| Tuesday, November 3, 2026 |
| Mississippi State reports record fall enrollment of 23,721 |
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| Mississippi State University reported a record fall enrollment of 23,721 students, an increase of 158 from last year, the university announced. The total includes 14,654 Mississippi residents, up from 14,491 a year earlier. Students come from all 82 Mississippi counties, all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and 89 countries, the university said. President Mark E. Keenum said the number of first-time students from Mississippi increased 6% and the university has grown in 11 of the past 12 years. "I am very proud that we have set a new enrollment record this fall, and that we are the only university in our state that has achieved enrollment growth for 11 of the past 12 years," Keenum said. "I am especially pleased to see that our class of in-state, first-time students grew by 6%. It's clear that the students and families who know us best appreciate the job we are doing and value the outstanding education and great college experience they get at Mississippi State." | |
| Memorial service set for Mississippi State's first Black student |
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| Memorial services for Dr. Richard E. Holmes, Mississippi State University's (MSU) first Black student, will be held on November 3, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in the Cleveland Gallery at The Mill at MSU. Holmes died on October 16, 2026, at age 82. Speakers will include MSU President Mark E. Keenum, Rev. Guy Thompson, senior pastor of Second Baptist Church in Starkville, and MSU vice presidents Ra'Sheda Forbes and Sid Salter. Holmes' fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, will deliver a tribute. MSU's Black Voices gospel choir will also perform. | |
| Columbus, MSU awarded $9.4M for road safety projects |
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| Columbus and Mississippi State University will receive more than $9.4 million combined in U.S. Department of Transportation grant funding for street improvement projects. The grants were announced Monday in a press release from U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker's office as part of nine Mississippi projects that received roughly $22 million total. The university received more than $4.8 million in SS4A grant funding for its Blackjack Road safety improvements that will run from Locksley Way to Wingo Way. The university will also enter into a grant agreement to pitch in a 20% match, bringing the project's total funding to roughly $5.8 million, Jeremiah Dumas, MSU executive director of transportation, said. Dumas said the university has been exploring the project over the last few years because of increased residential development near MSU's campus and traffic volume on the road over the last decade. "(Oktibbeha) County has made some improvements over the years, but there's still a lot more that needs to be done to make it a more safe corridor," Dumas said. "... And so we're going to do a couple of things. One is we're going to pay attention to vehicles, and so we'll look at the intersections ... but then No.2 is we're going to invest in pretty significant new bike and pedestrian infrastructure, so that we can get bikes and pedestrians off the roadways." | |
| MSU-Meridian clinic expands trauma treatment with EMDR therapy, psychological assessment services |
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| A specialized and sought-after trauma therapy is now available through Mississippi State University-Meridian's Mental and Behavioral Health Clinic. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, commonly known as EMDR, is an evidence-based psychotherapy designed to treat clients experiencing trauma-related symptoms. Sarah Beth Cooper, a licensed counselor at the downtown Meridian clinic, who is currently working toward advanced EMDR certification, said the therapy works with the brain's natural ability to process difficult experiences. Lesley Clack, MSU School of Health Professions dean who also has completed intensive EMDR training, said the demand for EMDR has grown significantly, and expanding the clinic's therapeutic approaches allows clinicians to better respond to individual patient needs. | |
| The Grand Opera House: Meridian's history, mystery, and a remarkable second act |
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| For nearly 80 years, one of Meridian's grandest theaters sat behind locked doors. The performances had ended, the audiences were gone, and the beautiful Victorian opera house that once attracted entertainers from across the country had become a forgotten piece of downtown history. By the 1990s, plans were underway to save the long-closed theater. Mississippi State University, which had established its Meridian presence at Meridian Community College before opening its College Park Campus in 1993, became an important partner in the effort. In January 2000, The Riley Foundation committed $10 million toward restoring the historic theater and adjoining buildings, with the agreement that Mississippi State would own and operate the facility. The resulting $27 million restoration was an enormous undertaking. Artisans worked to preserve the theater's original character while preparing it for modern performances. Mississippi State's downtown presence continued to grow after the theater reopened. With additional support from The Riley Foundation, the university transformed the historic Newberry Building into the Deen Building, providing classrooms and offices. The former Kress Building became the Rosenbaum Building, home to health sciences education and Mississippi's first publicly funded Master of Physician Assistant Studies program. | |
| Ag economist: Diesel prices and drought a bad combination for cattle producers |
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| An ag economist says cattle producers are facing mounting economic pressure. Josh Maples is with Mississippi State University Extension. "Over half of the beef cow inventory in this country is in a drought area," he says. "So producers have had to start feeding hay or feeding some sort of supplements in a lot of cases sooner than they intended to." He tells Brownfield this comes at a time when diesel prices are running nearly 72 percent higher than year-ago levels. "Anytime you're going to feed cattle, whatever it is that you're feeding them, you're very likely using diesel for that," he says. "And so we've got to stretch through here because of how dry conditions are where producers are probably going to be burning more diesel certainly than they would like." Maples says while some production costs continue to rise, other inputs, like feed costs have moderated. "Hopefully, cost of gain is going to stay manageable, certainly relative to what Fed cattle prices are," he says. | |
| Starkville, Oktibbeha County to split funding for spay and neuter vouchers |
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| Starkville and Oktibbeha County are set to fund 1,500 vouchers offered by Oktibbeha County Humane Society to help residents spay and neuter their pets beginning Dec. 1. The board of supervisors unanimously approved a formal agreement with OCHS Monday during its regular session, allowing it to reimburse the group up to $36,250 for 750 vouchers. The agreement outlined expectations for income and residential qualifications, which exclude Starkville residents from the county's portion. The city has not signed a formal agreement with OCHS but did approve reimbursing the organization up to $36,250 for the same number of vouchers while finalizing its Fiscal Year 27 budget. Those will be available only to city residents. "We don't want to piecemeal it and offer it just (in the) county right now, and we'll likely start Dec. 1," Michele Anderson, OCHS executive director, told The Dispatch. "So it'll give us time to turn around and get an agreement from the city." | |
| Election Day is here. Reminders for Mississippians heading to the polls |
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| Election Day is here, and voters across Mississippi are heading to the polls to cast their ballots in this year's elections. Five congressional seats headline the races, including one of Mississippi's two U.S. Senate seats and all four of the state's U.S. House seats. Voters will also decide several judicial races and special elections. Polls statewide are open Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Any registered voter in line before 7 p.m. is legally entitled to cast a ballot. Voters should bring an acceptable form of photo identification with them. Voters may bring cell phones inside polling locations but are prohibited from using them to photograph marked ballots. Campaigning is prohibited within 150 feet of a polling place entrance, except on private property. Turnout in the 2022 midterms saw around 709,000 ballots cast, representing 32.5% of registered voters at the time. Of those, 49,630, or about 7%, were absentee ballots. While turnout for the 2026 midterms will be unknown until all ballots are counted, the total number of absentee ballots received by circuit clerks as of Monday was at 122,590, more than doubling the 2022 total. | |
| How Gen Z Republicans running for Congress are thinking about the future of the party |
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| In northeast Iowa, 29-year-old Joe Mitchell is vying to represent the state's second congressional district. It's a competitive race, one of just a handful considered to be a tossup, as voters sour on President Trump and Democrats see control of Congress as increasingly in reach. Mitchell has the president's endorsement, and if he's successful, he would head to Washington D.C. next year as part of a new cohort: the first-ever class of Gen Z Republicans in Congress. It wouldn't be a large class. Aside from Mitchell, just a handful of other Gen Z Republicans are in the running for House seats this fall. One is running in a reliably red district. The rest are longshots, vying for what's seen as safe blue seats. While their numbers may be small, Mitchell says the idea of a new generation of leaders in Washington is something that voters have been responding to on the campaign trail. "I think people are looking for hope, regardless of what party they're in," he said. "They want to see young people get involved, and I hear that everywhere we go." | |
| Technology is reshaping Chinese farms -- and boosting its national security |
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| The sun sinks low over China's northeastern rice fields as combines with spinning metal teeth slice neat rows in the tawny stocks. It's harvest time in Heilongjiang province, China's breadbasket, where large commercial farms showcase modern efficiency. "From sowing and plowing to harvesting -- it's all unmanned," says Liu Jianguo, a manager at the sprawling farm owned by Beidahuang Group, one of the country's largest state-owned agribusinesses. The province's dark, chunky dirt, rich with organic matter, comprises one of the world's four major deposits of super-fertile black soil, or chernozem. Other belts are found in Ukraine, the Mississippi Delta, and the Pampas plain of South America. Deputy governor Cong Li says that 1 in every 9 bowls of grain in China comes from this province -- and this year, thanks in part to farmers' embrace of innovation, she expects a record harvest. Such bounty is never taken for granted in China, which must feed a sixth of the world's population on less than 10% of its arable land. As wars in Ukraine and Iran and ongoing trade disputes disrupt global food flows, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has doubled down on liangshi anquan, or "food security," making it a top strategic priority, on the same level as hardening China's military or building up energy stockpiles. | |
| Enrollment levels remain stable across Mississippi university system |
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| The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) announced that enrollment across Mississippi's public university system has held steady into Fall 2026 compared with Fall 2025. That's according to data from the IHL's eight institutions and the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC). IHL officials said that enrollment for Fall 2026 is 81,771, compared to 81,961 for Fall 2025. "Serving nearly 82,000 students this fall, our universities continue to provide higher education opportunities and prepare students for the workforce and life," said Dr. Al Rankins Jr., commissioner of higher education. Students are counted one time and are unduplicated regardless of on-campus and off-campus enrollment. | |
| Jackson State enrollment sees major decline. Ole Miss and MSU grow |
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| Enrollment in Mississippi's public university system remained essentially flat this fall, as gains at five universities helped offset significant losses at others, including a double-digit percentage decline at Jackson State University. Mississippi's eight public universities and the University of Mississippi Medical Center enrolled 81,771 students for fall 2026, down 190 students, or 0.2%, from 81,961 students a year ago. The largest enrollment drop occurred at Jackson State University, which lost 691 students ... The enrollment numbers also come as colleges nationwide are confronting the long-anticipated "enrollment cliff," a demographic shift driven by declining birth rates following the Great Recession. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education projects the number of U.S. high school graduates peaked in 2025 and will decline steadily through 2041, shrinking the pool of traditional college-age students. | |
| Enrollment at Mississippi's public universities declined slightly between 2025 and 2026 school years |
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| Enrollment in Mississippi's public university system remained mostly stable, falling slightly from 2025 to 2026. With the dwindling number of births and subsequent less students entering Mississippi's universities, warnings of an enrollment cliff in the higher education sector have been voiced to educators and lawmakers for the past several years. Between 2025 and 2026, total enrollment at the state's eight public institutions declined by 190 students. In 2025, there was a total of 81,961 students attending institutions across the state. That number fell to 81,771 in 2026. Those figures reflect on and off campus students, the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning reported on Monday. Two universities saw double digit decreases in enrollment -- Jackson State University at 10.7%, or 691 less students, and Mississippi Valley State University at 13.2%, or 300 less students. Five of Mississippi's eight universities have less than 3,300 students, with Mississippi Valley State being the lowest attended at 1,976. | |
| Mississippi IHL releases stats on school enrollment for Fall 2026: how Delta universities are doing |
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| The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning have released their enrollment statistics for Fall 2026. While total enrollment remained stable in comparison to 2025, some schools saw large changes in individual enrollment. Mississippi State University remained stable, with a growth of 0.7%. Delta State University as well as the University of Mississippi Medical Center grew by just under 3% each. While Mississippi Valley State University saw an enrollment loss of nearly 13% compared to last fall. | |
| Community Profile: Japanese exchange coordinator finds warm welcome in Columbus |
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| When she was growing up in Nagoya, Japan, and then attending Nanzan University, Chie Maruko Lauron always got the impression Americans are "a little cool and dry." That was until she arrived in Columbus in September as part of a two-year cultural exchange program intended to build connections between American and Japanese citizens. "While I was alone, being apart from my family, many people talked to me, helped me and (said), 'If there's anything I can do for you, tell me,'" Lauron told the Dispatch. "So thanks to their support, I could survive. So (there's been) good culture shock. People are so warm and hospitable." Lauron came to Mississippi earlier this year to work as the Japan Outreach Initiative coordinator at Mississippi University for Women. Coordinators are sent to regions of the U.S. where Japanese culture, language and people have historically been less accessible, with the goal of fostering a deeper mutual understanding on a local level. Lauron's stint in Columbus will last through July 2028. | |
| Jackson State holds vigil for student killed in Halloween shooting |
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| Jackson State University held a candlelight vigil to honor Jada Henderson, an 18-year-old psychology student from Atlanta who was one of two people killed in the Hideaway shooting on Halloween night. "Seeing everybody gathered here for the purpose of this occasion wasn't too happy, it was very somber, but looking into the crowd and seeing so many people gathered together, I think it's truly a testament of how big of a community, how strong of a community we are here at Jackson State," said Hart Jefferson, president of the Student Government Association at JSU. The vigil brought together students, faculty, and others on campus to mourn Henderson's loss and reflect on the tragedy. JSU President Dr. Denise Jones Gregory also spoke at the event, emphasizing the strength of the university community during difficult times. "This is a difficult time for us, a time that we should not be here for tonight for senseless acts that are happening across the city, but we recognize our Jackson State family is resilient. We're here to support one another," Gregory said. | |
| 'It was fun, until it wasn't': JSU students describe leaving party before deadly shooting |
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| Two people were killed and six others were injured when masked gunmen entered a Halloween party at a Jackson venue over the weekend, according to the Jackson Police Department. Police identified the victims as Lovdai Poindexter, 20, and Jada Henderson, 18. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. All eight people who were shot were under 21, police said. One of those killed was a Jackson State University student. Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said she has reached out to promoters and plans to meet with them in person to discuss the seriousness of the incident. She noted a "pattern there of irresponsibility." Brackney said the shooting was the second at the Hideaway this year. Kimora Ewin and Naomi Francillon were dressed up in their costumes and having a good time. "Me and my friend we were matching," said Ewin. "It was fun, until it wasn't." They left around 12:30, roughly 30 minutes before they learned the venue had become a crime scene. "I got texts saying, are you okay, are you okay," said Francillon. "I'm an out-of-state student. I'm from Boston, so I'm very far away from home and even my friends from Boston heard about it, and they don't follow a lot of people that go to Jackson State or even in Mississippi." | |
| Tears and prayers at Jackson State vigil after nightclub shooting kills 2 |
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| Some bowed their heads in prayer, as candles glowed Monday evening at Jackson State University. Others wiped away tears. Many offered hugs as they remembered one of their own, one of two college students killed by gunfire the night before. University President Denise Jones Gregory, joined by about 200 others, tearfully gave her condolences to the family of Jada Henderson, a freshman from Atlanta studying psychology, who was killed in a weekend shooting at a Jackson nightclub 6 miles northeast of campus. "When one of our Tigers hurts, every single one of us bleeds," Gregory told students, administrators and community members who gathered for the vigil. "To our students standing here tonight, I see your pain, I see your worry, I see your exhaustion and I see your grief." Jackson police say Henderson was killed after two men in ski masks entered the nightclub and began shooting. Police have not made any arrests or identified a motive. The investigation continues. | |
| Woodard, Rush on Student Affairs leadership changes: 'We're not going to miss a beat' |
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| Auburn University's Student Affairs is preparing for a leadership transition after the University announced Sept. 21 that Bobby R. Woodard will become interim senior vice president for business and administration and chief operating officer, effective Nov. 1. Bryan Rush will assume the role of interim vice president for Student Affairs, while Lady Cox will become dean of students and senior associate vice president for Student Affairs. Both appointments take effect Nov. 1. Woodard joined Auburn in 2014 as associate provost and senior vice president for Student Affairs, bringing higher education leadership experience from East Carolina University, the University of Central Florida and the University of Georgia. During his 12-year tenure, he has overseen student development, campus engagement and initiatives focused on the student experience. On Nov. 1, Woodard will transition from Student Affairs to interim senior vice president for business and administration and chief operating officer. President Christopher B. Roberts appointed him following the announced retirement of Kelli Shomaker, who is leaving Auburn Oct. 31 to join Southern Methodist University. Reflecting on the appointment, Woodard said, "When your boss asks you to fill a role, you do it." | |
| Buc-ee's to unveil new T-shirt design celebrating Texas A&M 150th anniversary |
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| The celebration of Texas A&M's 150th anniversary will continue Tuesday with the unveiling a new Buc-ee's T-shirt design and a keynote address from Buc-ee's founder and Texas A&M graduate Arch "Beaver" Aplin at the Texas A&M College of Architecture Showcase in the afternoon. The new T-shirt design features Buc-ee celebrating the 150th anniversary milestone. The shirts will go on sale in Rudder Plaza and the Barnes and Noble Campus Bookstore. Buc-ee Beaver will make an appearance at a Buc-ee's pop-up event from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Rudder Exhibit Hall. A highlight of Tuesday's Architecture Showcase is the scheduled talk by Aplin at 4 p.m. in Rudder Theater. Texas A&M President Susan Ballabina will serve as the emcee. | |
| Colleges Are Tempting Other Schools' Donors to Give to Them Instead |
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| Every university has targets for donations. Alumni. Parents. Grandparents. Former hospital patients. Wealthy people with niche interests. But some of the biggest contributions these days are coming from people without traditional ties to the universities getting the checks. In September, a $3 billion contribution to Carnegie Mellon University came from just such a donor, the hedge fund titan Kenneth C. Griffin. It was the largest single contribution to an American university. "What we're seeing is donors more loyal to a particular purpose than an institution, so they look across different institutions and ask which can best advance that purpose," said James M. Langley, a consultant who led fund-raising for several top universities. It is not unprecedented for universities to collect checks from people with no pre-existing ties. MacKenzie Scott, for example, has surprised scores of colleges with multimillion-dollar gifts, many of which have gone to schools, like tribal or historically Black institutions, that rarely receive big contributions. But the surges benefiting schools like Carnegie Mellon and Vanderbilt, which saw its year-over-year unaffiliated giving rocket from $19 million to $276 million, are unusual for their speed and scale. | |
| Generative AI Has Transformed Higher-Ed Jobs |
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| Generative artificial intelligence is transforming the way higher education works. Faculty members try to teach AI literacy or prevent students from cheating with chatbots, of course. But administrators and staff working in a wide range of roles told The Chronicle that large language models have shifted how they think, write, create, crunch numbers, and even interact with other human beings. Some employees, asked to do more with less, are embracing AI to add capacity or reduce "grunt work," leaving time for higher priorities. Others have deep concerns. Even some fans raised cautionary notes and said they draw the line at certain uses. | |
| Democrats Vie to Take Back House Education Committee |
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| Democrats have long been up in arms about President Trump's attempt to dismantle the Education Department, and now, as voters head to the polls, legislators are hopeful that they'll be able to turn their months of messaging into action. Since the earliest days of Trump's second term, Democrats have consistently signaled their frustration with Education Secretary Linda McMahon and her department. They've sent letters demanding she "abandon" her "illegal" plans to delegate mandated responsibilities to other agencies, introduced legislation to try to block her proposed regulations and added extra language to appropriations documents in hopes of eliminating the spending loopholes she used to redirect taxpayer funds. One House member pushed for McMahon's impeachment. Now, if voters hand Democrats control of at least one chamber of Congress, Trump and his Education Department should only expect that scrutiny to ramp up more. But Democrats don't just want to hold the administration to account. In fact, they say, their top priority is to make college more affordable. | |
SPORTS
| Men's Basketball: State Takes Season Opener 106-88 |
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| Josh Hubbard scored 25 points and dished out nine assists, while King Grace provided a huge spark off the bench with 23 points as Mississippi State opened its 2026-27 men's basketball season with a 106-88 victory over Tennessee Tech on Monday night at Humphrey Coliseum. The Bulldogs put together an impressive offensive performance, shooting 58.3% from the field and connecting on 12 of 24 attempts from 3-point range. State placed five players in double figures and received 48 points from its bench while surpassing the century mark in its season opener. Hubbard led the charge, connecting on 7 of 11 shots, including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc, while making 8 of 10 free throws. Grace was equally efficient, hitting 8 of 12 field goals and 4 of 6 attempts from long range in just 23 minutes of action. Mississippi State returns to action on Thursday against Northwestern State. Tip time at The Hump is set for 6:30 p.m. | |
| Hubbard's 25, Grace's 23 bench points power Mississippi State over Tennessee Tech 106-88 |
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| Josh Hubbard scored 25 points, King Grace added 23 off the bench, and Mississippi State defeated Tennessee Tech 106-88 on Monday night in both teams' season opener. Hubbard was 7-of-11 from the field, 3-for-4 from deep, and 8-for-10 from the charity stripe, and Grace went 8-for-12 (4-for-6 from beyond the arc). Tajuan Simpkins scored 15 and added five rebounds, five assists and two steals, and Thomas Bassong had 14 points and six rebounds. RJ Johnson chipped in with 12. The Bulldogs held a 53-37 edge at the break, but Tennessee Tech did not go away easily with 51 second-half points. | |
| Mississippi State locks down, knocks down shots in season-opening win |
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| Once the defense hunkered down and the shots started falling, the rest took care of itself. Mississippi State men's basketball shot 50% from three and 58% from the field in its 106-88 win over Tennessee Tech to open the 2026-27 season on Monday night in the Humphrey Coliseum. The Bulldogs (1-0) had trouble pulling away from the Golden Eagles (0-1) early due to turnovers. MSU had surrendered five turnovers, which led to 11 Tennessee Tech points, and allowed the visitors to make five 3-pointers up to that point. With just under five minutes left, Josh Hubbard broke a tie with his first three of the game. King Grace followed with one of his own, then T.J. Simpkins made a three-point play to make it 40-31 with 3:34 to go before halftime. Grace nailed two more threes in the span of a minute, then Hubbard nailed another to make it 51-35 Bulldogs at the 1:25 mark. The Golden Eagles went 4 minutes, 24 seconds without making a field goal. "We started guarding the ball better. We started figuring out how we needed to guard them with some more switching. We started switching a lot more than what our base is," State coach Chris Jans said. | |
| Women's Basketball: Bulldogs To Open 53rd Season Against North Alabama |
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| Mississippi State women's basketball will begin the fifth season of the Sam Purcell era on Tuesday, as they welcome the North Alabama Lions to Starkville. Tipoff for the contest is set for 6:30 p.m. inside Humphrey Coliseum. The first 500 students will receive a maroon "Attack The Gap" rally towel. Tickets for the game can be purchased at hailstate.com/tickets. Mississippi State returns three Bulldogs this season -- Madison Francis, Favour Nwaedozi and Melissa Guillet. Francis and Nwaedozi were the top two scorers on last season's team. Mississippi State added six players from Division I institutions via the transfer portal -- Aryss Macktoon, Reese Beaty, Macie Phifer and Cali Smallwood. Two NJCAA All-American Honorees made the jump to the SEC -- Tootie Lockett and Arianny Francisco de Oliveira. The Bulldogs also added three freshmen to their roster -- Andrea Flores, Grace Ndubueze and Lani Smallwood. The Lions return three players from last year's team. They lost 10, including all five starters. | |
| MSU soccer downs Alabama, gets first ranked win |
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| Mississippi State soccer ended its regular season with its first ranked win. The Bulldogs took down No. 6 Alabama 1-0 Sunday. MSU's goal came in the first half off the foot of sophomore Chiarra Tappe. MSU ends the season undefeated against ranked opponents with a 1-0-3 record. "I'm pumped for the girls because they worked so hard," head coach Kevin O'Brien said in a release from MSU soccer. "It was such a new group being thrown together in July, and to see where they are now from where we started, as a coaching staff that spent a lot of time trying to get us on the same page, it's a real reward to see the girls enjoying a moment like this." MSU ends its regular season 9-2-6, 3-1-6 in SEC play. The Bulldogs will head to Pensacola, Florida, for the SEC Tournament this weekend. MSU, the No. 8 seed, opens the tournament against ninth-seeded Texas on Sunday. | |
| Lebby's lectures: All hands on deck in MSU QB room |
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| Every quarterback on Mississippi State's roster -- including AJ Swann -- got practice reps Monday, head coach Jeff Lebby said. Swann started the Bulldogs' 31-3 loss at Texas, going 12-15 for 97 yards, before he injured his throwing arm on a sack late in the second quarter. Lebby said he was limited in movement throwing the ball during practice. "The hope, obviously, is that AJ has the ability to get back healthy and feel good enough to play winning football," Lebby said. Billy Puckett and Swann have been the two backups filling in for Kamario Taylor, who is out for the season. Redshirt junior Jaden Rashada and freshman Brodie McWhorter are the other two quarterbacks listed on MSU's roster. Lebby said the "nature" of the quarterback position and how the Bulldogs' practice is set up has limited McWhorter and Rashada in reps in the past. "For us, being able to split times, split reps, give some guys some opportunities to see exactly what we've got, I think is important," Lebby said. "... I'm finding out who's going to give us the best chance to go win if they're in the game." | |
| Lebby feels 'layups' could reignite State's offense |
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| Every minute matters. In the midst of a four-game losing streak that's included a slew of injuries, both lingering and season-ending, Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby is working to get the most it can out of those that are able to go. So far the results have not been stellar, as the Bulldogs have scored just 18 points in their last 13 quarters. During the team's press conference on Monday, Jeff Lebby mentioned the importance of "making the layups." "There were a lot of layups in the first half of that game on Saturday that we needed to make to give ourselves a chance to go in at half in a completely different situation, and ultimately that applies pressure to the other side," Lebby said. "Does it change the outcome? Nobody will ever know, but you apply pressure by making those layups in the first half to give yourself a chance." | |
| Jeffery Simmons stymies QB Sam Darnold, Seahawks in Bears debut |
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| The four days leading into the Chicago Bears' dominant 34-17 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks were life-altering for Jeffery Simmons. The All-Pro defensive tackle pivoted from game-planning with the Tennessee Titans to learning a new defense while preparing for the Seahawks after he found out he was being traded on Oct. 29. In a matter of hours, Simmons left his family and home of the past eight seasons to join an NFC contender. Simmons delivered immediately for the Bears (6-2, 0-2). In his first primetime game in three seasons, the defensive tackle had a sack, six tackles (three TFLs) and deflected a pass as Chicago registered its third straight win. "Our guys were excited the moment they heard the news that we were bringing him on, and he's fit right in," Bears coach Ben Johnson said. "We got a high character locker room, and he is that himself. And you can feel his presence out there, whether it's during the play or even after the play, you can feel him talking a little smack as well, which I think that elevates everybody around him. So I thought he played outstanding. To come in there and have a share of the lead of tackles and a sack in his first game, his impact was profound." | |
| Former Mississippi State star Jeffery Simmons helps lead the Bears past the Seahawks 34-17 |
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| Jeffery Simmons ran out of the tunnel for the first time since joining the Chicago Bears with a new uniform, orange sleeves and a wide smile as he welcomed the move that put right into contention with important games on big stages. Then he delivered exactly what the Bears needed. Simmons had a sack in his Bears debut as part of a dominant defensive performance that helped lead Chicago to a 34-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks 34-17 on Monday night. "When I attacked the field, I wasn't worried about the trade," Simmons said. "I wasn't worried about all the outside noise. All I was worried about is play after play, just give the team everything I got." Acquired last week from Tennessee for a package that included two first-round picks, Simmons took little time to make a big impact on a defense that had lacked difference-makers. He had a sack on the opening drive, added another tackle for loss and finished with six tackles, three pressures and a pass defensed with coach Ben Johnson describing his impact as "profound." Chicago held Seattle to 252 yards and one third-down conversion on 11 tries. | |
| LSU to crack down on unauthorized gameday events after brawl on campus |
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| LSU plans to crack down on large gatherings on campus before and after football games after an on-campus brawl following the homecoming game against Mississippi State led police to break up a crowd with pepper balls. "Tailgating is about football. We cherish the seven Saturdays when we gather as a community to celebrate our tailgate traditions before cheering on our Tigers to victory," LSU President Wade Rousse said in a news release Monday. "While tailgating is embedded within the fabric of our community, we must remember it is a shared privilege that mandates a safe environment focused on one event, the LSU football game." Starting Saturday, "promoters/organizers of any unauthorized event can anticipate being shut down immediately if advertising is brought to the university's attention ahead of game-day," the release said. Freshman Na'lyih Smith said she would understand an increased presence of authorities on campus but does not agree with heightened tailgating restrictions. "It's starting to get too strict, it really is," Smith said. | |
| Sports in the Election: What's at Stake in the 2026 U.S. Midterms |
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| The NCAA and its influential members have spent more than a decade discussing the possibility of an antitrust exemption. The most recent and serious of those efforts, the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA), currently sits in a strange limbo. Its future -- and that of big-time college athletics–could be forever altered by the results of Tuesday's elections. The PCSA is one of a number of sports-related stories that will be affected during the U.S. midterms. There are former pro athletes on the ballot, and major implications for sports betting and prediction markets. Sports team owners have donated millions and could face bigger tax bills, while the constant barrage of campaign ads have changed the appearance of live sports broadcasts over the past few months. Despite securing a decisive 77-22 favorable vote in the U.S. Senate, the PCSA is no sure bet to pass the U.S. House of Representatives before the 120th Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3. For starters, there's not a lot of time left on the clock. | |
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