| Monday, December 4, 2017 |
| Mississippi State unveils $10-million expansion to house Grant library, Lincoln collection | |
 | Frank Williams began collecting artifacts for what is now a presidential library when he was 11. That was decades before he took the bench as Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, served as president of the Ulysses S. Grant Association or became founding chair of The Lincoln Forum. Over the course of his life, he amassed nearly 30,000 Lincoln artifacts -- the first an abridged Lincoln biography he bought for 25 cents with his lunch money. On Thursday, he gave it all to the Mitchell Memorial Library at Mississippi State University, which houses the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library, donating what was considered the largest privately owned Abraham Lincoln collection in America. Williams' Lincolniana Collection advances the library, making it a, "truly national center for the study of the American Civil War," MSU President Mark Keenum said. "Through the landmark academic collections, I would submit that perhaps no other university in the nation is doing more to bring substantive, academic balance to the study of the conditions that led up to the Civil War." |
| Doors open at Grant Presidential Library, Lincoln collection at Mississippi State | |
 | Mississippi State University joined the ranks of six colleges and universities with presidential libraries Thursday, when the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library officially opened its doors. The $10 million facility is located on the fourth floor of the Mitchell Memorial Library and also includes the Frank and Virginia Williams Collection of Lincolniana, the largest known private collection of Abraham Lincoln artifacts and literature. The opening drew an unexpectedly large crowd and included several notable guests and speakers. "It was Grant's success here in Mississippi that earned him the special gratitude and complements of President Lincoln and propelled him into a much larger, grander role in leading the army during the early war, and afterward with his celebrity, prepared him into being the president of the United States," MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. "It is most appropriate and fitting for his library to be located in the great state of Mississippi." |
| Our View: An unlikely site for the library of an under-appreciated president | |
 | The Dispatch editorializes: "On Thursday, Mississippi State held a grand-opening ceremony for the Grant Presidential Library, a $10-million, 21,000 square-foot addition to the university's Mitchell Memorial Library. That Mississippi would be home of a presidential library seems unorthodox for two reasons. First, no Mississippian has ever served as president of the United States and second, the president whose archives are now home at MSU, played a decisive role in the defeat of the Confederacy, of which Mississippi was an enthusiastic member. ...Thursday's event marked the end of years of work and the addition of a $10 million, 21,000 square-foot facility to the library that makes MSU one of only six universities in the nation to host a presidential library." |
| OUR OPINION: Grant Library true asset for region, state | |
 | The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal editorializes: "Mississippi State University, and in conjunction Northeast Mississippi, earned a spot on the national academic map following last week's dedication of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and Williams' Collection of Lincolniana. Visitors, along with university and elected officials, gathered for a ceremony on Thursday to officially open the library at the university's main campus in Starkville. ...As Mississippi State officials noted during last week's ceremony, the library and collections finding a home in Mississippi is fitting. 'Our university offers a unique opportunity for the study of the Civil War not from a Northern perspective, not from a Southern perspective, but from a truly American perspective,' said MSU President Mark Keenum. ...The library gives one of our region's most valuable assets, Mississippi State University, a unique opportunity to pioneer research on the Civil War and two notable presidents." |
| Roses and thorns 12/3/17: A rose to MSU Professor of History Emeritus John Marszalek | |
| From the Dispatch: A rose to Mississippi State Professor of History Emeritus John Marszalek for his tireless work in establishing the U.S. Grant Presidential Library at MSU's Mitchell Memorial Library. This week, the university held a grand opening ceremony of the Grant Library, which is now housed a $10 million, 2,100 square foot expansion of the library. While there were many, many people whose efforts should be acknowledged, it's fair to say the Grant Library would never had arrived without Marszalek, who succeeded John Y. Simon as director of the Grant Foundation in 2008. His long years of advocacy for making MSU the permanent home of the Grant Library was essential in making that dream come true. Many contributed, but Marszalek stands above all the rest in that effort. Generations of Mississippians, as well as scholars from throughout the world, will benefit from his tireless work on this project. |
| Two neurosurgeons, both alumni, to speak at Mississippi State graduation | |
 | Mississippi State graduates this fall will hear from two alumni who are renowned neurosurgeons now assisting the National Football League. The university says Dr. Allen K. Sills Jr., of Franklin, Tennessee, will deliver the 9:30 a.m. commencement address on Dec. 8, while Dr. John D. Davis IV, of Flowood, will speak at the 4 p.m. ceremony. The morning program will include graduates of the colleges of Architecture, Art and Design; Arts and Sciences; Education and the General Studies program. During the afternoon, degrees will be awarded for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; College of Business; Bagley College of Engineering; and the College of Forest Resources. Master's and doctoral graduates of the College of Veterinary Medicine also will be recognized. |
| Multi-church collaboration leads to first Star(k)filled Christmas | |
| When many minds meet, good things tend to happen. A Star(k)filled Christmas is one of them. Eight churches in and near downtown Starkville are partnering to present this family-friendly event Sunday, Dec. 10 around the Christmas tree in front of City Hall on Main Street. Organizers hope it's the start of a new tradition. All are encouraged to start off with free hot chocolate and refreshments at 4:30 p.m. as a children's choir from First Baptist Church Starkville sing. At 5 p.m. an adult mass choir representing multiple churches and accompanied by an instrumental ensemble will present "A Carol Fantasia." "The audience is invited to sing along," said Peter Infanger, director of music ministries at Starkville's First United Methodist Church. Presenting churches are First Baptist Church, Second Baptist Church, First United Methodist Church, Griffin United Methodist Church, Peter's Rock Church, First Presbyterian Church, Saint Joseph Catholic Church and the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection. |
| Legislative leaders, governor propose less funds for education budget | |
| Substantial cuts are being recommended by Gov. Phil Bryant and legislative leaders for the general education budget, which funds the state Department of Education. The proposed cuts come at a time when the state Board of Education and Superintendent Carey Wright are asking for additional money for such items as early childhood education, literacy efforts at the elementary grade level and for innovations at the high school level. Most of the requested increases are for programs that both the Legislature and the state Board of Education have embraced as important to improving the education outcomes in the state. The 14-member Legislative Budget Committee, which includes Lt. Gov. Tate Reeve and House Speaker Philip Gunn, is proposing that the general education budget be cut 3.9 percent or $6.6 million for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts July 1. |
| Analysis: Many parents for 2 Mississippi history museums | |
| Two museums telling the story of Mississippi are opening on the eve of the state's bicentennial, culminating years of planning. Many people deserve credit for pushing the projects from vague concepts into see-it-and-touch-it reality. High on that list is former Gov. Haley Barbour. During his final year in office, in 2011, Republican Barbour persuaded lawmakers to approve $38 million in state financing for the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum -- two entities under a single roof. The plan came with a provision that money also had to be raised from private donors. Ground was broken in 2013 for the two new museums , which are a short walk from the current state Capitol and the Old Capitol Museum in downtown Jackson. They open Dec. 9. |
| Non-Partisan Group: Fly Stennis Flag Instead of Official State Version | |
| A new grassroots group of Mississippians is advocating for replacing the controversial Mississippi flag for urging residents to fly a different one themselves. The Stennis Flag Flyers are based in Bay St. Louis on the Gulf Coast and encourage Mississippians to begin to fly Jackson artist Laurin Stennis' flag in place of the current one to encourage lawmakers to change the state flag. Laurin Stennis is the granddaughter of late U.S. Sen. John C. Stennis and designed the banner in 2014. The flag is on a white background with red bars on either side. In the center, 19 smaller stars encircle a larger blue star, representing Mississippi joining the union as the 20th state. Rep. Kathy Sykes, D-Jackson, has promoted the Stennis flag regularly during the legislative session with stickers and introduced legislation with Stennis' design last session. No bills to change the state flag made it out of committee in either the House or the Senate this year. |
| Sen. Roger Wicker predicts Congress will wrap up tax work in two weeks | |
 | Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) is confident that Congress will finish up its work on tax reform in the next two weeks, keeping with the Republican goal of passing the sweeping legislation before Christmas.Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) is confident that Congress will finish up its work on tax reform in the next two weeks, keeping with the Republican goal of passing the sweeping legislation before Christmas. "The good news is that we are well on our way to a pretty quick conference with the House of Representatives on wrapping up this tax relief," Wicker told radio host John Catsimatidis after the massive GOP bill narrowly passed the Senate early Saturday morning. "I'm very hopeful we can get this wrapped up in the next 10 days or so," Wicker said. There are only eight days with both the House and Senate in session left on the legislative calendar, during which the two chambers will conference to work out the differences between their versions of the bill, a historically slow process. Wicker said that House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) informed him he plans to hold a vote Monday on beginning the conference. |
| As Tax Overhaul Looms, Senate Has Upper Hand | |
 | The Senate's passage of a tax overhaul illustrated a fragile coalition of support that ironically provides the chamber with the upper hand headed into conference committee negotiations with the House. House Republicans wanted a conference process on the two chambers' differing tax bills to prevent the House from getting jammed by the Senate, as they acknowledge has happened frequently on major bills. But some members realize that a conference committee may still result in a final product that tracks more with Senate priorities given the thin margin of support in that chamber. Senate passage came after days of negotiations in which several Senate Republican holdouts were offered significant concessions to secure their votes, with some changes designed just to appease a single senator. |
| What happened when North Carolina cut taxes like the GOP plans to for the country | |
 | For a peek into a world after a massive tax cut, visit North Carolina and ride along with factory owner Eric Henry. Conservative groups have hailed North Carolina as a model of a tax overhaul since it began slashing state corporate and individual tax rates four years ago. And one of the effort's main architects, Thom Tillis, is now in the U.S. Senate, where early Saturday he joined 50 other Republican senators in voting for a $1.5 trillion federal tax overhaul -- a plan that employs many of the same tactics already in use here. But as Henry drove through the conservative, rural county he's called home all his life, he had trouble seeing many benefits of the tax cut. Business was good, but it wasn't good enough that he could give his 20 workers significant raises. |
| Alabama's Disdain for Democrats Looms Over Its Senate Race | |
 | Anne Stickney does not have many good things to say about Roy S. Moore. She saw as mere "posturing" his name-making crusade over the display of the Ten Commandments in various Alabama courthouses. She has no reason to doubt the recent allegations that, as a man in his 30s, Mr. Moore harassed and sexually assaulted teenagers. In sum, Ms. Stickney has concluded that Mr. Moore, the Republican nominee for United States Senate here, will not get her vote. But she will not be voting for his Democratic opponent in the Senate election on Dec. 12, either. "Doug Jones has a good reputation for being a good man," Ms. Stickney, 63, said. "But he's still a Democrat. Instead, she plans to write in Lee Busby, a Republican and retired Marine colonel. The outcome of the Senate race here is still anyone's guess, and a victory for Mr. Jones would not be the first unexpected turn. But old habits die hard in Alabama, and veterans of Southern politics find it difficult to imagine that even this election, one of the most unpredictable in the state's recent memory, would in the end stray far from the old fundamentals. |
| President Trump endorses Roy Moore for Alabama Senate seat | |
 | President Trump explicitly endorsed embattled candidate Roy Moore on Monday, saying he needs a Republican in the Alabama seat to help push through key parts of his agenda such as tax cuts and the border wall. "Democrats refusal to give even one vote for massive Tax Cuts is why we need Republican Roy Moore to win in Alabama," Trump tweeted early Monday. "We need his vote on stopping crime, illegal immigration, Border Wall, Military, Pro Life, V.A., Judges 2nd Amendment and more. No to Jones, a Pelosi/Schumer Puppet!" he continued. Trump, who for weeks has expressed a preference for Moore, did not mention the allegations that Moore sexually assaulted and harassed girls as young as 14 years old when he was in his 30s and an assistant district attorney. Trump has defended Moore against the accusations that have rocked the campaign for weeks, citing the ex-judge's repeated denials. |
| Universities ask legislators to fund campus facility needs | |
 | Mississippi's eight public universities are requesting a little over $512 million dollars to fund maintenance and construction projects in the coming year. During the last session, legislators did not offer universities any bond funding for maintenance requests. Higher Education Commissioner Glenn Boyce. "Our campuses absolutely need the kind of repair and renovation type money and bond money that helps us make sure that this deferred maintenance is taken care of for our facilities," said Boyce. The last session ended without a bond bill. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said at that time, "We're not going to operate as they do in Washington D.C. and borrow money we cannot afford to pay back." |
| MUW reopens dorm that had carbon monoxide issue | |
 | The Mississippi University for Women has reopened the dorm where at least 30 people were exposed to carbon monoxide and taken to the hospital. Students were allowed to return to Kincannon Hall before 4 p.m. Thursday after Columbus firefighters conducted testing and found no carbon monoxide. The exposure to the gas occurred Tuesday. MUW says all dorms now have carbon monoxide detectors. University officials say the incident also revealed "a breakdown within the university police department's emergency response communications" and that the issue is being addressed. |
| U. of Mississippi Medical Center breaks ground for pediatrics tower | |
| The University of Mississippi Medical Center broke ground on its new pediatrics tower Friday before a crowd of patients, doctors and state leaders. Gov. Phil Bryant, who attended the groundbreaking, praised the new 340,000 square foot tower, calling this ceremony different from the many other groundbreakings he has attended. "None of those facilities are the places of miracles," Bryant said. "But this is." "We have outstanding physicians and the best staff, and they have a passion for caring for patients," said Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine. "What we need now are facilities to match that quality of care. The time has come for a transformation." |
| Groundbreaking kicks off construction of $180M pediatrics tower at UMMC | |
 | For Megan Bell, having pediatric specialists close to home means one thing. Her daughter's life. "Without this place," said Bell, of Pearl, "we wouldn't have Avery. We would have lost her." The Bell family were among those helping break ground Friday morning for a $180 million children's tower adjacent to Batson Children's Hospital in Jackson. The facility will include new space for neonatal and pediatric intensive care, more operating suites and an imaging center for pediatric patients. Also part of the project is a new outpatient clinic for pediatric specialists, and Avery sees quite a few of them. Children's of Mississippi leaders anticipate recruiting 30-40 physicians in the next five years as the facility is built and after it is opened, since it will provide additional capacity. At a minimum, about 50-75 staff positions, not including physicians, would be added after construction. |
| UMMC imposes visitor restrictions to combat flu | |
 | UMMC has started imposing visitor restrictions to combat the flu spreading. The hospital says that when family and friends visit hospital patients, they risk spreading the flu to patients who are more susceptible to illness. Due to an increased number of diagnosed cases being reported, these restrictions were put into place until the end of flu season. The new restrictions allow all patients two healthy adult visitors at any one time in both private and semi-private rooms. Children 12 and under are advised to refrain from visiting the hospitals at all. Sheila Fletcher, the hospital's director of infection prevention said, "Children can be ill and exhibiting no symptoms, but still be contagious." The medical center is following the flu guidelines issued by the CDC, Fletcher said. |
| At Southern Miss: Vocal training for 'anybody who has struggled with their voice or communicating' | |
 | Can you imagine spending a year in intense training to improve your voice? Well, that's what three graduate students at the University of Southern Mississippi did. The Master of Fine Arts in Performance students have just completed a one-of-a-kind program to enhance their vocal ability. "It really is improving your vocal and physical life so actors on stage can be clear, articulate and fill their entire pitch range," said Robin Aronson, professor of voice and acting in the Southern Miss Theater Department. She's talking about Lessac Kinesensic Training, named after the late Arthur Lessac, a voice teacher who passed away in 2011. His training teaches a process for discovering vocal sensation in the body, for developing tonal clarity, articulation and better connecting to text and the rhythms of speech. |
| Coach to college president: Adam Breerwood rose up the ranks at Pearl River Community College | |
| Adam Breerwood remembers a disappointing day in his career at Pearl River Community College, one that changed his life. Breerwood, who's been president of PRCC since July 1 and spent 21 years working at the college, recalls a meeting he had about two decades ago with then-president William Lewis. At the time, Breerwood was assistant baseball coach and worked in maintenance. "I expected Dr. Lewis to tell me I would be head baseball coach," Breerwood said. "He told me 'we're going in a different direction with the baseball job, but we have plans for you.' "I was disappointed. I didn't realize it, but my whole life was changed at that point." Breerwood's tale of advancement at PRCC is something the students there can look up to and emulate. He started at the college as a student and eventually made his way to the head office. Now, in his sixth month as president, Breerwood, 43, is confronting the challenges of running a college that has suffered budget cuts and enrollment declines. |
| East Central Community College to close for holidays on Dec. 13 | |
 | East Central Community College in Decatur will close all offices for the Christmas holidays beginning on Dec. 13, according to a report from the college. Offices will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 2. Orientation for new students for the 2018 spring semester will be held on Jan. 4, beginning at 9 a.m., in the Vickers Fine Arts Center auditorium. As part of the orientation, new students will register for spring classes. Day and evening classes for the spring semester begin Monday, Jan. 8. The last day to register is Jan. 9. |
| Out-of-state students don't stay in South Carolina after graduation | |
 | Jameer Bailey has loved his time in Columbia, studying at Benedict College. A New Jersey native, Bailey "didn't want to go to school too close to home." So, he applied to several historically black colleges and universities in the South. "Benedict sparked my heart. It's built around family. I came to visit, and it felt like home." But when he graduates later this month, Bailey plans to move to Philadelphia and join the City Year program, then pursue a graduate degree, leaving South Carolina behind. Bailey is not alone, leading some to question why S.C. taxpayers spend money educating out-of-state students. Of the 13,594 out-of-state graduates produced by S.C. colleges in 2009-10, about half left the state within a year. Only 35 percent still were working in the Palmetto State a year later, according to a study by the S.C. Commission on Higher Education and the state Department of Employment and Workforce. |
| Jewish group settles in by U. of Missouri to serve 'everyone with love' | |
 | Rabbi Avraham Lapine and his wife, Channy Lapine, had been renting a Chabad house to serve the Columbia Jewish community for six years. After years of establishing a place of welcome for Jewish life on campus, the Lapines' landlord made them an offer to buy the place. "The time was right," Avraham Lapine said. The Lapines were committed to creating a permanent local Jewish community. As of Thursday, they now own the house they were renting on Brandon Road, the first and only Chabad house in Columbia. Avraham Lapine sees this not only as a milestone for Columbia, but also as a step for the Jewish community as a whole. "When a Jewish student or a Jewish person sees Columbia and they know there's a Chabad out there, they know, 'Wow, this is a place that has Jewish life,'" he said. Hillel International estimates there are about 750 undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Missouri who identify as Jewish. |
| Tax bill with key implications for colleges clears Senate | |
 | The U.S. Senate early Saturday morning narrowly approved major tax legislation roundly opposed by higher education leaders and student groups. The bill, like the House of Representatives' tax plan passed last month, got no public hearings and senators themselves complained they had no opportunity to read the legislation even as last-minute amendments were offered affecting issues like private college endowments and education savings plans. The 51-to-49 Senate vote sets up negotiations with House leaders over substantial differences between the two bills. Most in higher education view the House version as substantially more harmful for students and colleges than the Senate bill, but many also have major concerns about the Senate legislation. Both bills would create significant potential new tax burdens for higher education institutions and would, college leaders predict, adversely affect charitable giving and state budgets that support public colleges and universities. |
| Passage of Senate Tax-Reform Bill Leaves Colleges Scrambling | |
 | College leaders are bracing for major changes to the nation's tax code that could weaken their financial footing by undermining charitable giving and placing new tax burdens on institutions with valuable endowments. College leaders spoke out in near-uniformity against the Republican lawmakers' plans. "At a time when our economy is demanding more education for more of our citizens, we cannot erect new barriers for the millions of Americans who need affordable higher education," wrote Margaret Spellings, president of the University of North Carolina system and the former education secretary under President George W. Bush. If the main goal of the tax bills is to spur economic activity, said Marjorie Hass, president of Rhodes College, then Congress would better accomplish that goal by investing in colleges and universities. "It's very disappointing that higher education is not being seen as an important aspect of growing the economy," she said. |
| Republican bill would reshape how colleges are held accountable | |
| Education groups scrambled Friday to dissect a massive bill from Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives to reauthorize the federal law that governs higher education, with proposals that have serious implications for how students pay for their degrees and how colleges are evaluated. The bill also delivers on long-held GOP priorities to roll back regulations on the for-profit and online education sectors and steers new federal money to apprenticeships and career training. Broad outlines of the 542-page proposal emerged earlier in the week. And well ahead of the bill's release, it was clear that Representative Virginia Foxx, the North Carolina Republican who chairs the House education committee, would look to simplify the federal student aid program (partly by ending many loan repayment benefits), eliminate the gainful-employment rule and other regulations long opposed by for-profits, and more broadly seek to link federal aid eligibility to students' ability to repay loans. |
| Consistent attendance puts students on pathway to success | |
| Angela Farmer, assistant professor of educational leadership at Mississippi State, writes: "Students arrive at school in a variety of forms, from tall to short, from slim to stocky and from about 5 years old to at least 18. They vary in appearance, dress, gender and ethnicity. However, one thing remains constant for all of these children: School attendance matters. In order to take full advantage of the multifaceted nature of school, students need to be in the academic setting nearly 100 percent of the time. While there are always illnesses and emergencies, student attendance is a vital component of student success. Simplistic as this may sound, it is perhaps the one component of parental support which every school needs. The parents or guardians are an essential part of ensuring the students attend school each day. This is a task which requires a certain amount of rigor and consistency to get students into a predictable pattern for school attendance." |
| Sen. Lindsey Graham 'we know what to do' is not what they're doing | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "Once upon a time balancing the budget and lowering the national debt were top Republican priorities. Over two decades ago Newt Gingrich led a GOP revolution to do just that. Our own Sen. Roger Wicker, then in the House, signed on to Gingrich's 'contract for America.' Back then, in 1994, the debt totaled $4.7 trillion. ...In January of this year, Secretary of Defense Gen. Jim Mattis agreed the national debt is the greatest threat to our national security. 'I consider it an abrogation of our generation's responsibility to transfer a debt of this size to our children,' he added. This year the debt topped $20.2 trillion." |
SPORTS
| Bulldogs return to TaxSlayer Bowl | |
| Mississippi State is headed back to the Sunshine State for its record eighth consecutive bowl appearance. The Bulldogs will battle Louisville in the TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville on Dec. 30 at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN. It marks the third time in the past eight seasons that MSU has been selected for the event previously known as the Gator Bowl. This marks the first time the Bulldogs and Cardinals have met in a bowl game but have played four times previously. MSU qualified for a bowl game by going 8-4 this season under coach Dan Mullen. Due to Mullen's departure to Florida, assistant Greg Knox will serve as the Bulldogs' interim coach for the TaxSlayer Bowl. "I don't think it's going to be a challenge with the kids," Knox said. "We have a program with a solid foundation that's based on hard work and determination. I don't think it'll be a problem or a challenge for me getting the kids ready to play." Quarterbacks coach Brett Elliott will handle the play-calling duties. |
| Mississippi State will play in Taxslayer Bowl against Louisville | |
| Mississippi State is headed to Florida for its bowl game. The Bulldogs (8-4) will play in the Taxslayer Bowl in Jacksonville at 11 a.m. on Dec. 30 (a Saturday) against Louisville (8-4), it was announced Sunday. The game will be televised live on ESPN. Cowbells will be permitted at EverBank Field, MSU announced. This is the eighth-straight bowl appearance for MSU, which was No. 23 in the final College Football Playoff rankings released Sunday. The Bulldogs will start practice on Friday. The Bulldogs are expected to be led by freshman quarterback Keytaon Thompson after Nick Fitzgerald's ankle injury in the Egg Bowl. Thompson is the team's only other scholarship quarterback. |
| No. 24 Mississippi State bound for the TaxSlayer Bowl | |
| Mississippi State's eighth consecutive bowl game is taking it to a familiar destination. No. 24 MSU (8-4) will go to Jacksonville, Florida, to face Louisville (8-4) in the TaxSlayer Bowl 11 a.m. Central Dec. 30 at EverBank Field. It is MSU's third appearance in that bowl in the streak, after beating Michigan in 2011 and losing to Northwestern in the 2013 game. "We are excited to accept a bid to the TaxSlayer Bowl and cap this season off the right way," MSU Director of Athletics John Cohen said in a statement. "I want to congratulate our team for a terrific season and earning the right to play one more. We get to do it in an NFL stadium. Our group of seniors is one victory away from tying the school record for wins by a senior class. We look forward to seeing our Bulldog family turn out in Jacksonville as we play in a Florida bowl for the fifth time in eight seasons." |
| Mississippi State will battle Louisville in the Taxslayer Bowl | |
 | Mississippi State will be playing its first bowl game without former coach Dan Mullen. The Bulldogs (8-4) will meet Louisville in the Taxslayer Bowl at 11 a.m. on Dec. 30 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. ESPN will televise the contest between SEC and ACC schools. Louisville (8-4) is led by former Pascagoula High wide receiver Jaylen Smith. The junior has caught 53 passes for 873 yards and six TDs this season to lead the Cardinal receivers. He also made All-ACC honors MSU will be playing in its eighth straight bowl, but first without coach Dan Mullen during this span. New coach Joe Moorhead won't coach the bowl game, leaving coaching duties to Greg Knox. The Bulldogs' running back and special teams coordinator was named interim coach after Mullen took the Florida job. |
| Roses and thorns 12/3/17: A rose to MSU Athletics Director John Cohen | |
| From the Dispatch: A rose to Mississippi State University Athletics Director John Cohen for his masterful handling of the sudden football coaching search. Although the resignation of coach Dan Mullen on Sunday caught Bulldog fans by surprise, Cohen had anticipated the possibility of such a move as far back as October and had already devoted hours of research into possible replacements by the time the opening emerged. Cohen's attention to detail, thoroughness and proactive approach to the situation culminated in the widely-heralded selection of Joe Moorhead as the Bulldogs coach just three days after Mullen announced his decision to leave. Great leaders anticipate changes, rather than react to them. You'll not find a better example of this than Cohen's handling of the coaching search. In one short year, Cohen has established himself as an excellent leader for MSU athletics. He is not a rising star. He is a risen star. |
| Mississippi State works to remain perfect | |
| Mississippi State squandered a 21-point second half lead and appeared to be facing overtime at best with the game tied and Dayton with the ball holding for the final shot. That's when the Weatherspoon brothers went into action. Nick Weatherspoon picked the pocket of Darrell Davis with four seconds remaining while Quinndary Weatherspoon secured the steal and drove the length of the court for the layup before the final horn sounded. Quinndary Weatherspoon's second buzzer-beater in seven days secured a 61-59 win to keep MSU undefeated. It was the third buzzer-beater of Quinndary Weatherspoon's career and also gave him a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. |
| Mississippi State edges past Dayton for 61-59 win | |
| Quinndary Weatherspoon scored with eight seconds left to lift Mississippi State to a 61-59 victory over Dayton on Sunday. Dayton (3-3) tied the game at 59-all thanks to a free throw from Darrell Davis with 1:08 left in regulation. The Flyers then held for the final shot only to have Weatherspoon steal the ball and go coast to coast for the game-winning shot. Tyson Carter led Mississippi State (7-0) with 20 points while Weatherspoon finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Mississippi State concludes its season-opening, eight-game homestand on Saturday when North Georgia pays a visit. |
| Quinndary Weatherspoon's game-winning layup lifts Mississippi State | |
| Quinndary Weatherspoon says he likes to operate at all times on the court as if there are 20 minutes left on the clock. It served him well Sunday night. Despite playing with four fouls, Weatherspoon went for the steal as Darrell Davis was dribbling on the perimeter. With the calm that comes without worrying about the last ticks of the clock, he came away with the ball with four seconds left, dribbled the length of the court and made the game-winning layup with 0.8 seconds left. This was his second game-winning shot of the season. Mississippi State is 7-0 after defeating Dayton 61-59. "I just wanted to get as deep as I possibly could and not settle for a shot," Weatherspoon said. "There was no hesitation (on the steal); it was the end of the game so I was going all out." |
| Victoria Vivians, No. 6 Mississippi State Top Oklahoma State 79-76 | |
| The SEC/Big 12 Challenge game between No. 6 Mississippi State and Oklahoma State felt like a conference game to Bulldogs coach Vic Schaefer. Victoria Vivians scored a season-high 30 points and had eight rebounds and Mississippi State held off Oklahoma State 79-76 on Sunday to improve to 8-0. "That was a heck of a game," Schaefer said. "I knew going in that (Oklahoma State) was going to be ready. That's the way that program is and how that staff gets them ready. I was proud of our resilience today. The reason we won the game was because of our toughness." |
| No. 3 Mississippi State beats Oklahoma State but wants more from bench | |
| Vic Schaefer searched a few seconds for the right word. He settled on "meekness." Yeah, he said after repeating the word to himself a couple of times, there is no room for that on Mississippi State. "I don't feel good every day, (Roshunda Johnson) doesn't feel good every day and (Teaira McCowan) doesn't feel good every day, but we all come to work," Schaefer said. "Your opponent doesn't care how you feel. In fact, they hope you feel bad. They hope you take a day off. They hope you don't practice. For my group, I got to get 12 kids coming every day and practicing every day. "Right now, I don't have that. I have this one sick, that one sick, this one has been hurt and now this one is hurt again and it's just ... it's something all the time with my team right now. We got to get pass that. This team is good enough." That was during the postgame press conference Sunday after a win. No. 3 Mississippi State beat a talented Oklahoma State team 79-76 at Humphrey Coliseum. The Bulldogs are 8-0. |
| Southern Miss will meet Florida State in the Independence Bowl | |
| Southern Miss will finish off the 2017 season in Shreveport in a matchup against its former Metro Conference mate. The Golden Eagles will meet Florida State at the Independence Bowl at 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 27. The game is set to air on ESPN. The ACC's Seminoles are 6-6 this season, while Conference USA's Southern Miss is 8-4. Florida State and the Golden Eagles last met in 1996. The Seminoles lead the all-time series 13-8-1. The last time Southern Miss defeated Florida State was Sept. 2, 1989, when the Golden Eagles won 30-26. Florida State freshman running back Cam Akers may be a familiar face to some Golden Eagles. Akers, who has rushed for 930 yards and 7 touchdowns this season, is a former Clinton High star. |
| Booster Schemes Persist at U. of Mississippi | |
| The University of Mississippi's third major incident involving violations by football boosters has led the National Collegiate Athletic Association to take the unusual step of barring the Rebels program from postseason play in 2018 -- a penalty the university said it would "vigorously appeal." The verdict comes after the NCAA's Division I Committee on Infractions found that six football staffers and a dozen boosters had helped funnel $37,000 in cash payments to recruits and provide access to free lodging, cars, meals and apparel. The university lacked institutional control over its football program, the committee concluded, a finding the NCAA has used with decreasing frequency in recent years. In addition to the 2018 bowl ban, the Rebels face scholarship reductions and several of its former or current coaches or administrators were given show-cause orders, meaning they are likely to be limited from athletics-related positions for a certain number of years. Chancellor Jeffrey S. Vitter released a statement saying the university intended to fight the 2018 ban. It had already taken itself out of postseason play for the 2017 season. |
| Jeff Vitter stands by Ross Bjork as Ole Miss focuses on appeal | |
| If there was any question of Jeff Vitter's support for his athletics director Vitter removed all doubt Friday. The NCAA's ruling in the Ole Miss case include the opinion that the school lacks institutional control, but Vitter, the Ole Miss chancellor, strongly affirmed Bjork moving forward. "I have the highest regard for Ross. He's a great athletics director," Vitter said. "Everybody who has been found responsible for NCAA violations has either been severed from the university or been held accountable. Ross is going to provide the continued leadership, so that we can forge ahead and reach new heights in the athletics program." Bjork's first order of business with the vote of confidence will be to appeal the NCAA's penalty of a bowl ban for the 2018 season and also the lack of institutional control characterization. |
| Ole Miss gives quarterback Shea Patterson permission to seek transfer | |
| Ole Miss quarterback Shea Patterson could be on the move. The school has given Patterson permission to explore a transfer with both sides entering into a "permission to contact" form, according to a report by the Ole Miss Spirit. That means Patterson can talk to other programs about the possibility of transferring. A true sophomore, Patterson has two years of eligibility remaining. Per NCAA transfer rules, he would have to sit out next season at another school. The news comes a day after the final ruling came down in Ole Miss' infractions case, one that included in another bowl ban for the 2018 season. Ole Miss will appeal the decision. |
| How does SEC, LSU solve their attendance issues? Well, it's complicated... | |
 | Soon, a guy in Oxford, Mississippi, will hit the "send" button on an email with more recipients than there are people in Baton Rouge. The email is shipped to the inboxes of more than 250,000 Southeastern Conference football season ticketholders. The focus of the email: getting more of them into the seats of SEC football stadiums. The responses to this emailed survey are significant. They could lead to a new video board at South Carolina, a new field-level club section at LSU, renovated bathrooms and concessions at Georgia or a new plaza level at Arkansas. "I'm reading over it right now," Ole Miss associate athletic director Michael Thompson, the sender of the survey, said during an interview Wednesday. Each December for the past seven years, Thompson has created and then disseminated a 15-minute survey to season ticketholders of each of the 14 SEC schools, gauging their responses to 56 items about their team's game day experience. The responses are aggregated into a ranking system, giving each program a database of their fans' likes and gripes. This is part of Thompson's job as research head of the SEC's fan experience working group. |
| SEC Championship Game has highest TV rating for college football this season | |
 | The SEC Championship Game had more viewers than any college football game this season. No. 7 Georgia's 28-7 win over No. 2 Auburn drew an average overnight rating of 8.4 and 18 share, the best for CBS since 2013, when the Iron Bowl drew an 8.6/18 rating and share. Those figures are up 20 percent from last year's SEC Championship Game between Alabama and Florida (7.0/15). The SEC Championship Game outdrew the Big Ten Championship (8.0) on FOX. |
| Texas A&M rolls out maroon carpet for coach-to-be Jimbo Fisher | |
 | The Jimbo Fisher era in Texas A&M football began shortly after noon Sunday when the Aggies' new head football coach landed at Easterwood Airport in College Station with his two new bosses. Fisher exited the Gulfstream jet, owned by Regent Robert L. Albritton, and stepped onto a maroon carpet rolled out for the occasion. A&M Athletic Director Scott Woodward and A&M President Michael K. Young traveled with Fisher from Florida to College Station, where he was met by A&M administrators and fans, roughly 50 members of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band and about 20 members of the press. The 52-year-old's contract is expected to officially be approved Monday during a 9 a.m. telephonic meeting of the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. His introductory press conference will follow at 10 a.m. in Kyle Field's Hall of Champions. |
| Official: Gus Malzahn agrees to 'broad outlines' of new deal with Auburn | |
 | Arkansas seemed to make every effort to lure Gus Malzahn away from the Plains, but Auburn's head coach remained true to the message he repeated throughout the recruitment process. He wanted to be at Auburn, he was "planning on being the coach at Auburn next year," and now, officially, he will be. Auburn University confirmed Sunday night that Malzahn agreed to "agreed to the broad outlines of a new contract extending his leadership of the Tigers." Details of the new contract have not been finalized, but ESPN reported Sunday that the deal will pay Malzahn $49 million over seven years. Malzahn's previous contract, last extended in June of 2016, paid $4.725 million annually and ran through 2020. "Strength and stability go hand-in-hand, and we have both in Coach Malzahn," Auburn University president Steven Leath said in a statement. "We're excited for the future of Auburn football. This means a lot to the Auburn family." |
| Hogs move on from Gus Malzahn | |
| The Arkansas Razorbacks' hopes of bringing Gus Malzahn back to Northwest Arkansas faded Sunday afternoon, as the Fort Smith native and fifth-year Auburn coach agreed to a lucrative raise and a contract extension with Auburn, reported by The Associated Press and others to be a seven-year deal. The new package, which will reportedly exceed $7 million in the final year, was first reported by 247Sports. Malzahn had been the top target for the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, which had presented a substantial offer. "One figure tossed around, according to the source, $50 million for seven years," CBSSports.com wrote of the reported offer from the Razorbacks. The Razorbacks' search, which is being conducted by interim athletic director Julie Cromer Peoples now turns to other candidates, which include SMU Coach Chad Morris, Memphis Coach Mike Norvell and Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables. |
| Florida's journey to a football coaching hire | |
| The day before had been disruptive, to say the least. Any time there is a coaching change at a major Power Five school in the middle of the season, it can feel out of control even when control has been established. But on Monday, Oct. 30 -- a day later -- it was one of those beautiful Gainesville mornings and there was work to be done. It was time for the search to begin in earnest as the tide went out on the emotional uncoupling with the head coach. Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin had a mental list of who might be a candidate for the suddenly vacant Florida football job, but nothing set in stone. On that Monday after Jim McElwain and UF parted ways, it was time to start chiseling out a serious list. |
| Tennessee president Joe DiPietro says 'university's reputation' damaged | |
 | University of Tennessee president Joe DiPietro said he regrets "University's reputation" was damaged from the chaotic search for a new football coach. Chancellor Beverly Davenport announced Friday that athletic director John Currie had been placed on leave with pay. "The process of searching for a football coach for the Vols has obviously not gone as expected to this point, and I regret the damage it has caused to the University's reputation," DiPietro wrote on his Twitter account. Davenport named former UT football coach Phillip Fulmer as athletic director. "I'm very grateful to Phillip Fulmer for stepping in to act as athletics director at this critical juncture, and I'm completely confident that he is the right choice to right the ship and for moving the process forward to a successful outcome," DiPietro concluded. Fulmer has been serving as a special advisor to DiPietro for community, athletics, and university relations. |
| Gov. Bill Haslam on U. of Tennessee athletics: 'We don't need governors to pick coaches' | |
| Gov. Bill Haslam deferred to University of Tennessee's Chancellor Beverly Davenport Friday when asked about John Currie and the state of UT athletics. "This has obviously been a difficult week for the University of Tennessee athletics but I think the appropriate comment should come from the Chancellor's Office," Haslam said. Haslam said he is not involved in the coaching search. "We don't need governors to pick coaches. I'll let the people in charge of that do that," Haslam said. He discussed the strength of the Tennessee fanbase. "That's what makes Tennessee such a great place for college athletics," Haslam said. |
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