, Barbour was noting how rare it is for Americans to elect a president from the same party as a commander-in-chief leaving office after two terms. Barbour, in an email to POLITICO, acknowledged making the comment. If someone takes offense, I regret it. But, again, neither the context nor the connotation was intended to offend," wrote Barbour, who is known for his political savvy, but whose folksy Southern style has occasionally drawn allegations of insensitivity on fraught racial and cultural issues. |
| Loretta Lynch To Face Tough Questioning by Lawmakers | |
 | As a trial prosecutor in Brooklyn 15 years ago, Loretta Lynch faced a daunting task: Walk a key witness in a high-profile New York City Police Department brutality case through testimony that could send his fellow officers to prison for decades. Ms. Lynch, nominated Saturday to become the nation's next attorney general, questioned officer Eric Turetzky during trial, breaking the "blue wall of silence" surrounding police misconduct and carefully recount what he saw in a Brooklyn station house on the night Abner Louima, a Haitian immigrant, was taken to the building's bathroom and sodomized by officers with a broken broomstick. Associates say Ms. Lynch's pursuit of justice and her ability to remain calm in the eye of a public storm will be a key asset for her both during the confirmation process and, if she is approved, as the nation's top law-enforcement official. |
| As U.S. nuclear arsenal ages, other nations have modernized | |
 | As Russian forces were drawing back from a swift and violent incursion into Ukraine this fall, Moscow was delivering another powerful military statement many miles to the north. A new 40-foot Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of delivering an unparalleled 10 nuclear warheads, was launched by a Russian navy submarine on a test run over the icy White Sea. The weapon was a clear signal to the world that as Russia battles tightening economic sanctions intended to block Moscow's aggressive posturing on NATO's frontiers, President Vladimir Putin has another card to play. The debate over how to modernize America's aging nuclear forces has taken on increasing urgency with the emergence of a newly assertive Russia and a new generation of nuclear powers with increasing technological sophistication. |
| Southern Miss celebrates homecoming in royal style | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi celebrated its 2014 homecoming with alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends on Nov. 3-8 in Hattiesburg. A parade was held Saturday, and Delores McNair, longtime administrative assistant and student advocate in the Southern Miss Dean of Students Office, was the parade grand marshal. Parade participants included the university's Pride of Mississippi Marching Band, Dixie Darlings, cheerleaders and many others representing the university and local organizations and businesses. Also joining in the parade were marching bands from Hattiesburg High School, Forrest County Agricultural High School, Perry Central High School and Jim Hill High School, of Jackson. |
| LaForge talks budget with Delta State University personnel | |
 | On Thursday, Delta State University President Bill LaForge and his cabinet held a forum to discuss the budget cuts that were announced Wednesday evening. In a letter sent to the campus by LaForge, the major budget cuts were addressed. "In my State of the University address in August, I explained the need for the university to identify and achieve permanent expenditure savings totaling at least $1 million to help put our financial house in order. On behalf of the Cabinet, I write to you today to announce the plan to reach that goal," he wrote. During the two forums, one for staff and one for faculty, LaForge, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Charles McAdams, Vice President of Student Affairs Wayne Blansett, the deans, and the presidential cabinet explained why these cuts were made and where. |
| William Carey's Dickinson Collection showcases music's past, present | |
 | Some of America's most-beloved patriotic songs and old hymns -- "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," "My Country 'Tis of Thee" and "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" -- have a Pine Belt connection. William Carey University is home to the Clarence Dickinson Collection -- which includes handwritten copies of Samuel Francis Smith's "My Country 'Tis of Thee" (circa 1895) as well as Julia Ward Howe's "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" (circa 1890). "I believe Clarence Dickinson's lasting legacy is his work in education. He personally mentored the first crop of church musicians and music directors who worked in the early 20th century," said Reese Powell, William Carey's director of libraries and learning resources. |
| Auburn University trustees approve facilities projects, honor donors | |
 | Jordan-Hare Stadium is set to undergo a two-phase HVAC improvement project over the next two years to improve heating and air conditioning. The Auburn University Board of Trustees approved the two-part plan, along with several other proposed facility improvement projects, at its November meeting Friday. Described by Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management Dan King as "fairly time-sensitive," Phase I of the project is scheduled to be completed by August 2015. The second phase will start after the end of the 2015 football season. Trustees also approved the renovation of the 4,800-square-foot textile building in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. |
| As the industry grows, U. of Kentucky ag college to offer certification in wine, brewing and distilling | |
 | In 1994, Harlen Wheatley had just graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering when he got a phone call: would he be interested in leaving the chemical company where he was working and come work for Buffalo Trace? Master Distiller Gary Gayheart was planning his retirement and they needed somebody to come in and learn the ropes. Distilling, after all, is basic chemistry. During the past 20 years, Wheatley has risen through the ranks to become the master distiller, worked with greats like the late Elmer T. Lee, and become the face of some of the top bourbon brands in the world. But it all happened by chance. Now UK wants to give students interested in a future in Kentucky's booming beverage industries an advantage. The UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment wants to offer an undergraduate certificate in distillation, wine and brewing studies. |
| U. of Florida political science department declines to build a fully online degree | |
 | UF Online, the University of Florida's online education arm, won't offer a political science degree after the department, concerned about quality and the state's shifting leadership, voted against the idea. The decision wasn't based on passionate opposition to online education, said Ido Oren, associate professor and chair of the political science department. The department already offers online versions of several of its introductory and upper-level courses, but the idea of stringing those courses into -- and developing a number of new courses for -- a fully online major gave some faculty members pause. |
| U. of South Carolina study finds vegan diet most effective at weight loss | |
 | Susan Reese lost 30 pounds and helped University of South Carolina researchers prove a point. Reese was among the participants in a study to see which kind of diet was best for losing weight. They were more interested in losing weight than backing a hypothesis. Many did both. The study showed a strict vegan diet is more effective for losing weight than a vegetarian diet or those that include fish or red meat. Peer pressure and education about serving sizes and healthy cooking can drive weight loss, too. "The support group was as important as the diet itself for me," Reese said. The study, published in The International Journal of Applied and Basic Nutritional Sciences, backed the idea that a diet eschewing animal products helps people shed weight. |
| Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service finding new ways to fight infectious diseases | |
 | Donning neon hazmat suits, first responders hosed down an electric wagon Saturday as part of a decontamination demonstration. Responders, researchers, technology developers and policymakers spent the morning together at the Texas A&M Engineering Extension's Emergency Operations Training Center to discuss how robotics could be applied when responding to a case of infectious disease. The event was sponsored by the TEEX Product Development Center, which gives manufacturers, developers and inventors a place to test out their products in real-world scenarios. |
| Texas A&M police getting bodycams | |
| A body camera less than 4 inches tall is the newest addition to Texas A&M police officer's uniforms. Though the department purchased 24 body cameras for most of its patrol officers in 2011, the recent upgrade allows for all 70 officers in the department, including detectives, to have access to the tool. Officers last week began using the gadget, which is required to be worn by uniformed personnel on duty, said Lt. Allan Baron, public information officer. The cameras will allow officers to provide more accurate accounts for their written reports and court testimony and for administrators to evaluate policies, procedures and use-of-force incidents, Baron said. |
| Meet Caroline, the Internet's Favorite College Writing Coach | |
 | Caroline Bowen wants to edit your papers. According to a snarky flier she posted at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, if you "suck at English," you should hit her up. She'll "hemorrhage ink all over whatever crap you brought" for $15 an hour -- except on Wednesdays. Those are reserved for doing her physics homework. Since Ms. Bowen posted her profanity-laced advertisement on the campus on October 29, a photo of it has gone viral on the web, attracting more than two million views. She even answered questions about her flier on Reddit, the popular online forum. The self-described "seventh-year senior" is not your typical aspiring editor. She's majoring in physics, having switched from studying art three years ago as a junior. |
| CHARLIE MITCHELL (OPINION): More states are passing own minimum wage laws | |
| Longtime Mississippi journalist Charlie Mitchell writes: "As with many public policies, the idea of a government-set minimum wage started small. It was 1938 when federal law first required private employers to pay at least 25 cents per hour. Not every worker. Just those engaged in interstate commerce. Things have changed. Specifically, while Congress has been stalled, more and more states have gotten into the game. When the new year arrives in a few weeks, the minimum wage will rise in nine states due to changes already made in those states' laws. Last week, five more states held votes related to state minimums. Voters nodded their approval in each and every one." |
| BILL CRAWFORD (OPINION): Gov. Bryant will help shape next year's statewide elections | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "Now that Senate race shenanigans have ended, the state's political focus turns to next year's statewide elections. Will Gov. Phil Bryant be challenged? By a fellow Republican or a strong Democrat? Will Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves be challenged? Or Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann? Or State Treasurer Lynn Fitch? Or State Auditor Stacey Pickering? Or Agriculture Commissioner Cindy Hyde-Smith? Or Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney? Or Attorney General Jim Hood, the only Democrat among the group? Will the Tea Party and/or Chris McDaniel allies bring out strong candidates to challenge incumbents? Will Democrats come up with viable candidates in this Republican dominated state? The next months will be filled with rumors, hints of interest, and political maneuvering." |
| LLOYD GRAY (OPINION): Mississippi and the GOP takeover | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Lloyd Gray writes: "Republicans regained control of the U.S. Senate last week, and the pivotal point could well have been the night of June 24 in Mississippi. That's when Thad Cochran pulled off the unusual if not unprecedented feat in Mississippi of turning out more voters in a runoff than in the first primary to come from behind and beat Chris McDaniel by 7,667 votes." |
| GEOFF PENDER (OPINION): State's delegation is upwardly mobile | |
| The Clarion-Ledger's Geoff Pender writes: "With Tuesday's Republican rout, and Mississippi sending all its incumbents back to Washintgon, the state's congressional delegation is upwardly mobile, set for some big leaps in clout. First, of course, is seventh-term Sen. Thad Cochran. He's likely to be reinstated as chairman of Senate Appropriations, a post he held for a couple of years before Democrats took the chamber. This would make him one of the most powerful leaders in the free world. It's possible there could be some internecine GOP fight and someone else could take the Appropriations chair. But former Gov. Haley Barbour, a longtime Washington power broker who helped Cochran get re-elected, said 'I don't think there's any question' about Mississippi's senior senator being reinstated, and holding the nation's purse strings." |
| SID SALTER (OPINION): Old scarred warrior remains on Capitol Hill | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: "The good news is that the significant majority of Mississippi voters --- Republican, Democrat, black, white, conservative, moderate and liberal --- voted against squandering the hard-won seniority of veteran Republican U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran by voting to re-elect him. Cochran won a seventh term in the Senate with 60.4 percent of the vote. ...At the end of the day --- after all the Facebook and Twitter infighting, all the mutual character assassinations, and deep dives into the depth of political tactics previously unplumbed in Mississippi -- it is the old scarred warrior, the man Time Magazine called 'The Quiet Persuader' who will represent Mississippi as our senior U.S. senator. There are many who predict that term will be shorter than six years. Those who know Cochran best say don't bet on it." |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State eyes different ending in Alabama | |
| Mississippi State fans read a similar script two years ago. The Bulldogs carried a perfect record heading to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama. Their offense was led by quarterback Tyler Russell who rewrote the program's record books. He was complimented by a 1,000-yard running back LaDarius Perkins. The Bulldogs also boasted one of the toughest defenses in the Southeastern Conference. Sound familiar? Facing the No. 3 Crimson Tide on Saturday, this season's squad is also riding a perfect record at 9-0, 5-0 SEC record. But much has changed since 2012. "It's a completely different team, completely different attitude," said quarterback Dak Prescott. |
| No. 1 Bulldogs, No. 4 Tide on collision course | |
| In 2012, Mississippi State traveled to Tuscaloosa with a 7-0 record and the hopes of knocking off defending national champion and then-No. 1 ranked Alabama. A "#WeBelieve" social media campaign quickly swept through the Bulldogs' fan base. But it proved to be little help as the Tide rolled 38-7, holding MSU to 47 rushing yards. This time it is the Bulldogs who are the nation's top-ranked team and enter the game much more confident about their chances. "This is a completely different team," said MSU quarterback Dak Prescott. "Our attitude isn't 'we believe'. We know we can. We're not trying to hope anymore. We're trying to go in and play our best game." Saturday's showdown will be the 2:30 p.m. CBS contest and will be the site of ESPN's "College GameDay" pregame show. |
| No. 1 Mississippi State set for matchup at No. 4 Alabama | |
| No. 1 Mississippi State has been an afterthought on college football's landscape during the past few weeks, securing ho-hum wins over inferior opponents with regular monotony. That all changes on Saturday. The Bulldogs (9-0, 5-0 Southeastern Conference, No. 1 CFP) travel to face No. 4 Alabama (8-1, 5-1, No. 5 CFP) in Tuscaloosa in what will be a showdown for Western Division supremacy. The game begins a pivotal three-game stretch, which also includes Vanderbilt and rival Ole Miss. "Playing in big time games in November means you're playing for championships," quarterback Dak Prescott said. "To go to Tuscaloosa being the hunted is a challenge we are willing to take." |
| Mississippi State looks ahead to Alabama after win | |
| The scoreboard hadn't even been turned off. That's how much time it took for the No. 1 Mississippi State football team, with fans still cheering a 45-16 homecoming victory against Tennessee-Martin, to begin fielding questions about the next game on its schedule. That game will be against No. 4 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where a victory would go a long way toward solidifying MSU's championship aspirations. In his postgame press conference, the first question lobbed at MSU coach Dan Mullen wasn't about the 29-point win against UT-Martin. It was about Alabama. "It's a big-time game this week," Mullen said. "This is what you play for. We're in the middle of November, competing for first place in the SEC West, which is what it's all about. That's what we want out program to be about." |
| No. 1 Mississippi State eager for Alabama bout | |
| Josh Robinson snapped his helmet on and took two steps on to the field before a coach pulled him off. Running back Ashton Shumpert took the field for a Mississippi State third down in the first half. A healthy Robinson carried the ball a season-low six times in MSU's 45-16 win against Tennessee-Martin on Saturday. Quarterback Dak Prescott joined Robinson on the sideline for all but one drive of the second half. There are more important opponents on the horizon for Mississippi State. ... Like at No. 4 Alabama next Saturday. "It's a big-time game this weekend, that's what you play for," Mullen said. "Middle of November competing for first place in the SEC West, it's what it's all about." |
| Mississippi State's Richardson could see bigger role on court at new position | |
| As a point guard, Jerica James knows how to direct traffic. The senior is familiar with all of the hand signals and the subtle eye maneuvers that allow teammates to work their magic without using words. If there is one signal James and all point guards know, it is when a player grabs the ball and uses one arm to wave everyone off to one side of the floor as if to say, "Get out of my way. I got this." James said Breanna Richardson hasn't reached that point yet, but she said the sophomore is getting more comfortable and more confident even as she prepares for a new season in which she could spend more time on the wing than on the block. |
| Flying of unauthorized drones at stadiums prompts safety concerns | |
 | Along with huge crowds and tailgating parties, football stadiums across the country are becoming magnets for something else on game day: rogue drones. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a rash of incidents this fall in which thrill-seekers with small, camera-toting drones have violated airspace restrictions by swooping over large outdoor sporting events. The problem has become most common at football games, with at least a half-dozen drone sightings reported at major college and NFL contests since August. In the United States, college football has become the leading sports attraction for outlaw drone pilots. The surge of remote-controlled aircraft at athletic events comes as the FAA is struggling to regulate the fast-growing civilian drone industry. |
| L.S.U. Mascot Mike the Tiger Chooses to Stay Home on Game Days | |
 | Few universities venerate their sports mascots as much as Louisiana State cherishes Mike the Tiger -- or Mike VI, as he is formally known here. He resides in a 15,000-square-foot habitat across the street from Tiger Stadium, replete with a waterfall, a pool and an Italianate tower, and professionals at L.S.U.'s veterinary school look after his teeth, claws and paws each day. "He is a pampered cat in every sense of the word," said Dan Borne, the longtime public-address announcer at L.S.U. football games. Perhaps too pampered. When the No. 14 Tigers took the field Saturday night for a nationally televised game against No. 4 Alabama with playoff implications, their beloved mascot once again did not join them. For all seven home games this season, Mike has refused to leave his well-appointed residence for the mobile cage that would take him into the stadium. |
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