| Monday, August 20, 2018 |
| Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum named CFP Board of Managers chair | |
 | Mississippi State President Mark E. Keenum is the new chair of the College Football Playoff Board of Managers. Keenum was selected after being the Southeastern Conference representative on the board since 2015. The CFP is the four-team playoff that determines the sport's national championship at the Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Board of Managers oversees the administrative operations of the College Football Playoff. There are 11 members, including one from each of the 10 FBS conferences and one from Notre Dame. |
| Mississippi State president named chair of College Football Playoff Board of Managers | |
 | Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum has been selected as chair of the College Football Playoff (CFP) Board of Managers. The university made the announcement Friday morning. Keenum has served as the Southeastern Conference (SEC) representative on the board since 2015. "The College Football Playoff has made a name for itself over the past four years as a great way to decide the national champion in college football. That's an important task, and I plan to lead this board in maintaining the integrity of the event," Keenum said. "Working with the representatives of the nation's major athletic conferences, we will work to ensure the continued growth and success of the CFP." |
| CFP Announces Dr. Mark Keenum to chair Board of Managers | |
 | Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the College Football Playoff (CFP), on Friday announced that Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum has been named chairman of the CFP Board of Managers. "Dr. Keenum is a respected and thoughtful leader in higher education, and we are delighted that he will be serving as chairman of the board," said Hancock. Keenum has been a member of the board since January 2015. He will officially begin his term as chair September 1. The Board of Managers, comprised of university presidents and chancellors representing the ten Football Bowl Subdivision conferences and University of Notre Dame, governs the College Football Playoff business, property and affairs. Dr. Keenum will become the fourth chairman of the CFP board, following Charles Steger, Virginia Tech University; Harvey Perlman, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and C. Max Nikias, University of Southern California. |
| Inaugural Lemonade Day in Starkville draws young entrepreneurs | |
 | Started as a national event nine years ago, Lemonade Day has encouraged kids in 61 cities across the United States and Canada to set up lemonade stands as a way to learn about entrepreneurship and other business skill such as financial literacy, marketing and goal-setting. In Starkville, Lemonade Day is a collaboration between Mississippi State University's College of Business and Entrepreneurship Center and Castle Properties owned by developer Mark Castleberry. It aimed to draw students in grades K-7 who could register online to participate. Jeffrey Rupp, director of outreach for the MSU College of Business, said he was thrilled with Saturday's participation -- especially with poor weather lingering in the area. "There have been more stands than I would've guessed, given the showers," he said. |
| Children learn business skills during Lemonade Day | |
 | Children set up over 60 lemonade stands across Starkville Saturday for Lemonade Day. Starkville's Lemonade Day was made possible by the Mississippi State University College of Business, the MSU Entrepreneur Center, Castle Properties and Cadence Bank. Lemonade Day is a nationwide program that teaches children how to start, own and operate their own business, a lemonade stand. E-Center Director of Outreach Jeffrey Rupp said the overall goal of Lemonade Day is to encourage entrepreneurship. Rupp said despite the stormy weather, all the children had a successful business, which proved the community rallied behind the children to help them reach their goals. |
| After hours event with MSU Extension's Alan Barefield to cover economic development | |
| The Greater Picayune Chamber of Commerce is hosting an after hours event on Aug. 30 that will feature Alan Barefield, Extension Professor of Agricultural Economics with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. During the event, Barefield will present his findings about the current economic position within Pearl River County and its municipalities and population growth in the county. Barefield said he will also provide an overview of the healthcare industry's performance in the county and shed light on the competitiveness of local industries and where most of the jobs are. His hope is that the data will help individuals get a better understanding of the economy in Picayune, Poplarville and Pearl River County and how it's structured in an effort to encourage the development of ideas to help boost the economy, Barefield said. While the city of Picayune has a number of retail businesses, Barefield said more needs to be done to provide locals with entertainment, since most people seem to travel to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast to meet those needs. |
| Humble Taco to open at University Drive location in 2019 | |
| The announcement that a new fast-casual taco eatery would open at an old service station on the corner of Jackson Street and Highway 182 was met with excitement, but recent changes will see the concept open at a different location. The restaurant, which will be operated by Eat Local Starkville, will now open on University Drive, immediately next door to sister restaurant City Bagel in the new development created by the Camp family. A tentative opening date of January 2019 has been set, and once open, Humble Taco will add roughly 40 new jobs to the local economy. "It's everything we want it to be, with a large courtyard patio and it's surprisingly larger," said Brian Kelley, a Starkville attorney who is one of the partners in Eat Local Starkville. |
| City engineer proposes traffic and road improvements | |
| City Engineer Edward Kemp presented potential traffic and road improvements for Starkville to the Board of Aldermen at Friday's work session. Last year, Starkville's Engineering Department worked with Neel Schaffer to run traffic studies of two intersections in Starkville to evaluate their need for three-way or four-way stops. The city studied both the intersection of Lynn Lane and Industrial Park Road and the intersection of Lynn Lane and the entrance to the Starkville Sportsplex. Currently, at the intersection of Lynn Lane and Industrial Park Road, there is a two-way stop. Kemp said the results of the study indicated there was no need for a three-way stop or four-way stop at the intersection of Lynn Lane and Industrial Park Road. However, the study did indicate the need for a left-turn lane. |
| Jesmyn Ward, Salmon Rushdie draw large crowds at Mississippi Book Festival | |
| National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward told a home-state audience in Mississippi on Saturday that she's working on two books. One is a New Orleans-based story about the slave trade. The other is a young adult novel about an African-American girl with supernatural powers. Ward and another acclaimed author, Salman Rushdie, attracted large audiences at the fourth Mississippi Book Festival. During sessions inside the state Capitol and at a church nearby, dozens of authors spoke on a wide range of topics, including food, sports, politics and civil rights history. |
| Area policymakers weigh in on special legislative session | |
| The long-awaited possibility of a special legislative session to address infrastructure issues across the state may come to fruition after all following a Twitter announcement by Republican Gov. Phil Bryant on Friday. Bryant took to social media to announced that he will call the special session on Aug. 23, so policymakers can tackle issues relating to infrastructure repair and maintenance, along with a plan to allocate BP settlement money for the Gulf Coast following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The possibility of a special session has been in question for some time, with House Speaker Phillip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves failing to come to an agreement. State Rep. Rob Roberson, a Starkville Republican, said one of the biggest hiccups for doling out funds comes in how they will be earmarked for projects at the local level. |
| Gov. Phil Bryant calls special session without deal between House and Senate | |
| As expected, Gov. Phil Bryant announced a special session via social media Friday afternoon. "It will address infrastructure repair and maintenance and a plan to allocate BP money that prioritizes our Gulf Coast's economy," Bryant said on Twitter. The governor made the call even though no agreement has been struck between House and Senate leaders, according to sources close to the negotiations. Bryant, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, and House Speaker Philip Gunn have met behind closed doors in the past few weeks to discuss how the state could offer reprieve to counties with several bridges closed. Close to 500 county-owned bridges across the state are closed, and many counties do not have the money to pay for the costly repairs to reopen them. The hangup is over a provision that would force counties and cities to match any new state funding they receive. |
| Gov. Phil Bryant adds BP money to special legislative session | |
 | Gov. Phil Bryant added the BP economic damages settlement to a special session he will call for next Thursday and Friday. "I will call a special session of the Mississippi Legislature to be held on August 23," Bryant said in a tweet shortly after noon. "It will address infrastructure repair and maintenance and a plan to allocate BP money that prioritizes our Gulf Coast's economy." |
| GOP Senate candidate doubles down on Robert E. Lee despite Twitter poll | |
 | A Republican Senate candidate doubled down on his claims that Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was an American hero after he conducted a Twitter poll in which the vast majority of respondents disagreed with the statement. Chris McDaniel, a GOP state senator in Mississippi, on Friday tweeted a quote by former President Franklin D. Roosevelt praising Lee as "one of the greatest American Christians and one of our greatest American gentlemen." McDaniel has recently used Twitter to argue that Lee is a hero, calling him "a man of unimpeachable integrity" and incorrectly claiming that the general was against both secession and slavery. Several historians have debunked McDaniels's statements, noting that Lee left the Union to join Confederate forces and was in favor of slavery. |
| Chris McDaniel asks internet: Was Robert E. Lee a hero or villain? It didn't go well | |
 | Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee -- hero or villain? Inquiring Mississippi Republican U.S. Senate candidate Chris McDaniel wants to know. McDaniel took to Twitter and Facebook on Thursday to conduct his own survey, asking readers, "In light of all the political correctness and leftist hysteria, I'm curious about what you think: How should Robert E. Lee be remembered?" McDaniel's journey into Civil War history comes as his campaign attempts to gain traction in a three-person race to permanently fill the seat of retired U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss. McDaniel's survey, along with the late slave-owning Lee, was largely pilloried on Twitter. Ninety-one percent of over 130,000 people who voted as of Friday afternoon declared Lee a villain while only 9 percent considered him a hero. |
| Mississippi flag foes want court arguments on rebel symbol | |
| Some Mississippi residents are asking a federal court of appeals to fully consider their arguments that the state flag with the Confederate battle emblem represents white supremacy and sends a message that black people are not welcome. Several black and white residents of the Gulf Coast city of Ocean Springs filed papers Friday asking the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to hear oral arguments. The plaintiffs are trying to revive their lawsuit that a U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. dismissed June 19. He said the plaintiffs didn't prove they were treated unequally by the government. |
| Key report confirms Mississippi losing millennials faster than any other state | |
| Gov. Phil Bryant hosted a healthcare and economic development summit in Jackson on Thursday, touting the state's gains and boasting the work on a multi-million dollar development on the Gulf Coast. But leaders of that Gulf Coast development -- a "medical city" called Tradition, home to several healthcare entities and postsecondary education institutions -- released an economic report the same day as the summit that counters many of the governor's claims about the prosperity and well-being of the state, including the state's outmigration of its young people. The Tradition report cited data from the U.S. Census Bureau that clearly defines the problem: Mississippi is losing millennials faster than any other state in America. Bryant has denied that the problem exists in Mississippi several times. |
| Trump readies new round of controversial Medicaid changes | |
 | The Trump administration is preparing to let conservative-led states impose additional restrictions on the nation's health program for the poor that could push tens of thousands of people off coverage, POLITICO has learned. The high-stakes changes, involving work requirements and questions about illegal drug use, have been the subject of intense behind-the-scenes lobbying in recent months by federal and state lawmakers in the latest chapter of the GOP's long-running efforts to reshape Medicaid -- a policy priority extending back to the Reagan era. And they are moving forward even after a federal judge blocked Kentucky's work requirement in June, saying the Trump administration failed to consider how the plan would affect coverage, and new evidence that thousands of Arkansans will lose benefits because of the state's work requirement. |
| Lincoln's Stovepipe Hat and Letters Could Be Sold to Ease Nonprofit's Debt | |
 | An Illinois nonprofit bearing Abraham Lincoln's name is so deep in debt that it is considering selling some of the 16th president's possessions, including one of his iconic stovepipe hats and bloodstained gloves from the night of his assassination. In 2007, the private nonprofit, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, in Springfield, Ill., borrowed $23 million to purchase an expansive collection of Lincoln artifacts from a private collector. More than a decade later, the foundation has more than $9 million remaining on the loan, Carla Knorowski, the foundation's chief executive, said. For 11 years, the state-run Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has had access to the collection, and that organization's leaders say their priority is to keep the items available for public viewing. |
| Town & Tower to feature MUW updates | |
| A general update of happenings at Mississippi University for Women, including the latest in athletics, will be the highlight of the upcoming Town & Tower Club meeting scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 23 in Fant Memorial Library. Nora Miller, The W's acting president, and Jason M. Trufant, director of athletics, will provide university updates. Miller, who began serving as acting president in July, has more than 15 years of experience at The W and has been an integral part of its leadership team. Before being named acting president, she was senior vice president for administration and chief financial officer. Town & Tower's purpose is to promote the mutual interests of Columbus and The W. |
| Ole Miss voices support for Oxford's proposed Alcohol Safety ordinance | |
| The University of Mississippi is officially on board with the ordinance formerly known as the Downtown District ordinance, which was recently renamed to the Alcohol Safety ordinance, according to a statement from Dr. Brandi Hephner Labanc, vice chancellor for student affairs. If passed during the Aug. 21 meeting of the Oxford Board of Aldermen, the ordinance will place new sanctions on bars and restaurants that serve alcohol in the City of Oxford. Designed to create a safer environment for citizens and discourage underage drinking, the ordinance has seen much discussion and revision since it was first introduced to the public in June. In its current form, however, Hephner Labanc said the ordinance is aligned with the University's desire to create a safe environment for its students. |
| EMCC brings home gold in national Skills USA championships | |
| One East Mississippi Community College Automotive Technology Program graduate earned a national championship title and another earned second place in the 54th annual National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Matt Walsh of Starkville earned a gold medal in the Job Skills Demonstration, Disc Brakes category, and Kyle Bluitt of Columbus took second place in Job Skills Demonstration, Oil Change. During the annual competition, more than 6,000 career and technical education students from colleges and universities from across the country compete hands-on in 100 different trade, technical and leadership fields. Only state champions advance to the national championships. "The students who make it to the national championships are the best in the nation," EMCC Automotive Technology instructor Dale Henry said. |
| U. of Alabama program aims to boost rural health care | |
 | Primary care nurse practitioners will train to work in rural and underserved areas across the state under a new program in the University of Alabama's Capstone College of Nursing. A news release from UA states that the BAMA-Care program will help relieve one of the top health concerns in Alabama: access to medical care. The BAMA-Care program will prepare the nurse practitioner students through academic and clinical training via an academic-practice partnership with Whatley Health Services. Headquarted in Tuscaloosa, Whatley Health Services is one of the largest federally qualified health centers in West Alabama. The Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently awarded more than $650,000 for this academic year to support the program's launch. |
| Auburn Panhellenic hands out more than 1,400 bids | |
 | More than 1,400 young women could be heard singing, chanting, and yelling in excitement on Auburn University's campus Friday as Auburn Panhellenic wrapped up its sorority recruitment week with its annual bid day. Overall, 1,458 women received bids from one of the university's 18 National Panhellenic Conference sororities, said Auburn University Panhellenic Advisor Lindsay Ollis. "This is our biggest recruitment at Auburn to date," said Ollis. "So, the most people have signed up this year than any other year." A total of 1,645 women took part in 2018 fall formal recruitment, which spans over six days. Auburn Panhellenic placed approximately 88 percent of the women who registered for recruitment and who came on the first day. Less than 2 percent of the women were released and approximately between 10 percent and 11 percent withdrew from recruitment. |
| UGA hiring initiative expands to recruit key research faculty | |
 | Yohannes Abate and Sudeep Bag both hope their "small" discoveries lead to big changes. "From plant biologists to animal biologists to physics to chemistry, UGA offers so much," Abate said. "For my kind of research, this collaborative setup is key." Abate, an associate professor of physics in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, and Bag, an assistant professor of crop virology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, were recruited as part of a $2 million hiring initiative to bring more outstanding faculty researchers to UGA. Launched by university President Jere Morehead in 2017, the initiative provides startup funding to outfit new labs, support graduate assistantships and activate their research programs at UGA. In January 2018, another $2 million in funding was added to expand the impact of the initiative. Funds provided through this hiring initiative will be matched by unit-level support to help fill 26 critical faculty positions across nine schools and colleges. |
| U. of Tennessee to consider allowing alcohol at certain campus events | |
 | University of Tennessee administration will consider sweeping changes to the university's alcohol policy that would allow beer and wine at certain on-campus events. The possible changes to what has been a dry campus are based on recommendations from a task force put in place in 2017. UT Knoxville established the Alcohol Policy Task Force -- consisting of students, faculty, academic deans and staff, alumni, community members and administrators -- to consider whether the university's alcohol policy should be revised. Senior leadership at the university will review the report and determine which recommendations should be forwarded to UT System President Joe DiPietro for further consideration. |
| Legislator stalls 20 U. of Arkansas System campuses' construction projects, contracts | |
| After the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville didn't hire his favored candidate for a job, a state lawmaker secured a legislative panel's delay in considering 20 proposed contracts and construction projects at colleges in the University of Arkansas System. In recent interviews, state Rep. Jon Eubanks, R-Paris, said he asked the Legislative Council's Review Subcommittee co-chairman, Rep. Jeff Wardlaw, R-Hermitage, to have the committee "hold" onto the proposals during the panel's July 18 meeting because he wanted to express his concerns about the direction of the Arkansas Leadership Academy to UA System Vice President of University Relations Melissa Rust. The academy is on the UA campus in Fayetteville. Eubanks said he didn't ask Rust to have UA-Fayetteville reverse its recent decision to hire Huntsville Public Schools Superintendent Clint Jones as the academy's director. Eubanks' preferred candidate was Tina Smith, director of policy and special projects at the state Department of Education. |
| Hello, freshmen! U. of Florida's annual move-in begins | |
 | A sea of cardboard boxes, storage bins and space refrigerators lined Museum Road on the Florida campus shortly before 9 a.m. Friday. Move-in day for University of Florida students continued through the sweltering August heat. Parents helped their kids. Green-shirted volunteers answered questions. In the lobby of Graham Hall, University of Florida President Dr. Kent Fuchs welcomed students, as has been custom throughout his tenure. For 17-year-old incoming freshman Alyssa Gagnon of Bradenton, the day represented an exciting new chapter in her young life. Gagnon is majoring in biological engineering at UF in hopes of applying for a pre-med program. Gagnon shuttled her belongings in and out of Hume Hall, her home away from home for the fall semester. |
| UF killed 150 birds in past 10 years, records show | |
| A University of Florida research unit killed more than 150 birds in the past 10 years, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service documents. Of the birds, which were killed at the Plant Science Research and Education Unit at the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 47 were sandhill cranes, and 105 were ring-billed gulls. In 2016, Jim Boyer was named interim director of the unit after former director Daniel Colvin was terminated. In an interview, Boyer said he implemented a policy to not kill sandhill cranes encroaching upon research and instead use other means of keeping the cranes away, like reflective tape and coyote-shaped scarecrows. "We're trying to get a more holistic approach to working with native populations," he said. |
| Texas A&M prepares to unveil new hotel, just a football field's length from Kyle | |
 | As the on-campus hotel just a long touchdown run away from the north end of Kyle Field nears completion, construction workers and new employees alike continue to prepare the facility for its Aug. 27 opening. The eight-floor, 250-room Doug Pitcock '49 Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center boasts a rooftop pool overlooking Kyle Field, multiple scenic views of the A&M campus, a two-story bar and lounge with a terrace and a full-service conference center with 35,000 square feet of meeting and event space. The hotel entrance measures at 96 yards northwest of Kyle Field. A&M officials and leaders from Benchmark Hospitality, the company managing the employees at the A&M Hotel and Conference Center, believe the facility will serve as "the guesthouse of the university." |
| Federal appeals court rejects challenge to the Texas campus carry law | |
 | A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected a challenge by three professors to the 2015 campus carry law in Texas, which permits those who hold permits to carry concealed weapons to have their guns present on public college and university campuses, including in classrooms. The law has alarmed many academics in the state. Leaders of the state's public universities opposed the measure but have argued that they have no choice but to carry it out now that it is law. Three professors at the University of Texas at Austin filed a federal lawsuit charging, among other things, that their First Amendment rights were violated by the law. They said that fear of students using guns in class would discourage discussion of controversial topics. A federal judge rejected the lawsuit in 2017, but the professors appealed and their appeal received backing from the American Association of University Professors, among others. |
| FedEx to offer hub employees free tuition to U. of Memphis online programs | |
| FedEx will offer free tuition to its Memphis-based employees to earn an online degree from the University of Memphis. About 11,000 employees at the company's international hub will be eligible for the Learning inspired by FedEx (LiFE) program, according to a release from the university. UofM Global, the university's online arm, has 60 graduate and undergraduate degree programs. The partnership will also allow employees who lack a high school diploma to earn a high school-equivalent degree. "Employees may participate in the LiFE program as long as they work at the FedEx Hub and remain in good academic standing," the release states. "The benefit has no tenure requirement, allowing employees to begin participating as early as their first day of employment." University President David Rudd called FedEx "extremely important" to the university and the city. |
| Florida State launches 'resilience' project to teach students about effects of early trauma | |
| As Florida State University rolls out a massive new campaign designed to help students weather stress and cope with childhood traumas, Jim Clark, the dean of the College of Social Work, fears that the public might buy in to a damaging but common stereotype of college students: that they are fragile "snowflakes" in need of coddling. Clark believes that they are resilient -- a term that has been co-opted into a psychological buzzword. But it strongly applies to Florida State's new program, a unique effort to consolidate mental health resources for students and teach them about "adverse childhood experiences," or ACEs, early traumas such as domestic abuse or a family suicide that have lingering and often deep effects into adulthood. The Student Resilience Project has been in the works for about a year. |
| The Princeton Review Has Laid Off Many Employees. But Revenue Might Not Be Its Only Problem | |
 | The Princeton Review, a major test-preparation and tutoring company, has laid off numerous employees this year as part of a "corporate review and reorganization process." In a written statement provided to The Chronicle, Sangje Lee, the new chief executive officer, said the company had "eliminated positions and reduced other expenditures" in an attempt to ensure its "financial health." In a subsequent email, Lee declined to say how many jobs had been cut. Three former employees with knowledge of the layoffs put the total at about 150. The Princeton Review now has nearly 300 full-time employees, along with about 4,000 teachers and tutors, Lee said. The first round of layoffs occurred in April, and another came in early August, according to several former employees. The cuts are one indication that the Princeton Review is struggling to maintain a hold on the industry it helped create. Recent market research commissioned by the company suggests that it isn't connecting with consumers, who have a wider array of test-prep options than ever before. |
| Creative approaches can soften dissection dilemma | |
 | Angela Farmer, an assistant professor of educational leadership at Mississippi State, writes: There are a variety of subjects which students take in the sciences while in middle and high school. Life science, which addresses the generalized study of living things, to more specialized topics of anatomy and physiology or zoology are typically offered. These disciplines allow students to not only learn a variety of new vocabulary words and appreciate the homeostatic balance that must be maintained in order for living things to survive, they also often afford students the opportunity to study living organisms. Early dissections often involve a simple organism such as an earthworm, a strangely hermaphroditic creature, which is typically recognizable to most students. Other dissections at the beginning levels may include a clam foot, a tough tissue from a less identifiable creature. |
| Smart tax policy seems unlikely for road and bridge fix | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: Will our reluctant legislators finally get off their duffs and do something to fix roads and bridges across Mississippi? Gov. Phil Bryant called Friday for a special session on Aug. 23rd to deal with the matter. House Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves still have not found common ground on the issue, formerly a prerequisite Bryant had for the session. Heaven forbid that all those other legislators would do something without Gunn's and Reeves' permission. A recent report from the conservative Tax Foundation stated, "Currently, 28 percent of Mississippi roads are in poor condition, and 12 percent of bridges are deemed as structurally deficient. An estimated $400 million a year in additional revenue is needed to compensate for these inadequacies." Bryant closed 83 unsafe bridges in April. |
SPORTS
| MSU Alumni Association to host home games tailgate tent | |
| The Mississippi State University Alumni Association will host alumni and friends prior to every home game during the 2018 football season at the association's tailgate tent presented by Renasant Bank. The tailgate will be located in The Junction under two big-top tents in front of the Leo Seal M-Club. All Bulldog fans are encouraged to stop by for pre-game festivities. Game time for the Sept. 1 home opener against Stephen F. Austin is set for 6:30 p.m. and will air on ESPNU. The Louisiana-Lafayette game Sept. 15 will kick-off at 6:30 p.m. and will air on SEC Network. Both tailgates will open at 3:30 p.m. and close 45 minutes prior to kickoff. Fans can enjoy complimentary food and drinks, while supplies last. For information about home game events and tailgating policies, visit hailstate.com/gameday. |
| Joe Moorhead pleased by Mississippi State's training camp progress | |
 | Mississippi State scrimmaged for the second time during training camp Saturday evening. Head coach Joe Moorhead described it as a "15-round heavyweight bout." Both the offense and the defense had shining moments. The scrimmage came three days after Moorhead took the team to Geyser Falls Waterpark for relaxation and team-bonding. Moorhead also invited players' families to the scrimmage, and everyone convened for a post-practice barbecue as well. There has not been a shortage of chemistry-building moments during training camp. Here are three more important football-related takeaways from the scrimmage. |
| Bulldogs 'exactly where we needed to be' | |
| Mississippi State held its second scrimmage of the fall two weeks to the day of its season opener. But the scrimmage wasn't only for the benefit of the coaching staff evaluating the Bulldogs on Saturday night. Coach Joe Moorhead invited the players' parents and family members to watch as well. While the fellowship was good at the family cookout inside the Palmeiro Center afterwards, so with the scrimmage beforehand. "The scrimmage was a microcosm and a representative of our camp as a whole," Moorhead said. "It was like a 15-round heavyweight bout with the offense having its moments, defense having its moments and we worked on all of the phases of special teams. We got a ton of work done so I was very pleased. It was exactly where we needed to be." |
| Bulldogs capitalizing on Joey Jones' experience | |
| Coaches estimate special teams account for 15 to 20 percent of plays in a game. That math held up in the Southeastern Conference, where special teams units took the field for 18.75 percent of plays. That facet of the game gives dedicated special teams coordinators, which the SEC now has five, plenty of time to prepare. It also gives those coordinators time to use when their teams aren't practicing special teams. Mississippi State has the perfect man to do more with that down time. Joey Jones might be a special teams enthusiast, but he is far from a specialist. His 25 years of experience as a head coach make him a valuable resource for MSU coach Joe Moorhead. |
| Mississippi State linebackers absorbing new defensive duties | |
| One of the biggest differences fans will notice during football season is Mississippi State's defense. The Bulldogs have switched back to a 4-3 after spending the past two seasons running out of a 3-4 scheme. MSU has spent the past few months making the adjustment of having one less linebacker on the field for most plays. "They've really embraced it and made it easy on the coaches," said MSU linebackers coach Tem Lukabu. "They have a lot of knowledge of other schemes so they can put that together with what we're doing here. They've done a good job absorbing it." The Bulldogs currently have 10 linebackers on scholarship but do not have defined roles for any of them. Instead, Lukabu has spent his first few months on the job cross- training those players to play all three positions. |
| Terrell Buckley makes impact on Mississippi State's Rayford, Peters | |
| Watching just a couple minutes of cornerback drills at Mississippi State training camp might leave you wondering if Terrell Buckley is thoroughly displeased with the progress of his players. "Run out of there, you're coasting!" the position coach yells. "You need to pay attention!" "Stay INSIDE the red line," Buckley screams as he shakes his head. But just two hours after being perhaps the most frustrated coach at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex, Buckley says his guys might be the best in the nation. "I wouldn't choose any other corner group in the country," he said. Buckley's exasperation on the field is a product of his relentless desire to succeed. |
| A different feel to fall camp | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Logan Lowery writes: Fall camp has a much different feel to it this year and not just because so many of my Mississippi State media brethren have moved on. The Bulldogs' roster remains much the same with so many starters back. The change has been with Joe Moorhead and his new staff. Their coaching philosophy is one of positivity. Starting in the spring, those new coaches seem to be more keen on lifting players up rather than berating them with a barrage of cuss words like you can find on any random episode of "Last Chance U." Anytime I've asked a player about Moorhead since his arrival, they'll immediately beam with a smile before heaping plenty of praise towards their new head coach. I've been around the game long enough to know when a player is simply saying what he's supposed to, but these guys seem to genuinely like Moorhead and his staff. |
| MaKayla Waldner sets example Tom Anagnost wants for Mississippi State | |
| Challenges don't faze MaKayla Waldner. When you grow up in an ultra-athletic and competitive family, you never know when you're going to be tested. "We would race to the car," Waldner said. "Anything that could be a competition we made it a competition." Waldner's upbringing allows her to accept the responsibility of being one of the primary scoring threats for the Mississippi State women's soccer team in 2018. Waldner's ability to come back after having reconstructive surgery to her face also has helped her build confidence to know she can accomplish anything with hard work and dedication. "She became a mentally tougher individual," MSU second-year head coach Tom Anagnost said. "I think she made the decision she wanted to be great. She increased her work rate. I just think she made the decision, and from the time we have had her until now she has grown up a lot. She is a better communicator, leader, teammate and player." |
| Bulldogs hold competitive volleyball scrimmage | |
| It's less than a week now before the Mississippi State Bulldogs open the 2018 volleyball season under new head coach Julie Darty. The Bulldogs enter this week's preparation for the season opener against Mississippi Valley State on Friday with an idea of where they stand after Sunday's Maroon-White Scrimmage at the Newell-Grissom Building. After the White Team won a competitive 3-2 (23-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-20, 15-6) match against the Maroon White, it gave MSU a chance to work out some kinks. "Overall, it was pretty cool to feel the energy and there were definite momentum swings," Darty said. "You could feel that energy and it was pretty obvious when we went on the point swings like that. Overall, pretty happy about the level across the board. There are bright spots for sure with some of our younger players." |
| U. of Florida cautioning players about Jumpman gear | |
| Florida coach Dan Mullen said the program has repeatedly cautioned players about selling Jordan-branded gear, but that the situation is difficult to oversee. "It's really hard to monitor, in some ways. It's a lot of education of our players. It is something we've discussed over and over, even before they got a pair of sneakers, we've discussed it over and over with them -- the responsibilities that they have with it, that comes from that way," Mullen said. "If you don't want the shoes, just tell us, we won't give them to you." The potential infraction has made headlines recently as several of the four football programs featuring Jordan-branded gear have come under scrutiny. After self-reporting the violations to the NCAA, North Carolina announced last week that 13 players will miss games while serving suspensions for selling team-issued shoes. |
| UGA, Oregon could be on tap for Atlanta's Mercedes Benz Stadium | |
| In an appearance on Atlanta radio station 680 AM on Friday morning, Georgia coach Kirby Smart said he likes opening a season against a power five opponent "especially an opportunity to play in Atlanta, which we're always looking to do." That could be close to happening for 2022. Georgia and Oregon are talking about playing in Mercedes-Benz Stadium with final word possible in the next couple of weeks, according to Dawgs247, citing persons with knowledge of the situation. Asked Saturday by the Banner-Herald if a tentative agreement for that game, athletic director Greg McGarity said: "No future games are confirmed until they are fully executed." Georgia is "in talks with multitude of teams for the future," according to McGarity. Georgia is scheduled to play in Atlanta in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in 2020 against Virginia. Game organizers haven't announced a matchup yet for 2022. |
| Strain on Maryland Leadership Grows Amid Fallout From Football Player's Death | |
| University System of Maryland regents met behind closed doors on Friday to discuss personnel and legal matters, capping a tumultuous week that saw alumni and students accuse the flagship campus's top leaders of not doing enough to prevent a 19-year-old football player's death in June. Some critics are calling for the termination of Wallace D. Loh, president of the University of Maryland at College Park. "A lot of students" have expressed their opinion that Loh should be fired, said Jonathan Allen, Maryland's student-body president. Allen, who would not say whether he agreed, called for more transparency from administrators and said Maryland should be investigating the culture of each of its athletics teams. |
| The Rise of the College Football Strength Coach | |
| D. J. Durkin, the University of Maryland's head football coach, was not shy about extolling the virtues of his new strength and conditioning coach, Rick Court, in the summer of 2016. "He's the most important hire I've made," Durkin told Sports Illustrated. Court fit the part. He seemed to personify the fire-breathing, helmet-smacking, iron-fisted drill instructor, his head shaved bare, whistle dangling from his neck. But a 19-year-old football player, Jordan McNair, died in June, two weeks after struggling to recover from a grueling off-season workout, and an ESPN report in August described a toxic culture of fear and intimidation in the Maryland program. Court was the program's first staff member to resign over the death. McNair's death has thrown a spotlight on collegiate strength and conditioning coaches, who are seldom celebrated yet are vital cogs on the athletic staff. |
| 1968 Created The 'Ultimate' Anti-Sport Sport | |
 | In the summer of 1968, Jared Kass was working at a camp for high school students in Massachusetts. He decided to teach the kids in his dorm a game that he'd learned at Amherst College, where he was a student. "I remember I was just running and leaping for a pass of the Frisbee," said Kass, who's now a professor of psychology at Lesley University in Boston. "And I jumped up in the air. And I had one of those moments of just sheer synchrony where the disc just made it right into my hand at the perfect moment." "I didn't know that we were creating a game that was going to be on going to have a life of its own," Kass added. But that's exactly what happened. Fifty years later, millions of people play Ultimate, as it's known these days, in college, amateur and professional leagues around the world. |
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