| Wednesday, November 14, 2018 |
| Mississippi State to honor one of its own, Sonny Montgomery | |
 | The annual veterans recognition at the final Mississippi State University home football game for the season is among one of the university's special traditions. It's a time to honor military heroes and their service, something MSU fans look forward to each year as Air Force planes fly overhead before the game and the Famous Maroon Band dedicates its halftime show to those who have given so much for this country. Mississippi State will add a special recognition to its veterans tribute Saturday when the university honors the legacy of World War II hero, author of the 1984 GI Bill and MSU alum G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery. MSU President Mark E. Keenum said, "Mississippi State, our state and the United States are all better today because of Sonny Montgomery's commitment to public service and leadership." |
| Bulldogs and Rebels team up for Unified Sports Egg Bowl | |
 | The Egg Bowl is almost one week away, but Mississippi State and Ole Miss faced off for another cause Tuesday night in the 5th annual Unified Sports Egg Bowl. Students from both universities teamed up with Special Olympics Mississippi athletes in a friendly flag football game at the main gym of MSU's Sanderson Center. Special Olympics College advisor, Julie Kelly, says it's been a great experience in bringing the event together. "This night has been a huge success already. We're really excited about it. The growth from our program has been real amazing. All those people in the gym just make your heart warm. You can't leave one of these events without a smile on your face so it's been a really cool experience," said Kelly. Since 2014, the game has raised thousands of dollars for Special Olympics Mississippi. |
| Affidavit: Catholic priest covered up HIV diagnosis, misused donations | |
 | A Starkville priest is in the crosshairs of a federal investigation into allegations of fraud and has been removed from duty at St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Father Lenin Vargas-Gutierrez has been accused of purposeful "schemes for obtaining money by means of false and fraudulent pretense." In a 37-page affidavit, William G. Childers, a special agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, lays out several accusations against the priest in the ongoing investigation, including that he lied about having cancer after being diagnosed with HIV and used donated funds for personal expenses. The affidavit also accuses Vargas of lying to his parishioners about collecting funds for an orphanage and chapel in Mexico, having instead used those funds on personal expenses. One of those expenses was a recurring expense at dating website that caters to people who are HIV-positive. |
| Waverley Mansion has potential buyer | |
| Although details are few, it appears historic Waverley Mansion may soon have a new owner. Natalie Morgan of Starkville Properties, the listing agent for the property, confirmed Monday there is a pending offer on the 8,000 square-foot home located on 34 acres in eastern Clay County. "It went under contract (Sunday)," said Morgan, who took over the listing from Crye-Leike after that agency's one-year contract expired in August. "That's really all I can tell you until the sale closes." The identity of the buyer, where the buyer currently lives and the amount of the offer aren't being disclosed, but there had been a dramatic change in the listing price. Waverley was built in 1852 by Col. George Hampton Young and is known for its unique Greek Revival architecture. The home is not only on the National Register of Historic Places, it is also designated as a National Historic Landmark, one of just 40 in the state. |
| Bonita Lakes Mall looks at alternatives to fill vacant stores | |
 | The long-anticipated closure of Sears at the Bonita Lakes Mall, announced last week, has left shoppers, community leaders and the mall's owner with questions about the mall's future. While a flood of social media commenters lamented the loss of shopping options, alternative uses for the empty spaces at the mall are already being discussed. Andy Weiner, the president of Rockstep Capital, which owns the mall, said that while Sears' closing leaves a second of its four anchor stores empty following the closure of JC Penney last year, it doesn't come as a surprise. At a Council of Governments meeting Monday, county and city leaders discussed possibilities for the Sears space, wondering what could come next. Andy Weiner, the president of Rockstep Capital, which owns the mall, said that while Sears' closing leaves a second of its four anchor stores empty following the closure of JC Penney last year, it doesn't come as a surprise. Weiner acknowledged these alternative uses, saying mall space could be used for office spaces, entertainment or even additional space for local community colleges. |
| Democrats eye U.S. Senate seat in Republican-led Mississippi | |
 | National Democrats are focusing on Mississippi's U.S. Senate runoff, a year after winning a longshot contest in another Deep South state dominated by Republicans. Democrat Doug Jones defeated Roy Moore in Alabama last December after Moore was hit by accusations of sexual misconduct. Now in Mississippi, Mike Espy is challenging Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. She faces sharp criticism for a video that surfaced Sunday of her praising a supporter at a Nov. 2 campaign event in Tupelo by saying: "If he invited me to a public hanging, I'd be on the front row." Democratic consultant Joe Trippi retweeted the video of Hyde-Smith with the comment "incredible" and a request for people to donate to Espy. Trippi, who is working for Espy, has been on several high-profile campaigns, including Jones' in 2017. He told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Hyde-Smith's verbal gaffe shows she is a weak candidate. "She just doesn't seem to be ready for prime time," Trippi said. |
| With debate official, Cindy Hyde-Smith's 'public hanging' comments renew interest in runoff | |
 | Recent comments by Republican interim U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith appear to have intensified interest in her Nov. 27 runoff with Democrat Mike Espy and have placed added significance on a debate scheduled for a week before the election. "It is a gift to Espy. We will have to see what he can make of it. Will it stir turnout in the African American community? " asked Marty Wiseman, a political science instructor at Mississippi State University and former director of the school's Stennis Institute of Government. During the upcoming debate, sponsored by Farm Bureau and scheduled to air on NBC television stations throughout the state, Wiseman said panelists are likely to ask about the comments again and Hyde-Smith will be forced to expand on her statement. |
| Mike Espy to Join Cindy Hyde-Smith for Debate As 'Hanging' Backlash Grows | |
| Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy has accepted an invitation to join incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., for a runoff debate that will be broadcast across the state live on Nov. 20. In a press statement, Hyde-Smith said she looked forward to participating in the debate "to discuss the key issues and clear differences in this runoff election." She accepted the invitation last week. A debate could present perils for Hyde-Smith. Since Sunday, her campaign has been embroiled in controversy over a video surfaced from a Nov. 2 campaign event in Tupelo. Critics pointed out that the comment is, at best, tone-deaf. Historically, Mississippi had the most lynchings of African Americans of any Southern state, and her opponent, Espy, would be the first black U.S. senator from Mississippi since Reconstruction if he won. Hyde-Smith ignored those facts in a terse statement Sunday, calling criticisms "ridiculous." |
| U.S. military edge has eroded to 'a dangerous degree,' study for Congress finds | |
 | The United States has lost its military edge to a dangerous degree and could potentially lose a war against China or Russia, according to a report released Wednesday by a bipartisan commission that Congress created to evaluate the Trump administration's defense strategy. The National Defense Strategy Commission, comprised of former top Republican and Democratic officials selected by Congress, evaluated the Trump administration's 2018 National Defense Strategy, which ordered a vast reshaping of the U.S. military to compete with Beijing and Moscow in an era of renewed great-power competition. While endorsing the strategy's aims, the commission warned that Washington isn't moving fast enough or investing sufficiently to put the vision into practice, risking a further erosion of American military dominance that could become a national security emergency. |
| Kevin McCarthy Emerges as Likely Victor in GOP House Leadership Contest | |
 | House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) will likely be elected Republicans' minority leader Wednesday, ending a power struggle that has simmered since Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) announced his retirement in April. Mr. Ryan's unusual decision to flag his departure long before it happens in January triggered months of speculation over whether Mr. McCarthy could secure enough support to succeed him as speaker. But House Democrats' victories in last week's midterms, which return Republicans to the chamber's minority next year, lowered the threshold for Mr. McCarthy, making it easier for him to be elected while diminishing how much power he will wield. Had Republicans retained the majority, Mr. McCarthy would have likely faced a greater challenge rounding up the votes needed for him to be elected speaker on the House floor in January. As minority leader, he needs to win only a majority of House Republicans' votes in a secret-ballot election Wednesday afternoon. |
| Staff anger spills over at White House | |
 | Bottled-up hostility in President Donald Trump's administration flowed to the surface Tuesday during a remarkable 12-hour period following an awkward midterm detente and tense trip to Paris over which the president is still seething. "It's like an episode of 'Maury,'" one former Trump aide observed to POLITICO as the spectacle unfolded. "The only thing that's missing is a paternity test." At the White House, Trump appeared poised to dismiss Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, a source of personal frustration for months over what Trump views as weak leadership on border security and other immigration enforcement policies he's sought to implement. The fresh round of backbiting and post-midterm turnover could also sweep out Trump's chief of staff John Kelly, a close Nielsen ally, and see him replaced with Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, Nick Ayers, who is re-emerging as a leading candidate, according to several White House officials and others close to the presidential orbit. |
| U.S. Farmers Scramble to Contain Trade-War Damage, Find New Markets | |
 | Clouds crowded the Illinois sky as Nick Harre walked away from his combine at the peak of harvest to join four fellow farmers in greeting some unlikely visitors. Inside a nearby seed barn, they made their pitch to eight Sri Lankan government officials: Please buy our soybeans. The wooing of such a tiny market underscores the depth of U.S. farmers' problems after losing their biggest customer, China, to a global trade war. Sri Lanka bought about 3,000 metric tons of U.S. soybeans last year. China bought about 32 million tons -- but now buys almost none after Beijing slapped a 25 percent tariff on U.S. imports in July. The move came in retaliation for U.S. duties on Chinese goods imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. A small but growing number of farmers have all but given up waiting for diplomatic solutions and started scrambling themselves to help open new markets and salvage existing ones disrupted by tariffs, according to dozens of interviews with producers, industry officials and trade lobbying groups. |
| UM's Overby Center hosts election panel ahead of candidates' debate | |
 | One week ahead of the debate between former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy (D) and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R), Ole Miss students will have the chance to hear from four seasoned analysts of Mississippi politics at the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics. Overby Center Fellow Curtis Wilkie and Overby Center Chairman Charles Overby will host campaign consultant Austin Barbour and former state House Representative Brandon Jones in a discussion of the historic runoff between Espy and Hyde-Smith at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Overby Center Auditorium. "The end of the midterm elections signals the beginning of the presidential race," Overby said in a press release. "We will talk about the ramifications of the midterms in Mississippi and beyond." On Tuesday, Espy agreed to a Nov. 27 debate with Hyde-Smith in Jackson. |
| Mississippi Runoff Analysis: How Mike Espy won Lafayette County | |
| As Republican legislators Roger Wicker and Trent Kelly cruised to victories in Lafayette County on Nov. 6, Mike Espy, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, won Lafayette's vote. The 45-to-41 percent win over Republican candidate Cindy Hyde-Smith in Lafayette, in part, helped send the election to a runoff vote between the two on Nov. 27, which has already been picking up national attention. According to University of Mississippi professor of political science Dr. Marvin King, Espy's win in Lafayette came because the local Democratic Party in Lafayette is more organized than in other counties. While having a more organized local party might not translate to success on the statewide level, King said an organized, active base would be more likely to volunteer or go door-to-door for their candidate. "He had more institutional support," King said. "People will believe their votes make a difference." |
| Capitol View: UM course sheds light on legislative process | |
 | Neal Lancaster wanted to gain practical knowledge about how the Mississippi Legislature functions. And thanks to an immersive University of Mississippi political science course aimed at preparing future state legislators, that's what Lancaster is getting. The senior political science major from Corinth is among 18 Ole Miss students enrolled in POL 399: Model Mississippi State Legislature. The course offers participants an opportunity to expand their understanding and deepen their appreciation of the state legislative process. Divided into two components, the course includes a student-led simulation based on the Mississippi Senate in which students research, write and debate legislation. It also allows them to meet and listen to guest speakers from state agencies/departments whose work is relevant to the legislative process. |
| Mississippi Study Examines if Marijuana Can Cut Seizures | |
| A study of whether ingredients extracted from marijuana can reduce seizures in children is moving ahead in Mississippi. The University of Mississippi Medical Center says the six-month trial began early last month, after finally surmounting years of bureaucratic obstacles. The state Legislature carved out a narrow exception in state law forbidding marijuana possession to allow the study in 2014, but it had been stalled for more than four years awaiting federal approval. |
| USM hosts entrepreneurship event for non-business majors | |
 | Some University of Southern Mississippi students became teachers Tuesday afternoon and helped fellow students learn how to start their own business. It was all part of the first, "Eagles Engaged in Entrepreneurship" at the Thad Cochran Center. Business students organized the event, which featured several business owners, speaking on topics like funding and marketing. And it was aimed at non-business majors. "Our team goal is to show people that it is difficult to start your own business, but there are so many resources available to you, that it's not as hard as it may seem," said Haley Brown, an accounting and entrepreneurship major who was also one of the event organizers. |
| JSU gallery kicks off international push of Miles Davis artwork | |
 | Jackson State University's Downtown Campus Gallery is the first stop on an international exhibition of artwork by the late legendary musician Miles Davis, who died in 1991. Shonda McCarthy, director of JSU Art Galleries, worked for at least two years with Darryl Porter, the general manager of Miles Davis Properties, to bring the musician's art to the university. "Today, you will get a chance, in our gallery, to see works and paintings that Miles Davis has made, and it's the first time some of these works have been shown," McCarthy said at the opening and donor's reception last week of the "Miles Davis Exhibit: We're Miles Ahead." JSU President William Bynum Jr. reminded those at the donor reception that the event had a dual purpose -- to offer donors a preview of the exhibit and to show JSU's thanks for their generosity. |
| Hattiesburg students to get free tuition for community college | |
 | High school seniors in Hattiesburg and Forrest County just got an astounding piece of news. "We're here to tell you if you decide to attend Pearl River Community College after graduation, you can go there, and you can go there tuition-free," Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker told an applauding audience of Hattiesburg High School seniors on Monday. The announcement Monday applies to all seniors in Hattiesburg and Forrest County who graduate in 2019 and attend PRCC. Any gaps in their federal financial aid or scholarship money will be filled with aid from Hattiesburg City Council or Forrest County Board of Supervisors. Room, board and textbooks are not included in the offer. A semester at for a student PRCC taking 15-21 hours costs $1,625. |
| Copiah-Lincoln Community College librarian out over alleged racist posts | |
 | A Co-Lin employee who allegedly made racist remarks on social media last month is no longer with the college. Copiah-Lincoln Community College has confirmed former Wesson campus library clerk Dana Ladner is no longer employed at the school as of Nov. 2. It is unclear if Ladner resigned or was terminated. College president Jane Hulon declined to comment on the matter, citing advice from the school's attorney. On Oct. 6, a Facebook user named Dana Ladner-Wallace made a pair of racist comments in a discussion about the Forest Hill High School marching band's performance in Brookhaven the previous night. The band's halftime show, supposedly based on the movie "John Q," depicted students pointing prop guns at other students dressed as police. It was performed a week after the deaths of two Brookhaven police officers who were murdered in the line of duty and caused outrage in Brookhaven and statewide. |
| 'Auburn on the move': Steven Leath gives state of the university address | |
 | Auburn University President Steven Leath shared his vision for Auburn's future and an update on where the university stands now during his state of the university address Tuesday. Leath spoke to a crowd in Broun Hall for about 45 minutes as part of the regularly scheduled University Senate meeting. He addressed student life, faculty research and ways to improve the university -- from aspirational goals to challenges facing the people who live and work at Auburn. "I do want to mention another quick action item, and that's parking," Leath said. "It seems like it's a hot topic everywhere I go. I've heard it from Senate leadership; I've heard it in grocery stores; I hear it everywhere I go. I might hear about parking as much as I hear about athletics." The president shared that he asked chief operating officer Gen. Ron Burgess to commission a study that will determine how the parking issue can best be addressed in the long-term. |
| What happens to skeletons from U. of Tennessee's 'Body Farm?' | |
 | These skeletons -- more than 1,600 packed carefully in specially designed boxes -- aren't famous but they have history. These bones are from the University of Tennessee's Anthropology Research Facility, commonly called "The Body Farm." The skeletons are what's left when the Body Farm is done with the bodies they once framed. It's the Body Farm that's famous. Begun in 1981 by renowned forensic anthropologist William Bass, the outdoor forensic lab's study of how human bodies decompose revolutionized forensic science. It's been the subject of novels, documentaries and constant curiosity. There, on a couple of fenced South Knoxville acres, donated bodies decay under controlled situations that often mimic the fate of crime victims. A body might be buried in a shallow grave or put in a vehicle. Scientists study how bodies decompose and train law enforcement officers about situations they could see on their jobs. |
| U. of Tennessee to increase security after Nazi messages painted on the Rock | |
| University of Tennessee Police Chief Troy Lane announced Tuesday that UTPD security presence would be increased around the Rock, after it was painted with swastikas for the second time in two weeks. "I am concerned about any hateful speech directed toward individuals or particular groups," Lane said in a statement to the campus. "Many of you have reached out to us about our response over the weekend. We are committed to being more thoughtful in addressing these incidents moving forward." He said there will be more security in front of the Rock, and UTPD has reviewed security footage from the most recent painting, done on Saturday night, and is in contact with local, state and federal law enforcement to follow up on the Rock painting incidents. "The safety and security of our students, faculty, and staff is my top priority," he said. "We encourage the campus community to continue to report these incidents." |
| Parents warn of hazing dangers during presentations to Texas A&M students | |
 | A small group of parents from across the nation whose children died as the result of fraternity hazing spoke Tuesday about the disbelief and anger they felt to more than 2,000 Texas A&M students in two presentations at Rudder Auditorium. During the presentations, titled "Love, Mom & Dad: A Discussion About Hazing," a mother made a reference to Joseph Little, a Texas A&M freshman who died in College Station in August. In response to questions about Little on Tuesday night, the university confirmed an investigation into the activities of Phi Gamma Delta -- or "FIJI" -- and a hearing of the Student Organization Accountability Board determined the fraternity was responsible for violating student rules regarding hazing, alcohol, university policies and standard administrative policies. |
| Paper finds female chairs benefit departments' gender diversity and equity | |
 | It's common advice: to increase faculty gender diversity, increase the gender diversity of institutional leaders. But what about department chairs, a kind of middle-management position -- do they make a difference? And beyond gender diversity, does having a female chair help improve the success of female academics? The answer to much of the above is yes, according to a new working paper finding that in departments with female chairs, gender gaps in publication and tenure rates are smaller among assistant professors. The pay gap also shrinks. After departments replace a male chair with a female chair, they see an increase of about 10 percent in the number of incoming female graduate students, with no change in students' ability levels. Yet the takeaway is not that it's "always necessarily better for a woman to work in a female-chaired department, or that chairs show favoritism towards individuals of their own gender," the paper cautions. Rather, it says, the results reinforce other findings suggesting that "managers from different backgrounds often take different approaches, highlighting the value of diversity among decision-makers." |
| Amazon's New Headquarters Is Coming to Northern Virginia. Here's How Local Colleges Helped Make That Happen | |
 | Amazon, the world's largest internet retailer, has picked New York City and Arlington, Va., for its second headquarters locations. The move has prompted local colleges, including Virginia Tech and George Mason University, to make new investments and open new centers to tie in with expected economic and employment boom. A "highly educated labor pool" was among the tech giant's top criteria for selecting its new headquarters, according to the company's request for proposals. Long Island City, in Queens, N.Y., and the Crystal City area of Arlington were chosen, in part, due to the strength of their local talent and higher-education institutions. Local colleges and universities have already set major overhauls in motion to help meet Amazon's requirements. "This is a watershed moment for Virginia Tech," said Timothy D. Sands, president of Virginia Tech. "As a land-grant research institution, we knew we needed to claim our role of driving economic development in Virginia." |
| Colleges rush to prepare for Amazon expansion | |
| After weeks of speculation, tech giant Amazon confirmed yesterday that it would be building not one but two new headquarters in the U.S. -- one in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, N.Y., and the other in Arlington, Va. College presidents and business leaders in both locales expressed relief and excitement at the news. But the pressure is now on to quickly establish a talent pipeline for the more than 50,000 new jobs expected to arrive with the new headquarters. In a press release, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said the company plans to establish 25,000 jobs in each location, with an average salary of $150,000. Hiring will begin next year. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University yesterday announced ambitious plans to support this expansion by building a $1 billion Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria, Va. -- less than two miles away from Amazon's chosen 105-acre site near Reagan National Airport. University administrators said in a press release that the planned project was part of a "comprehensive higher education package that was cited as a key reason Amazon selected Virginia for a new headquarters site." |
| More Pell recipients attended community college last summer after return of year-round Pell | |
| An overwhelming majority of community colleges saw increased enrollments of Pell Grant recipients last summer, suggesting that the federal government's reinstatement of year-round Pell eligibility last year may be helping to stem overall enrollment declines in the two-year sector. Just three years after its creation, the Obama administration, with the backing of the U.S. Congress, in 2012 eliminated summer Pell eligibility, meaning the ability for students to access two grants in a year to help pay for courses during the summer. Bipartisan concern about rising costs of year-round Pell -- $2 billion at the peak -- led to its demise. But Congress and the Trump administration reinstated the program last year, after a strong push by community college leaders. The first year of that eligibility concluded at the end of June. |
| Path To Victory Likely Not There For Mike Espy | |
 | Sarah Ulmer writes for Y'all Politics: Even with the much publicized and much shared remark from Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith about public hangings, the path to victory for any Democrat is very difficult. And potentially impossible to complete. ...While trailing by just one point may appear comforting, the path to a majority is much harder for Espy. Rather than 15-20 percent of the electorate being up for grabs, it is more likely that Espy is near the Democrat ceiling when it comes to a Senate seat in Mississippi. Especially when it is a runoff on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. ...Both campaigns will work on turning out and maximizing their support in the runoff. The problem for Espy is there likely aren't enough people to turn out. Even McDaniel himself quickly came out and endorsed Hyde-Smith, something he didn't do in 2014. It would be wishful thinking to presume McDaniel voters are up for grabs in any significant fashion. |
| Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mike Espy runoff to take on national party flavor | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: As it happened on Nov. 6, the pollsters on both sides were uncannily accurate in their predictions that Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democratic challenger Mike Espy would run a close first and second in the open primary and leave Republican challenger Chris McDaniel a distant third, with Democrat Tobey Bartee bringing up the rear. That's how it happened. Hyde-Smith led with 368,536 or 41.5 percent of the vote, with Espy close behind at 360,112 or 40.6 percent, with 98 percent of the state's precincts reporting on Nov. 11. McDaniel trailed with 146,013 or 16.5 percent, and Bartee polled 12,707 or 1.4 percent. Perhaps the two most surprising elements of the state's so-called "jungle primary" special Senate election came at the end of it, when McDaniel delivered a rather quick and gracious concession speech and a subsequent pledge to generally work to unify the Mississippi GOP and to specifically support the election of Hyde-Smith as the GOP nominee against Democrat Espy. |
SPORTS
| Military appreciation: Nick Fitzgerald, Bulldogs proud to honor those in service to country Saturday | |
 | Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald is in the final weeks of his Bulldog career. The MSU senior quarterback will long be remembered for what he has accomplished in Starkville since joining the team in late 2013. Yet the story of Fitzgerald's life of course began long before he ever stepped foot on the Mississippi State campus. In fact, it started outside of the United States altogether as Fitzgerald was born in Germany, where his father, Derrick, was serving on an Air Force base. So when the Bulldogs hit the field for Saturday's military appreciation game against Arkansas, It's not just some other game for Fitzgerald as the military ties run deep in his family. "My grandfather was in the army and my oldest brother was in the army," Fitzgerald said after practice on Tuesday. "I definitely come from a military family with a military background so I definitely appreciate the military." |
| Nick Fitzgerald, Elgton Jenkins reminisce on their Mississippi State football careers | |
| Through all the wins, losses, reverberations of cowbells and echoing hums of bus wheels rolling down the pavement for road games, senior center Elgton Jenkins always circles back to his first Mississippi State start. It came on Oct. 10, 2015 when Jenkins was a redshirt freshman. The Bulldogs hosted the Troy Trojans. What seemed like Mississippi State simply going through the motions in a non-conference home game turned out to be the genesis of a tandem that would last for three-plus years. Jenkins started the game blocking for senior quarterback Dak Prescott. He wasn't snapping to him. Jenkins played left guard, not center, which for some State fans might sound like an oddity given where they're used to seeing him line up in past seasons. Another peculiarity was that Prescott, the beloved senior and MSU quarterbacking legend, fought through a stomach bug that day and had to leave the game after two possessions. Redshirt freshman Nick Fitzgerald replaced him. |
| Arkansas preparing for cowbells at Mississippi State on Saturday | |
| Arkansas will play at Mississippi State on Saturday, but it won't be like just any road game in the SEC. Anytime a team plays a road game in the SEC it's obviously a hard game to win, but at Mississippi State there's the added ingredient of cowbells ringing the entire game. Arkansas defensive coordinator John Chavis has coached against Mississippi State in Starkville in the past while at Tennessee, LSU and Texas A&M. So Chavis has an idea of what to expect on Saturday. "It's cowbells," Chavis said. "It's a great tradition, a great environment and that's what you look for when you start talking about SEC venues. They are all good and unique in their own way. They are unique from that standpoint. They have great fan support and they make it tough on visiting teams when they come in there." Arkansas coach Chad Morris will be coaching in Davis Wade Stadium for the first time on Saturday. "I've heard about the environment and I'm sure it'll be loud and we'll definitely prepare our players for every environment we go into," Morris said. "But everybody I've talked to said the cowbells are pretty loud." |
| Tale of two dogs: Mississippi State's offense a mixed bag | |
| Mississippi State football has a drastic case of good dog, bad dog under first-year Coach Joe Moorhead. The Bulldogs (6-4 overall, 2-4 SEC), who host the University of Arkansas (2-8, 0-6) on Saturday at 11 a.m., have been very, very good when they've gotten ahead of teams. They average 41 points and 516 yards per game behind quarterback Nick Fitzgerald in their six victories. The Bulldogs routed overmatched Stephen F. Austin (63-6), Louisiana-Lafayette (56-10) and Louisiana Tech (45-3), and won handily at Kansas State (31-10) in Week 2 in their marquee non-conference game. They also dispatched of No. 8 Auburn 23-9 and No. 16 Texas A&M 28-13 in Starkville, Miss. But Mississippi State's losses paint a troubling picture. The Bulldogs average 4.0 points per game in their losses at Kentucky (28-7), at home against Florida (13-6), at No. 5 LSU (19-3) and at No. 1 Alabama (24-0). |
| Bulldogs might be bowling in Tampa | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Logan Lowery writes: Well folks, Mississippi State has done it again. The Bulldogs have managed to foil my plans of deer hunting during December for the ninth consecutive year by going to another bowl game. The question now is which bowl destination will MSU be heading to? That mostly depends on how the Bulldogs finish out over the final two regular season games against Arkansas and Ole Miss. This time of year, I start to keep an eye on the bowl projections that various publications put out because I'm anxiously waiting to find out where State is headed probably even more so than most fans since I typically spend 5 to 7 days at the bowl site. ...Right now, the Bulldogs are trending towards the Jan. 1 Outback Bowl. Six of the 11 projections across 10 media outlets I checked have Mississippi State headed to Tampa, Florida. That's what 247Sports.com, CBS Sports, College Football News, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News and Bleacher Report believe anyway. |
| 'This is my home': Andra Ezpinoza-Hunter savors opportunity to play for Mississippi State | |
| Andra Espinoza-Hunter tirelessly put shots up at Humphrey Coliseum late last Wednesday night. Mississippi State assistant coach Elena Lovato was there to help. Junior Chloe Bibby shot with Espinoza-Hunter, but only the former planned on playing two nights later in Virginia. The latter still awaited the NCAA's decision on her eligibility for this season after she transferred from Connecticut earlier this year. As Espinoza-Hunter worked on her form that night, she wondered how long she'd have to wait to reap the rewards of her hard work. She wouldn't have to wait much longer. Beth Hopper of Mississippi State's Athletic Compliance office walked into the gym. Espinoza-Hunter immediately recognized her. She put two thumbs in the air and flashed half a smile in anxious anticipation. Hopper nodded triumphantly, and Espinoza-Hunter broke down crying. |
| Mississippi State's Teaira McCowan named SEC Player of the Week | |
| Mississippi State's Teaira McCowan is living up to her preseason billing by being named the SEC Player of the Week for the first week of the season. McCowan averaged 18 points, 14.5 rebounds, 5.5 blocks and two steals in the Bulldogs' wins over Southeast Missouri State and Virginia. She also shot 57.1 percent from the field and 70.6 percent from the free throw line. The 6-foot-7 senior from Brenham, Texas has had eight consecutive double-doubles dating back to last season. |
| The Vet: Film looks at stunning history of Jackson's Memorial Stadium | |
| It sits on the corner of Woodrow Wilson Drive and State Street, full of history and the ghosts of weekends past. But few notice it now, except on those four or five Saturdays in the fall when Jackson State plays home football games there. Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, which opened in 1950, has lost its luster, lost its fame. What used to be a venue that made Jackson one of the nation's hot spots for college football, it is barely noticed by many who drive past it each day. "I'm one of those people," said Jon Wiener. "Our offices are in Fondren, and I drive past it all the time. And for the longest, I paid it no attention." Wiener and his brother, Henry, are putting the stadium back in the spotlight. Through their company, Bash Brothers Media, they have produced an hour-long documentary about the history of "The Vet" as it is affectionately known. It will air on stations across the state Saturday and Sunday. |
| With SEC basketball tournament in Nashville, NCAA tournament probably won't be back | |
 | The opportunity to bring the SEC basketball tournament to Nashville for the next 17 years was worth the possibility of missing out on serving as an NCAA basketball tournament site during that time, city officials said Tuesday. Mayor David Briley and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey on Tuesday announced the SEC men's basketball tournament would be played in Nashville every year between now and 2035 with the exception of 2022 when the conference's women's tournament will be here. That will mean, however, that Nashville probably won't be able to serve as a site for the first round of the NCAA tournament because the first round begins the week after the SEC tournament. The city simply could not pass up on the opportunity to secure the long-term deal with the SEC, no matter what it means for the NCAA tournament, Nashville Sports Council President and CEO Scott Ramsey said. |
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