Friday, September 14, 2018   
 
University and community college enrollment falls slightly
Enrollment fell at Mississippi's eight public universities and its 15 community colleges this fall, with universities declining for a second year from an all-time record in 2016. Community colleges fell for the eighth year in a row. Preliminary counts released Thursday show students decreasing 1 percent at universities to about 81,000 students. Mississippi State's enrollment hit an all-time high, which the university said was driven both by a larger freshman class and an all-time high in transfer students. The share of out-of-state students rose to 35 percent.
 
MSU-Meridian enrollment up 14 percent; MCC's down 6.3 percent
Mississippi State University-Meridian increased its enrollment by 14 percent for fall 2018 semester. Terry Dale Cruse, head of campus at MSU-Meridian, said college offerings such as the MBA program, the Bulldog Free Tuition program and the Phil Hardin grant with the Meridian Public School District has allowed the numbers to go up. Cruse said he has seen the number of students in the graduate program in education go up. MSU-Meridian's graduate student enrollment is at a six-year high at 133 students, a 56 percent increase compared to fall 2017 numbers, according to a news release from the school. "I am very excited about the number," Cruse said. While MSU-Meridian saw an enrollment increase, local community colleges saw declines.
 
Mississippi State to lead new USAID innovation lab on fish
Mississippi State University will lead a new $15 million U.S. Agency for International Development initiative that continues efforts to reduce poverty and improve health outcomes for global populations dependent on aquaculture-led economies. USAID funding over five years will create the "Feed the Future Innovation Lab on Fish," which Mississippi State will lead through the university's Global Center for Aquatic Food Security under the direction of Mark Lawrence, associate dean and professor in Mississippi State's College of Veterinary Medicine. University president Mark E. Keenum called the new USAID partnership "groundbreaking" and said the university is "well-positioned to lead this important effort."
 
Barrier islands protect coasts from storms, but are vulnerable too
Anna Linhoss, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Mississippi State, writes for The Conversation: When hurricanes like Florence make landfall, the first things they hit often are barrier islands -- thin ribbons of sand that line the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It's hard to imagine how these narrow strips can withstand such forces, but in fact, many of them have buffered our shores for centuries. Barrier islands protect about 10 percent of coastlines worldwide. When hurricanes and storms make landfall, these strands absorb much of their force, reducing wave energy and protecting inland areas. They also provide a sheltered environment that enables estuaries and marshes to form behind them. These zones serve many valuable ecological functions, such as reducing coastal erosion, purifying water and providing habitat for fish and birds.
 
C Spire selection for MissiON nets major upgrades in university, research programs
Fresh off its recent selection to overhaul the Mississippi Optical Network (MissiON), C Spire has completed a major technology upgrade of the state's science and technology research and development arm -- tripling capacity, cutting overall costs and expanding the size of the consortium. C Spire is turning up the enhanced connections for the research arms at Ole Miss, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Mississippi State, Jackson State, the University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis Space Center, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers' Engineering Research and Development Center and the national Internet 2 consortium. "We're pleased with C Spire's work and the continued commitment to such a vital infrastructure, which allows our research institutions and businesses to successfully compete on a global scale," said Dr. David Shaw, vice president of Research and Economic Development at Mississippi State University and chairman of the MissiON Network Advisory Council.
 
Local Mississippi State students awarded prestigious scholarship
Several local Mississippi State University freshmen are now recipients of the prestigious Toyota-Haley Barbour Scholarship. Each student is receiving more than $32,000 during four years, or more than $8,000 per year to cover the cost of university tuition. The students must have expressed plans to pursue degrees in math, physics, computer science or chemical, electrical, industrial or mechanical engineering. The recipients are Destiny B. Welch of Calhoun City, Parth D. Patel of Corinth, Michael A. Chrestman of Olive Branch, Brandon A. Lawrence of Olive Branch, Theodore E. Lander of Southaven and Dakota Hester of Tishomingo.
 
Partnership to host Art Walk on Friday
The Partnership will put several local artists on display through the downtown corridor on Friday as it hosts an Art Walk. The Art Walk is scheduled for 2-5 p.m. Friday as part of The Partnership's New South Weekends, which pair events with home Mississippi State football games. Partnership Special Events and Projects Coordinator Paige Watson said the Art Walk will have a focus both on the artists who are participating and several partnering stores that will have maps and offer discounts during the event. Like Watson, Partnership Interim CEO Jennifer Gregory said the Art Walk is a way to showcase Starkville's art culture as visitors come into town for the MSU football game against the University of Louisiana. "We have nine artists and 14 different stores participating that will have maps of where the artists are located across the Main Street district," Watson said.
 
SHS announces three National Merit semifinalists
The tradition of excellence continues at Starkville High School, with three seniors making the cut as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. The three students -- Soul Park, Madeline Tegt and Ahmed Hassan -- scored in the top one percent of Mississippi students on the PSAT. Their scores on the SAT later this year will determine whether they are named a finalist. Superintendent Eddie Peasant said the students were examples of the district's commitment to "expect excellence every day." "Their success in academia and school and their studies is just really a great honor for them and a testament to their really hard work in all their years in school," Peasant said. "It's always exciting to see students excel and reach their goals." The three semifinalists follow in the footsteps of four semifinalists for the 2017-2018 school year, and similar numbers in years past.
 
Technology brings fresh look to unsolved Starkville murder
Advances in technology have allowed Starkville police to put a face on a cold case suspect. A DNA sample from a rape and double homicide in 1990 was sent to a private lab that generated mug shots of what the suspect might have looked like 28 years ago and what he might look like today. "The science is amazing, especially for law enforcement," said Sgt. Bill Lott, the cold case detective for the Starkville Police Department. "It has evolved so much. The DNA predicted that he would have light brown hair and blue eyes. (One of the victims) lived long enough to give three interviews. She said the suspect had blonde hair and blue eyes." Dubbed the Labor Day Murders, the crime happened on Sept. 3, 1990 at a house on Highway 182 across the street from the Sunflower Grocery store, which is now Speller Furniture and Rick's Cafe.
 
ARC back in Mississippi: Tupelo hosts summit focused on work opportunities
Representing the 13 states of Appalachia as well as a handful of countries with interests and ties to the region, some 350 community leaders, economic developers, elected officials and other professionals were introduced to an array of topics at Thursday's official opening of the 2018 ARC Summit in Tupelo. The major focus of the event spread across the BancorpSouth Conference Center and BancorpSouth Arena, was on workforce development. The Appalachian Regional Commission's annual meeting, hosted by Mississippi for the first time in 10 years, is having the two-day event focused on the theme, "Appalachia Works: Expanding Opportunities for our Region's Future," and includes more than a dozen breakout sessions. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, the ARC states' co-chairman, said finding enough people to fill all the available jobs -- 47,000 in Mississippi alone -- is a challenge across Appalachia, and that there is no magic bullet that will work for all. But he did tout the state's efforts.
 
High court rules for Gov. Phil Bryant in lawmakers' budget cuts case
The state Supreme Court has upheld a lower court's ruling that Gov. Phil Bryant had authority to cut state government budgets during a financial crunch in 2016 and 2017. State Sen. John Horhn and Rep. Bryant Clark, both Democrats, had sued Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, state Fiscal Officer Laura Jackson, the Mississippi Department of Education and state Treasurer Lynn Fitch. "Under our Constitution, the executive has the core power to control the budget of state agencies," the high court said in a ruling released Thursday. "Here, the Legislators' arguments (that state law) violates the separation of powers doctrine miss the mark, as the budget reductions were an exercise of the executive's core constitutional power."
 
Convenience stores expect boost from Mississippi lottery
Mississippi's convenience store operators have heard the cautions that some of the money customers previously spent on dish soap, soda and bread will be diverted to lottery tickets. But the prospect of making a nickel or more on each one-dollar ticket has the retailers saying, "Bring it on." Philip Chamblee, head of the Mississippi Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores Association, says he has seen the projections by Mississippi State Economist Darrin Webb. Those warn that a state like Mississippi populated by low-income people could see a nearly $20 million annual drop in retail sales once lottery sales hit the state's projection of $604 million. Chamblee concedes that Webb's projections concern him. On the other hand, he says association members with stores in neighboring lottery states have said that damage to merchandise and food sales "really hadn't been an issue."
 
SPLC to Gov. Bryant: Prison conditions 'unacceptable and inhumane'
Following the deaths of 16 Mississippi prisoners last month, the Southern Poverty Law Center is calling upon the governor to reform the health care and reporting practices in the state prison system. A letter from SPLC, delivered by hand to Gov. Phil Bryant's office Thursday, says the deadly month of August "signals an enormous crisis" for Mississippi's Department of Corrections -- one which requires action. Thursday's letter comes amid mounting public scrutiny over the state's limited response to the deaths. On Wednesday, a group of protesters outside the MDOC administrative building in downtown Jackson attempted to reach corrections commissioner Pelicia Hall with a list of questions, only to be turned away by security guards. Hall, the corrections commissioner, and other MDOC officials are slated to present their requests for a total agency budget of some $365 million at the state budget hearings on Sept. 17.
 
McDaniel town hall draws Oxford conservatives
State Sen. Chris McDaniel hosted a town hall at the Oxford Conference Center on Thursday night, where about 50 voters asked McDaniel questions regarding Confederate monuments, a lack of conservative professors at Ole Miss and McDaniel's thoughts on immigration. McDaniel is running in the special election for U.S. Senate against incumbent U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy. An Oxford resident asked McDaniel if he could talk to Ole Miss about getting some "conservative professors," and the crowd applauded the question. "I am tired of watching these liberal professors brainwash your children," McDaniel said. "They claim there's nothing we can do about it. Sure we can. It's called hire conservative professors. And they're out there. They exist. They're not like a unicorn, and they aren't this mythical creature."
 
Who's Behind Congress' Messaging? That Would Be a 24-Year-Old
The situation at the Mexican border this spring divided delegations in Congress. Democrat Bennie Thompson decried the "discriminatory policy enacted by Trump designed to separate" migrant kids from their families. But fellow Mississippi Rep. Gregg Harper, a Republican, blamed parents who choose "to break federal law." Guy King and Colby Jordan were in the thick of it. They have the task of relaying two very different political messages for their respective bosses. Still, as mid-20s Mississippi communications directors, they keep finding common ground. A Madison native, Jordan interned for former Sen. Thad Cochran, worked for Mississippi State University and went to graduate school before joining Harper's office. She became communications director this February. Communicating is not their only gig; both have dual roles. As director of special projects, Jordan attends policy meetings too.
 
Democrats Weighing Earmark Revival if They Take Back House
At the end of a speech Wednesday outlining what he billed as congressional Democrats' vision to renew the county's faith in government, House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer called for lawmakers to bring back earmarks. It was a noteworthy mention from the Democrats' No. 2 in House leadership during a talk that focused on his party's plans --- should it win control of the chamber in the midterms -- to overhaul campaign finance and government ethics laws and to weed out the perception of corruption on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch. "Republicans eliminated earmarks altogether, and the result has been an abdication of Congress' power of the purse," Hoyer said during the speech at Union Station's Columbus Club, hosted by the campaign finance overhaul group End Citizens United. Numerous congressional insiders -- including lawmakers, staff and lobbyists -- say that the GOP ban on earmarks has led to increased legislative gridlock on Capitol Hill because it took away pivotal incentives for vote wrangling.
 
Mississippi Museum of Art awarded $275K grant
The Mississippi Museum of Art has been awarded a $275,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The grant was given in support of the Mississippi Museum of Art's reinstallation of its permanent collection and the creation of accompanying public programming and publications that focus on the art and stories of Mississippi. The reinstalled permanent collection is scheduled to open on Saturday, June 29, 2019. MMA's collection of more than 5,500 objects has particular strength in American art from circa 1865 to the present day and comprises paintings, prints and drawings, textiles, photographs, sculpture and multi-media works.
 
Ole Miss enrollment drops for second straight year
Enrollment at the University of Mississippi has now dropped for two consecutive years across the university's regional campuses and medical center. There were 23,780 students enrolled at the university during fall 2017 compared to 23,258 in fall 2018 -- a decrease of 2.2 percent or 522 students. Last year's decline of 1.9 percent was the first in over 20 years, making this two years in a row that overall enrollment has declined. Freshman enrollment dropped from 3,697 last year to 3,455 this year --- a 6.5 percent decrease. Despite the recent decrease, Jim Zook, the university's associate vice chancellor for strategic communications and marketing, said that since 2010, the number of college and university students enrolled nationally decreased by 5.2 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
 
USM breaks freshman enrollment record
The University of Southern Mississippi announced Thursday that the Class of 2022 broke the freshman enrollment record with more than 2,000 first-time, full-time freshmen, the first time the university has reached the milestone. The 2,115 freshmen are an 11 percent increase from freshman enrollment of a year ago, according to a USM news release. Southern Miss reported a total enrollment of 14,743, a 1.8 percent increase from a year ago, which is the highest percentage growth of all Mississippi public universities. "I am so pleased that more students are choosing to attend The University of Southern Mississippi," University President Rodney D. Bennett said in the release. "More importantly, I am proud that we have built a strong foundation by increasing the quality of our student body, and we are now growing enrollment while maintaining academic quality."
 
Alcorn, Co-Lin Natchez enrollment numbers up
The number of students enrolled in Mississippi universities this semester is nearly equal to last year's number, with local universities showing a slight increase in their enrollment and academic performance. Mississippi Public Universities, the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning reported Thursday in preliminary figures, show a decrease in enrollment by 1 percent, with 80,592 enrolled in the Fall 2018 semester and 81,378 enrolled in the Fall 2017 semester. Alcorn State University, Mississippi State University, Mississippi Valley State University and the University of Southern Mississippi all reported increased enrollment over last year. Alcorn's Natchez, Lorman and Vicksburg campuses increased overall enrollment by 1 percent, with 3,716 students in fall 2017 and 3,753 students in fall 2018. Alcorn had the third largest increase, behind Mississippi State University and the University of Southern Mississippi, which increased by 1.5 and 1.8 percent respectively.
 
Alcorn State student enrollment increases for third consecutive year
Enrollment at Alcorn State University continues to climb. For the third straight year, the number of enrolled students increased, while the university also has a record number of scholar students, according to the latest figures released Thursday by the state college board. The university has a preliminary total of 3,753 students. Interim Alcorn State President, Dr. Donzell Lee attributes the rise in enrollment to Alcorn's stellar reputation and the accolades the university earns throughout the year. "Alcorn has proven to be an outstanding institution that shapes students into successful professionals," Lee said. "The university's reputation has attracted an abundance of students from across the state of Mississippi, the nation, and the world. We are proud of our growth progression." This year's average composite ACT score is a 20.53, the highest in school history
 
JSU's enrollment drops by 9.9 percent
According to preliminary figures, Jackson State University's fall 2018 enrollment has declined by 9.9 percent since fall 2017. The current preliminary enrollment is 7,709 and represents a drop of 849 students from last year's preliminary figure of 8,583. The decline is related to several factors. JSU no longer allows students with prior balances to register for the current term unless payment plan arrangements have been made. In addition, this year, prior to reporting preliminary numbers we are verifying whether pre-registered students are attending class before we submit our numbers to IHL by having professors submit attendance rosters. "As stated previously, our next three years will be difficult as we rebound from our current financial crisis," Bynum said. "JSU has begun to initiate its first purge earlier. Previously, students were given a wider grace period to complete registration before removal from enrollment rosters. Now, however, they must complete this requirement within the designated reporting period or be purged from classes."
 
Copiah-Lincoln Community College may rebuild house for president
A special committee studying the president's home at Copiah-Lincoln Community College is almost ready to swing the wrecking ball. Co-Lin Board of Trustees member Melton King told the board last week his committee was nearing the end of its mission to develop plans for updating the 40-year-old residence, and the members are "leaning heavily" toward demolishing the home and building anew after determining the needed renovations could cost a quarter-million dollars. He said the committee is still gathering information, but hopes to have a recommendation for the board by its October meeting. King said the president's home -- a 3,500 square-foot, five-bedroom ranch house built in 1972 and included as part of the campus leader's compensation -- is antiquated, with small rooms that have not been updated over the years. The committee dislikes the home's low roofline and its dependence on a septic tank, but worst of all is the home's plumbing, which was built into the ceiling instead of the foundation.
 
Auburn University to thank donors with 3D video
This weekend, Auburn University plans on thanking donors to its $1.2-billion fundraising campaign in a unique way. Campus visitors on Friday and Saturday night can expect to see a 3D thank-you video projected onto Samford Hall. "Throughout 2018, our colleges and schools have been holding special thank-you events to honor major donors, and on Friday evening, we are celebrating more than 900 top donors at our Samford Society event," said Jane DiFolco Parker, the university's vice president for development and president of the Auburn University Foundation. Auburn launched "Because This is Auburn - A Campaign for Auburn University" in April 2015. By the time the campaign ended in December 2017, it had raised $1,202,549,730, making it the first university fundraising campaign in Alabama to surpass the $1 billion mark.
 
Alabama colleges doing well preparing teachers, report shows
The Alabama State Department of Education on Thursday issued report cards for colleges and universities that prepare Alabama's teachers and overall, Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey said parents and communities should feel confident that public school teachers are well-prepared to teach. "Teachers coming out of our institutions are, for the most part," Mackey said, "overwhelmingly well-qualified to be in the classroom." But, Mackey said, "There's no question that we really do need to focus on mathematics and science in elementary school" based on the number of attempts it took candidates to pass teacher certification tests. Mackey said he met with the deans of the colleges of education last Friday to discuss report card results.
 
U. of Florida will end tradition of calling graduates' names at university-wide commencement
In August, the University of Florida announced changes to its December graduation ceremony, but has yet to formally notify students. Instead of one ceremony in which students have their names called and personally receive a diploma, the celebrations will be split in two: a university-wide ceremony where degrees are conferred without student names, and a smaller college-specific ceremony where students will have their names called and walk across the stage. "We have three commencement time frames. We have the summer, which is pretty small, only about 1,500 graduates," Stephanie McBride, director of commencements at the university, said. "In May, we have a significantly larger number of students, we have closer to a little over 7,000 students that are going to graduate in that timeframe. The model that we were using previously was just not sustainable."
 
One factor among many, U. of Missouri's national ranking continues to slide
The University of Missouri tied for 129th out of 312 in the National Universities category of the Best Colleges rankings released Monday by U.S. News & World Report. MU placed 120th and 111th on the U.S. News Best Colleges ranking the past two years, respectively. Ten years ago, MU landed at No. 85. Earlier this month, MU placed 414th out of nearly 1,000 U.S. colleges and universities for 2019's Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings. In the 2018 rankings, the university came in at 330. For 2017, in the first WSJ ranking, MU placed 317th. Increasing enrollment numbers and improving the school's public image remain on the front burner, and national rankings can affect both. MU understands some students and their families look at the rankings, but prospective students and parents also focus on the strength of academic programs and meaningful employment post-graduation, MU spokeswoman Liz McCune said in an email.
 
Senators Demand Answers From CFPB Head After Student Loan Watchdog's Resignation
Seeking to "evaluate the independence and effectiveness" of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's student loan office, 15 Senate Democrats sent a terse letter Thursday evening to Mick Mulvaney, the CFPB's acting director. The letter was first obtained by NPR. The letter arrived on Mulvaney's desk less than three weeks after the CFPB's student loan watchdog, Seth Frotman, stepped down, writing in a fiery resignation letter to Mulvaney that, under the acting director's leadership, "the Bureau has abandoned the very consumers it is tasked by Congress with protecting. Instead, you have used the Bureau to serve the wishes of the most powerful financial companies in America." The Trump administration has made no secret of its desire to protect loan servicers from tough oversight.
 
Purdue blocks access to Netflix, Hulu, Steam in four lecture halls
Purdue University students who were hoping to sneak in an episode of Queer Eye during their economics lecture are out of luck. The university recently debuted a pilot program that restricts access to five popular streaming sites -- Netflix, Hulu, Steam, Apple Updates and iTunes -- during class time in four of its biggest lecture halls. The new restrictions are an attempt to free up much-needed bandwidth in four lectures halls located in the Lilly Hall of Life Sciences, the Wetherill Laboratory of Chemistry, the Electrical Engineering Building and the Class of 1950 Lecture Hall. "We're faced with rapid increases in traffic demands in our biggest classrooms," Gerry McCartney, executive vice president and chief information officer at Purdue, said. "These are rooms holding typically hundreds of students, and they're coming into class with multiple devices. When we look to see the sites those devices are going to, there are some sites without academic connection."
 
U. of Nebraska Wondered Whether Conservative Students Were Being Silenced. Here's What It Found Out
When a liberal graduate student at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln last fall berated a conservative undergraduate to the point of tears, people in the state began to wonder if conservative students were living in fear on its public-university campuses. Some local politicians painted a grim picture of young Nebraskans' being indoctrinated by liberal professors, or cowed into silence for fear of being browbeaten or given a failing grade. Fearing a political backlash, Hank M. Bounds, president of the University of Nebraska system, commissioned Gallup to study the political climate on all four of its campuses. Gallup's report, released on Thursday, suggests that most people at the universities, conservatives included, do not feel intimidated or constrained in what they say on campus. However, a substantial minority do worry whether some ideas are welcome, and some people do bite their tongues instead of speaking their minds.
 
U. of Maryland criticized for white support group flier
The counseling center at University of Maryland, College Park sponsors a group called "White Awake" -- it's a weekly meet-up for white students who want to better understand race and ask questions to be better "allies" for minorities. But a flier advertising the group is earning criticism for being tone-deaf and vague. "Do you sometimes feel uncomfortable and confused before, during or after interactions with racial and ethnic minorities?" the flier asks. The counseling center has decided to discontinue the ad -- though it is not shutting down the group. The counseling center called race relations "an incredibly difficult, nuanced issue, and that's the reason we need to discuss it." The group aims to help white students become more "culturally competent, so they can better participate in creating a more inclusive environment at the University of Maryland," according to the statement. "This group is based on research and best practices, and we believe in it."
 
Trigger warning: An embarrassing fragility on college campuses
Columnist George F. Will writes in The Washington Post: The beginning of another academic year brings the certainty of campus episodes illustrating what Daniel Patrick Moynihan, distinguished professor and venerated politician, called "the leakage of reality from American life." Colleges and universities are increasingly susceptible to intellectual fads and political hysteria, partly because the institutions employ so many people whose talents, such as they are, are extraneous to the institutions' core mission: scholarship. ...In her just-published book "The Diversity Delusion: How Race and Gender Pandering Corrupt the University and Undermine Our Culture," Mac Donald writes that many students have become what tort law practitioners call "eggshell plaintiffs," people who make a cult of fragility -- being "triggered" (i.e., traumatized) by this or that idea or speech.


SPORTS
 
No. 16 Mississippi State focuses on details against ULL
Mississippi State's transition to new coach Joe Moorhead looks like it could not be going any smoother. The 16th-ranked Bulldogs (2-0) have enjoyed relatively easy wins against Stephen F. Austin and Kansas State and hope to keep rolling when they host Louisiana-Lafayette (1-0) on Saturday. But like all coaches, Moorhead sees room for improvement. He has been happy with the final scores, but the process for getting there hasn't always been up to his standards. "We don't want to positively reinforce things that are done incorrectly from a schematics standpoint when a positive outcome occurs," Moorhead said. "We want to make sure we're doing all the things that are necessary, and we are paying great attention to detail."
 
Business as usual for Mississippi State's Mark Hudspeth this week
It's commonplace in college football for players and coaches to have ties to an opposing team. However, the link between Mississippi State tight ends coach Mark Hudspeth and the Louisiana-Lafayette sideline this weekend will be far greater than most. Hudspeth spent seven years as the Ragin' Cajuns head coach before being fired at the conclusion of last season. Despite his close relationships with a majority of the ULL roster that he recruited, Hudspeth has been able to keep himself focused leading into Saturday's showdown against his former team. "It's been business as usual," Hudspeth said. "This has been going on eight or nine months now. Both sides have obviously moved on and I definitely don't have any ill will toward the University of Louisiana. They were very good to me for a very long time. We had a great run there and I'm very proud of the accomplishments that we had there."
 
Erroll Thompson leads blossoming Mississippi State linebackers unit
After Mississippi State's linebackers combined for eight tackles in the Sept. 1 season opener against Stephen F. Austin, the idea they had a bad game floated around town. Defensive coordinator Bob Shoop disagreed, arguing it's impossible for linebackers to pad the stat sheet if the defensive line isn't allowing any plays to reach the second level. The Bulldogs had 15 tackles for loss in its 63-6 win over SFA, 10 of which came from linemen. Safeties Johnathan Abram, Mark McLaurin and Brian Cole had four of them blitzing from the secondary. Junior linebacker Leo Lewis had the only one for the linebackers. Sophomore LB Erroll Thompson broke out a week in last Saturday's 31-10 victory at Kansas State. He had seven tackles including a sack. Shoop showed more formations against the Wildcats, often blitzing his linebackers. Through two weeks, Shoop is pleased with how his linebackers have played.
 
Mississippi State's Cam Dantzler transitions into leadership role
Kansas State tested Mississippi State sophomore cornerback Cam Dantzler on the first play in the Bulldogs' 31-10 victory last Saturday. Despite State's defense loading the box to stop the run, Dantzler stayed with his receiver down the right sideline. He broke up the pass with help from junior safety Johnathan Abram. Defensive coordinator Bob Shoop said although it was early, it was one of the biggest plays of the game. It's what Shoop expects out of his corners. Dantzler and senior Jamal Peters are overshadowed by State's dominant front seven, led by junior noseguard Jeffery Simmons and senior end Montez Sweat. But they're just as important to the Bulldogs' success. It's a given that MSU will stymie the opponent's rushing offense. If the corners are also shutting down the aerial attack, State's defense could contend to be one of the nation's best.
 
Underdog Cajuns to have hands full with State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald and talented defensive front
UL-Lafayette's defensive unit figures to have issues slowing down Mississippi State's offense, particularly quarterback Nick Fitzgerald. The Ragin' Cajuns offense is seeking a way to deal with the Bulldogs defense, specifically nose guard Jeffery Simmons and end Montez Sweat and a front wall packed with NFL prospects. If the Cajuns don't find a way to negate those two problems, things could get ugly in Starkville, Mississippi, Saturday when the teams meet for the first time in 31 years and in the first of two games in two years between the squads. If the visitors can find a solution for just one of the two, the Cajuns (1-0) could make it more interesting than their four-touchdown underdog status entering the 6:30 p.m. contest at Davis Wade Stadium. The game will be televised by ESPN2.
 
'Whole new level': No. 9 Auburn soccer opens SEC schedule against unbeaten Mississippi State
Even after all the successes Sarah Le Beau has seen in her time on the Plains, this has been a new one. Le Beau, Auburn's four-year starter in goal and a redshirt senior for the Tigers, has played a part in every bit of the program's best-ever four-year stretch run over the last four years, which has seen Auburn soccer push to four consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament. Auburn has opened its season 7-0-0 for the first time in school history this fall, perfect through its nonconference stretch to kick off the team's schedule. But Le Beau is already over it. "Right now our record is 0-0," she said. Yes, No. 9 Auburn soccer has turned its attention to its SEC opener against Mississippi State on Friday night, knowing the Tigers are still winless in the conference standings at least until they kick off league play against the Bulldogs.
 
Joe Scarborough believes football will remain strong
Football may have lost some popularity, but normalcy will be restored, Joe Scarborough believes. The political commentator, co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," says that major parties involved in the NFL's national anthem controversy will eventually turn their focus to fans and find common ground on the topic. The professional and college games will stay strong, Scarborough said. The game may have lost some of its ability to unite Americans, but it hasn't taken a major hit. "Maybe it has for a week or two, but the NFL's been around a long time, the SEC has been around a long time," Scarborough said. "At the end of the day football is entertainment. I think the owners and players and journalists covering the game will get back to that fact, and they'll figure out a way to make statements about policing in America or criminal justice concerns in America, all very legitimate concerns." Scarborough will visit classes and appear at a speaking engagement at Ole Miss later today.
 
Even before game was canceled, Gamecocks planned to give up hotel rooms for evacuees
It would've have mattered had South Carolina's game this weekend not been canceled by Hurricane Florence. The Gamecocks football team was going to alter its pregame routine to help where it could. On his weekly call-in show, USC coach Will Muschamp said the team's traditional block of Friday night hotel rooms was going to be given to evacuees fleeing Florence. "We brought some of the families that are on the coast to Columbia to use our hotel, whether or not we played the game," Muschamp said. "We were going to give up our hotel rooms for the people on the coast to be able to have a safe place to sleep. That was something that was in the works." College football teams usually stay in a hotel the night before games, even home games, so the team can be together and focused and for the staff can have an eye on players the night before playing.
 
How a $40 pill helps LSU use science to keep its players cool during hot moments
The electronic pill went down easier than expected. A few gulps of water washed it down, drowning the beginnings of the thought, "What the hell am I getting into?" There was plenty of time to consider that -- six hours, exactly -- as the pill wriggled its way into my lower intestine, where the LSU sports scientists could get an accurate read of my core temperature. Nathan Lemoine greeted me in the training room on a Sunday during preseason camp. In his left hand, he held a device the size of a small brick. Lemoine is the athletic training staff's sports science research associate -- a position funded nearly a year ago by the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans to bolster the ongoing medical studies within LSU athletics. Within the past two years, the LSU athletic training staff has formed partnerships with local hospitals and the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Tiger Athletic Foundation set up a separate funding account in July 2017 so people could specifically donate to the staff's research projects.
 
Notebook: UAA offers free Colorado State-Florida tickets to hurricane evacuees
Following suit with Tennessee's announcement Wednesday, residents of North Carolina and South Carolina may receive four complimentary tickets to Saturday's football game vs. Colorado State. The University Athletic Association and the Gators Ticket Office has extended an invitation to families displaced by Hurricane Florence to attend Saturday's game against Colorado State free of charge. Kickoff for the matchup between the Gators and Rams is set for 4 p.m. at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Residents of North Carolina and South Carolina counties under evacuation orders may claim four tickets from 12 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Gators Season Ticket Holder Rep tent located in Fan Fest. A valid, state-issued ID for North Carolina or South Carolina is required to receive the tickets.
 
Mothers with infants find support at Mamava station at Auburn's Jordan-Hare Stadium
Mothers looking to breastfeed their little ones on game day at Auburn University will now have an upgraded experience. The Auburn University School of Nursing established a Tiger Babies breastfeeding support tent at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2015 as a clean and comfortable environment for mothers to nurse prior to Auburn football games, but a new Mamava breastfeeding station will be available beginning Saturday. Located inside the stadium near section 43, the new station, which also contains electric outlets for breast pumps, will offer a more private experience and is a more sustainable option. "We can leave it up during the week inside of the stadium," said Laurie Harris, assistant clinical professor for the Auburn University School of Nursing. "That's where we were seeing a lot of wear and tear on our tent, was from breaking it down and setting it up every week."
 
New SEC Network show 'TrueSouth' kicks off in Alabama, of course
So, yes, when the SEC Network kicks off its new Southern culture show "TrueSouth" next Tuesday night, of course, the premiere episode will take place in Birmingham, Ala. The SEC Network's first deep dive into lifestyle (i.e., non-sports) programming, "TrueSouth" debuts on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. Central time on the network. Three subsequent episodes will air on consecutive Tuesdays in the same time slot. The 30-minute show is presented by YellaWood, which is based in Abbeville. John T. Edge, the director of the Southern Foodways Alliance, is the writer and host for "TrueSouth," and ESPN writer Wright Thompson is the show's executive producer. Edge and Thompson both live in Oxford, Miss., where their houses are eight blocks apart. In Tuesday night's opening episode, "TrueSouth" visits the metro Birmingham area to tell the stories of Johnny's Restaurant, a popular "Greek and three" lunch spot in Homewood, and the 111-year-old Bright Star in Bessemer, a favorite of the late Alabama football coaching legend Paul "Bear" Bryant.
 
Does Nike give more to Democrats or Republicans? The answer might surprise you
Nike's controversial advertising campaign with Colin Kaepernick has driven a new wedge between liberals and conservatives. That was obvious in the cultural split over Kenner Mayor Ben Zahn's short-lived ban on City Hall and non-profit booster clubs buying Nike apparel for youth recreation leagues. Proponents hailed the Republican mayor's stand. Opponents blasted him. But when it comes to Nike's federal campaign contributions, Republicans are getting more than three times as much money as Democrats, the Center for Responsive Politics reports. Nike employees and the company's political action committee have given GOP candidates $424,000 in the 2018 election cycle, and only $122,000 to Democrats who generally are seen as more aligned with what backers call Nike's "progressive" message. New Balance, also gives far more money to Republicans than to Democrats. Adidas and Under Armour don't contribute nearly as much money to politicians but favor Democrats over GOP candidates, the center said.



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