| Friday, October 23, 2026 |
| MSU alum commits $10M gift to MSU's industrial engineering department | |
 | The president, CEO and co-founder of one of the nation's leading pharmaceutical service companies has committed $10 million in support of Mississippi State's Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering in the Bagley College of Engineering. The gift, from Fred P. and Sara Jean Burke of Atlanta, Georgia, will create programs benefiting MSU faculty, graduate and undergraduate students through fellowships, scholarships, facility updates and recruitment programs. "Mississippi State University is a national powerhouse and global leader in engineering education, research and engagement, and the strong support of alumni and friends like Fred and Sara Jean helps make that possible," MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. "This transformative gift from the Burkes will propel the Bagley College of Engineering and the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering to even greater heights and ensure our faculty and students continue to achieve at the very highest levels." |
| State Department funds eight Feed the Future Innovation Labs | |
 | The State Department has launched eight Feed the Future Innovation Labs at seven U.S. land-grant universities, putting American researchers to work on crop pests, livestock disease and depleted soils abroad before those threats reach U.S. farms and grocery shelves. The department announced the labs Oct. 15. ... Mississippi State University's fish lab carries $8 million, both under awards of up to five years. ... Mississippi State's fish lab will set research priorities that include aquatic feeds, genetics, fish health and trade. Its predecessor supported 30 research activities in 10 countries. "We want to develop practical technologies that producers and businesses will adopt, create opportunities for U.S. companies in growing international markets, and address threats such as aquatic animal diseases before they reach American production systems," said Mark Lawrence, the lab's director. |
| NOAA Launches Ocean DNA Explorer to Advance Marine eDNA Research | |
| The power of environmental DNA (eDNA) to help us decode the mysteries of the deep is undeniable. The ability to detect marine species by the DNA they leave behind in water samples has revolutionized biodiversity monitoring and distribution mapping. Still, as a new field of study, standards for formatting eDNA data to ensure broad accessibility and usability have yet to be set. To standardize and accelerate the sharing and use of eDNA data and metadata, NOAA has launched the Ocean DNA Explorer, an open-source and user-friendly data portal for sharing, exploring, searching, and visualizing marine eDNA data. The Ocean DNA Explorer was developed by the Northern Gulf Institute at Mississippi State University in collaboration with NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), with funding from NOAA Ocean Exploration and NOAA Omics. |
| MSU joins local governments in observing burn bans, urging caution | |
 | As the Magnolia State continues to see drought conditions, Mississippi State University is joining adjacent local governments in enforcing a burn ban through Nov. 16. Fifty-five of the state's 82 counties currently have burn bans in effect. MSU Vice President Sid Salter, who chairs the Special Events and Game Day Committee, said the university would observe the burn ban already in effect by Oktibbeha County and the City of Starkville, in coordination with the Mississippi Forestry Commission. "Mississippi State wants to be responsible neighbors and support the county and city efforts to maintain maximum fire safety during this long drought," said Salter. "We are confident that our Bulldog fans understand the need to go the extra mile to practice the utmost fire safety during tailgating. Specifically, we are concerned about how charcoal briquettes are handled after cooking. Charcoal should be fully extinguished with water and disposed of in metal containers, not thrown on the ground." |
| Carpentry to concrete: Students see trade skills at expo | |
 | Four years ago, Halen Latham attended the FORGE Your Path Career Expo as an eighth-grader. This year, the Columbus High School junior returned this week alongside other carpentry students from McKellar Technology Center to show this year's participants the basics of carpentry. Watching as the eighth-graders practiced drilling screws into a block of wood, Latham said her favorite part of being back is teaching the students. "It's like when you don't have experience, it helps them even if they don't take the class," she said. "It's something you can do in life. ... (These are skills you can use) for anything that you have." Now in its seventh year, the expo brings together more than 2,000 eighth-grade students from nine counties, 40-plus trade partners and more than 500 volunteers for two full days of interactive activities designed to introduce them to careers in skilled trades. "These kids are laying brick, finishing concrete, driving the mini excavator, they're learning about irrigation systems," Melinda Lowe, executive director for FORGE, told The Dispatch. "It's just a lot of new things that have been added that have just really elevated the experience, and we've loved that." |
| Starkville man pleads guilty to attempted murder in 2025 shooting | |
| An Oktibbeha County man has pleaded guilty to attempted murder in connection with a 2025 shooting and will face up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced in February. Marshall Shamar Overstreet, 22, of Southgate Drive, Starkville, was scheduled to go to trial this week for the August 2025 shooting at The Social Block apartments in Starkville that left a man in critical condition. He is one of three men arrested in connection with the shooting. Instead of facing a jury, Overstreet entered a plea of guilty in circuit court. There were no recommendations for a sentence by the District Attorney's Office in the petition to plead, where Overstreet said, "I did participate in the shooting of David Peterson." The shooting took place around 9:50 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in the parking lot area of The Block Townhomes and The Social Block apartments on South Montgomery Street. The investigation quickly determined that the Starkville man who was shot and critically wounded was not the intended target. The victim's wife was walking her dog nearby and was also in the line of fire. |
| Robert St. John has plans for a restaurant on the beach | |
 | Well-known restaurateur Robert St. John is planning to build a beach burger joint on the Mississippi Coast that follows a wave of new development in downtown Gulfport. The concept, called Ed's on the Beach, will be situated along the water in the Gulfport Harbor on land that has been empty since Hurricane Katrina. The menu will resemble another of St. John's restaurants -- Ed's Burger Joint in Hattiesburg, Miss. -- with some seafood additions. St. John is also planning an open-air bar, concerts and beach volleyball. Opening is slated for March 2028. Ed's on the Beach is the latest new development planned in downtown Gulfport, which is undergoing a transformation. A $105 million mixed-use town center with a hotel, shops and luxury apartments is under construction at U.S. 90 and Highway 49 on the beach. A few blocks away, St. John also opened a breakfast and lunch diner called The Downtowner earlier this year, and lines to eat there are regularly out the door. "We feel excited just to be a small part of that," St. John said of the downtown revitalization. "It makes perfect sense to us." |
| Inside Josett. The restaurant Jackson is buzzing about | |
 | After months of construction delays and finishing touches, Chef Michael Greenhill said his new restaurant, Josett, is now targeting a late November opening in Jackson's Fondren area. Greenhill, who spent 12 years helping build the reputation of Walker's Drive-In alongside Chef Derek Emerson, said the restaurant is nearing the finish line at the Fondren 3000 building near Old Canton Road and Lakeland Drive. "The end of November is the target," Greenhill told the Clarion Ledger during a recent tour of the space. While major construction work is complete, Greenhill said much of the remaining work involves detailed finishes throughout the restaurant. Josett will offer a more chef-driven menu than traditional steakhouses or casual dining restaurants. Greenhill said many of the dishes grew out of specials he created during his years at Walker's. The restaurant occupies the former Nick's Restaurant and Surin of Thailand space, but extensive renovations have transformed the property. |
| MDOT holds public feedback sessions on connecting Eagle One mega site to highways | |
 | The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is moving forward with one potential route to improve access to the Eagle One mega site. MDOT held a public feedback session Thursday to discuss options for connecting the site to Interstate 59 and U.S. Highway 11. Three routes were considered, and one is now moving forward. Chad Newell, president of the Area Development Partnership, said the site's scale requires significant roadway upgrades. "It's a 2,100-acre industrial site," Newell said. "And when you're developing a 2,100-acre mega site, you need quality transportation improvements around it." Robert Walker, chief operating officer of Neel-Schaffer Engineering, said the route moving forward was chosen to minimize disruption. "We're going to focus on the one that has the least impacts to the residents, the property," Walker said. |
| Kamala Harris rallies for Mississippi Senate candidate as she elevates profile | |
 | A Deep South state that hasn't gone blue for president since Jimmy Carter might seem like an odd place for Kamala Harris to headline one of her first rallies ahead of a potential 2028 presidential run. But Thursday night, she played to a packed crowd in this city near the Alabama line. "Mississippi matters!" Harris shouted to thunderous cheers as she spoke in the Columbus High School gymnasium for Democratic Senate nominee Scott Colom, the local prosecutor. More than 1,000 people waited in line to get through metal detectors before the evening event, and once inside they cheered and danced like a pep rally. Harris's presence highlighted not only her own ambition, but also the newfound attention from Democrats on Colom, who is striving to become the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Mississippi in some four decades. He would also become the first Black politician elected statewide in Mississippi since Reconstruction. Harris is turning up the heat on rallies after a few select appearances at controlled campaign events, such as a roundtable discussion last month with Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan. |
| Kamala Harris says 'Mississippi matters' at Columbus rally for Scott Colom | |
| Former Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned in Mississippi for Scott Colom on Thursday, calling the Democratic Senate nominee a historic candidate whose victory would send a statement that America has begun to reject President Donald Trump and his party. Harris' arrival followed a steady stream of campaigning for Colom by Democratic senators and a last-minute large investment from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, as Democrats grow increasingly hopeful that Colom can pull off an upset over Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in ruby-red Mississippi. Speaking to an energized crowd at the Columbus High School gym, where Colom played basketball as a youth, Harris said Mississippi's increasingly competitive U.S. Senate race is a fight worth waging for Democrats. "We've got 12 days to make history. And I've traveled here because, indeed, Mississippi Matters," Harris said, referencing Colom's campaign slogan. "The power is with the people. And the people are with Scott." |
| Backing Colom, Harris urges Mississippians to turn anger into action | |
| This is no ordinary time, former Vice President Kamala Harris told a crowd of hundreds Thursday in Columbus High School's gymnasium. But Scott Colom, she said, is no ordinary man. For Mississippians who have spent nearly two years angry, sad and powerless, Harris said "it's time to turn that anger into action." "They're trying to make you feel like you don't have somebody," Harris told the crowd. "You have Scott, and he will fight for you and he will fight alongside you. And if we need any reminder of how important that is, we have that moment now when we look at the contrast. We have a choice. The people of Mississippi have a choice." Harris joined Colom, Democratic hopeful for the U.S. Senate, for a Columbus campaign rally, capping an evening of speakers encouraging those attending not only to turn out on Election Day but also help others know who Colom is and what he stands for in the runup to Nov. 3. If elected, Colom told the crowd he intends to fight on Day 1 to raise the minimum wage, lower tariffs and end what he called a "stupid" war. But the only way to do that, he said, is if Mississippi works together. "We're not going to be distracted because we understand that unless every child of God has a good education, no child of God has a good education," he said. |
| Republican group places seven-figure ad buy in Mississippi | |
| The top Senate Republican super PAC is spending more than $1 million in Mississippi's Senate race to defend GOP Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and stave off an upset bid from Democratic candidate Scott Colom, according to details shared with Semafor. Senate Leadership Fund is launching an ad campaign in the "low seven figures" in Mississippi, a person familiar with the plans said. The move follows Democratic group Senate Majority PAC's decision to spend $1.2 million in the state casting Hyde-Smith as a "do-nothing" and praising Colom as an effective district attorney. "Thanks to Leader John Thune's fundraising prowess, SLF has the resources to protect our Republican incumbents and swamp SMP's attempts to expand the map," said the person familiar with the group's plans. SLF's ad hits Colom for receiving support from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and George Soros and for "proudly" campaigning with Harris. |
| Capitol agenda: Bennie Thompson warns about Dems' late bet | |
 | National Democrats finally went into Mississippi this week, putting over $1 million behind Scott Colom's campaign to unseat Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. To the state's most prominent Democrat, it was welcome -- but too late. "Anything is appreciated, and I don't want to seem like people here are not appreciative. But you know, we've been singing this song for almost a year," Rep. Bennie Thompson said in an interview. "Scott is a quality candidate and he could've benefited from early recognition from the Senate Majority PAC and others." Thompson's sentiments reflect ongoing frustration among some Democrats who have been beating the drum for more national investment in Black candidates in races once seen as long shots that are now anything but. "Mississippi people are ready for a new direction. They're ready to fire Cindy Hyde-Smith. They want somebody that's going to actually look out for our state, and it's great that the country is starting to realize that," Colom said in an interview. |
| Mississippi AG asks Colom to remove AI-generated video | |
 | Attorney General Lynn Fitch (R-Miss.) said she notified Mississippi Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Scott Colom and his campaign that recent AI-generated ads posted by the campaign on their social media platforms appear to violate state law against the use of "deepfakes" to influence elections. Fitch said she asked that the ads be removed or else the office may file an injunction as authorized by law. She also asked Colom's campaign to preserve all records related to this matter so as not to obstruct justice. This comes after Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Mike Hurst said he sent a letter to Fitch, asking her to investigate Colom for a potential violation of a Mississippi statute. According to Hurst, Miss. Code § 97-13-47 makes it a crime to knowingly spread a deceptive AI-generated "digitization" of a candidate within 90 days of an election. |
| Democrats Warn Economy -- Not Impeachment -- Should Drive Agenda | |
| Democrats are preparing a broad oversight agenda if the party sweeps control of one or both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, signaling investigations of President Donald Trump, his family, his aides and top Republican donors amid a string of reports of corruption in Washington. But Democratic operatives are warning lawmakers not to lose sight of what polls show the November election is really about: inflation and the high costs of consumer goods, fuel and health care. Americans are deeply dissatisfied with Trump's economy -- nearly 70% of likely voters disapprove of the president's handling of the cost of living, according to a New York Times/Siena poll released on Wednesday. This economic discontent has positioned Democrats to flip seats, even in traditionally red areas, in November. While voters also rank corruption near the top of their list of concerns, it is the bread and butter issues that should be the Democrats' driving force as they plot an agenda for the next Congress, these operatives told The Washington Sun. "Costs are number one, two, three, four and five," said Lanae Erickson, senior vice president at the center-left think tank Third Way. "I would hope that House Democrats keep their eye on that ball." |
| US designates helium as a critical material, citing its importance for semiconductors | |
 | The U.S. designated helium as a critical material on Friday because it's indispensable for making semiconductors that are essential to energy generation, and the global supply is at risk of disruption, according to the Energy Department. The designation by the Energy Department means that more federal financing will be available for helium producers and that the government will monitor it more closely. Helium is primarily produced as a byproduct of natural gas processing. The United States is the world's largest producer of natural gas and of helium. Qatar and Russia are the other top helium producers. Exports of Qatar's helium supply have been severely curtailed by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a result of its war with Israel and the U.S. Iranian strikes on Qatar's infrastructure have also impacted supply. Russia imposed temporary export controls on helium in April to protect its domestic supply. There used to be a strategic national stockpile in Texas for helium, much like America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Congress mandated in 2013 that it be privatized. The Bureau of Land Management completed the sale of the federal helium system to the industrial gas company Messer in 2024. |
| 'A botch job': Federal appeals court reverses injunction, reassigns anti-DEI case | |
| A federal appeals court decided this week (PDF) to reverse an injunction preventing the enforcement of a state law banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs in Mississippi public schools and universities. The court has also ordered the case be reassigned to a new district judge, after his staff used artificial intelligence to draft an order in the case. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals' decision means the law can now be enforced in classrooms across the state. It also resolves a key concern of the plaintiffs: that the law would be interpreted to prohibit discussions of issues related to race, sex and civil rights, said Rob McDuff, one of their attorneys. "This interpretation by the Court is good news for public school teachers and students throughout the state and signals that they can continue teaching and learning about these subjects as they have for many years," he said. While the law can now be enforced in public school classrooms and colleges, its scope is fairly narrow as interpreted by the appeals court, McDuff said. "In sum, the Act does not apply to students," the order reads. Other parts of the document say the law names a number of exemptions, including scholarly work, the activities of students and their groups, and creative engagement. |
| UMMC's new cancer center aims to expand access to life-saving care in Mississippi | |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center broke ground Thursday on a cancer center officials say will help improve outcomes for patients in a state with some of the nation's highest cancer mortality rates. The new building is critical to the UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute's goal of achieving National Cancer Institute designation, which could expand Mississippians' access to cutting-edge clinical trials and treatment options, officials said. "We have a real problem here in Mississippi with cancer outcomes," said Dr. LouAnn Woodward, the medical center's vice chancellor for health affairs, at the groundbreaking ceremony. "Mississippians need the highest level of cancer care and access to the latest clinical trials right here at home." The five-story building will be located on State Street across from the medical center and "bring together education, research and treatment under one roof," according to the project's fundraising website. The site is adjacent to the American Cancer Society's Jackson Hope Lodge, which provides free lodging to cancer patients and their caregivers. |
| Officials break ground on $250M UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute | |
| Ground has been broken on a new $250 million center that federal, state, local, and healthcare officials believe will offer hope and positive outcomes for Mississippians battling cancer. Sitting congressional officials, state leaders, local legislators, and representatives of the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) gathered in Jackson to celebrate the early stages of bringing a Cancer Center and Research Institute to fruition. UMMC, the state's largest hospital system, is advancing plans to construct a five-story, 250,000-square-foot facility in Jackson aimed at addressing cancer care disparities and achieving National Cancer Institute designation. "We have a real problem here in Mississippi with cancer outcomes," UMMC vice chancellor of health affairs Dr. LouAnn Woodward said. "Mississippians need the highest level of cancer care and access to the latest clinical trials right here at home." |
| Oklahoma rolled out a competitive funding formula for higher ed. Who wins, and who loses? | |
| In front of a room full of Foundations of Nursing students at Oklahoma State University, professor Nichole Jackson dons an inflatable red suit to represent a red blood cell. Students line the aisle, ready to play their part as plaque to gunk up the artery. Students call out other risk factors, like sedentary lifestyle and smoking. Jackson squeezes through the students to carry oxygen to the rest of the body. "This is coronary artery disease," Jackson tells the students. "You might feel effects; you might not. That's why they call it the silent killer." At OSU, about a quarter of nursing students are adult learners or Pell-eligible. It's one of the metrics that helped the school earn more than $350,000 in additional funds from a new performance-based funding formula recently adopted by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Enrollment, which includes standards like adult learners and Pell-eligible students, is a quarter of the evaluation formula. It also contains retention and success, workforce, and opportunity. |
| Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity launches sexual assault prevention initiative at Mizzou | |
 | Knit closely in their informal dining room, a full house of Pi Kappa Alpha, also known as PIKE fraternity brothers, participated in the U.S. Army's Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention program on Tuesday. Currently, freshmen at the University of Missouri are required to complete two to four hours of an online sexual violence prevention module. Beyond that, Tuesday's event, organized by freshman Aiden Patterson, was the first of its kind. "We saw a gap in university programming, and we saw a gap in our own programming," Patterson said. "We realized that we have the opportunity to make a change now." In light of recent events at Cornell University, Patterson told the Missourian he has felt inspired to give small presentations about consent and sexual assault prevention since becoming a student at Mizzou in August. |
| Clemson University offers limited voluntary separation program to faculty, staff | |
| Clemson University announced plans on Thursday to offer a limited voluntary separation program (VSP) to eligible faculty and staff. Earlier this summer, the university announced that it would take a closer look at how it plans, delivers services, organizes its work and invests its resources. "The VSP is one of the tools supporting our broader transformative work," university officials shared. The program gives eligible employees an additional option to consider as they think about their future plans. Participation is entirely voluntary and will be offered to 452 current FTE employees based on specific eligibility requirements. Eligible employees who accept the offer will receive a lump-sum payment equal to nine months of their base pay. Employees receiving an offer were sent an email with program details, important dates and next steps. |
| Supreme Court allows New Hampshire to fully ban student IDs for voting in midterms | |
| The Supreme Court cleared the way Thursday for New Hampshire to fully ban the use of student IDs for voting during the midterm elections. The justices granted a Republican-backed emergency appeal and blocked the use of student IDs as a backup method of identification. The Supreme Court cited a longstanding legal principle that judges shouldn't change voting rules too close to Election Day. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the only justice to publicly dissent. New Hampshire passed a law this year that said student IDs would no longer be an expressly accepted form of identification for obtaining a ballot. The secretary of state then issued guidance barring them as a backup way to prove a voter's identity. The decision comes less than two weeks before New Hampshire voters cast ballots in a closely contested U.S. Senate race. New Hampshire state Rep. Donald McFarlane said he sponsored the bill to eliminate student IDs for voting because colleges don't have the same controls when issuing those cards as government agencies. |
| TCU chancellor resigns after less than two years at helm | |
| Daniel Pullin is out as Texas Christian University's chancellor, less than 17 months after taking the private institution's top job. Pullin's resignation Thursday is effective immediately, according to a university statement obtained by the Fort Worth Report. The announcement, which was dated Oct. 22, 2026, gave no reason for Pullin's resignation or details about separation terms. His predecessor, Victor Boschini Jr., who led TCU for 22 years, was appointed chancellor, effective immediately. TCU named Boschini chancellor without an interim designation. The leadership change comes as TCU pursues a decade of expansion, with plans to enroll thousands more students, build new housing and increase the university's profile as a research institution. Pullin helped develop the strategy before becoming chancellor in June 2025. Pullin's time in TCU's senior leadership included disputes over academic priorities and faculty input. In October 2025, the university announced plans to fold its race and gender studies departments into English. |
| Higher Ed Leaders Go On Offense With Student Success Project | |
 | As colleges and universities face growing scrutiny over the value of a degree, higher education leaders are pushing back against skepticism, arguing that student success has long been an institutional priority, even if those efforts aren't always visible to the public. Against that backdrop, five higher education associations announced Thursday the launch of the National Student Success Project, a nationwide initiative bringing together institutions around five commitments to help students succeed both during and after college. The associations include the American Association of Community Colleges, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the American Council on Education, the Association of American Universities, and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, with support from the Strada Education Foundation. More than 50 colleges and universities signed on as initial participants, with many institutional leaders attending Thursday's launch event in Washington, D.C. The project seeks to address concerns from students and families about the value of a college degree. |
| Computer Science Is Bleeding Students. It's Not the First Time. | |
 | "Students saying no to computer science," declared one digital-media site. A major daily paper reported from a half-empty college-lecture hall, noting the "zapped" appeal of a previously waitlisted programming course. Those headlines could be from today. In fact, they're more than 20 years old. In the early 2000s, computer-science enrollments plummeted following the collapse of the first wave of internet start-up companies. It took the better part of a decade after the dot-com crash for student interest in the field to begin to recover. In the years since, computer science has come to be seen as the closest colleges could get to a sure-thing degree. The number of computer-science majors quadrupled even as traditional liberal-arts disciplines like English and history lost ground, with students attracted by plentiful jobs and wages well above the median for college graduates. The rosiness of the recent past has obscured the boom-and-bust nature of the degree, economists and computer scientists themselves say. This is the third large-scale cratering in the field, which shed some 53,000 majors during the last academic year. Today, computer-science students have some of the highest rates of unemployment among recent college graduates -- right up there with anthropology majors, according to the New York Federal Reserve. But the degree of public hand-wringing about computer science's future strikes many computing veterans as myopic. |
| Students Turn to Private Lenders After Trump's Clampdown on Federal Loans | |
 | Students are increasingly turning to private lenders after the Trump administration's clampdown on federal student loans, and navigating greater unpredictability with interest rates and loan terms. In some cases, they might not qualify for private loans at all. The changes are leading to more financial uncertainty for students like Victoria Chasin, who was accepted to medical school earlier this year. She knew she would be able to get $50,000 a year in federal student loans, but quickly realized she would need a lot more. Her dad agreed to cosign for a $54,000 private loan, and Chasin was able to lower the interest rate on it to 3% in part because she opted to make $25 monthly payments while in school. Still, she said she worries about having to take out a new private loan every year of medical school. "You never know what the rates are going to be," said Chasin, a 24-year-old from Colorado. For those who need to borrow more than the federal loan limits, private loans aren't a sure bet. Higher-education advocates worry that the push toward private lending will leave many students unable to qualify to fund their education. |
SPORTS
| Countdown To Kickoff: Bulldogs Host Oklahoma | |
| Mississippi State returns to Davis Wade Stadium for the first-ever meeting on the gridiron between the Bulldogs and the Oklahoma Sooners. Kickoff for the annual Blackout game is set for 2:30 p.m. CT. |
| Pressure spot pits Lebby against old stomping grounds | |
| Things changed early for Jeff Lebby, but they worked out well. After signing to play football at Oklahoma, Lebby suffered an injury in his freshman year that ended his playing career. Bob Stoops, the head coach at the time, allowed him to retain his scholarship and start a new role as a student assistant to the coaching staff. Lebby's been in coaching ever since. He even worked as the Sooners' quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023 before taking the head coach job at Mississippi State. "I'm incredibly thankful for those opportunities and that time," Lebby said during State's press conference on Monday. About 24 years after Stoops gave him that gig, Lebby will lead his team against the Sooners on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Davis Wade Stadium. This will be the first time the two programs have ever faced each other and the first time Lebby has faced OU as a head coach. "I've got great relationships with a lot of people inside the building," he said of Oklahoma. "But Saturday's about giving us the opportunity to go win, and that's all that matters at the end of the day." Lebby enters Saturday's game needing to steady the ship. |
| OU football at a crossroads ahead of pivotal road matchup at Mississippi State | |
| There are only a few ways this season could end for the Sooners. Either down in the dumps with another losing season or fighting for a bowl game and an honorable rest of the season. It's up to the players, and coaches, to figure out where it will end. When Oklahoma football plays on the road at Mississippi State this Saturday at 2:30 p.m., the Sooners will be 3-3 and will search for a victory that could truly define the rest of their season, especially if MSU is without its star player. "You got to show up to work. At the end of the day, you have that Oklahoma logo on your chest," said OU tight end Hayden Hansen. "It's the man in the mirror. Your last name is still on that film you put out there. You're playing for everything. "You're playing for this. You're playing for that slim chance of the playoffs still. You're playing for the people in the stands. You're playing for the coaches that believed in you. So, there's still a lot to go." The Sooners lost last week at home to then-ranked No. 15 Kentucky 21-13 in a game that seemed to be OU's to lose. OU did mostly all it could to win, but gave it away with four turnovers --- three in the fourth quarter -- on its way to the third loss of the season at the halfway point. |
| What to watch for: Oklahoma vs. Mississippi State | |
| All MSU fans' eyes will be glued to the SEC availability report this week. Quarterback Kamario Taylor was listed as questionable in the report's first release, and his status will continue to be updated up until 90 minutes before kickoff against Oklahoma Saturday. Taylor's presence could be the difference for MSU against a reeling Sooners squad. The Sooners have seven players listed as questionable: wide receiver Parker Livingstone, running back Tory Blaylock, wide receiver Elijah Thomas, running back Xavier Robinson, defensive back Eli Bowen, offensive lineman Michael Fasusi and offensive lineman Heath Ozaeta. Oklahoma has six players listed as out: linebacker Taylor Heim, wide receiver Trell Harris, tight end Trynae Washington, defensive back Jacobe Johnson, offensive lineman Eddy Pierre-Louis and offensive lineman Ryan Fodje. |
| Mossy Oak Golf Club breaks ground on new $3M clubhouse | |
| A new clubhouse is coming to the Mossy Oak Golf Club in West Point. A groundbreaking was held last week to help usher in the excitement for the first of many incoming projects at one of the top-ranked in-state courses and the home of the Mississippi State University golf team. The project, which is spearheaded by the Golf Clubs of Mississippi and being brought to life by Tupelo-based Century Construction Group, will bring a new building that features an open-air pavilion, a golf shop and a new starter house near the first tee. It is estimated to cost more than $3 million, according to GCM co-chairman and 1976 U.S. Open champion Jerry Pate. The ongoing construction is just the first of many projects that Pate said are coming to Mossy Oak and its neighboring Old Waverly Golf Club. Also on the docket is a tunnel to "go between Mississippi State's building and our building" so no driving is required to get from one course to the other. Also, some renovations to the original Old Waverly clubhouse are being put together, as well. The ownership group also recently purchased 127 acres of land across the street from Mossy Oak and is looking at building some "home sites." |
| Bond, Thomas Selected To Mississippi Sports Hall Of Fame | |
| A pair of Bulldog legends are set to be immortalized by the state of Mississippi. Former MSU quarterback John Bond and former State women's basketball star LaToya Thomas have both been selected to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame it was announced on Thursday. Bond and Thomas will be part of the Class of 2027 and will be formally enshrined during the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Induction Weekend on July 30-31, 2027. Bond stands as one of the best signal callers to ever wear the Maroon and White. A four-year starter for the Dawgs from 1980 through 1983, Bond was a true dual threat in MSU's wishbone offense of his time, passing for 4,621 yards and rushing for 2,280 more over his illustrious career. Thomas is among the most decorated Bulldogs of all time. She was a four-time Kodak All-American from 1999-2003 and was a two-time SEC Player of the Year. Thomas racked up 2,981 points in her career – a total that still stands as the Mississippi State program record. She was a three-time National Player of the Year finalist, two-time Associated Press First Team All-American and was a First Team All-SEC selection in all of her four seasons in Starkville. |
| Finebaum noncommittal to ESPN as contract set to expire, confirms network benched him for Senate run | |
 | Paul Finebaum's contract with ESPN expires at the end of the current football season. On Thursday, the college football analyst appeared noncommittal about his future with the network. "I really don't have anything to offer," Finebaum told AL.com on Thursday before directing further questions to his agent, Matt Kramer of CAA, who also represents the likes of Troy Aikman and Laura Rutledge. Finebaum mentioned his contract was up at the end of the college football season during an appearance on The Awful Announcing Podcast. During that conversation, he confirmed that he had been from banned from the network's main ESPN station, while continuing to work on the network's other stations. "Of course, I was sidelined," Finebaum said. "I'd done the same shows every day for 13 years, and the next thing you know, I'm not on there after a college football weekend." It's unclear whether his short-term suspension is related to his noncommittal remarks about his current contract status. The topic was buried amidst the revelation that Finebaum said ESPN pulled him from its programming last year after he told Clay Travis he was considering a run for Tommy Tuberville's U.S. Senate seat as a Republican. |
| College Football: SEC Blows Past Big Ten, Dominates TV Ratings | |
| The move to supersize the College Football Playoff may be about as welcome as the apocryphal razor blade lurking inside a caramel apple, but if this season's TV ratings are any indication, it's not hard to see why ESPN was so eager to expand the field. According to Nielsen, the SEC all but owns our fall Saturdays, with the conference boasting seven of the top 10 most-watched teams (and three of the upper five). At the head of the list are the beleaguered Texas Longhorns, which through the first seven weeks of the season have averaged 8.40 million viewers per window. Since defecting from the Big 12 in 2024, the transplants have been a massive TV draw, thanks in large part to the ongoing fascination with Arch Manning. While the rangy quarterback may not live up to all the hype -- even if you leave Uncle Peyton out of the equation, the exploits of his forebears make for a daunting legacy -- Manning has made Texas a can't-miss game day destination. After rallying from a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit, the Longhorns' 24-23 interconference victory over Ohio State in Week 2 captured the biggest audience of the college football campaign thus far, as ABC averaged 13.99 million viewers. |
| LSU says it will step up crowd control for football games after game day brawl on campus | |
 | After a brawl following LSU's homecoming game Saturday that ended with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office deploying pepper balls, LSU is ramping up crowd control on game days. "I want to be clear that the behavior I witnessed this weekend is unacceptable and does not reflect the excellence that LSU strives to demonstrate in all we do," LSU President Wade Rousse said in a statement Thursday. "Everyone attending an LSU football game should be able to enjoy the traditions that make Tiger fans proud." The stricter measures will include enhanced foot and mobile patrols, with more intense monitoring of locations known for large gatherings. LSU will also establish "CLEAR distinctions" between what the university calls traditional tailgating and large-scale gatherings with DJs and live bands that arise during and after game time, a statement from the university said. The statement emphasized that student tailgates must end one hour before kickoff. The fight broke out between several women around 4:30 p.m. Saturday and was encouraged by the crowd, police said. |
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