Monday, September 18, 2017   
 
Community can help Mississippi State students affected by disasters
Community members can help Mississippi State University assist students affected with day-to-day crises or displaced by catastrophic disasters like the most recent hurricanes, according to Jana Berkery, director of Annual Giving for MSU. Support to the MSU Student Relief Fund can make a positive impact on students' lives at a time when they need it most and benefit them directly. The MSU Student Relief Fund can keep hope strong for students who hold their dreams of a college education close at a time when everything seems bleak, Berkery expressed. MSU is one critical part of a greater journey as students and their families rebuild their lives following disasters. To support MSU students that have been affected by recent disasters, like Hurricane Harvey or Hurricane Irma, contributions can be made to the MSU Student Relief Fund at msufoundation.com/studentrelief.
 
Mississippi State students, local kindergartners envision playground
Mississippi State University students collaborated with students from Starkville Oktibbeha School District's Sudduth Elementary School to envision a master plan for a playground. Last week, the landscape architecture department in MSU's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences was abuzz with activity during their annual Design Week. It was all hands-on design while teams of students made up of freshmen through seniors and graduate students spent the week designing playground ideas for the local school. To kick off Design Week, the department coordinated with the school principal, county superintendent and local stakeholders to host a design charrette. The charrette was a visual input session where children and parents drew out their ideas of adventures and activities that they wanted to see come alive. The week culminated in the eight teams presenting their designs in front of community stakeholders, faculty and peers at MSU's Bost Auditorium.
 
PARK(ing) Day spruces up Bulldog Bash
The Mississippi State University Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects had an opportunity on Friday to show off its work at one of Starkville's largest events. The group spread its message about the importance of greenspace by building its PARK(ing) Day structure at Bulldog Bash in downtown Starkville. PARK(ing) day is the third Friday in September, and centers on artists, designers and citizens transforming parking spaces into temporary public parks. "They're doing this to help bring awareness to parks and open space," said associate professor of landscape architecture Cory Gallo, the chapter's faculty advisor. Gallo explained the rationale behind PARK(ing) Day was to create greenspace in typically car-dominated areas to make a point about the prevalence of cars over spaces dedicated to public use.
 
Visiting Writers Series continues with Monday reading at Mississippi State
Ohio-based poet Maggie Smith will deliver a public reading Monday as part of the Mississippi State University Department of English's Price Caldwell Visiting Writers Series. Free to all, Smith's presentation begins at 7:30 p.m. in Mitchell Memorial Library's third-floor John Grisham Room. A public reception and book signing will follow. Established through an endowment from widow Alice Carol Caldwell and family, the Price Caldwell Visiting Writers Series serves as a memorial to Tutweiler native Price Caldwell, who served for more than 20 years as an MSU associate professor of English and died in 2015. He also founded and directed the university's creative writing program, along with serving as president and vice president for the Southern Literary Festival organization.
 
ID theft can disrupt access to health care
Much attention is focused on preventing identity theft to safeguard finances, but medical identity theft can be just as devastating. Susan Cosgrove, family resource management area agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service in Newton County, said medical identity theft occurs when a thief steals personal information to use to obtain medical care, buy prescription drugs or commit Medicare fraud in the victim's name. "Medical identity theft has become more valuable to criminals than financial identity theft," Cosgrove said. "That means health insurance numbers should be guarded as carefully as are Social Security numbers." David Buys, Extension health specialist, said medical identity theft disrupts a person's life. "It requires countless hours and days to get the details sorted out and your records secure again," Buys said.
 
King starts work as new SDN publisher
There's a new hand at the wheel of the Starkville Daily News. Stacia King recently assumed the role of publisher for Starkville's oldest daily print newspaper, along with the same role for the Daily Times Leader in West Point. King, 51, takes the place of longtime publisher Don Norman, who retired earlier this month. "Starkville and West Point are vibrant and exciting communities with a lot to offer," King said. "I am thrilled to be back in a college town. Especially the home of Mississippi State University. I certainly picked the best time of year with football season in full swing." King comes to Starkville from La Crosse, Wisconsin, where she served as general manager and regional advertising director for the River Valley Media Group. Prior to her time in Wisconsin, the native of Columbus, Ohio, worked as the advertising and digital sales director for Mississippi Media and the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson.
 
Deason departs from Golden Triangle LINK
Golden Triangle Development LINK Chief Operating Officer Joe Deason is heading to Madison County. Deason, who's worked with the LINK since 2013, was has been named the executive director of the Madison County Economic Development Authority. He will begin at his new position Oct. 1. Macaulay Whitaker, who came to the LINK in 2011, has been promoted to COO. In his time at the LINK, Deason played critical roles in recruiting Yokohama Tire Corporation, The Mill at MSU in Starkville and in developing an industrial park plan for Starkville and Oktibbeha County. Deason said he is sad to leave the Golden Triangle, which he's called home for nearly five years. "I feel like we've accomplished quite a bit in those years, so obviously I'm saddened to leave," he said. "But the LINK was in good hands when I got here, and I'm leaving it in good hands. (LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins) and the team are incredible and won't miss a beat with me exiting."
 
Greenville brewery first of its kind in Mississippi Delta
Publisher and home brewer Jon Alverson is not a native of the Mississippi Delta. But with the opening of a new brewery and tap room, he's clearly making his mark on the historic city of Greenville. Since 2013, Alverson, who migrated from Olive Branch and is originally from Mobile, has been at the helm of the Delta Democrat Times newspaper. But for the last 10 years, he's been busy creating and perfecting his own craft beers and sharing them with others. While Alverson's craft beers had gained a loyal following in the Delta, his intentions never involved "going pro" and opening a brewery, until he was invited by businessman Bill Boykin to join the restoration effort. Founded in 2015, the Mighty Miss Brewing Company was financed by civic-minded individuals so committed to rebuilding and investing in their community, most of them never sampled the product.
 
Legislative leaders' budget work soon going public
The long and winding road that leads to the Legislature's finally passing a state budget for the upcoming fiscal year, beginning July 1, goes public later this week. On Thursday and Friday, the 14-member Legislative Budget Committee, led by Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, will hear requests for funding from key agency heads. Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, also is on the Budget Committee and rotates on an annual basis with the lieutenant governor as chairman of the panel. The committee will hear from some of those key agencies, such as kindergarten through 12th-grade education, Medicaid and higher education, during the two days of public hearings. After the public meetings are complete, the Budget Committee is scheduled to meet with Gov. Phil Bryant on Nov. 1 to adopt a revenue estimate of the amount of general fund revenue that will be available during the next fiscal year to fund the state-support budget.
 
Mississippi AG joins multi-state investigation into Equifax data breach
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood joined 31 attorneys general on Friday in requesting credit reporting firm Equifax disable links for enrollment in fee-based credit monitoring services in the wake of the firm's massive data breach impacting 143 million people. Mississippi is part of a multistate investigation into Equifax, which was launched when Equifax publicly disclosed the breach last week. Equifax is offering free credit monitoring services in response to the breach, and a letter sent to Equifax by this group of attorneys general objects to the inclusion of terms of service that required consumers to waive their rights, the offer of competing fee-based and free credit monitoring services by Equifax, and Equifax's charge for a security freeze with other credit monitoring companies like Experian, TransUnion and Innovis.
 
MUW Campus Rec hosts fitness party benefiting Boys and Girls Club
Mississippi University for Women's Office of Campus Recreation invites the community join them for the eighth annual Charity Fitness Party to benefit The Boys and Girls Club of the Golden Triangle. "We at MUW Campus Recreation delight in reaching out to community organizations in ways to help them with all the work they do, as well as offering top notch fitness workouts to improve overall wellness," said Marion McEwen, wellness coordinator at The W. The annual Charity Fitness Party will be held on campus Monday, Sept. 25 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the MUW Stark Aerobic Studio. Classes such as Hip Hop Line Dance, POUND and Deep Yoga will be offered to those who attend. Admission for the annual charity event is your choice of school supplies and fitness equipment such as games, hula hoops and/or jump ropes.
 
Weekend wreck damages Confederate statue on Ole Miss campus
The Confederate statue on the Ole Miss campus sustained damage on Saturday as an intoxicated driver ran into the base. At approximately 10:38 p.m. on Sept. 16, reports began appearing on Twitter about a wreck on campus near the statue. University Police confirmed the reports via a tweet, stating that the driver and the passenger in the vehicle had both been transported to Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi to be treated for injuries. "The driver is not a student," University Police Chief Tim Potts told the EAGLE on Sunday. The driver was intoxicated at the time of the accident and will be charged with a DUI once released from the hospital, Potts said.
 
Ole Miss Associated Student Body announces vote to change mascot to Landshark
Associated Student Body President Dion Kevin III announced a campus-wide vote to change the Black Bear mascot to the Landshark. The option to vote for the Landshark will be on the personality elections ballot next Tuesday, which also includes Mr. and Miss Ole Miss, Homecoming Queen, maids and campus favorites.
 
Delta State University celebrates 92nd anniversary
Members of the Delta State University community reflected Wednesday on the institution' long history, while looking towards the future. President Bill LaForge, joined by member of the Dedicated Statesmen Association, hosted a celebration inside Whitfield Hall. "The university is really celebrating a wonderful anniversary. We are heading towards our centennial in 2025, so we're kind of biting off a chunk every year and talking about the 1900s especially as we build up to our centennial," said LaForge. In addition, the university dedicated the year's celebration to the 1940s. LaForge said the increase in enrollment underscores DSU's bright future. "We have a lot to shout about and on the day of our anniversary, we're doing a lot of it. The enrollment increase is incredible. We have 201 new students this fall. This makes the fourth year in a row in enrollment increase."
 
East Central Community College students research life of slain civil rights leader
East Central Community College students are working with non-profit group to research the life of a slain civil rights leader. Three students have been researching Medgar Evers' life by talking with people who knew him, reading books about him and visiting museums. Evers, the 37-year-old, black civil rights activist was shot and killed outside his home in Jackson, by a white supremacist. The students are presenting their finding at East Central, a college Evers actually tried to enroll in, but was denied. The students will present their findings in a special program Monday night at 7 at Vickers Hall on East Central's campus. The program is open to the community.
 
U. of Alabama System trustees approve budgets
In other business at Friday's meeting, University of Alabama System trustees approved operating budgets for the fiscal year beginning in October. The fiscal year 2018 operating budget for the University of Alabama is $1 billion. The University of Alabama at Birmingham's operating budget is $1.27 billion. The UAB hospital budget is $1.63 billion. The University of Alabama in Huntsville's operating budget is $233.4 million. The system office budget is $20.4 million. For the University of Alabama campus, trustees approved increasing the budget and scope for the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority house by $1 million to $16 million to add bid alternatives including a finished basement floor, wardrobe closets and other amenities, and also approved increasing the budget a scope of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority house by $3 million to $16 million to add 6,000 gross square feet for additional bed capacity, among other items.
 
U. of Alabama honors first black student Autherine Lucy
During the past 60 years, Autherine Lucy Foster has been at the center of two very different crowds at the University of Alabama. On Feb. 6, 1956, Foster experienced the brunt of a crowd that numbered in the thousands who protested her admission to the university, making her the first black student to attend the school. After no more than a couple of days as a student, a mob formed that stood outside her own classroom. The crowd even threw rotten produce at her as she left town in a police car. Not long after, UA decided to suspend her for her own safety and for the safety of other students. On Friday, Foster was welcomed back to the university to celebrate a special marker erected in front of Graves Hall in her honor. As Foster sat under a tent, dozens of students and people passing by stood around the tent to witness the celebration.
 
Auburn football brings big bucks to area
Michael Overstreet, manager at Toomer's Drugs, says the iconic downtown Auburn business starts preparing for each of the Tigers' home games a week in advance. "We'll bring in 1,200 to 1,800 pounds of sugar and 80 to 120 boxes of lemons, with 115 lemons in each box," he said. On game day itself, Overstreet doubles the staff size from a typical Saturday. Sixteen people work behind the counter to make gallons of Toomer's famous lemonade for thirsty football fans. Football is a $23.5 million per year business for Auburn University, according to data collected from USA Today and the U.S. Department of Education and published in 2016 by Business Insider. But how much of an impact do home football games have for Auburn, Opelika and Lee County as a whole? "I'm afraid the number you're looking for is the most elusive number in the world," Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau president John Wild said. "Everyone, from Forbes to The New York Times, has called and tried to find out what the economic impact is. Unfortunately, it's hard to pick out all the spending in shops and restaurants and narrow the impact on two days."
 
Auburn University trustees vote to sell fisheries property south of city
Auburn University's Board of Trustees has taken the first step toward possibly selling property on the south side of town, currently used by the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences. The 53.9 acres of property, which sits at 5815 County Road 27, was donated to the university in 1996, according to Dan King, associate vice president for facilities. "The College of Agriculture has used those as a research unit since that time," King told the trustees at Friday's meeting. "However, in recent years, the College of Agriculture has been consolidating its fisheries function at North Auburn. "At the same time, the United States Department of Agriculture has been wanting to expand its fisheries research program. They've expressed an interest in this property." The board voted to authorize the university and president Steven Leath to take actions needed to sell and release the property.
 
Bevin dissed dance majors, but lack of college grads is Ky.'s problem
Gov. Matt Bevin furrowed many eyebrows on Kentucky's college campuses this week by suggesting that public universities should deal with shrinking state support by getting rid of majors and programs that don't produce graduates ready to fill high-paying jobs. "If you're studying interpretive dance, God bless you, but there's not a lot of jobs right now in America looking for people with that as a skill set," he said Tuesday at a higher education conference. Anecdotes about unemployed college graduates living in Mom's basement might sell well politically, but the numbers don't add up, said Chris Bollinger, director of the University of Kentucky Center for Business and Economic Research. In general, research shows that people with college degrees have higher earnings and a pretty low chance of being unemployed. The commonwealth's problem is much simpler: There aren't enough college graduates, period.
 
Severity of criminal charges in LSU student's death rests on hazing allegations
The ongoing probe into the possible alcohol-related hazing death of an 18-year-old LSU freshman could focus on crimes ranging from the illegal sale of alcohol to homicide, depending on how the facts shake out, members of Baton Rouge's legal community said Friday. However, East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore III said it's too soon to know whether charges could be filed against LSU students or others who might have contributed to Maxwell Gruver's death. Whether or not felony charges are filed would likely depend on whether there is evidence of hazing, attorneys said. But they also noted misdemeanor charges could follow if hazing is ruled out, and civil litigation is sure to flow against LSU, Phi Delta Theta, and officers and members of the now-suspended local chapter of the fraternity.
 
Report: LSU students worry freshman's death won't change frat party culture
The LSU students who shared a dormitory suite with Max Gruver, the freshman whose death following a fraternity party is being investigated as a hazing incident, are concerned his death won't spark much change to party culture at the school, according to a report from Tiger TV. "Speak his name. Don't just let him be that one guy that passed away at a frat party," student Ty Meshell told the student media outlet. "This could happen to anyone, and it needs to be prevented at all costs." LSU officials are investigating Gruver's death as a possible hazing incident. All Greek activities were canceled while the party at the Phi Delta Theta House remains under investigation.
 
UGA dedicates second phase of new business school complex
Hundreds of people crowded into a University of Georgia courtyard Friday morning as UGA's Terry College of Business staged a ceremonial ribbon-cutting for the second of three phases in its "Business Learning Community." Then, much of the crowd migrated to the other side of the building to watch UGA President Jere Morehead, Gov. Nathan Deal and others in another ceremony -- throwing shovelfuls of dirt in a symbolic groundbreaking for the third and final phase of the complex -- before breaking off to tour the three new buildings in the complex near the intersection of Baxter and Lumpkin streets. The crowd included some of Georgia's wealthiest citizens, including the Terry College graduates who donated millions and for whom the three new buildings, Amos Hall, Benson Hall and Moore-Rooker Hall, are named. All four spoke at the ceremony: Aflac Chairman and CEO Dan Amos, Larry Benson and Ed Benson of Athens, and Dudley Moore and Jack Rooker, friends since their college days together at UGA in the 1950s.
 
$21.6 million gift one of biggest in U. of Missouri history
There was nothing small at the celebration Friday of one of the largest gifts in University of Missouri history, $21.6 million to create and endow the Novak Leadership Institute in the School of Journalism. First, administrators, faculty and alumni packed a room at the Reynolds Alumni Center for the announcement featuring David and Wendy Novak, 1974 journalism graduates. David Novak helped found Yum! Brands, the restaurant company that owns the Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken brands, when it spun off from Pepsico in 1999. The gift itself is the sixth-largest ever received by MU. And when the institute is fully operational, David Novak and Chancellor Alexander Cartwright said, it will change the world.
 
U. of Missouri students, faculty gather after Stockley verdict to discuss what comes next
When University of freshman Olivia McGee heard the news Friday of the Jason Stockley verdict, she said she felt numb. Jason Stockley, a white former St. Louis police officer, shot and killed Anthony Lamar Smith, a 24-year-old black man, after a high-speed chase in 2011. In the ruling on the case issued Friday morning, Stockley was found not guilty of first-degree murder. The verdict was the latest of several similar rulings acquitting white officers after the deaths of black men. McGee said the numbness stemmed from the outcome becoming normalized. So McGee, a journalism student, came to a listening session Friday afternoon held by the Black Studies Department to discuss and process the acquittal. More than 30 students, faculty and staff members gathered in a Gentry Hall conference room for the meeting.
 
Arizona State emerges as backing fee-for-honors model, pointing to recent growth
Fast food isn't the most common point of comparison for honors colleges. But Mark Jacobs, vice provost and dean of Arizona State University's honors college -- called Barrett, The Honors College -- used it anyway. "If I were Kentucky Fried Chicken, I guess we'd want to franchise Barrett and make tons of money," Jacobs said in a recent interview. "But when you're an educational institution, the best you can talk about in terms of the effect outside your own institution is hoping that good ideas you have might be copied and used by other people, or translated to fit their context." Jacobs was discussing the future of the model Arizona State has used to build its honors college, which has positioned itself as a liberal arts college nestled within a public university. To fuel its growth, the honors college has utilized a powerful but controversial mechanism: a substantial program fee.
 
Georgia Tech student shot by officer, killed on campus
An engineering student from Gwinnett County was fatally shot by a police officer on Georgia Tech's campus Saturday night. The GBI is investigating the incident in which the student, who has been identified by Georgia Tech spokesman Lance Wallace as 21-year-old Scout Schultz of Lilburn, was allegedly barefoot and carrying a knife. At least two students shared cellphone video showing the tense interaction between Schultz and Georgia Tech police officers, Channel 2 Action News reported. Students received an emergency alert from the university and the school tweeted around 11:30 p.m. for everyone to seek shelter in a secure location. About 20 minutes later, the school sent another tweet saying there was no longer a threat to campus. Vice President of Student Life And Dean of Students John M. Stein said in a statement that he was deeply saddened by the tragic death of the fourth year student at Georgia Tech.
 
Synergizing the parent-teacher unit
Angela Farmer, an assistant professor of education leadership at Mississippi State, writes: "Each day millions of parents send their children off to school to be educated and cared for by a set of adults who, at least initially, are complete strangers. While they are considered both professionals with respect to their emphasis areas as well as to the cognitive practices of children under their care, they are still unfamiliar with the specifics of each child. Further, they are unaware of some of the golden nuggets of information which parents have mined for years to understand how their children best learn, and what triggers cause them to mentally shut down in the academic environment. Unfortunately, the opportunity to address these issues proactively rarely occurs with fidelity. Simply put, until there is a problem, parents and teachers often have very limited interactions."
 
Changing the state flag: morality vs. heritage
Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "Andy Taggart, former state GOP executive director, elected Republican official and once chief of staff to Kirk Fordice, Mississippi's first Republican governor since Reconstruction, has publicly challenged his party to step up and 'lead the charge in finally removing from our state flag the representation of the Confederate battle flag.' Saying such a move 'will make a strong, moral statement' acknowledging 'our current state flag is divisive and hurtful to a significant number of our fellow Mississippians,' Taggart joins Republican Speaker of the House Philip Gunn in taking a stand against the controversial flag. 'Changing the flag is the right thing to do,' Speaker Gunn said last year. 'We can deal with it now or leave for future generations to address. I believe our state needs to address it now.' Over a decade ago, another longtime Republican leader spoke out strongly on racism, retired Federal Judge Charles Pickering."
 
Public servants hiring spouses, mothers, brothers, lovers: Is it ethical?
The Clarion-Ledger's Geoff Pender writes: "Mississippi public servants are deeply concerned about doing right by taxpayers and public sensibility, so they frequently seek guidance from the state Ethics Commission. Well, either that or they're worried about getting busted and want to cover their butts. For instance, say you are elected or hired to a top Mississippi government spot, and you want to hire your sister or give your dumb, no-good brother-in-law a job. Or what about appointing your daddy as a judge. Is it legal? Is it ethical? Well, that depends. One of the Ethics Commission's duties is to issue 'advisory opinions' to public servants regarding the state's (meager, weak and sometimes unclear) conflict-of-interest and ethics laws. The opinions don't carry the weight of law, but they do provide some legal cover if a public servant follows the advice."


SPORTS
 
Eye-opening win puts Mississippi State into the national spotlight
Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald has been saying for months that he thought the Bulldogs had the talent to be one of the top teams in the Southeastern Conference. It's been hard to find many people who agree with him. Until Saturday. Mississippi State jumped into the national rankings at No. 17 on Sunday, a day after an eye-opening 37-7 victory over then-No. 12 LSU at Davis Wade Stadium. The Bulldogs dominated from the outset and earned their biggest margin of victory over the Tigers in a series that includes 111 games and dates to 1896. Mississippi State was certainly pleased after Saturday's big win, but the Bulldogs weren't particularly surprised. The most striking takeaway from the win was how easy it looked.
 
Mississippi State enters polls after crushing LSU
Mississippi State made its debut in the polls Sunday after crushing LSU Saturday night, 37-7. The Bulldogs (3-0) are ranked No. 19 in the USA Today coaches' poll. Mississippi State was ranked No. 17 in the AP poll. Mississippi State has outscored its opponents 143-28. Its defense under Todd Grantham looks vastly improved from last year's squad and the additions of safety Johnathan Abram and edge-rusher Montez Sweat have plenty to do with that, too. The Bulldogs rank fourth nationally in yards allowed per game (206). Offensively, Dan Mullen is making things work with designed runs for Nick Fitzgerald, hand-offs to Aeris Williams and RPOs. With Williams and Fitzgerald running well, MSU is able to utilize play-action in a devastating way for opposing defenses, which was what it did against LSU.
 
Bulldogs, Rebels experience opposite emotions
Mississippi State and Ole Miss are on opposite ends of the emotional spectrum today. The Bulldogs enjoyed a dominating 37-7 home victory over then 12th-ranked LSU while the Rebels were shutout in the second half at California in a 27-16 loss in which the Golden Bears scored 20 unanswered points. MSU rose from unranked to No. 17 in the latest Associated Press poll to set up a Top 25 showdown at 11th-ranked Georgia on Saturday in a 6 p.m. ESPN game. "We just have to stay focused all week and have a great week of practice," said MSU wide receiver Keith Mixon. "We know Georgia is pretty good too and they're at home so their crowd will be into it. We just have to stay levelheaded about this win and roll it over into Georgia."
 
With Rout of LSU, Mississippi State Stakes Claim as SEC's No. 2 Team Behind Alabama
Every game between non-Alabama teams in the SEC this season cannot be assessed on its own. It must be viewed against the backdrop of the Crimson Tide's ongoing reign over the conference. Alabama, 3-0 after a win over Colorado State Saturday, will continue to occupy the throne until someone else grabs it. The squad best equipped to do that, based on what took place Saturday night in Starkville, Miss., might just be Mississippi State. The Bulldogs aced their first conference test of the season, slamming LSU 37-7 to move to 3-0 and continue their best start under head coach Dan Mullen since that magical 2014 campaign in which they ascended to No. 1 in the AP top 25 poll. After two breezy non-conference victories in Weeks 1 and 2, Mississippi State now owns a marquee victory to strengthen its claim as No. 2 team in the SEC.
 
It's time to name Mississippi State the second-best team in the SEC West
After faking a hand-off to Aeris Williams at the 3, Nick Fitzgerald rolled to his left. There was a small window to then make the pass between two LSU defenders to Williams in the end zone, but Fitzgerald didn't release the ball. Instead, Fitzgerald absorbed a hit and plowed through the end zone for a touchdown just before halftime. Fitzgerald then pointed toward the sky. The crowd at Davis Wade Stadium erupted. Cue the pyro. Cue the cowbells. Cue a special season? In a week filled with hype -- from Mississippi State's annual Cowbell Yell, Bulldog Bash downtown and the SEC Network on hand -- the Bulldogs didn't just live up to the noise that surrounded them heading into Saturday. No -- they added to it. By beating No. 11 LSU 37-7, Mississippi State made a statement: It's time to name the Bulldogs as the second-best team in the SEC West.
 
'I'm embarrassed': Mississippi State whips LSU with largest margin of victory in series history
Greg Gilmore is prepared to say it, ready to step into the LSU team room on Sunday or Monday afternoon and deliver a message to his teammates. "I'm embarrassed," Gilmore said reciting the line to reporters. "This was an embarrassment." Mississippi State turned back the clock Saturday night. The Bulldogs whipped LSU in a fashion in which they haven't done since the early 1980s, clobbering the Tigers 37-7 in front of a rocking, cowbell-toting crowd of 60,592 at Davis Wade Stadium, opening Ed Orgeron's first true road game as permanent coach in a disastrous way. The Bulldogs scored their most points in a game against LSU in Starkville, held the Tigers to their fewest points in the series since 1975 and rocked Orgeron's group in a nationally televised affair in which it was a touchdown favorite.
 
Mississippi State-Georgia becomes a marquee SEC matchup
There are games talked about in the offseason as ones that are sure to loom large for the way a season may take shape. For Georgia, those tilts included Notre Dame, Tennessee, Florida and Auburn. Mississippi State wasn't considered one of those, but it turns out, has become a marquee matchup. Georgia (3-0, 0-0 SEC) will play a ranked Mississippi State team for the first time in 24 all-time meetings in Saturday's 6 p.m. CT ESPN game in Sanford Stadium. Mississippi State is fourth in the nation in total defense (206.0 yards per game) and sixth in scoring defense (9.3) under Todd Grantham, the former Georgia defensive coordinator. Mississippi State tops the SEC and is 11th nationally in scoring at 47.7 points per game and leads the SEC in rushing at 297.7 yards per game. Georgia is second in the SEC and fifth nationally in stopping the run, giving up 71 yards per game.
 
An all-night butt whipping: State 37, LSU 7
Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: "For Mississippi State's soon-to-be-nationally ranked Bulldogs, the possibilities are endless following Saturday night's shocking 37-7 annihilation of LSU. These Bulldogs -- huge, strong, fast and so well-prepared -- seemingly played three feet off the ground, brow-beating LSU in every phase of the sport. ...The Bulldogs out-ran, out-passed, out-kicked, out-hit, out-blocked, out-tackled, and, yes, thoroughly out-coached LSU before an announced crowd of 60,596 that sounded like 100,000 amid an electric scene at Scott Field. Indeed, at times it seemed State players rode the sound waves of a frenzied crowd that mixed clanging cowbells with thunderous cheers."
 
Former Bulldog Ally McDonald 13th in best finish as pro
Fulton's Ally McDonald battled the elements on Sunday for a career-best finish as a professional. McDonald, the former Mississippi State standout, shot an even-par 71 in the third and final round of the season's final major, the Evian Championship. She finished alone in 13th at the 54-hole event at 3-under 210. Defying driving rain and hail in a playoff, Anna Nordqvist beat American Brittany Altomare at the first extra hole. Both of them shot 66 on Sunday and finished at 9-under 204. McDonald, in her second season on the tour, had tied for 15th in two recent events and tied for 16th at the ast major, the Women's British Open. She won a career-best $60,988 to boost her season earnings to $155,036.
 
Auburn backup quarterback Sean White arrested for public intoxication
Auburn backup quarterback Sean White was arrested and charged with public intoxication late after Saturday's game against Mercer, according to an arrest report obtained from the Auburn Police Department. White was arrested at 2:45 a.m. on the 100 block of North Ross Street in Auburn. Public intoxication is a classified as a "violation" in the state of Alabama and carries a penalty of no more than 30 days in jail and a fine of no more than $200. White's court date was set for Nov. 8. Auburn coach Gus Malzahn "is aware of the situation. He is gathering all of the facts and will handle this appropriately," according to a statement from team spokesman. White, a junior, was Auburn's starting quarterback last season, but lost the job to Jarrett Stidham during the fall.



The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
Mississippi State University  •  Mississippi State, MS 39762  •  Main Telephone: (662) 325-2323  •   Contact: The Editor  |  The Webmaster  •   Updated: September 18, 2017Facebook Twitter