| Wednesday, September 19, 2018 |
| Four Mississippi universities tabbed for $20 million grant | |
 | A $20 million, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation will spur creative discovery and economic opportunities through Mississippi's research universities. With the grant funding, the state of Mississippi will establish the Center for Emergent Molecular Optoelectronics, an inter-disciplinary, multi-institution materials research program. Mississippi State University will serve as the project's administrative lead. "This initiative will be a tremendous benefit to the people of Mississippi and to our research universities," MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. "Increasing our university research capabilities makes our state and our institutions more competitive, increases educational opportunities and keeps us at the forefront of emerging technologies. This new center and its focus on organic semiconductors will make existing Mississippi industries more competitive and help the state attract new companies. I am proud that MSU is playing a lead role in this endeavor." |
| Four Mississippi Universities Share $20M Federal Science Grant | |
 | The National Science Foundation is giving four Mississippi universities $20 million over five years to study electronic devices that create, detect and control light. Mississippi State University will administer the grant, while the University of Southern Mississippi will lead the science work. Jackson State University and the University of Mississippi will also be part of the group. Officials say they hope progress could help existing Mississippi companies and attract new industries. |
| Four Mississippi universities receive $20-million grant | |
 | Four Mississippi universities will share a $20-million federal science grant. The National Science Foundation awarded the money over the next five years for researchers to study electronic devices which create, detect and control light. Mississippi State University will administer the grant, while the University of Southern Mississippi will lead the science work. Jackson State University and the University of Mississippi will also be part of the group. |
| Latino Student Association at Mississippi State gears up for heritage month | |
 | A small group at Mississippi State University will be sharing its heritage with the campus and community over the next few weeks. The MSU Latino Student Association kicked off its Hispanic Heritage Month events Monday with a booth on the Drill Field. The group shared information on the organization and upcoming Hispanic Heritage Month events with students passing by. The organization also had Jenga and cornhole games set up at its booth. "Hispanic Heritage Month is from September 15 to October1 5, so during that month we'll just have a bunch of events to educate others on the Latin culture," said Hispanic Student Association President Ryan Pacheco, a senior interdisciplinary studies major born in the U.S. of Ecuadorian parents. The next upcoming event is "Salsa in the Streets," a salsa dance party scheduled for Friday, starting at 7 p.m. at the Lee Hall Plaza. |
| MSU 'Clothesline Project' Helps Shine Light On Violence | |
| Creative t-shirt designs are raising awareness about violence and helping those affected heal from the experiences. Mississippi State University is hosting its annual "Clothesline Project" this week. Students, faculty, and staff are creating designs on t-shirts and displaying them on the Drill Field as a way to honor a friend or loved one affected by violence. "Just to have someone to share their common experience with or even just to know that it's other people, and to see them speak out about it can be very very rewarding," said Dr. Christina Gladney, MSU Assistant Director for Health Promotion and Sexual Assault. "In the eyes of prevention, it allows other people to see the true burden of violence and hopefully will not become perpetrators of violence." |
| Director Gerry Logan: Parks and recreation an economic driver for Starkville | |
 | Starkville Parks and Recreation Director Gerry Logan sees his department's role as being about more than just cutting grass to keep the parks looking nice. Logan, who was recently appointed the department director, spoke to the Starkville Rotarians on Monday in Starkville Country Club. He said parks and recreation play a crucial role in generating an economic impact for the city. To emphasize that, Logan pointed to recent tournaments that have attracted hundreds of teams and thousands of people to Starkville. He added Starkville's parks and recreation department recently won bids for the Mississippi Soccer Association Premiere Cup and the Mississippi Tennis Association Tri-Level tournaments. The soccer tournaments will fall near Memorial Day 2019 and 2020, which is Logan described as a "high need" time for Starkville's hotels. The tennis tournament will fall during an away game football weekend for Mississippi State. |
| Longview Road work to start in spring | |
| The long-delayed Longview Road paving project is a step closer to becoming reality after county supervisors approved a board order for it Monday evening. County Engineer Clyde Pritchard, who updated supervisors on the project's status, said the county can pave about two miles combined from the east and west ends of Longview Road. He said that will let the paved section extend on the west side from Highway 12 to a bridge over Talking Warrior Creek, and on the east side from Highway 25 to about 1,000 feet past Horsely Lane. Pritchard said the Office of State Aid has allowed the county to move ahead with a partial paving of the road, which is an unusual permission. "We've actually got State Aid to say, 'Hey we agree with what y'all are trying to do,'" Pritchard said. "If our numbers come in good, if our bids are good, we'll extend it a little further if we can." |
| Furniture industry studying potential impact of new China tariffs | |
 | Furniture manufacturers and suppliers, along with retailers, will be looking closely at the $200 billion in new tariffs on Chinese-made goods and how they will affect them. On Monday, the U.S. Trade Representative approved the additional levy of 10 percent that goes into effect on thousands of Chinese goods next Monday, then steps up to 25 percent on Jan. 1. The 194-page list of tariffs targeting a wide variety of products -- from sockeye salmon to baseball gloves to bamboo mats -- also includes 5,745 full or partial lines of the original list of more than 6,000. A six week public-comment period ended Aug. 27, and Community Development Foundation President and CEO David Rumbarger was among those who spoke before a USTR hearing. He warned that 14,000 furniture-related jobs could be jeopardized by tariffs on many of the components used by furniture companies in Northeast Mississippi. |
| Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith questions timing of allegation against Kavanaugh | |
| A Republican U.S. senator who's seeking re-election in Mississippi says she questions the timing of a sexual misconduct allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith has said for weeks that she will vote to confirm Kavanaugh, who is currently a federal appeals court judge. Hyde-Smith is endorsed by President Donald Trump, who nominated Kavanaugh to the nation's highest court. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing Monday about an allegation from Christine Blasey Ford, who says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers during the early 1980s. Kavanaugh, 53, vehemently denies the accusation. |
| Chris McDaniel: Allegations Against Kavanaugh 'Made Up' | |
| A Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Mississippi says a sexual misconduct allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is a "made-up" scandal as the left tries to derail the nomination of a conservative. Chris McDaniel said Monday on American Family Radio: "These allegations, 99 percent of the time, are just absolutely fabricated." McDaniel is one of three candidates challenging Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in a November special election. Hyde-Smith has said she will vote to confirm Kavanaugh. Responding to host Bryan Fischer on the "Focal Point" radio show, McDaniel said people "attacking" Kavanaugh protected President Bill Clinton and the late Sen. Ted Kennedy against sexual misconduct allegations. |
| Kavanaugh Accuser Wants 'Full Investigation' Before Any Senate Hearing | |
 | Attorneys for the woman who accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault said she wants a full investigation of the allegations before she testifies on Capitol Hill, throwing into doubt a planned Monday hearing that would have pitted her word against that of the Supreme Court nominee. In a letter Tuesday to Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa), attorneys for California college professor Christine Blasey Ford asked for "a full investigation by law-enforcement officials" to "ensure that the crucial facts and witnesses in this matter are assessed in a nonpartisan manner." Mr. Grassley indicated the committee wasn't willing to wait for a full FBI investigation of Dr. Ford's allegations. "There have been multiple investigations. Judge Kavanaugh has been through six FBI investigations in the course of his lengthy public career," Senate Majority Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said. |
| 'I don't have an attorney general': Trump escalates his attacks on Jeff Sessions | |
 | President Trump escalated his attacks on Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday, offering a scathing assessment of his performance on the job and in his confirmation hearing. "I don't have an attorney general. It's very sad," Trump said in an interview with Hill.TV, in which he also said the former senator from Alabama came off as "mixed up and confused" when he appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee in January 2017. Trump has long been publicly critical of Sessions's decision to recuse himself from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and said that he has regretted nominating him to lead the Justice Department. But in the Hill.TV interview, Trump offered broader criticism, including on Sessions's handling of immigration issues, which has been cheered by Trump allies. "We'll see how it goes with Jeff," Trump added. "I'm very disappointed in Jeff. Very disappointed." |
| Local advocates see opioid legislation as good start | |
| Northeast Mississippi addiction recovery professionals were glad to see the U.S. Senate pass legislation aimed at addressing the opioid epidemic on Monday. "It's a good starting point," said A.J. Wilemon, a recovery coach for Tupelo-based Addiction Recovery Resources. The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, 99-1. The final bill included the eTreat Act, which would waive the geographical restrictions that typically prevent Medicare reimbursement on telemedicine services to treat substance abuse. Both Mississippi senators had a hand in the eTreat Act. Sen. Roger Wicker was co-author of the measure; Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith was a cosponsor. |
| Southern states discuss energy issues at Biloxi conference | |
 | The emphasis is on energy at a conference being held on the Mississippi Coast this week with a meeting of The Southern States Energy Board. Issues discussed ranged from regulatory concerns to economic impact. The Southern States Energy Board represents 16 states and two U.S. Territories. Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant serves as Chair of the Executive Committee. At the event, he recognized how important the energy sector is to job creation and economic development. "Fourteen percent of the economy in Mississippi is based on energy. We are often time in the top ten for oil and particularly natural gas production," said Bryant. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College President Dr. Mary Graham talked to the group about programs that give students a head start when it comes to landing high paying jobs that don't require a 4-year degree. |
| How can the Walkers afford prime Biloxi Shuckers seats while owing thousands to government? | |
 | Scott Walker wanted to do something special for his father and ex-Department of Marine Resources Director William "Bill" Walker after he returned home from prison, so he paid $5,200 for four season tickets to the Biloxi Shucker's baseball games. "Well, I meet my restitution every month, so I was able to do that as a Christmas gift," Scott Walker said Tuesday. "You know, I believe it is very good to support our local minor league baseball team. I wish the seats were full for every game." But he said he probably won't renew the tickets now that people have started asking who's footing the bill for the four prime seats behind the batter's box at MGM Park in Biloxi. Both father and son are convicted felons who owe restitution and fines to the government, and outraged residents have contacted the Sun Herald asking how they can afford to pay top dollar for season tickets. |
| Non-Tenured Instructors Can Now Serve in U. of Mississippi's Faculty Senate | |
 | Sarah Wilson moved from Washington, D.C., to become a writing instructor at the University of Mississippi. Where she came from, the lack of federal representation in elections was frustrating, she said. "We could vote for presidents, but had no senators, no congressperson," she said. "It's still an uphill battle." When she arrived in Oxford, in 2016, to teach at the University of Mississippi, she started fighting a different battle for representation -- this one on campus. At the time, her status as a non-tenure-track faculty member made her ineligible to serve in Ole Miss's faculty senate. This time the battle wasn't so uphill, and Wilson won. |
| Oxford police continue investigations into Square violence during Alabama weekend | |
 | Fights at The Lyric Oxford and other bars in town drew police attention this past weekend, and Oxford Police Department is still investigating an incident that occurred at The Annex Oxford that left a Holmes Community College student in "serious condition." "Everybody had issues (Saturday) night. Every club, I think, had fights in it -- it wasn't just one area," Oxford Police Chief Joey East said. OPD made 40 arrests for public intoxication throughout the weekend, five of which were accompanied by simple assault charges. A handful of OPD's arrests were made on Van Buren Avenue between South 10th and South 11th Streets, according to East. Around 11:30 p.m. Saturday night, Oxford police responded to a crowd of people fleeing The Lyric Oxford after a fight broke out among attendees of a party that Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity hosted at the venue. Almost an hour after OPD officers and horses began clearing the streets outside of The Lyric, another group of officers responded to a report of a fight inside The Annex Oxford, a bar on the corner of Jackson Avenue East and South 10th Street. |
| Researchers at UMMC's MIND Center Gear-Up for Dementia Research | |
 | According to the national Alzheimer's Association 54,000 Mississippians have the disease, which is one type of dementia. The disease is most common in aging adults. Dementia causes loss of memory and reasoning that interferes with daily life, such as forgetting names and difficulty completing normal tasks. Dr. Beverly Windham is with the MIND Center at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She says they don't know what causes the disease. They're preparing to embark upon a study to figure that out. "To enable us to identify people earlier in life, middle aged, and learn more about symptoms, early signs we may have missed before," said Windham. Windham says they know changes occur in the brain a decade before people develop symptoms. |
| Why Aren't As Many HBCU Grads Giving Back To Their College? | |
| It's the first home game of the 2018 football season at Alcorn State University in Lorman. A sea of purple and gold tee-shirts and pom-poms flood the stadium as alumni and fans root for a touchdown. Kendreka Pipes was a first generation college student eight years ago when Alcorn offered her an $85,000 academic scholarship out of high school. "They had invested in me. And they cared enough to come to my school, get me to let me know that I was important to them and no other school had done that," said Pipes. But at this point in her life she says it's difficult to return the investment. The national average of HBCU grads giving back is a little over 11 percent. In Mississippi, it is less than that. In an MPB News survey of the eight public four year institutions, Alcorn reported 7 percent of its alumni donating and Jackson State University and Mississippi Valley State University reported 6 percent of former students giving in 2017. |
| William Carey University dedicates Ross Hall-Johnson Hall | |
 | With the dedication Sept. 13 of Ross Hall-Johnson Hall, William Carey University is just one step away from completing all its tornado recovery projects. The road has been long after an EF3 tornado swept through the campus in January 2017. It destroyed or damaged six buildings so badly they had to be demolished. "If they hadn't been destroyed, Ross Hall and Johnson Hall would have been 100 years old next year," said President Tommy King. "They were our oldest dorms, but they were a favorite with students, who requested them above any other dorm on campus." The first Ross and Johnson halls were part of the school's original 10-acre campus, then called Mississippi Woman's College. Built in 1919, each was 16,000 square feet and cost $163,000. Now, there is only one building left to finalize William Carey's tornado recovery -- Tatum Court. |
| U. of Kentucky suspends student, frat after fatal DUI; says alcohol served to minors at tailgate | |
 | The University of Kentucky has suspended the freshman student who allegedly struck a four-year-old boy outside the UK football game on Saturday as well as the fraternity he pledged, President Eli Capilouto announced in a campus wide email on Tuesday. Those suspensions of Jacob Heil and the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity will await the determination of investigations opened by the UK Police Department, which is working closely with the Lexington police department. Marco Lee Shemwell, 4, and his family were waiting to cross Cooper Drive near Scoville around 2 p.m. on Saturday when the boy was struck by a car allegedly driven by Heil. Heil, 18, was arrested at the scene on Cooper Drive Saturday and charged with driving under the influence. He told police he'd had two beers at the tailgate party before the afternoon game against Murray State. In preparation for this Saturday night’s game against Mississippi State, UK police will install additional lighting along heavily traveled roads around the stadium. |
| President Fuchs committed to U. of Florida commencement changes | |
 | University of Florida President Kent Fuchs said he's committed to commencement changes despite mounting student frustration about the new ceremony format. Fuchs said he will meet with students on Thursday at Tigert Hall to discuss modifications, but said he does not expect to go back to holding a university-wide commencement at the O'Connell Center. "We're absolutely committed to visiting the commencement, graduation, individual recognition ceremonies for the next several years," Fuchs said following a ribbon-cutting for UF's Career Connections Center. "And I'm absolutely convinced we'll make changes and enhance and improve it." The changes, announced last week, angered some students. It prompted UF political science graduate student Anthony Rojas to start a change.org petition to restore the commencement to its May format of students being recognized at the university-wide commencement at the O'Connell Center in front of all of their peers. The online petition has grown close to 11,000 signatures as of Tuesday evening. |
| U. of Tennessee System President Joe DiPietro announces retirement date | |
 | University of Tennessee System President Joe DiPietro announced Monday morning that he will retire effective Feb. 14. DiPietro, who has been president since 2011, will step down from active employment on Nov. 21 and use his remaining vacation time until February, according to a news release. As UT's 25th president, DiPietro serves as the chief executive officer of all three UT campuses, the Health Science Center, the Institute of Public Service and the Institute of Agriculture. His base salary is $539,011, and he is eligible for an annual 5 percent increase to his base pay, depending upon his job performance. His contract was set to end in June 2019. In an interview with the News Sentinel, DiPietro said now was the best time for him to retire because of several changes in leadership coming, including the UT Board of Trustees, Tennessee General Assembly and governor. |
| UGA receives national diversity award for fifth straight year | |
 | Over the past year, University of Georgia students, faculty and staff fanned across the state to help recruit historically underrepresented and first-generation students to the birthplace of public higher education. On campus, new programs were launched to promote the academic success of students from rural areas and to broaden the pipeline of students pursuing advanced STEM degrees. These efforts, among many others, have been recognized at a national level through the 2018 INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award. The HEED Award is the only national recognition honoring colleges and universities that exhibit outstanding efforts and success in the area of diversity and inclusion, and 2018 marks the fifth consecutive year that UGA has been honored. |
| Authors of book about Bushes share couple's love story during visit to Texas A&M | |
 | The granddaughter of former President George H.W. Bush and first lady Barbara Bush shared excerpts Tuesday of a book she wrote about her grandparents' love story, which spanned more than 70 years. Ellie LeBlond Sosa, who is the daughter of Dorothy Bush Koch, and co-author Kelly Anne Chase met with a group at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center as part of a "Tea & Talk" session hosted by the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library. Sosa shared moments from George and Barbara Bush: The Great American Love Story and answered questions from an audience invited by the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation. The authors opened their presentation by mentioning the importance of the presidential museum to the Bush family. |
| MizzouMACC seeks a smoother path from community college to university | |
 | Haley Stevens, a music education major, plays piccolo in Marching Mizzou. She's also a student at Moberly Area Community College. Stevens is one of 175 students who have enrolled in MizzouMACC, a year-old partnership between MU and Moberly Area Community College that seeks to provide a seamless transition for community college transfers. MizzouMACC started in fall 2017 with 17 students, according to Laura Mertens, director of site operations and student services at MACC. The program attracted students from Missouri, Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado and Illinois. The program has grown over the first year, and it can handle more students. "There's no maximum capacity right now," Mertens said. |
| DeVos targets Arkansas State's free-speech policy in remarks; attorney defends school | |
 | An Arkansas State University attorney on Tuesday defended the school as "committed" to free-speech rights after the school was targeted in remarks by U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos a day earlier. DeVos spoke at an event in Philadelphia commemorating Constitution Day and criticized actions taken by some college administrators regarding campus free speech. "As the purpose of learning is forgotten, ignored or denied, we are inundated daily with stories of administrators and faculty manipulating marketplaces of ideas. Take what recently happened to a student at Arkansas State University," DeVos said, according to a transcript of her prepared remarks posted on the U.S. Department of Education's website. A federal lawsuit was filed in December on behalf of the student, Ashlyn Hoggard, and Turning Point USA at Arkansas State University, according to court documents submitted to U.S. District Court in Jonesboro. |
| Professor cites boycott of Israeli universities in declining to write recommendation letter for student | |
 | Does a professor have a right to refuse to write a recommendation for a student due to his own political convictions? A professor at the University of Michigan declined to write a recommendation for a student to study abroad upon realizing the student's chosen program was in Israel. In an email to the student, which was posted as a screenshot on Facebook by the pro-Israel group Club Z and was first reported by Israeli media, the professor cites support for the boycott of Israeli academic institutions as the reason why he was rescinding an offer to write a recommendation letter. At the same time he indicated he would be happy to write other letters for the student, who is identified only as "Abigail." The questions at issue are not settled ones, even from the perspective of the main body that advocates for faculty freedoms and rights, the American Association of University Professors. The AAUP has a long-standing policy of opposing academic boycotts. |
| Americans with higher education are more interested in job creation than higher wages | |
 | Americans with higher levels of education want their elected representatives to have more of a focus on job creation rather than increasing wages, according to a new Hill.TV poll. The poll, conducted by Hill.TV and the HarrisX polling company found that 62 percent of respondents with high school diplomas but without a college degree said that they want elected officials in their area to focus on job creation, while only 38 percent said they want more of a focus on higher wages. Of those surveyed with a bachelors degree or more, 57 percent of respondents said elected representatives should focus on creating new jobs, while 43 percent said officials should focus on wage growth. Americans without a high school diploma were more evenly split on the matter. |
| Binge drinking and blackouts: Sobering truths about lost learning for college students | |
| Tens of thousands of college students nationwide will cheer for their football teams this weekend. Some of those who show up for the game after tailgate drinking may not remember the highlight touchdowns that they cheered so loudly for. Others may have trouble remembering even a rousing celebration of victory. Binge drinking, the leading type of alcohol misuse for college students, is the culprit. Drinking too much too fast can cause memory loss, sometimes called a blackout, erasing any recollection of an enjoyable life event. What's more, research is suggesting that binge drinking in the college brain can impair not only learning but memorizing. Deficiencies in both of these crucial neurocognitive processes would probably make studying very difficult, and far less productive. In such a case, maintaining a high academic standing might be impossible. |
| UMMC expands pipeline for more docs | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Michaela Morris writes: This fall, there are 10 more medical students in seats at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. The medical school has 165 new students in the class of 2022, a record number exceeding last year's class of 155. That's incredibly good news for Mississippi, which has faced a chronic shortage of physicians and other health care professionals, especially in rural areas. ...Mississippi has invested in growing its own physicians with an emphasis on those who are interested in practicing in rural areas. The Mississippi Rural Medical Scholars, which focuses on preparing high school students, and the Mississippi Rural Physician Scholarship Program, which works with college and medical students, have been very successful. |
| McDaniel's 'Morning Joe' comments missed the point of our state's fiscal realities | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: The so-called "jungle primary" to choose a successor to retired Republican Mississippi U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran took a truly strange turn in downtown Oxford last week. That Nov. 6 U.S. Senate special election race pits appointed Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Brookhaven against former Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Espy of Madison, Gulf Coast municipal official and military veteran Democrat Tobey Bartee, and flamboyant Republican State Sen. Chris McDaniel of Ellisville. Unless one candidate gets a 50 percent plus one majority on Nov. 6, a runoff election looms for the top two candidates on Nov. 27. When asked on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" television talk show last Friday by Moss Point native and Princeton University Religion and African-American Studies Professor Eddie Glaude Jr. about his public record on several racially-sensitive issues and what he would say to black voters who had concerns about that record, McDaniel gave a stunning answer -- even for him. |
SPORTS
| Bulldogs breezing through first month | |
| Mississippi State has been so good through the season's first three games that there is not much reason for coach Joe Moorhead to complain. If anything, the results have been too easy. Now No. 14 Mississippi State (3-0, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) faces its toughest challenge of the year when it travels to face Kentucky (3-0, 1-0) on Saturday. The Wildcats already have beaten Florida -- snapping a 31-game losing streak to the Gators -- and might have their best team under sixth-year coach Mark Stoops. In other words, Mississippi State could finally face some on-field adversity. Moorhead said he believes the Bulldogs will be ready. |
| 3 questions No. 14 Mississippi State needs answered vs. Kentucky | |
 | No. 14 Mississippi State (3-0) doesn't have an easy test on the road this week against Kentucky (3-0, 1-0 SEC East). Here are three questions the Bulldogs need to answer in their league opener Saturday night in UK's Kroger Field. |
| Keith Mixon proves he's back with big effort in Mississippi State's blowout | |
| Few can appreciate what Keith Mixon did to get back on the field more than Nick Fitzgerald. While Fitzgerald was recovering from an ankle injury he suffered against Ole Miss last season in the Battle for the Golden Egg, he had Mixon as a partner. Mixon, a wide receiver from Birmingham, Alabama, was attempting to come back from an ankle injury that forced him to miss five games of his sophomore season in 2017. Fitzgerald admitted the rehab process features "boring, monotonous stuff" that isn't easy for the most motivated players. It likely was even harder for Mixon, who had doubts about the future of his football career. On Saturday, Mixon proved he has all of his tools back by leading MSU with four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown in a 56-10 victory against Louisiana-Lafayette. MSU coach Joe Moorhead expects more of the same from Mixon at 6 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2) when No. 14 MSU takes on Kentucky (3-0) in its Southeastern Conference opener in Lexington, Kentucky. |
| Mississippi State's Nick Fitzgerald selected Manning Star of the Week | |
| Mississippi State's Nick Fitzgerald was one of eight quarterbacks named a Manning Star of the Week following his six-touchdown performance against Louisiana-Lafayette last weekend. Fitzgerald completed 14 of 21 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing 15 times for 107 yards and four more scores against the Ragin' Cajuns. He was also the last SEC player rush for four touchdowns, throw for two TDs and run for 100 yards in the same game, doing so against Arkansas in 2016. |
| Bulldogs' 2019 football schedule released | |
| Mississippi State's 2019 football schedule was released on Tuesday and features a pair of open dates. The Bulldogs begin the year at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on Aug. 31 against Louisiana-Lafayette and have non-conference home dates with Southern Miss (Sept. 7), Kansas State (Sept. 14) and Abilene Christian (Nov. 23). MSU also opens Southeastern Conference play in Starkville hosting Kentucky on Sept. 21. The Bulldogs will also host LSU (Oct. 19), Alabama (Nov. 16) and Ole Miss on Thanksgiving. |
| Joe Moorhead has Mississippi State clicking through three games | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Logan Lowery writes: Joe Moorhead was named the National Offensive Coordinator of the Year in 2016 and 2017 while at Penn State. After three games calling plays at Mississippi State, you can certainly see why. Moorhead's offense is averaging 587.7 yards and 50 points per game, FIFTY! In two of the Bulldogs' first three outings they've produced over 600 yards of offense. To put that into perspective, it's only happened five other times in MSU's 119-year history of football. The Bulldogs have already had 30 plays go for 20 yards or more this year, that's more than any other team in the FBS. State only had 52 of those in 13 games in 2017 in case you were wondering. |
| Mississippi State women's soccer records program-best No. 2 RPI | |
| The Mississippi State women's soccer team continues to make history. On Monday, MSU earned its highest Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) ranking at No. 2 in the first release of the season. Last season, MSU climbed as high as No. 37 in the RPI before closing the year at No. 45. The RPI evaluates wins and losses as well as a team's strength of schedule. Texas A&M is ranked No. 1 in the nation. MSU already has played top-15 teams Auburn (loss) and Memphis (win). MSU will play host to No. 15 South Carolina at 7 p.m. Thursday at the MSU Soccer Field. Fans are encouraged to help break the program attendance record set last season against Stephen F. Austin in the home opener. The team will give away free pizza and T-shirts along with double Hail State Rewards points. |
| Jackson State announces apparel deal with Nike | |
| Jackson State's development foundation, a non-profit that raises money for the university, has helped the school secure an apparel deal with Nike. The JSU athletic department soon plans to announce a five-year sponsorship deal that will include at least $200,000 in savings in the first year, according to a source with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The school issued a press release Tuesday afternoon announcing the sponsorship will also includes "numerous incentives in the form of discounts and rewards, along with incentives for on-field achievements and additional marketing and promotional opportunities." The company has recently seen its stock initially fall, and then rise to unprecedented heights following its decision to employ controversial NFL free agent Colin Kaepernick as the face of its 2018 "Just Do It" campaign. |
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