Tuesday, September 21, 2021   
 
HARDY to headline MSU Bulldog Bash
A country singer will headline Mississippi State University's Bulldog Bash this year. Mississippi native HARDY will be the leading performer at Bulldog Bash, Mississippi's largest free outdoor concert, set for Nov. 5. The event, hosted by the MSU Student Association, will be held at the intersection of Jackson and Main streets in downtown Starkville. Born in 1990 in Philadelphia -- just 60 miles from MSU -- HARDY has become a chart-topping singer with songs such as "Rednecker" and "Y'all Boys" featuring Florida Georgia Line. HARDY moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a career in songwriting after obtaining a bachelor's degree in that field from Middle Tennessee University. He was signed to Big Loud Records in 2018 and released his first EP "This Ole Boy" later that year. He has reached No. 1 as a songwriter with such tunes as "God's Country" by Blake Shelton, "Simple" by Florida Georgia Line, Jameson Rodgers' debut single "Some Girls," and most recently featured on Brantley Gilbert's single "The Worst Country Song of All Time" released in June, an MSU press release read. MSU Chief Communications Officer Sid Salter said students were the ones who decided HARDY should headline the event, and the university is excited a Mississippi native will perform. "We are excited to have a Mississippi artist involved," Salter said. "He was a huge draw at this year's Neshoba County Fair."
 
Country singer Hardy to headline Bulldog Bash
Mississippi native and country singer Hardy will headline this year's Bulldog Bash. Mississippi State University made the announcement on Monday. The state's largest, free outdoor concert is scheduled for Nov. 5 in downtown Starkville. Hardy is known for songs such as "Rednecker" and "Y'all Boys" featuring Florida Georgia Line. He also wrote "God's Country" by Blake Shelton, "Simple" by Florida Georgia Line and "Some Girls" by Jameson Rodgers.
 
MSU Extension prepares 4-H scholarship campaign
Harry Martin helped create the blueprint for major industrial and economic development in Lee County, and now he is laying another foundation for something big -- this time for a Mississippi 4-H statewide scholarship campaign. Martin partnered with the Mississippi State University Extension Center for 4-H Youth Development to establish the Harry Martin 4-H Youth Leadership Endowed Scholarship. His support was recognized Sept. 11, when he was presented a commemorative football during the game between MSU and North Carolina State University. MSU Extension and the MSU Foundation are introducing a fundraising campaign to create an endowed scholarship for each of the state's 82 counties for 4-H'ers who plan to attend MSU. A gradual rollout of the program will begin in 2022. While Martin committed more than the required $25,000 minimum to endow the scholarship for Lee County, anyone will be able to donate online to endowments for other counties once the campaign is launched. Martin himself was the beneficiary of a 4-H scholarship. He enrolled at what was then Mississippi State College in 1942 as a 16-year-old and graduated six years later with a degree in agricultural administration after serving in World War II.
 
Local doctor and researcher talks COVID-19 immunology
COVID-19 has rightly been the main topic of concern in the United States since March 2020, and because of that, there has been a lot of misinformation and opinions taken as fact that has floated around the internet. In Starkville, there are doctors who are well-versed in immunology and one is none other than Steve Pruett, the director of the NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Pruett spoke to the Starkville Rotary Club on Monday about COVID-19, the vaccines, and the totality of the situation in the state and country. Pruett began by telling about the first strain of COVID-19, which is a type of coronavirus. "The pandemic started with a particular strain of the virus that's referred to as the Alpha strain, and it's been pretty consistent throughout this past summer when a new variant emerged: the Delta variant," Pruett said. "The Delta variant is several times easier to catch, several times more communicable than the Alpha variant. In fact, the pandemic went from Alpha to Delta in a period of about three weeks to almost 100 percent Delta now. Fortunately, all three of the vaccines available in the U.S. still work against the Delta variant, and they work quite well." There are breakthrough cases of people who get sick with Covid even after getting the vaccine, but later in the program, Pruett showed a graph of people who get the virus. 98 percent of those who fall sick with Covid are unvaccinated and only two percent are vaccinated, so breakthrough cases are not as common as they are made to seem.
 
Oktibbeha County supervisors look to hire consultant for ARPA
The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors is considering negotiating a contract with a government-project consultant agency to help efficiently manage the county's American Rescue Plan Act funds. Local Government Solutions and Strategies is a Greenville-based project management agency that provides resources to municipalities and local entities with assistance in planning, design and capital projects. LGSS Owner Andrew Smith spoke at the board's regular meeting Monday on how his company can be an asset to the county when deciding on how to productively spend ARPA money. "We know that government projects are complex, and we don't like to leave clients or potential clients alone to navigate those processes," Smith said. "We're very familiar with federal and state project funding -- how those counties and communities are to remain in compliance and the processes related to implementation." Board Attorney Rob Roberson said Oktibbeha County will receive around $8 million in ARPA funds by the end of 2022. They must spend the money on qualifying uses by the end of 2026. Those uses include such things as water/sewer infrastructure, broadband access, revenue loss and hazard pay for certain public employees, among other things. The board has not officially had a discussion about the usage of its ARPA funds, but several supervisors have voiced preferences for the aid's potential projects and plans.
 
Monday Profile: Starkville optometrist provides free vision screenings for infants
It was 2003 and former President Jimmy Carter was addressing a national optometry conference in Atlanta. Sitting in the audience that day was Sarah Fratesi, who was just beginning her career as an optometrist at Crigler Family Vision Center in Starkville. Fratesi was both disturbed and inspired by the story Carter shared that day. "He said two of his six grandchildren made it to school with undiagnosed vision impairment," Fratesi recalled. "The family didn't have a clue. I thought, 'How can this be? If children in the family of a former president can fall through the cracks, what about the rest of us?'" Of all the things she heard at that conference, Carter's personal story resonated with her the most. "It was almost like a challenge," she said. "Do something." When the American Optometric Association in 2005 started "InfantSEE" -- a no-cost vision screening program for children ages six-to-12 months, Fratesi had found a way to meet that challenge. For more than 15 years, Fratesi has been conducting InfantSEE screenings at health fairs, clinics and by appointment at Crigler. "I have no idea how many screenings I've done," she said. It's certainly been enough to draw attention. Earlier this month, Fratesi was presented a national award by the American Optometric Association for her work in the program, but her volunteer work goes far beyond InfantSEE.
 
Gaming revenues are strong in state; Gulf Coast has best August in history
Mississippi's new Executive Director of the state Gaming Commission joined the Paul Gallo show Monday to share that gaming revenues are climbing. In fact, Jay McDaniel said, the Gulf Coast saw its best August in history. McDaniel said, "As of the end of August, and even with the casinos closed for two days with Hurricane Ida, they did over 200-million statewide, which is a good monthly number. The coast did 124-million which is their best August in history." Statewide, McDaniel said, Mississippi gaming revenues are around 1.8 billion. "We're usually hit about 2.1 billion. If we do what we did in 2019, we're on pace to hit around 2.4 to 2.5 billion mark, which we haven't done in a long time." McDaniel was chosen as Executive Director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission to replace Alan Godfrey who retired effective August 31st. McDaniel has been with the agency since 2011, previously serving as Deputy Director. Prior to joining the gaming commission, he practiced in the litigation department at Butler Snow LLP, handling cases involving product liability, commercial litigation, and other general litigation matters.
 
In Mississippi Abortion Case, Supreme Court Sets Arguments for December
The Supreme Court set Dec. 1 for arguments over a Mississippi law banning most abortions after 15 weeks, a case that could bring the court's most significant ruling on reproductive rights since the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. The court announced the date on Monday, as dozens of organizations, officials and advocates submitted briefs seeking to influence the decision before a midnight filing deadline. While many positions were predictable -- the National Right to Life Committee favoring the ban, the American Civil Liberties Union in opposition -- the case drew a range of submissions from around the world. More than 500 female athletes, including Olympic, national and collegiate champions, signed a brief arguing that the availability of abortion has been essential to the growth of women's sports since the 1970s. "When I was in college, I was on birth control, but I accidentally became pregnant," wrote Crissy Perham, who won three swimming medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Ms. Perham, then studying at the University of Arizona, wrote that ending her pregnancy allowed her "to take control of my future and refocus my priorities. I got better in school, I started training really hard, and that summer, I won my first national championship." On the other side, two scholars who have shaped modern conservative thought filed a brief arguing that "a distinct human being begins at conception," and therefore abortion should be considered homicide.
 
Inside Thompson and Cheney's Jan. 6 probe alliance -- both genuine and strategic
Bennie Thompson and Liz Cheney had never interacted one-on-one before a deadly insurrection thrust them onto the same political path. But these days, the progressive raised in the segregated South and the conservative scion are inseparable as they lead the Democrat-driven investigation into the Capitol riot and former President Donald Trump's effort to overturn the 2020 election. They call and text daily, often while darting between airport gates. When the select committee's work is behind him, Thompson hopes to join Cheney for an elk hunt in her home state of Wyoming. Unusual alliances are fairly common in Washington, despite its increasing gridlock and polarization. Thompson and Cheney are more than strange bedfellows, though -- their partnership on the Jan. 6 panel is thriving to a degree that neither seems to have predicted. That give-and-take between the GOP's most influential Trump critic and a respected lieutenant of Speaker Nancy Pelosi gives their probe a real shot at yielding results, despite a compressed timetable. "This is really how a legislative committee should operate," Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said of the nine-member Jan. 6 panel he also sits on. "We do not engage in constant partisan crossfire and polemical attacks on one another." The collegiality between the committee's two Republicans and seven Democrats, Raskin added, "does give you a glimpse of what we could do if we didn't have one wheel stuck in the mud." In separate interviews with POLITICO about their relationship, the chair and vice chair of the Jan. 6 panel piled on the plaudits for each other.
 
Mississippi colleges and universities banned from issuing COVID-19 vaccine mandates
Mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for students and staff are off the table at Mississippi public colleges and universities, except for in clinical settings. Mississippi Institutes of Higher Learning Communications Director Caron Blanton said Monday the Friday ruling by the IHL is meant to clear up any confusion resulting from its August directive about COVID-19 vaccinations. At the time, colleges and universities were asked to hold off on forming any COVID-19 campus vaccine policies, but it was not clear if vaccination mandates were banned. Blanton said vaccination mandates are now prohibited, with one exception. "Except for clinical settings within institutions, centers, departments, and programs, institutions are directed to refrain from mandating the COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of enrollment or employment," she said. Currently, masks are required for students and staff while indoors at all public Mississippi colleges.
 
USM prof, Water Institute work to restore Chandeleur Islands
A Louisiana-based research organization and a professor at the University of Southern Mississippi are joining forces in a research project aimed at restoring and protecting the Chandeleur Islands in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In a news release announcing the effort, USM notes that the islands provide habitat for gulf fish and wildlife, and provide storm protection for coastal Louisiana. Led by Dr. Kelly Darnell, an assistant research professor at USM, the project is one of 20 awarded a combined $2.3 million to find ways of best managing natural resources in the Gulf, including marine, mammals, shorebirds, barrier islands, seagrass and fisheries. The projects are funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RESTORE Science Program. The Water Institute of the Gulf, based in Baton Rouge, will be among those working with Darnell. Others include the University of Florida, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Gulf of Mexico Alliance. Darnell's project, which relates to seagrass ecosystems along the Chandeleur Islands, was given $127,065.
 
USM Symphony Orchestra set to kick off 102nd season
Sept. 30 opens the new season for Southern Miss' Symphony Orchestra. "It feels great. It's been great with the students, they have been very excited," said Director of Orchestral Activities Michael Miles. "A lot of challenges presenting with having to wear masks in an orchestra, especially with our winds and brass players but everyone's excited and we are really looking forward to having an audience back next week." The orchestra will be performing for a live crowd for the first time in 18 months. The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m., in the Bennett Auditorium. If you would like to buy tickets, they are available on southernmisstickets.com.
 
University of Louisiana System creates new program to enhance education of Black males
The University of Louisiana system has launched a program to enhance the educational experiences of exemplary Black male students. Two students from each of the system's nine member institutions, including Southeastern Louisiana University, are participating in the inaugural cohort of the R.F. Lewis Scholars program, a three-year initiative that focuses on academics, social advancement and community service. Demille Davis and Dillon James will represent Southeastern. Davis is a music major from Covington, and James is a nursing major from Hammond. The 18 program participants are rising sophomores who were chosen based on academic merit, financial need and leadership skills. A new class of scholars will be selected annually. "My experience as an R.F. Lewis Scholar has been very enlightening due to the fact that I've had the opportunity to meet my fellow scholars, meet some influential people who are invested in this program, and learn more about who R.F. Lewis was and the great things he accomplished," James said. R.F. Lewis Scholars receive a full tuition scholarship.
 
Louisiana colleges already reeling from the pandemic now struggle to recover from Ida
Only a third of Nicholls State University students were vaccinated against the coronavirus when they returned to campus last month, so the Louisiana school embarked on a campaign to press inoculations -- and it seemed to be working. Hundreds of reluctant students got jabs in the first few days of the semester. Then Hurricane Ida made landfall just 70 miles south. The Category 4 storm not only threatened lives and left a million or so homes and businesses across Louisiana without power. It also battered 21 state colleges and universities, stalling campus vaccination efforts in a state with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the country. After months of strategizing how to ease students back to campus as the highly contagious Delta variant surged, college administrators shifted their priorities overnight as Ida scattered everyone. Now they're busy making sure students have food, water and shelter, and wondering how to counsel many of them through this semester. "Until recently, all we talked about was Covid. Now all we talk about is the hurricane," Nicholls President Jay Clune said in an interview. Nicholls, the University of New Orleans and Southeastern Louisiana University sustained some of the worst damage among the state's colleges and universities as the storm marched north from the Gulf Coast. All three completely lost power and were forced to cancel classes for weeks whereas Louisiana State University, the state's flagship, was able to resume normal campus operations more quickly.
 
UF's 11 construction projects bring changes -- and frustration -- to campus
Blocked-off streets with signs reading "Road Closed" and fences covered in green mesh fabric stretch across campus walkways and streets. This is the campus landscape UF students face this semester. The university is undergoing construction of 11 projects from its Campus Master Plan and Landscape Master Plan. The construction, which is expected to be completed in 2023, is part of its larger effort to enhance UF's campus. However, on-campus road closures have affected faculty members' and students' commute to work and classes, as well as RTS bus routes and stops. Currently, 26 bus routes are detoured due to the construction projects happening across campus, a UF Transportation and Parking Division email read. These changes have not yet been updated on the TransLoc app, which still shows pre-construction routes. All construction projects have been in the planning stages since 2016, UF director of construction Frank Javaheri wrote in an email. Now, UF is on the next steps of beginning construction for some of its long-term designs. Following UF's plan to make campus more pedestrian-friendly, the university is transforming its core into an auto-free zone and implementing gateway projects.
 
Colleges mandating vaccines see progress toward compliance
Many of the approximately 1,000 colleges that have mandated COVID-19 vaccines are reporting strong compliance with the requirements, even as they differ in the approaches they're taking toward those lagging students who have not complied by the relevant deadlines. Some have disenrolled students from their fall classes if they do not meet the requirement, while others are extending a grace period for the fall as long as unvaccinated students submit to extra COVID-19 safety protocols such as surveillance testing. Many see vaccination mandates as the best way for colleges to protect student and employee safety and return to relatively normal operations. Colleges without mandates -- located in different geographical regions -- include Pennsylvania State University, which as of Monday reported a 67 percent student vaccination rate and an 80.2 percent employee vaccination rate across all its campuses, and the University of Alabama, which reported that at least 61 percent of students and 73 percent of employees had received at least one dose of a vaccine at its main campus in Tuscaloosa. The rate was lower at the Huntsville campus: 49 percent for students and 68 percent for employees. Louisiana State University, which announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for students and employees late, on Aug. 24, said on Sept. 15 that with nearly all students reporting, more than 82 percent provided proof of vaccination. More than 72 percent of faculty and staff reported being fully vaccinated. "If you had asked me that two months ago whether this was imaginable, I would have said no," LSU president William F. Tate IV said of the student vaccination rate. "This is no less than incredible, particularly in a state where less than half of the people are vaccinated."
 
Community college leaders celebrate first lady's return
Jill Biden returned to in-person teaching at Northern Virginia Community College this fall. The first lady, an English and writing professor, taught online last semester and spoke widely and publicly about her eagerness to come back to the classroom. "I hope you're as excited as I am for those clean whiteboards, the freshly waxed floors and, best of all, the bright faces of our students -- in person," Biden said in a speech at Waipahu High School near Honolulu in late July. With her return to the classroom, Biden is the first in her role to hold a full-time job alongside her White House responsibilities. Community college leaders and educators widely celebrated the move as yet another sign the first lady will be an advocate for their institutions in the highest echelons of government. Many supporters of community colleges also see Biden's visibility and advocacy as a part of a broader national spotlight moment for community colleges at a time when they are getting renewed attention for offering affordable options for higher education and job training and opening new paths to social mobility. Biden is also credited for drawing support for community colleges among congressional lawmakers.
 
Black Colleges Funding Adds a Hurdle for Reconciliation Package
A concern over funding for historically Black colleges and universities is emerging as another obstacle as Democrats push to secure support for their massive social spending package. Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.) is rallying her Congressional Black Caucus colleagues to join in opposing the bill unless it boosts spending for HBCUs, in part by changing how the funding is awarded. Adams said in a Sunday letter to CBC members that she's "deeply concerned that provisions related to that funding will inadvertently place HBCUs at a disadvantage." Adams' push comes as Democratic lawmakers race to hammer out the details of the $3.5 trillion package before the end of the month while managing competing demands within the party. They're aiming to pass the bill through a budgetary process known as reconciliation that would require only a simple majority in the Senate but also unified support from Democrats. Democrats are divided on a number of provisions including state and local taxes and drug pricing provisions. Moderate members of the caucus have raised objections about the overall size of the package, making it more challenging to boost spending on individual priorities in the legislation.


SPORTS
 
Leach holds back comments on officiating in Memphis loss
Mike Leach had one of his all-time rants in 2007 when he alleged biased and incompetent officiating cost his Texas Tech team a win on the road against Texas. Following a controversial call resulting in a 94-yard punt returned for a touchdown by Memphis late in a win against Mississippi State on Saturday, Leach has elected to keep any more rants or fines aside -- for now. "I clearly have some thoughts," Leach said during his weekly press conference Monday. "I just have to decide whether to make an investment in airing those thoughts. There is a price to pay in this particular game. I reserve the right to do that. It's still an option that's on the table." MSU athletic director John Cohen released a statement Sunday saying he appreciated the SEC's transparency in speaking out but was disappointed as he felt officiating took the control out of his student-athletes' hands. "Our football program's focus is now on LSU," Cohen said to close his statement. Leach echoed those words, saying he has told his players to ignore any discussion about the officiating on social media -- though saying that isn't always effective -- and turn their attention toward Saturday's game. "One day, someone's going to figure out how to eliminate social media from their team and they're going to have a remarkably good team," Leach said. "They'll be amazed and wonder how it happened."
 
When Mike Leach thinks back on last year's game vs. LSU, COVID is an unavoidable topic
When Mississippi State coach Mike Leach was asked Monday about last season's opener against LSU, there was one word he kept repeating. COVID. There was a lot going on. It was Leach's debut for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs were in Baton Rouge to face the preseason ranked Tigers. Then Mississippi State won 44-34 and quarterback K.J. Costello threw an SEC-record 623 passing yards. Leach called it a "good, exciting game." But as the first Mississippi State game played since the COVID-19 pandemic spread in earnest, there was an added layer of complexity to the contest. "It was just such a swirl of what was happening all over the place," Leach said. "There's a point where I can't remember if we were going to play or not. Everybody's messing with this COVID stuff. COVID, this. COVID, COVID, COVID. I mean, and that was back, keep in mind, that was just still at the point where ... Everybody loves saying COVID. The news hadn't worn off. People would say COVID five times just to get a good taste in their mouth. "And so then, we go there and we're very happy we had the opportunity to play. Thrilled about that," Leach continued. "But yeah, we played, and it was an intense game, as it is when you play LSU, because they're so big and fast. It was a very explosive game on both sides. Well anyways, we won it. It was a good, exciting game." Mississippi State (2-1) enters SEC play on the back of a 31-29 loss to Memphis --- a game filled with controversy at a late punt return touchdown that conference officials admitted shouldn't have counted upon further review. LSU (2-1) lost its season opener to UCLA but has bounced back with wins against McNeese State and Central Michigan.
 
Notebook: Leach reflects on 2020 win at LSU, addresses Mississippi State's inexperience
Reflecting on last season's win at LSU is difficult for Mike Leach in a football sense, because of all that went into the SEC's first games amidst the pandemic. "It was just such a swirl of what's happening all over the place," Leach said during his weekly press conference on Monday. "There was a point we didn't know if we'd play or not. Everybody was messing with this COVID stuff. "That was still at the point where everybody loved saying 'COVID.' The newness hadn't worn off. They'd say 'COVID' five times just to get a good taste in their mouth." Leach was entering his first season after a difficult offseason for his staff trying to implement their system at Mississippi State. MSU walked out of Death Valley with a 44-34 win against the defending champs. But as Part 2 of the conference rivalry between Leach and Ed Orgeron looms this Saturday, Leach is wasting little time using last year's film. Orgeron has revamped his defensive coaching staff, starting with the hiring of Daronte Jones in January to replace Bo Pelini.
 
Mississippi State's rise to No. 1 in 2014 began with win at LSU
Every week, our Mississippi State athletics reporter Stefan Krajisnik will provide a 'rewatchable' in which he'll reach into the archives and find a game, play or moment relevant to that week's upcoming matchup for MSU and relive it. Ahead of Week 4, here's a look back at MSU's upset win against LSU in 2014: The first thing Mississippi State fans will see Saturday when making their way through the student entry of Davis Wade Stadium will be a photo of Dak Prescott leaping into LSU's end zone nearly seven years to the day. The photo is on a banner along with other immortalized State wins on Davis Wade Stadium's northwest concourse. Below the photo of Prescott, this banner reads "Bulldogs 34 LSU 29." Mississippi State went into Death Valley unranked against No. 8 LSU and came out with what Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee called in an article "the most shocking upset of the 2014 season." What captivated Sallee and many others wasn't the spread entering the game (many books had LSU favored by just a touchdown), but instead it was the way in which MSU dominated a game not fairly depicted by the final score. The Bulldogs weren't afraid of the Tigers. On MSU's opening drive, De'Runnya Wilson was chirping LSU's future NFL corner Rashard Robinson before tapping him on the head and trying to shake his hand. Three plays later, Wilson was snagging a touchdown over another future NFL corner in Dwayne Thomas.
 
How will LSU prepare for Mississippi State football's crowd noise? Blasting music all practice
As LSU football attempts to make amends for last season's upset loss to Mississippi State when the Tigers visit Davis Wade Stadium, a major part of the preparation has nothing to do with pass coverage. Instead, LSU's director of video Doug Aucoin will stack large speakers on a cart, drive onto the practice field and position himself -- and those speakers -- right behind the quarterbacks. Then he'll hit play, blasting out whatever's on the playlist to mimic the environment the Tigers will face in Starkville on Saturday (11 a.m., ESPN). "We're gonna play music all week," Orgeron said. "They get those speakers really loud there. Their fans are involved. It's gonna be 11 o'clock in the morning, we're gonna have to wake our guys up and get going. It does provide a challenge. They get those cowbells going and it is one of the loudest stadiums we're gonna play at." Orgeron said LSU would stick to music rather than employing cowbells, which will be ringing in force on Saturday. The atmosphere at Davis Wade Stadium is a complicating factor for road teams. Before NC State visited Starkville, coaches tossed candy and markers at the team's quarterbacks and rang cowbells during their written test. The tactic didn't work. The Bulldogs beat the Wolfpack, 24-10, behind a dominant defensive showing.
 
Rabalais: A year after a stunning upset, Miss. State to set tone for LSU's season again
Scott Rabalais writes for The Advocate: Nearly one year ago, the skies turned ashen for LSU. Mississippi State rode into Tiger Stadium on Sept. 26 wielding the sword of self-styled pirate and unapologetically eccentric coach Mike Leach as his Air Raid offense rolled off the showroom floor. The Bulldogs didn't need a beat to work the bugs out of their new attack. They carved up the LSU defense like a holiday ham, posthaste. If memory serves, State scored a touchdown before the coin toss. Amid their demolition work, the Bulldogs ripped away the veneer of invulnerability still plastic-wrapping the LSU program after the Tigers' 15-0 national championship run the season before. The cowbells of regret and embarrassment are still ringing evil music in the Tigers' ears after last season's 44-34 loss to the Bulldogs, branded by their Southeastern Conference record 632 yards passing. It is still scarcely believable that LSU -- the self-styled "DBU," the ancestral home of the Chinese Bandits and the lair of the Honey Badger -- could have been so abused by any team through the air. But it happened. "Lies, damn lies and statistics," the saying goes, but there was truth in those shattering numbers that day. "We got burnt," LSU coach Ed Orgeron said Monday, with commendable frankness. "We just couldn't cover them. We didn't have the answers." Answers are the things Orgeron, his revamped staff and players are still attempting to find. By fits and starts, LSU has found improvement after backpedaling from the West Coast with that 38-27 loss to UCLA. (The Bruins were so energized by that LSU win that they took a week off to pose for some selfies then went "Pffft!" in a 40-37 loss to Fresno State.) The Tigers' defense unleashed an enraged pass rush in a 34-7 win over McNeese State. And the passing game put on a show to the tune of 400 Air Raid-like yards in Saturday's 49-21 win over Central Michigan.
 
Two possible kickoff times, TV channels announced for Mississippi State football at Texas A&M
Mississippi State's football game at Texas A&M will kick off at either 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. Oct. 2, the Southeastern Conference announced Monday morning. The contest at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, will either be televised at 5 p.m. on ESPN or at 6 p.m. on the SEC Network. An Oct. 2 game featuring Florida at Kentucky will receive the other time slot. The time and network will be fixed after the Bulldogs host LSU (2-1) at 11 a.m. Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium. Kentucky plays this week at South Carolina, while Florida hosts Tennessee. Mississippi State lost 28-14 to Texas A&M on Oct. 17, 2020, in Starkville in the last meeting between the two schools. The Bulldogs (2-1) are coming off a 31-29 loss to Memphis (3-0) at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. MSU kicked off 2021 with a 35-34 comeback win over Louisiana Tech and a 24-10 defeat of North Carolina State, both at Davis Wade Stadium. Texas A&M is ranked No. 7 in the country in the latest AP Top 25 poll. The Aggies have wins over Kent State, Colorado and New Mexico. They will play at No. 16 Arkansas (3-0) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
 
Three Bulldogs Win First Fall Matches
Three Mississippi State men's tennis players moved one step closer to the main draw with first round qualifying wins at the ITF Fayetteville 15K on Monday. Florian Broska, Nemaja Malesevic and Davide Tortora all notched victories in their opening matches of the fall and are now one win away from advancing to the main draw of the tournament, which is part of the ITF Men's World Tennis Tour. Broska reached the win column first with a mid-morning triumph over Kiranpal Pannu of New Zealand, 6-2, 7-6(5). Malesevic and Tortora followed suit with straight set victories in the afternoon session. Malesevic defeated Mathieu Scaglia of France 6-2, 6-3 while Tortora won 6-3, 6-2 against American Chad Kissell. The only MSU player not moving on at the event is Carles Hernandez, who fell 6-2, 6-2 to Jeffrey Von Der Schulenberg of the University of Virginia. "All four guys showed good toughness today in their first matches of the fall," said MSU assistant coach Jake Jacoby, who is with the players in Fayetteville. "Flo' (Broska), 'Dade' (Tortora) and 'Memo' (Malesevic) managed some ups-and-downs in their wins and were very focused on what they could control. "Carles played a very strong player today that was top 10 in ITF Juniors in the world and was right there with him despite the final score. Overall, I am very happy with each guy's toughness, attitude and resilience today. The Bulldogs definitely got better."
 
Ole Miss Football Team All Offered NIL Deal From Blue Delta Jeans
Tupelo-based Blue Delta Jeans, a bespoke denim company, has offered every player on the Ole Miss football roster a name, image and likeness deal. Players who accept the offer will each receive a custom pair of jeans, which they'll be able to design, with a retail value of $450 in exchange for at least one social media post per month from September 2021 through January 2022. With its only retail store located just minutes from the Ole Miss campus in Oxford, Blue Delta believes working with the team allows it illustrate how its jeans custom fit any body size, from the smallest player on the team to the largest. Blue Delta creates a custom pattern for each client using 16 measurements from the waist down, which can be taken in person or online using the company's state-of-the-art virtual tailor. The client then gets to create their own design by choosing from 50 fabrics and 18 thread colors, in addition to selecting their cut, to create a one-of-a-kind jean. Founded in 2011 by West and Nick Weaver, Blue Delta Jeans counts among its customers former Ole Miss standouts Eli Manning, AJ Brown and DK Metcalf as well as current head football coach Lane Kiffin and head men's basketball coach Kermit Davis. On Monday, Blue Delta was on campus measuring the 33 student athletes who opted into the deal -- plus another 11 who are reviewing the paperwork -- working with each player to create their own custom design.
 
Deion Sanders offers Alcorn State help for lack of trainers: 'This is bigger than the little rivalry'
Jackson State football coach Deion Sanders wants to help an in-state rival. Sanders offered his assistance to get the Alcorn State football program some athletics trainers, during Monday's Southwestern Athletic Conference call. "I could get them (some trainers)," Sanders said. "I'm not trying to (belittle them), but that's phone calls, man. I mean, I wish we have the relationship that we could call each other, because, how many hospitals we have here in the city? I promise, I would've done it myself, sent you several trainers back because those kids deserve to get down, they deserve to play. We can't practice? Because the trainers? Like, please." The Braves missed two days of practice last week due to not having available trainers on campus, reportedly because of COVID-19-related issues. Despite missing the two days of practice, the Braves nearly upset South Alabama, which competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision, 28-21.
 
Deion Sanders shuts down Reggie Bush's recommendation for USC job: 'I'm locked in right where I want to be'
Jackson State football coach Deion Sanders batted down the latest wave of college football coaching scuttlebutt with a declarative statement about his future with the Tigers. "I'm locked in," Sanders said during Monday's Southwestern Athletic Conference call. Sanders' comments came after former USC star Reggie Bush, now a college football studio analyst with Fox Sports, recommended Sanders for the job. JSU (2-1) will face Delta State in its home opener at 2 p.m. Saturday at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. "I'm thankful that Reggie mentioned me," Sanders said. "I'm thankful that he thought much of our friendship that I could be a candidate or whatever. I'm appreciative of that, but I'm locked in, man. I'm locked in. I'm locked in. "I'm right where I want to be. I'm elated I'm coaching my sons. I'm loving this culture. I want to win, wish we would have won (this past Saturday at Louisiana-Monroe), but I'm locked in." Bush was USC's running back from 2003-05, winning the Heisman Trophy during his final season with the program and national championships in 2003 and 2004 under Pete Carroll.
 
The W taps Burrows to be men's basketball coach
Mississippi University for Women Director of Athletics Jennifer Claybrook has announced Dean Burrows as the university's new head men's basketball coach. Burrows comes to the Owls after serving as the head coach at Wesley College for the past six seasons and three more as an assistant in the program. Burrows replaces Brian Merkel, who stepped down over the summer to become the development officer in the Office of Development and Alumni for The W. "Dean Burrows brings to The W everything you would hope for in a head coach," Claybrook said. "He is the perfect person to lead us into the NCAA Division III era at The W: he is a strong proponent of academics first-and-foremost; he stresses having his team involved in campus and community activities to give back, and; he is a proven winner on the court. We are so blessed to have Dean and his family become a part of The W." Burrows helped Wesley to three NCAA Division III post-season tournament bids -- one as the head coach (2019-20) and twice as an assistant (2012-13, 2013-14) -- and had led the Wolverines to five consecutive conference tournaments. In 2019-20, Burrows' team won the Atlantic East Conference regular season (co-champion) and AEC tournament titles, posting an 18-10 record.
 
Tailgater Trash At Michigan State University Is Treasure For Can Collectors
Tailgaters toss empty cans onto the grass as they gather on Sept. 11 in East Lansing, Mich., to watch Michigan State University's first home game of the season. Other cans and bottles are stacked on the ground surrounding trash cans. These fans aren't littering. They're merely playing a role in the game day ecosystem. Canners make money by collecting empty cans and bottles, and most canners prefer when tailgaters leave those recyclables in piles -- it's easier than rooting through the garbage. Canners are a byproduct of a state law adopted in 1976 to promote recycling. People in Michigan can get 10 cents for each can or bottle they return to a store. Nine other states also reimburse people for returning beverage containers, but Michigan's redemption rate is one of the most generous. Roy Morgan ties trash bags to his bike and weaves through the most popular tailgate lots just after kickoff. He says he makes about $100 from a typical game day. "I probably hustle a little bit more than others," Morgan said. "You hustle a little bit more, you get more cans." Canners say early season games are best because of the warm weather. And it helps when Michigan State plays its archrivals like the University of Michigan or The Ohio State University. "The more the people, the more the drinking, the more the cans you pick up," Morgan said.



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