| Tuesday, October 23, 2018 |
| Mississippi State assisting those impacted by Sunday evening residence hall fire | |
 | Mississippi State officials are assisting those impacted by a Sunday evening fire in a university residence hall. At approximately 9:55 p.m., a fire was reported in the third floor A wing of Oak Hall, a residence hall located on the south end of the MSU campus. Fire damage was reported in the room where the fire started, and approximately 30 other rooms were damaged by water when the fire suppression system was triggered. No injuries were reported from the fire. MSU President Mark E. Keenum addressed Oak Hall residents on Sunday and told them that the university would do everything in its power to help students deal with the challenge. "We are fully committed to helping those impacted by this fire in any way we can," Keenum said. "The safety of our MSU family is a top priority, and I am grateful that nobody was hurt during this incident. I would like to thank the students, staff and emergency officials involved for their efforts in minimizing the harm caused by this fire." |
| No one hurt in dorm fire at Mississippi State University | |
 | Mississippi State University officials say no one was hurt by a fire in a dormitory room. The fire happened Sunday night on the third floor of Oak Hall on the Starkville campus. The university said in a news release Monday that in addition to damage in the room where the fire occurred, about 30 other rooms were damaged by water from a sprinkler system. The university says an electrical fire is thought to have ignited some bed linens. The state fire marshal is investigating. |
| Sunday night fire damages Mississippi State dormitory | |
 | A small fire at one of the campus' newest dormitories left dozens of students displaced. Mississippi State University officials said the fire was reported around 10 p.m. Oct. 21 at Oak Hall. The fire is believed to have started when an electrical fire sparked and caught bed linens on fire, but an official ruling from the fire marshal remains pending. When the fire began, a student pulled the fire alarm and the building was promptly evacuated. In addition to temporary housing for Oak Hall students impacted by the fire, the university president said academic accommodations and other assistance would be provided and that university leaders "We will do everything we can to help students deal with this challenge," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. |
| Mississippi State's Shelly Hollis discusses new cyber education center | |
 | The Mississippi State University Research and Curriculum unit is continuing to focus its computer science education efforts with the foundation of the Center for Cyber Education. The center was announced last week in a press conference at C Spire's headquarters in Ridgeland, with dignitaries including Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and MSU President Mark Keenum present. C Spire, a longtime partner in the RCU's Computer Science for Mississippi (CS4MS) program, gave an initial $550,000 to help start the center. However, the RCU is still seeking additional support. The center will administrate its CS4MS efforts through the center and continue to ramp up computer science and coding nationwide. "The center came about because of all the work we've been doing with the (Mississippi) Department of Education on K-12 computer science education, and when the university started thinking about it, looking at it, they decided that to help the Department of Education reach its goal of having computer science in all the schools in the state by 2024," said Shelly Hollis, the center's assistant director. |
| 'Get dirty and dig': Mississippi State leads 8th annual mock excavation | |
| Mississippi State University's Cobb Institute of Archeology shared exploration and discovery with children of all ages during a mock excavation on campus Saturday. The excavation was MSU's eighth annual mock excavation in honor of Mississippi Archeology Month. The Lois Dowdle Cobb Museum of Archeology was also open for the event. MSU Cobb Institute of Archeology Illustrator Dylan Karges said he loves digging, and he loves sharing that passion with the community's youth. "I think this is all about just sharing the spark of finding something new -- with no expectations of what might be there -- and trying to figure it out," Karges said. "It's just fun." Karges said the excavation event has gained popularity over the years as an interactive learning activity. |
| MSU-Meridian offers GRE preparation course | |
 | Mississippi State University-Meridian will be offering a GRE course from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27 at the College Park campus on Highway 19. The course will be taught by Rod Wilson, assistant professor of psychology at MSU-Meridian, and will cover concepts that will be on the test, which will include math and English questions, as well as test-taking strategies. Participants will have a chance to get one-on-one help, Wilson said. The fee includes the GRE book, online access to practice tests during the course and lunch. Participants will be accepted on the day of the class but students registering by Oct. 24 will receive the book early, Wilson said. |
| Mississippi State holds Green Week | |
| Mississippi State University is participating in Green Week for the second year in a row. Several organizations gathered for the green Week Organization Fair on the Drill Field Thursday morning. "October is Campus Sustainability Month and we decided to celebrate that with events during a week, which we call green Week," MSU Sustainability Coordinator Christine Lashley said. Campus Sustainability Month is through the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. "We're trying to raise awareness about sustainability on campus," Lashley said. "Whether it's encouraging people to use a reusable water bottle, turn off the lights in their residence hall or recycle in their building -- it's just to get people to lead a more sustainable lifestyle." |
| 'Playing the tariff card': Where Mississippi's Senate candidates stand on trade war | |
 | Some Mississippi businesses -- particularly farmers in the $2.5 billion a year poultry and $1.1 billion a year soybean industries -- are warily eyeing the mounting trade wars from U.S. tariffs being imposed by the Trump administration. So are Mississippi's candidates for November's special U.S. Senate election. Each says they've heard from numerous farmers as they've campaigned across the state. Tariffs on metals are bringing a backlash with China announcing a 25-percent tariff on American commodities including soybeans. South Africa, which had only reopened a duty-free market to American chicken producers in 2015, is considering ending that agreement over U.S. metal tariffs. Candidates Chris McDaniel and Cindy Hyde-Smith, both Republicans, and Democrat Mike Espy shared their thoughts on Trump's tariffs in meetings with the Clarion Ledger. Democrat Tobey Bartee declined a meeting. |
| Trump bump? Cindy Hyde-Smith gains, Chris McDaniel slides in latest Senate poll | |
| Campaign strategists for Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith hoped President Donald Trump's early October rally in north Mississippi would do one thing: Convince conservative voters to support her and not her anti-establishment challenger Chris McDaniel. A new poll released Tuesday morning shows the president's visit may have done just that. In an NBC News/Marist poll released Tuesday morning, 38 percent of likely voters said they'd vote for Hyde-Smith -- a 14 point gain from a September poll in which just 24 percent of voters said they'd vote for her. McDaniel, meanwhile, lost ground in that same period, according to the polls. Just 15 percent of likely Mississippi voters in this week's poll said they'd vote for McDaniel -- a mark that's down four points from the September poll. Democrat Mike Espy made slight gain since September. |
| Poll: Runoff is very possible in Mississippi Senate race | |
 | The free-for-all special Senate election in Mississippi has a strong chance of heading to a November 27 runoff, where appointed Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., would have early the advantage, according to a new NBC News/Marist poll of the state. In the November 6 "jungle primary" -- where multiple candidates, regardless of party, are competing -- Republican Hyde-Smith gets support from 38 percent of likely voters, Democrat Mike Espy gets 29 percent, Republican Chris McDaniel gets 15 percent and Democrat Tobey Bartee gets 2 percent. Fifteen percent say they're undecided. Mississippi's other Senate race in November -- where there is no jungle primary -- is clearer cut, with incumbent Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., leading Democratic challenger David Baria by nearly 30 points among likely voters, 60 percent to 32 percent. |
| Mississippi voters overwhelmingly want candidates to debate, poll finds | |
| A strong majority of Mississippians appear opposed to the decisions of U.S. Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker not to debate before the Nov. 6 general election. A survey conducted by NBC News/Marist and released Tuesday morning reveal that 60 percent of Mississippians would unfavorably view a candidate who refused to debate while 11 percent would view the non-debating candidate more favorably and 22 percent said it would make no difference for them. Both Hyde-Smith, an interim U.S. senator running for the first time on Nov. 6, and Wicker, an incumbent running for re-election, have steadfastly refused invitations to debate their opponents. |
| To boost enthusiasm, GOP bloody each other as Dems look to younger voters, black turnout | |
| Members of the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus will begin a statewide tour later this month to increase voter enthusiasm -- particularly in the African American community -- in advance of the Nov. 6 election. "We have a once in a lifetime opportunity in Mississippi to elect two Democratic senators, one being an African American," said state Rep. Sonya Williams Barnes, D-Gulfport, chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, who recently announced the statewide tour. It is no secret that for Democrats Mike Espy and David Baria to win the two Senate elections on Nov. 6 they will need historically high turnout in the African American community and among millennials. Even with a strong turnout, they still would need higher than normal support of white voters to win, according to a Mississippi Today analysis done earlier this year. |
| Lawsuit: Utility to blame for damage to voting machines | |
| A southwest Mississippi county is suing an electrical utility and its own insurer, seeking more than $500,000 for damage to voting machines caused by a 2016 power outage. The Enterprise-Journal reports Pike County earlier this month sued Entergy Corp. and the administrator of the Mississippi Association of Supervisors Insurance Trust. The county claims a poorly maintained power line caused a short circuit on the election night of March 8, 2016. Entergy spokeswoman Mara Hartmann says it appears the lawsuit is the first time the county made a claim against the utility for damages. She says Entergy is investigating. |
| U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson: Health care, infrastructure key issues facing state | |
| Health care and infrastructure are the two main issues affecting Mississippi, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson said. Thompson, D-Miss., was in Vicksburg to address a candidates' forum Thursday night. He is seeking re-election to a 14th term as congressman from the 2nd Congressional District in the Nov. 6 general election. He is challenged by Troy Ray, an independent who ran against Thompson in the 2014 and 2016 elections. "I think healthcare is a big, big issue for our state," Thompson said. "First of all, we have a significant population in counties that are medically under-served. We don't have enough doctors, nurses and other professionals to go around. So with that shortage, health care is very critical." Thompson said he has seen a lot of excitement as he campaigns for re-election and for candidates in other states, adding he has been to Texas, Georgia and Arkansas, trying to help Democratic candidates. |
| President Trump: 'You know what I am? I'm a nationalist' | |
 | President Trump on Monday declared himself a "nationalist" as he railed against Democrats and "globalists" who put the well being of the world over the country. At a raucous campaign rally in Houston, Trump warned supporters that Democrats will seek to restore influence to "corrupt, power-hungry globalists." "You know what a globalist is? A globalist is a person that wants the globe to do well, frankly, not caring about our country so much," Trump said. "And you know what, we can't have that." The crowd began booing as Trump moved on to his preferred descriptor. "You know, they have a word. It sort of became old-fashioned. It's called a nationalist," he continued. "And I say really, we're not supposed to use that word. You know what I am? I am a nationalist. Use that word." The crowd broke out into chants of "USA" in response. |
| Here's How Russia Runs Its Disinformation Effort Against The 2018 Midterms | |
 | The Justice Department has revealed more than ever about the inner workings of Russia's disinformation war against the United States and the West -- including how it continues to this day. A criminal complaint unsealed Friday in the Eastern District of Virginia served both to level charges at a woman accused of serving as the money boss for the operation but also to document, in ample detail, how it works. The branch of active measures the Russians call "Project Lakhta" has been running since "mid-2014," and works through some dozen Russian entities, of which the best-known probably was the "Internet Research Agency." It, quasi-"news" and other organizations employed hundreds of people, with a global budget of the equivalent of tens of millions of dollars, U.S. officials say. |
| U.S. Begins First Cyberoperation Against Russia Aimed at Protecting Elections | |
 | The United States Cyber Command is targeting individual Russian operatives to try to deter them from spreading disinformation to interfere in elections, telling them that American operatives have identified them and are tracking their work, according to officials briefed on the operation. The campaign, which includes missions undertaken in recent days, is the first known overseas cyberoperation to protect American elections, including the November midterms. The operations come as the Justice Department outlined on Friday a campaign of "information warfare" by Russians aimed at influencing the midterm elections, highlighting the broad threat the American government sees from Moscow's influence campaign. |
| Some white Northerners want to redefine flag rooted in racism as symbol of patriotism | |
 | A short walk from where President-elect Abraham Lincoln made the last train stop in his home state before leaving for Washington on the verge of the Civil War, a Confederate battle flag flies from a home garage. The property belongs to former mayor Greg Cler, who runs a car repair shop in this central Illinois village of 3,500 people. Cler isn't from the South. He grew up about five miles away, in Pesotum, where his father, like most others in the region, farmed corn and soy. But Cler has long felt an attachment to the flag. "Part of it is an act of rebellion," he said. The other part is tied to the national turmoil surrounding race and identity. Cler sees the flag as a fitting symbol of white people's shared grievances, which, he says, have new resonance today. Perhaps the most contentious of American emblems, the Confederate flag is grounded in a history of slavery and segregation in the South. But despite recent moves to eradicate it from statehouses, vehicle license plates and store shelves, the banner has been embraced far from its founding region. |
| Political journalist visits UM's Overby Center, offers thoughts on midterms | |
 | Journalist Peter J. Boyer, an Ole Miss alumnus, assessed the upcoming midterm elections and the current political climate during a Friday morning event in the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics. Boyer is a national correspondent for The Weekly Standard. Prior to joining The Standard, he spent four years as editor-at-large at Fox News and 18 years as a staff writer for The New Yorker. Boyer joined Overby Fellow Curtis Wilkie onstage and weighed in on the midterm races underway in Mississippi, as well as other campaigns around the country leading up to Election Day on Nov. 6. Much of the discussion on Friday pertained to the potential of a "blue wave" that would result in Democrats re-taking both houses of Congress. In Mississippi, both U.S. Senate seats are set to be filled. While Boyer was skeptical about the odds for Senate Democrats in Mississippi and Texas, he said Democrats are in a good position to take back the House of Representatives. |
| New Southern Miss program is helping student-veterans get back to fighting shape | |
 | When Clayton Lizaona was an E4 specialist in the Army, he was used to a lot of physical activity. Drills included running, push-ups, sit-ups and ruck marches, where he hiked with a heavy pack on his back. But when he became a student-veteran at the University of Southern Mississippi, his fitness level decreased. Physical activity became something that was no longer required, but an act of self-will. "I kind of slowly got off of it," the junior said. "When I was in (the Army), there was that extra boost of motivation. When it was just myself, it was 'go to the gym or not go to the gym.' I got pretty lackadaisical. I didn't stay with fitness like I should have." But now Lizaona is getting back in shape, thanks to a special fitness program set up by the university's Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families. |
| Increasing High Tech Workforce to Compete in 21st Century | |
 | Harrison Lanum of Brandon is talking about how software is used to operate traffic lights. The 23-year old is in the Industrial Maintenance program at Hinds Community College in Rankin County. "That's basically maintenance, programming and construction of the big robotic assembly lines like the ones we have over there," said Lanum. Lanum and his classmates are at the college with Mississippi Lt. Governor Tate Reeves to promote The Skills Foundation. It's a collaboration of public and private partnerships focused on creating a higher skilled workforce. The foundation measures the pace at which people are trained for high tech jobs at community colleges and four-year universities. As of 2017, Mississippi institutions have trained 6,000 for good paying high tech jobs according to the Skills Foundation. They want to double that number by 2025. |
| Chawla Hotels, Coahoma Community College alliance envisions workforce training center | |
| The Mississippi Delta has some of the highest unemployment rates in the state and employs the least amount of people, according to Mississippi Labor Market Data. And its long history of enduring economic hardships, makes it challenging to attract and retain industry and jobs to the region. With travel and tourism "being a major contributor to the state's financial affairs and quality of life," as noted in the Visit Mississippi's 2017 tourism and economic impact report, a new partnership between a community college here and the Chawla Hotels, a parent company for 19 hotels in the Mississippi Delta, will provide workforce training to individuals wanting to get jobs in the hotel and hospitality industry. After almost three years of trying to create a workforce development center with another community college, the Chawla Hotels, found an interested party – the Coahoma Community College Workforce Development Center, and it was because of their "facilities, manpower, and willingness ... to work" with the Chawlas, said Suresh Chawla, president of the Chawla Hotels. |
| U. of Alabama, Lyft form transportation partnership | |
 | The University of Alabama and ride-sharing company Lyft on Monday began a partnership to provide transportation around campus. According to a news release, UA students, faculty and staff can use Lyft's app to request a ride with a 15 percent discount within a 2-mile radius of the campus bus hub. Eligible UA recipients will receive an email with details on how to obtain the discount. In addition to the 15 percent discount, which can be accessed any time of day, Lyft and UA will offer an additional 10 percent discount from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays for a total 25 percent discount. UA's contract with Lyft was initiated by the Student Government Association in an effort to provide the university community with a convenient mode of transportation while traveling outside of the university's Crimson Ride and 348-RIDE service areas. |
| After LSU violated admissions standards, scrutiny increases | |
| Bickering about a few hundred college students at Louisiana State University has mushroomed into a far larger quarrel about lines of authority in state higher education and the autonomy of individual campuses. The conflict began when LSU President F. King Alexander decided to lessen the use of minimum admissions criteria for first-time students without initially announcing the changes publicly or first getting the official backing of his university system board or the Board of Regents that oversees all higher education policy in Louisiana. As scrutiny grew, including from Regents' board members, Alexander dug in. He said the Regents don't have the authority to penalize LSU for violating their minimum admission standards and granting more exceptions than are allowed. That suggestion drew a rebuke from Gov. John Bel Edwards, who said the higher education community should be collaborating, not questioning who's in charge. |
| Early voting opens on U. of Florida's campus | |
 | The first University of Florida student who voted early at the Reitz Union polling location on campus waited about 30 minutes for the opportunity to cast her ballot. Susan Ochoa, a junior psychology major, thought it was important to wake up early and take part in the democratic process. "It definitely makes me feel empowered," Ochoa said. Five people lined up to wait to vote when polls opened at the Reitz at 9 a.m. Monday morning. UF political science professor Daniel Smith was the first in line, followed by Ochoa, the first student. Within the first half-hour, about 20 people showed up to vote at UF's first-ever on-campus early voting site, a mix of students, faculty and staff. A U.S. district court ruling in July that overturned Florida Department of State's prohibition against campus early voting sites paved the way to create of the Reitz polling location. Alachua County supervisor of elections Kim Barton, a UF graduate and former Gator women's basketball player, was on hand to make sure early voting on campus ran smoothly. |
| Campaign spending by for-profit colleges mostly absent from midterm elections | |
 | Just two years ago, Democratic candidates settled on for-profit colleges as a favorite political target on the campaign trail. ITT Tech and Corinthian Colleges had recently collapsed, and regulators were pursuing high-profile investigations of other colleges, making the sector a compelling target for political barbs. And political donations from for-profit higher education made an attractive cudgel to swing at GOP opponents. During this campaign season, though, for-profits have received little mention. And they're mostly staying on the sidelines themselves. For-profit chains that were once big-time spenders -- mostly on GOP campaigns -- have once again dropped their campaign spending in the midterm elections, a downward trend that has continued for multiple election cycles. |
| Federal Proposal to Redefine Gender Throws College Policies Into Uncertainty | |
 | Susan Stryker saw it coming. On Saturday night the associate professor of gender and women's studies at the University of Arizona had some friends over for dinner. They discussed how on the passport section of the State Department's website, the term "gender marker" had been changed to "sex marker." It's a minor shift to someone who isn't familiar with transgender issues. But for Stryker, a founder of the journal Transgender Studies Quarterly, it foreshadowed the headlines she awoke to on Sunday. The New York Times reported that, according to a memo, the Trump administration is considering defining gender as a biological condition determined by a person's gender at birth. The change would basically eliminate federal recognition of 1.4 million Americans who have chosen to identify as a gender other than the one assigned at birth. That definition could be adopted by Betsy DeVos's Department of Education, which is reviewing rules on how to deal with complaints of sex discrimination at schools and colleges, the Times reported. But it runs afoul of settled case law, civil-rights activists say. |
| Forget Lazy Rivers. Does Your College Offer a Concierge? | |
| In the last several years, colleges have been criticized for their climbing walls and lazy rivers, which signal to some too much spending on nonacademic matters. Wait until those critics hear about the latest trend: concierges for students. New Mexico State University's nearly one-year old concierge service -- the Crimson Concierge program -- offers students everything from help booking vacations, to, for an extra fee, doing their laundry. New Mexico State relies on a popular vendor among colleges and universities, Sodexo, to carry out Crimson Concierge, and the company said it intends to expand to other institutions. "We are very aware of the fact that a large percentage of students are making their ultimate selection on schools that really can fulfill the 'college experience,'" said Steve Bettner, assistant vice president of auxiliary services at New Mexico State. "Places that have amenities." |
| Suspected gunman found dead after U. of Utah student slain on campus; Tuesday classes canceled | |
| A woman was shot and killed on the University of Utah's campus Monday night, prompting a lockdown and sending police searching for the suspected shooter until he was found dead hours later. Police were looking for 37-year-old Melvin Rowland, sending out alerts after receiving reports of the shooting around 9 p.m. and urging all on the U.'s campus to secure in place. They reported Rowland was last seen leaving the Medical Towers northbound on foot. The woman shot and killed on the University of Utah campus Monday night has been identified as Lauren McCluskey, a senior majoring in communication, university officials said. McCluskey was an accomplished student athlete from Pullman, Washington, according to a statement from University President Ruth V. Watkins. McCluskey was "a highly regarded member of the university's track and field team and an outstanding scholar," the statement said. Early Tuesday morning, Salt Lake police learned Rowland was near the historic Trinity African Methodist Episcopal Church. Once inside the church, officers found Rowland dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police. |
| Annual report documents attacks on students and scholars worldwide | |
| A new report identifies 294 reported "attacks" on students, scholars or higher education institutions in 47 countries between Sept. 1, 2017, and Aug. 31 of this year. "The incidents covered by this report are only a small portion of all incidents involving attacks on higher education over the previous year," says the report from Scholars at Risk, an organization that monitors academic freedom violations worldwide and also arranges for temporary positions for threatened scholars. "Nevertheless, they are sufficient evidence of a global crisis of attacks on scholars, students, and other members of the higher education community requiring a robust, global response." Among the attacks documented in the "Free to Think 2018" report -- the latest in an annual series of reports from SAR's Academic Freedom Monitoring Project -- are 79 violent attacks against campuses or "higher education communities" across 27 countries, resulting in at least 77 deaths. |
| Poll: Mississippians seek political compromise from midterm elections | |
| Nathan R. Shrader, co-chairman of the Political Science Department and assistant professor of Political Science and director of American Studies at Millsaps College, writes in The Clarion-Ledger: The findings from the latest Millsaps College/Chism Strategies State of the State Survey indicate that Mississippi voters recognize that the tone of our national political discourse is becoming increasingly uncivil. The survey also finds that Mississippians embrace the idea of compromise at the expense of ideological or partisan gridlock. This is just the latest in a series of quarterly Millsaps/Chism surveys aimed at gaining a more thorough understanding of how Magnolia State voters perceive crucial issues, actors and institutions in state politics. |
| There will be a smidge of suspense on election day | |
| Longtime Mississippi journalist Charlie Mitchell writes: Question: What do you call a person with no body and no nose? Answer: Nobody knows. Get it? If not ask the nearest 8-year-old. Election day looms for Mississippi and it is a rare one. The state's entire delegation to Congress will be chosen. Nobody knows (sorry), who will win and who will lose but prognostication is great sport. Will Mike Espy pull off a shocker? Could David Baria ride Espy's coattails in the other race for U.S. Senate? Is it even possible there will be surprises in any of the four U.S. House races? The answers, in order, are, it's possible, it's not likely and no way. |
SPORTS
| Joe Moorhead looking at all options to fix Mississippi State offense | |
 | The quarterback conversation is happening in the football offices, too. In the face of quarterback Nick Fitzgerald's 44.4 percent completion rate and 3.7 yards per attempt against Southeastern Conference competition, MSU is surrounded by a quarterback controversy with Keytaon Thompson on the sideline. The Bulldogs (4-3, 1-3 SEC) seem to be entertaining portions of the conversation as No. 16 Texas A&M (5-2, 3-1 SEC) comes to town. "We have discussed in the offensive staff room not making a change," MSU coach Joe Moorhead said, "but during the first half and the second half giving KT the opportunity to start a drive for two reasons: as a change of pace to give him an opportunity because he's a talented player, and secondly to take some of the physical wear and tear off Nick who has 121 carries in six games. For the struggles that Nick has had throwing the football, I kind of have to credit him with the amount of times he's rushed the ball and what's he's done for us to create yards and create points. Obviously, our struggles in the pass game are apparent." |
| Bulldogs battle to fix air game | |
| If Joe Moorhead had a suggestion box, he's certain it would be filled to the brim by Mississippi State fans with ways to improve his struggling offense. The Bulldogs have scored just three touchdowns in four Southeastern Conference games and are last in the league in passing, averaging only 92.8 yards. "We continue to run the ball well, but we have to find a way to compliment the pass game and keep defenses honest," Moorhead said Monday. "Our system has been most effective when we can do both, so when one is taken away, we can use the other to pick up the slack. We cannot rely solely on the run game to drive the length of the field, because as a play caller it makes it very tough." |
| Passing problems return for unbalanced Mississippi State | |
| Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead has been concerned about the team's lack of balance and run-heavy approach. It didn't take long against fifth-ranked LSU to see why. The Bulldogs suffered through an ugly 19-3 loss to LSU on Saturday and looked particularly pathetic when they tried to pass the ball. Senior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald had one of the worst games of his career, completing just 8 of 24 passes for 59 yards and four interceptions. It's the second time in four league games that Mississippi State (4-3, 1-3 SEC) has failed to find the end zone. Mississippi State's defense continues to be among the nation's elite, allowing just 13.6 points per game and giving the Bulldogs a chance to win every game. |
| Keytaon Thompson could get reps at QB for Mississippi State football | |
| Mississippi State isn't making a full-fledged change at quarterback, but head coach Joe Moorhead might be tightening his grip on senior Nick Fitzgerald's leash. At his weekly Monday afternoon press conference, Moorhead came closer than ever to hinting that sophomore backup Keytaon Thompson could be threatening to take Fitzgerald's job. "We have discussed in the offensive staff room (about) not making a change but during the first half and second half giving (Thompson) an opportunity to start a drive," Moorhead said. Moorhead said Thompson could come into this week's SEC Western Division home game against Texas A&M for two reasons. First, to simply give Thompson a chance to make something happen because he's a "talented player" who could provide a "change of pace." Secondly, Moorhead wants to take some "wear and tear" off Fitzgerald, who has 121 carries in six games. His 20.2 carries per game is the most he's ever had in a season. |
| MSU Notebook: Backup QB Keytaon Thompson may get some shots | |
| Backup quarterback Keytaon Thompson has yet to attempt a pass in Mississippi State's four Southeastern Conference games this season. But that could change this weekend. Coach Joe Moorhead said during his press conference on Monday that the sophomore signal caller will get a chance to start some drives against Texas A&M but would not be replacing senior Nick Fitzgerald as the team's starting QB. "We have discussed in the offensive staff room -- not making a change -- but during the first half and second half giving K.T. an opportunity to start a drive for two reasons: as a change of pace to give him an opportunity because he is a talented player and, secondly, to take some of the physical wear and tear off of Nick, who has 121 carries through six games," Moorhead said. |
| Texas A&M's Kendrick Rogers, Keaton Sutherland available for Mississippi State | |
 | Texas A&M should have the services of two key starters who have been sidelined with injuries for the Aggies' trip to Mississippi State on Saturday. Wide receiver Kendrick Rogers and offensive lineman Keaton Sutherland are "ready to go" after missing the Aggies' entire 26-23 win at South Carolina due to injury. Sutherland exited the Aggies' 2-14 win over Kentucky in the second half with an ankle injury. Rogers made the trip to South Carolina and suited up for the game, but remained on the sidelines for its entirety while nursing a foot injury. Fisher said after the game that Rogers could have been available to play, if needed. "I'm pretty sure for sure now he'll be back and definitely a big target that has really good hands and can get open," Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond said. "It will be big for us." The Aggies square off against Mississippi State at 6 p.m. Saturday in Starkville. |
| James Carville doubles down on SEC criticism: I'd believe Saudi government before SEC office | |
 | Political consultant and LSU professor James Carville garnered national attention Monday for his fierce letter to the editor that criticized the Southeastern Conference for its handling of a controversial penalty and suspension assessed to star Tiger linebacker Devin White. By now you probably know the story: White was flagged for targeting Saturday against Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald with 5:53 left in the game. Targeting comes with an automatic ejection. And if the targeting foul occurs in the second half, the player must sit out the first half of the upcoming game. In this case, that's Alabama vs. LSU on Nov. 3 in Tiger Stadium. "If there was any doubt, the SEC crew in zebra stripes made it clear Saturday night. The league is in cahoots with the Crimson Tide. Yes, it appears there is collusion," Carville wrote in the letter. On Monday, Carville appeared on "The Paul Finebaum Show" on ESPN and doubled down on his claims in the letter, accusing the SEC of giving Alabama special treatment over the years. |
| Kentucky baseball announces home opener for new $49M ballpark, rest of 2019 schedule | |
 | The University of Kentucky baseball team will open its new Kentucky Proud Park on Feb. 26 against Eastern Kentucky, one of 32 regular-season home games next year for the $49 million facility. Kentucky released its 2019 baseball schedule Monday. The Cats will play 56 regular-season games, including 35 against 14 teams who made the NCAA Tournament last season. Fifteen of those games are against teams that made the NCAA super regionals. "Once again, we will be tested against one of the most difficult schedules in the country," UK Coach Nick Mingione said. UK is 77-45 in Mingione's first two seasons as head coach, and reached the school's first-ever super regional in 2017. |
| 'Rocky Top' celebrates 46th anniversary at the U. of Tennessee | |
 | "Rocky Top," the unofficial fight song of the University of Tennessee, is celebrating the 46th anniversary of the first time it was played at a UT football game. The song was written in August of 1967 by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant at the Gatlinburg Inn in Gatlinburg, but not played at UT until five years later. It was recorded by the Osborne Brothers in 1967 and rose to number 33 on the U.S. country music charts. The song rose to larger popularity three years later, in 1970, when Lynn Anderson's version of the song hit number 17 on the Billboard Country Top 100. "Rocky Top" was first played by the Pride of the Southland Band, the University of Tennessee marching band, on Oct. 21, 1972, during a football game against the University of Alabama. The Volunteers lost the game, 17-10, but the song became a fan favorite. The rights to the song are currently held by the Bryant children under the name "House of Bryant," but UT has been granted a perpetual license to play the song at games. |
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