| Tuesday, August 27, 2019 |
| Feral pigs harm wildlife and biodiversity as well as crops | |
 | Marcus Lashley, a former assistant professor of wildlife ecology at Mississippi State University, writes for The Conversation: They go by many names -- pigs, hogs, swine, razorbacks -- but whatever you call them, feral pigs (Sus scrofa) are one of the most damaging invasive species in North America. They cause millions of dollars in crop damage yearly and harbor dozens of pathogens that threaten humans and pets, as well as meat production systems. As a wildlife ecologist, I am interested in how feral pigs alter their surroundings and affect other wild species. In a recent study, members of the lab I directed through mid-2019 at Mississippi State University showed that wild pigs are a serious threat to biodiversity. Using trail camera surveys to monitor 36 forest patches between 10 and 10,000 acres in size, we determined that forest patches with feral pigs had 26% less-diverse mammal and bird communities than similar forest patches without them. In other words, many wildlife species seem to be excluded from areas where pigs are present. |
| Former Crestwood principal now teaching college classes at MSU-Meridian | |
 | Instead of starting her year off with young children, Rosalind Operton is beginning a new school year with an older group -- college students. "I never thought I would go into leadership because I love the classroom, I will always be a teacher first," Operton said. Operton, a native of Cullman, Alabama, has 25 years of experience in K-12 education, most recently as principal of Crestwood Elementary School in Meridian. For the 2019-2020 school year, she is taking on a new role as an assistant clinical professor in the department of education at Mississippi State University-Meridian's College Park campus and is teaching leadership to teachers. Operton began her career in Hoover, Alabama, teaching fifth grade. After a few years in the classroom she pursued her masters at the University of Birmingham and then moved to Meridian to complete her degree at MSU. Operton earned her Ph.D. while having leadership positions at Parkview and Oakland Heights elementary schools. |
| Report: Lee, Lafayette, Oktibbeha among best places to retire | |
 | According to SmartAssets, three counties in Northeast Mississippi were among the top 10 places to retire. Lee County was ranked third, Lafayette County was seventh and Oktibbeha County ninth. Tops on the list were Madison and Rankin Counties in central Mississippi. To find the places where people can best prepare to retire, SmartAssets considered four factors: paycheck friendliness, 401(k) plan performance, public pension plan performance and the number of financial advisors per capita. We reviewed this data for every county in the country. |
| Voters decide runoffs today | |
| Voters have the opportunity today to settle party nominations for statewide and local races, with polls open across the state from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. The most high-profile race on offer today is the Republican runoff for the gubernatorial nomination between Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and former Supreme Court Justice William "Bill" Waller Jr. The Republican runoff ballot also features a race for the attorney general nomination between Treasurer Lynn Fitch and attorney Andy Taggart. In both races, the Republican nominee will face a Democratic candidate in November's general election: Jim Hood in the governor's race and Jennifer Riley Collins in the attorney general race. Other than statewide races, Northeast Mississippi ballots will feature several other runoff races. Republicans John Caldwell and Geoffrey Yoste are competing to secure the transportation commissioner nomination in the state's northern district. The winner will face Democrat Joey Grist in the general election. Several legislative runoffs also find their way onto ballots in the region. |
| Absentee ballots down for Tuesday's runoff, could mean fewer voters than on Aug. 6 | |
| Fewer Mississippians have voted absentee for Tuesday's runoff election than did for the Aug. 6 Republican and Democratic primaries. Based on the fewer number of absentee ballots requested and returned, it is likely that fewer people will go to the polls for Tuesday's runoff elections than did for the primaries. There is often a correlation between the number of people voting absentee and the overall turnout. For instance, on Aug. 6 there were 46,636 absentee ballots requested and 42,858 returned or voted, according to numbers provided by the office of Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann. In the 2015 election, 41,392 absentee ballots were requested and 37,318 were returned. The turnout on Aug. 6 was about 130,000 votes more than the turnout in the 2015 Republican and Democratic primaries or 685,470 in 2019 compared to 556,057 in 2015. There are 1.8 mission registered voters in Mississippi. |
| 'A clear divide': Dueling 11th-hour letters expose widening GOP chasm in Tate Reeves-Bill Waller governor runoff | |
| The chasm between factions of Mississippi Republican Party leaders became evident over the weekend with two letters sent to GOP voters --- one representative of a younger generation of leaders backing Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, and the other from prominent members of the party's old guard who are supporting former chief justice Bill Waller Jr. Reeves, 45, and Waller, 67, face each other in a Tuesday runoff for the Republican nomination for governor. The candidates have worked the past three weeks to define conservatism in different ways, at times criticizing their opponent's policy proposals or personality. Republican Party leaders and voters are split between the candidates and the policy proposals the two have brought to the table. Reeves earned 49 percent of the Republican primary vote on Aug. 6, while Waller earned 33 percent. State Rep. Robert Foster, the third-place finisher who has since endorsed Waller, earned 18 percent. |
| Men and Corporate Donors Dominate in GOP Runoff for Governor | |
| More than $3 million has flowed to the two candidates in Mississippi's Republican primary runoff since July 27 -- and the bulk of that money came from political action committees, corporations and men. Two PACs tied for the top spot thanks to two equal donations on Aug. 13. The Washington, D.C.-based Republican State Leadership Conference donated $25,000 to Reeves, while the Mississippi-based Hattiesburg Clinic Healthcare Policy Committee gave $25,000 to Waller. In the most recent filing period, Waller received $20,000 from MACPAC and $10,000 from Ergon State PAC, the political arm of the Flowood-based petroleum refining company Ergon. Of the 10 biggest PAC donations, though, seven went to Reeves. Men made up 70 of the 81 individuals donors who gave $2,000 or more to Waller and Reeves between July 27 and Aug. 22. Just five women made solo donations. Four of those donated to Waller's campaign, including attorney Rebecca Dickerson, and Community Counseling Services CEO Jackie Edwards in Starkville, and local Jackson actress Ali Dinkins. |
| Lynn Fitch outspending Andy Taggart in final reporting period before Tuesday's AG runoff | |
| Lynn Fitch is outspending Andy Taggart during the final days before the runoff for the Republican nomination for the open seat of attorney general, based on campaign finance reports filed with the secretary of state's office. The two Madison County residents are vying to replace Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood who is seeking the open governor's seat. For the period from July 28 through Aug. 17, Fitch spent $339,901 on campaign-related activities. Taggart spent $108,086. For the year, Fitch has spent $898,743 and Taggart has spent $499,563. Fitch has raised $691,738 for the year and has cash on hand of $71,986. Taggart has garnered $629,205 in campaign contributions and has $129,668 in cash on hand. |
| Congressman Trent Kelly endorses Delbert Hosemann in Lt. Governor race | |
| Lt. Governor candidate Delbert Hosemann (R) has picked up a high-profile endorsement. Congressman Trent Kelly endorsed Hosemann in his election bid for Lt. Governor, citing his leadership and proven record established during his three-term tenure as Secretary of State. "The Lieutenant Governor is an extremely important position in Mississippi because of its proximity to the budget and policy," Congressman Kelly said. "Delbert Hosemann is a conservative, and he has been a strong advocate for our public schools and businesses. Delbert is the right person to lead our State as our next Lieutenant Governor. I hope you'll join me in voting for him on November 5." Over the years, Hosemann and Congressman Kelly have partnered on consumer protection and other projects dating back to Congressman Kelly's days as a District Attorney in the First Circuit. Hosemann defeated Shane Quick in the Republican Primary on August 6th and will face State Rep. Jay Hughes in the General Election on November 5th. |
| Scott Delano officially files petition contesting results of District 50 State Senate race | |
 | Scott Delano is taking the next step to overturn the results of the District 50 State Senate election. On Monday DeLano filed a petition with the Republican Executive Committee contesting the results of the race, which Dixie Newman won by one vote. "This is the integrity of the vote we're talking about, the integrity of this election," DeLano said. DeLano is questioning the integrity of the District 50 State Senate Republican primary election after completing a review of the election materials. "Unfortunately, what we found in this recount is that we're unable to ascertain what the intent of the voter really was because we were unable to count all of the ballots we believe were cast," DeLano said. Dixie Newman also took part in the review process, and she remains confident the election and the review reveals she's the winner. But DeLano said his team discovered several voters living in District 50 were given District 49 ballots and vice versa. |
| Ag research funds in flux with USDA NIFA relocation | |
| Will federal funding of university-level agriculture and food science research be a casualty of the USDA's agency relocation? One of the researchers who uses the grant services provided by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, one of the two agencies that USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue moved out of Washington, D.C., is hoping for the best -- but fearing the worst. "At the moment, I don't see that there are enough bodies to get that work done so I'm a little bit nervous," said Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam, Cooperative Extension specialist in animal biotechnology and genomics at the University of California at Davis. Amidst the headlines about the move of the two USDA agencies, the Economic Research Service and NIFA, to Kansas City, including news that many employees slated to transfer were resigning from their jobs at the two agencies, NIFA had a grant call. Van Eenennaam was one of the public land grant university researchers submitting a grant request in that call. "Typically it takes about four months to review those grants and decide the 10 percent, so one in 10 gets a call in three to four months saying you got funded, well done," she said. |
| Farmers' Frustration With President Trump Grows as U.S. Escalates China Fight | |
 | Peppered with complaints from farmers fed up with President Trump's trade war, Sonny Perdue found his patience wearing thin. Mr. Perdue, the agriculture secretary and the guest of honor at the annual Farmfest gathering in southern Minnesota this month, tried to break the ice with a joke. "What do you call two farmers in a basement?" Mr. Perdue asked near the end of a testy hourlong town-hall-style event. "A whine cellar." A cascade of boos ricocheted around the room. More than a year into the trade dispute, sales of American soybeans, pork, wheat and other agricultural products to China have dried up as Beijing retaliates against Mr. Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports. The predicament of farmers is becoming a political problem for Mr. Trump as he heads into an election year. |
| Congress prepares to delay tough decisions on spending with another temporary funding bill | |
 | Five weeks out from the next shutdown deadline, House leaders are already preparing lawmakers for another short-term spending extension that keeps the government running until late November or early December. Congressional leaders are not expected to pick a firm date for that stopgap until just days -- or even hours -- away from the Sept. 30 fiscal cliff. But House Democrats are starting to set the realistic expectation of another pre-Christmas funding crunch. In a call with House Democrats on Friday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said he thinks a so-called continuing resolution should extend funding through Nov. 22. Other top Democrats have predicted that temporary funding patch could go even longer, through Dec. 6, according to senior House aides. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby has set a goal of enacting the two largest spending bills before the Sept. 30 deadline, taking care of funding for the departments of Defense, Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services. |
| Pentagon assembles team of intellectual property experts | |
 | The Defense Department is on the verge of standing up a new cadre of intellectual property experts to help the Pentagon negotiate rights to valuable data and other IP from defense contractors, the department's top weapons buyer said Monday. "We need to go on the offense to protect our technology, versus merely acting defensively," Ellen Lord, the undersecretary of Defense for acquisition and sustainment, said during a briefing with reporters. Chinese theft of intellectual property affects national security, American commerce and the defense industry, Lord added, echoing comments from President Donald Trump and other top administration officials. But questions linger about how to properly compensate the defense industry for the information, such as flight data, it collects from its increasingly computerized weapons. |
| China's Spies Are on the Offensive | |
| Espionage and counterespionage have been essential tools of statecraft for centuries, of course, and U.S. and Chinese intelligence agencies have been battling one another for decades. But what recent cases suggest is that the intelligence war is escalating---that China has increased both the scope and the sophistication of its efforts to steal secrets from the U.S. These recent cases provide just a small glimpse of the growing intelligence war that is playing out in the shadows of the U.S.-China struggle for global dominance, and of the aggressiveness and skillfulness with which China is waging it. As China advances economically and technologically, its spy services are keeping pace. China's efforts aimed at former U.S. intelligence officers are just one part of a Chinese campaign that U.S. officials say also includes cyberattacks against U.S. government databases and companies, stealing trade secrets from the private sector, using venture-capital investment to acquire sensitive technology, and targeting universities and research institutions. |
| AOC and Abby Finkenauer, Congress' youngest women, show Democrat split | |
 | Abby Finkenauer navigated unnoticed past the hoard of journalists eager to hear what fellow freshman lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had to say. Within the ornate, deep and busy halls of the U.S. Capitol, she quietly squeezed through a doorway to the House floor to cast her votes as Ocasio-Cortez fielded questions about her uncertainty on sending billions to the southern border to help the migrant crisis. That night in June, Finkenauer went to the annual congressional baseball game, where she ate cheese fries and posed for photos with interns and children at the annual D.C. charity event at Nationals Park. Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez appeared on Stephen Colbert's "The Late Show," where the host introduced her as a "superstar." "AOC! AOC! AOC!" chanted the studio audience, using Ocasio-Cortez's initials and newfound moniker. Being outshined by Ocasio-Cortez has become routine for Finkenauer,a moderate Democrat from Iowa with far less fame than her caucus-mate from New York. Despite the support they've shown the other, Finkenauer demonstrates the more moderate sect that is often at odds with Ocasio-Cortez's progressive wing. |
| Judge rules Johnson & Johnson liable for causing Oklahoma opioid crisis | |
 | A judge in Oklahoma ruled that Johnson & Johnson created an opioid crisis in the state with misleading marketing and promotion of its drugs. The company will have to pay a $572 million penalty, far short of the $17 billion demanded by the state's attorney general. The decision is the first to hold a drugmaker liable for the opioid epidemic, which has killed about 400,000 people. The relatively small judgment is likely to be a disappointment for advocates who argued Johnson & Johnson should pay a steep price to fix the crisis they created. Still, the state, which demanded $17 billion from Johnson & Johnson to pay for addiction treatment and other services, touted the ruling as a day of reckoning for the company. "Johnson & Johnson, motivated by greed and avarice, is responsibility for the opioid epidemic in our state," Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter said. The ruling is an ominous sign for drugmakers, distributors and retailers that are currently facing 2,000 lawsuits alleging they caused the opioid crisis. |
| Ajit Pai, Chairman of the FCC, to headline Sen. Roger Wicker's Tech Summit | |
 | Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, and David Cohen, senior executive vice president and chief diversity officer for Comcast Corp., will join U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker on Wednesday in the Ford Center for Wicker's fourth annual tech summit. The summit will focus on the expansion of rural broadband and workplace diversity. Wicker, the summit's guest of honor, currently serves as chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet. He helped spearhead the first event in 2016. Throughout the summit, leaders and representatives from companies including Verizon, AT&T, Facebook and Google will discuss how the tech industry can continue to benefit society and broadband. |
| DeSoto Center announces new Path4 program | |
 | There's a new path for a college degree through the partnership between the University of Mississippi and Northwest Mississippi Community College. Officials with both schools announced the start of what is called Path4, what they say will offer a seamless four-year college experience. It will also offer an expanded list of services for students, including financial aid that can be taken advantage of at both schools. It's also a new step forward for the schools. The University of Mississippi and Northwest Mississippi Community College at one time offered classes inside what is now the Southaven City Hall building and now share space at the DeSoto Center on W.E. Ross Parkway in Southaven. "What we have done through this program is to be able to break down some barriers," said Northwest President Dr. Michael Heindl. Heindl and Ole Miss interim chancellor Larry Sparks both signed the agreement. |
| DOJ moves to add more marijuana growers for research | |
 | The Justice Department said Monday it would move forward to expand the number of marijuana growers for federally-authorized cannabis research. The long-awaited move comes after researchers filed court papers asking a judge to compel the Drug Enforcement Administration to process the applications to grow research pot. The DEA began accepting applications to grow marijuana for federally-approved research about three years ago, but the agency hasn't acted on more than two dozen applications. Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Congress have questioned why the Justice Department has taken so long to act. Attorney General William Barr had promised to look into the status of the applications in April. For years, the University of Mississippi has been the only entity federally licensed to produce marijuana for research . Researchers have complained in recent years that the cannabis produced there is not like the cannabis sold in states where medical and so-called recreational marijuana is legal. |
| USM names new associate vice president and dean of students | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi named Sirena Cantrell as its new associate vice president and dean of students. She currently serves as Dean of Students at Mississippi University for Women and will be replacing Dr. Eddie Holloway, who retired from USM on June 30 after 40 years of service to the university. Cantrell has years of experience in higher education serving in numerous roles throughout her career in student affairs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Psychology from Millsaps College, a Master of Science in Counselor Education from Mississippi State University and is nearing completion of her Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education at Mississippi State University. Cantrell will begin her tenure at USM on Oct. 1, 2019. |
| U. of Alabama police to hold community event | |
 | Daniel Mosley, a University of Alabama police officer, says police departments are really like what viewers see on television on shows like "Blue Bloods," "Law and Order" or "Chicago P.D." "If we could solve crimes within an hour like they do on TV, we'd be wonderful," Mosley said, laughing. "Sometimes we'll get lucky, but sometimes it takes a lot of work-hours to figure out what happened with a particular crime." As a way to help the community reach a better understanding about how the UA Police Department operates, UAPD will host Community Day on Friday at the University Police Center, 1110 Jackson Ave. "Community Day is an open house," Mosley said. "We want to invite the university community to come in and see what the Police Department is all about." Mosley said the department is constantly looking for ways to increase interaction with the campus community. |
| LSU researchers testing freeze tolerance at one of the world's northernmost sugarcane fields | |
| One of the world's northernmost sugarcane fields has been planted at a Louisiana State University research station in central Louisiana. The LSU AgCenter is looking into how well various varieties can survive chilly weather. The Dean Lee Research and Extension Center is generally considered too far north for the tall tropical grass. However, steady yields and prices have prompted some Louisiana farmers to push the limits, planting sugarcane in what has traditionally been corn and soybean country, an AgCenter news release said. One farmer is growing sugarcane a few miles south in the Lecompte area. There's little data to indicate which varieties can best withstand central Louisiana's deeper, more frequent freezes. So the AgCenter is working to get such information on eight varieties, some commercially available and some still experimental. It's important because one planting can grow three to five crops. |
| Tour shows off upgraded medical partnership building at UGA | |
 | Enrollment in Athens' Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership will grow by 50 percent over the next two years, the partnership's dean told members of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce on Monday. The class at the school has been capped at 40 since the first class came in, giving the school an enrollment of about 160 after four years. But the first-year class will be 50 in fall 2020 and 60 the year after that, so the campus is now heading to an overall enrollment of about 240, Dean Shelley Nuss told the chamber's board. The board met in newly renovated Russell Hall on the 58-acre UGA Health Sciences Campus in Normaltown, which houses the Medical Partnership and the UGA College of Public Health. The partnership plans to add 12 new faculty as it grows, six next year and six the year after. About 100 people have applied for those first six positions, Nuss said. After the Chamber meeting, students in the medical partnership led tours of the renovated second floor of the two-story building. The first floor had been remodeled several years ago. |
| UGA student taken to hospital following incident on campus | |
| A student allegedly made statements of "creating chaos" in a University of Georgia classroom this morning and the UGA Police Department was notified of the incident at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 23, according to an emailed statement from UGA spokesperson Greg Trevor. UGAPD officers found the student and transported him to a local hospital for treatment after they "determined he was showing indications of a behavioral health crisis," Trevor said. Police believe there was no crime committed and the student is not a threat to the public. "Concerns about a threat of violence in this situation are unfounded," Trevor said. |
| Black faculty numbers increase at U. of Missouri | |
| Four years after hundreds of students protested a racist campus culture at the University of Missouri, the number of minority faculty has ticked up slightly, but numbers still lag the national average and the school acknowledges it struggles to retain non-white staff. Frustrated by the poor response of university leaders to complaints of racist slurs and other slights on the predominantly white flagship campus, the November 2015 protest movement demanded the president's resignation and a more diverse faculty. In early 2016, the school hired Kevin McDonald as its first chief diversity equity and inclusion officer. By 2018, nine more black faculty worked at MU than two years earlier, raising the proportion of black people on staff to 3.4% from 3%. That year, less than 6% of full-time U.S. college faculty members were black, The Kansas City Star reported. "Kevin came soon after 2015 and righted the ship," said Clark Peters, a professor of social work who chairs the MU Faculty Council. |
| Veterans groups join congressional Dems in pushing to close federal aid 'loophole' | |
 | Veterans' groups played a key role last year in blocking a Republican proposal to update the landmark higher education law. A campaign against the legislation, known as the PROSPER Act, zeroed in on a proposal to kill Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Now with Democrats in control of the U.S. House of Representatives and a bipartisan effort to reauthorize the Higher Education Act on the horizon, those veteran groups have turned their focus to another long-held priority: addressing for-profit colleges' recruitment of student veterans. A federal rule known as 90-10 caps the share of revenue for-profits can take in from federal student aid at 90 percent. But the cap exempts federal tuition benefits for veterans and active members of the U.S. military. Several veterans' groups want to those benefits to count toward the federal cap, which could spell trouble for some for-profits. |
| NIH needs $1.3 billion for building repairs, report says | |
| The National Institutes of Health needs a "substantial infusion of funding" to address the "deteriorating condition" of many of its facilities, according to a congressionally mandated report. The report, released Monday by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, recommends that Congress provide $1.3 billion in new funding over several years in order to address buildings and facilities at the NIH's campus in Bethesda, Maryland. Finding an extra billion or two for the research agency has been a bipartisan congressional prerogative in the last few appropriations cycles. The NIH's budget for fiscal 2019 is $39.1 billion, after three consecutive years with $2 billion increases. |
| Two universities targeted by hackers just before new school year | |
| The start of the new academic year can be a challenging time on any college campus, but the start of the fall term at Regis University was unlike any other. Students arrived at the private university in Denver to find the institution's internet, email, phones and website shut down following the discovery of a cyberthreat last Thursday. IT staff at Regis are working "around the clock" to get things back to normal, John P. Fitzgibbons, president of the university, said in a letter to the campus last week posted on a temporary website created to provide students' updates on the outage. Temporary phone lines have also been established to respond to students' questions and concerns. Regis is not the only university to suffer from a crippling cyberattack just before the start of the new academic year. The Stevens Institute of Technology reported on Aug. 10 that it was the victim of a "very severe and sophisticated" cyberattack. Higher education institutions, police departments and city governments have all made the news in recent months because of high-profile ransomware attacks. |
| Colleges Would Rather Freshmen Not Choose Their Roommates | |
| In 1926, the University of Wisconsin published a brochure advertising its new men's dormitories. "Here ... the man from the well-to-do home and the man who tends furnaces to buy his text-books will learn respect for each other across a common table," the booklet read, "and the son of banker and farmer will find mutual understanding, of a winter's evening, in give and take to the crackling of logs in a wide fireplace." The brochure reflected evolving attitudes toward college-student housing at the time. College deans had begun to worry that fraternities, which rose in popularity toward the end of the 1800s, were undermining the student experience. Reflecting on that brochure today elicits a sense of déjà vu (minus the furnace-tending and log-crackling). In recent years, colleges across the country have expressed renewed interest in their democratic mission to build a diverse student body and expose students to their peers from different backgrounds. |
| Is International Student Drop President Trump's Fault? Only Partially | |
| Last year's 6.6 percent drop in enrollment of international students at American colleges is due to more than just apprehensions toward President Trump, a new study by EducationNext asserts. Despite President Trump's nationalist rhetoric being widely blamed for deterring international students from enrolling in U.S. colleges, author Alex Usher, president of Toronto-based consulting firm Higher Education Strategy Associates, says that the decrease can additionally be attributed to standing global trends. Between 2001 and 2016, new international student enrollment climbed dramatically (by 60 percent) before leveling off. This stagnation caused concern for many admissions teams and university administrations alike. The United States has long ranked as one of the most popular destinations for foreign students to study -- for the past three years, international students studying in the U.S. numbered over one million. Usher cites improved postsecondary opportunities in high-exporting areas like Asia as one of the reasons for the international enrollment slowdown. China, longtime home country for the majority of international students who study in the U.S., has had declining youth cohorts, an effect seen across the globe. |
SPORTS
| What Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead said about NCAA sanctions, suspensions | |
 | Wearing a maroon "Hail State" short-sleeved pullover, Mississippi State head coach Joe Moorhead waited to step to the podium inside Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex on Monday. There was a moment of levity before the longest Monday press conference Moorhead has ever conducted. Mississippi State opens the season against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns this Saturday at 11 a.m. in New Orleans, and fans making the trip down to the bayou might need to leave their noisemakers in their cars. "Cowbells will not be permitted in the Superdome," Bill Martin, a spokesman for Mississippi State Athletics, said. "What? That's ridiculous!" Moorhead quipped from the left side of the room. Then he took center stage and had to answer questions about the negotiated resolution the university reached with the NCAA regarding 10 football players who violated academic policies by having a tutor take tests and complete assignments for them during the fall 2018 semester. |
| Bulldogs have confidence in cornerbacks | |
| Mississippi State considers its cornerbacks to be one of the team's strengths this season. Although the Bulldogs lost both Jamal Peters and Chris Rayford, the coaching staff feels good about where the tandem of junior Cameron Dantzler and senior Maurice Smitherman are as starters. "Cameron Dantzler I think is one of the best in the SEC and the country and has played like it," said MSU head coach Joe Moorhead. "I've seen steady improvements. He has taken his game to the next level. I think that comes with his work with coach Cory Bichey and the strength staff. He's bigger, more filled-out, and more explosive. I thought Maurice Smitherman was the most improved player in spring ball and has carried that on." |
| Cajuns have unknowns, confidence, heading into opener against Mississippi State | |
| As Louisiana gets set to take on Mississippi State in Saturday's season opener at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, much of the talk has turned toward the Bulldogs. The Cajuns faced Mississippi State a year ago in Starkville, but UL head coach Billy Napier isn't concerned with the past. Instead, Napier is worried about what he can control: his team. "I think the most important thing here, is what can we do? What can we control? That's where we'll spend our time, not all the what-ifs." Napier said Monday afternoon. Some of those what-ifs were answered over the weekend, others were not. Capitalizing in critical situations is something the Cajuns failed to do in last year's 56-10 defeat. The Cajuns offense was 4-13 on third down and 1-4 on fourth down against the Bulldogs a year ago. Mississippi State, on the other hand, converted on third down eight times in 11 tries and was 1-1 on fourth down. |
| Moorhead Monday: Thompson not with team, Walker decision looming, captains, more | |
 | It wouldn't be football season without some quarterback controversy. Within 24 hours of Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead naming Penn State transfer Tommy Stevens as the No. 1 quarterback last Thursday, junior incumbent Keytaon Thompson had entered the transfer portal. In the time since, no potential destinations have been disclosed by Thompson's camp, but there's a growing sentiment he will not return to MSU. "At the end of the day, we made a decision we felt was best for the maroon and white, for our offense and for our team and KT is checking to see what's best for him," Moorhead said Monday. A former quarterback himself, MSU's bench boss welcomed the idea of bringing Thompson back, but quelled any thoughts the Bulldogs could run a two-quarterback system in 2020. "I think having played the position, and some people have done it successfully, I don't feel like the guy can ever get in a groove," Moorhead said. "You can have two in the game at the same time -- that's a different deal -- but I'm not a fan of rotational quarterback play." |
| Notebook: Could Keytaon Thompson return to Mississippi State? | |
| Mississippi State head coach Joe Moorhead made the announcement on Thursday that Penn State graduate transfer Tommy Stevens would be the Bulldogs' starting quarterback this season. A day later, junior Keytaon Thompson -- who lost the competition with Stevens during fall camp -- entered the NCAA transfer portal. Thompson is not currently with the team and was not on the depth chart released on Monday for Saturday's season opener against Louisiana. "I love K.T., he's a great kid," Moorhead told reporters on Monday. However, Thompson's time at MSU might not be over. Moorhead and quarterbacks coach Andrew Breiner met with Thompson on Sunday and were scheduled to talk again. "We'd love to have K.T. back and we'll continue to talk to him and see how it goes," Moorhead said. It is possible the Bulldogs could experience both the benefit and the drawback from the relatively new transfer portal option that went into effect on Oct. 15, 2018. |
| Mississippi State football coach open to Keytaon Thompson's return | |
| Mississippi State head coach Joe Moorhead summed it up in eight words. "The portal giveth, and the portal taketh away," he said Monday during his weekly press conference. Moorhead landed Tommy Stevens, a former Penn State QB, from the portal in May and on Thursday named the graduate transfer his starting quarterback. On Friday, junior Keytaon Thompson entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal. "You look across the country at starting quarterbacks being named and then the next day someone is in the portal," Moorhead said. "We got a quarterback from the portal. We'd love to keep (Thompson), but we could potentially lose (him). That's the landscape of college football right now." Though Thompson has been cordial with the coaching staff, Moorhead said Thompson has not been with the team since Thursday. He was not present during Fan Day on Saturday, either. |
| What to expect from concession stands in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium this season | |
| On August 26, Ole Miss football and Centerplate hosted its Food Showcase, announcing new food partners and concession stand items that will be for sale in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium this season as well as food that will be available in the press box and suites. Headlining the Food Showcase were the new partners at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Fergndan's Wood Fired Pizza, Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery. Fergndan's will be sold in Sections A and L inside Vaught-Hemingway this season, and items from Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery will be sold in Sections S7, D and L this fall. These new food partners were revealed alongside new concession items such as Burger Me, a burger stand with fully customizable burgers; Chop's Tacho's, a new form of nachos from Chop's BBQ that features tater tots; and Tony's Grab and Go which features a convenience store-type setting. |
| Southern Miss announces broadcast team for ESPN+ home football games | |
 | The Southern Miss Department of Athletics announced Thursday its broadcast team for ESPN+ home Golden Eagle football contests this fall. The duo includes Jason Baker, who returns for his second season as the football play-by-play announcer for ESPN+, and former Golden Eagle standout Marchant Kenney as analyst. Baker, who will be in his eighth season as the Voice of the Lady Eagles later this year, first served in the capacity of play-by-play for Southern Miss women's basketball starting with the 2002-03 season until 2007-08, before returning to that role last season. The Picayune native attended Pearl River Community College before transferring to Southern Miss to study broadcast journalism and mass communications. Kenney, who joins the ESPN+ broadcast team for his first season, lettered for the Golden Eagles from 1994-97 and is a member of the Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame. |
| Gators band director injured in attack by Hurricanes fan after season-opener in Orlando | |
| The University of Florida Gators marching band director was injured Saturday evening by a University of Miami Hurricanes fan after the season-opener in Orlando, according to a university spokesman. After a soldout crowd at Camping World Stadium watched the Gators edge out the Hurricanes with a 24-20 victory, band members walked back to their bus when a female Miami fan tried to cut through the group, said UF spokesman Steve Orlando. Director Jay Watkins "went out to try to stop this person and when he did, somebody else grabbed him behind in a chokehold and threw him on the pavement," Orlando said. Watkins sustained bumps and scrapes on his head and elbow, was treated by a paramedic and boarded the bus back to Gainesville. "He's going to be OK," Orlando said. The Orlando Police Department said Watkins declined to press charges but wanted the incident documented in a report. |
| Former Penn State Team Doctor Sues James Franklin, School | |
| A former Penn State team doctor is suing the school, football coach James Franklin and athletic director Sandy Barbour, claiming he was ousted after complaining to school officials about being pressured to clear players to return from injuries. The lawsuit filed Friday by Dr. Scott Lynch in Dauphin County was first reported by Penn Live. Lynch was removed from his position as director of athletic medicine in March and replaced by Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli, who had previously held the position until 2013. Lynch is seeking $50,000 in damages. Penn State Health and the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where Lynch is still employed, also are named as defendants. |
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