Mississippi State head football coach Mike Leach was rushed to Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson on Sunday with a serious health issue. MSU defensive coordinator Zach Arnett will be in charge of the football team until Leach returns.
Southern Mississippi and Jackson State will both see action in bowl games this Saturday. USM (6-6) will play Rice (5-7) in the Lending Tree Bowl in Mobile at 4:45 while Jackson State (12-0) will play in the Celebration Bowl at 11 a.m. in Atlanta against North Carolina Central (9-2). This will also be the final curtain call for JSU head coach Deion Sanders. The 2022-23 bowl season kicks off Friday with two bowls as the Bahamas and Cure Bowl will start the barrage of 43 bowls to be played. Ole Miss plays in Houston on December 28 against Texas Tech while No. 24 Mississippi State plays Illinois on January 2 in Tampa.
Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins was named the SEC Newcomer of the Year along with being named first-team SEC running back. Rebel teammate Jonathan Mingo was named to the second team as a wide receiver along with offensive tackle Nick Broeker. Mississippi State's Emmanuel Forbes garnered All-SEC honors for the second time as a defensive back. Tulu Griffin of MSU also made the first team as a special teams returner. The Bulldogs also had two second teamers in defensive lineman Tyrus Wheat and linebacker Nathaniel Watson. Southern Mississippi running back Frank Gore Jr. earned first team Sun Belt Conference honors at the all-purpose position. He also earned second team running back honors.
The best high school football players from Alabama and Mississippi squared of in Mobile last Saturday. The Alabama All-Stars scored two late touchdowns to escape with a 14-10 win. Alabama now leads the series 25-11. Raleigh’s Suntarine Perkins was named the MVP for Mississippi. Perkins had 10 tackles and a pass break-up. This Saturday, the Bernard Blackwell North/South high school football game will be played in Gulfport.
The 123rd Army-Navy game was a joy to watch this past Saturday from the pre-game to the post-game. From the opening prayer to the respect shown at the end of the game, there was nothing but class. Army won the football game, 20-17, in the second overtime.
Mississippi State (9-0) men’s basketball team is the only remaining SEC school that is undefeated. The Dogs’ will play in Jackson State on Wednesday in Jackson before hosting Nicholls State this Saturday. The JSU Ladies will host Texas at 11 a.m. that day.
The Southern Miss (9-1) men's basketball team cruised to a 95-59 win over Lamar on Saturday at Reed Green Coliseum. Southern Miss will host McNeese State on Sunday in a 2 p.m. tip.
Ole Miss (7-2) defeated Valparaiso, 98-61, last Saturday. Ole Miss will now host UCF on Wednesday night and Temple on Saturday afternoon this week.
Odds & Ends
Columbus native Leslie Frazier will be inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame next June. Frazier played at Alcorn (1978-80) and then played in the NFL for five years with the Chicago Bears. He was a starting defensive back on the 1985 Bears Super Bowl champion team. He is presently the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills.
Mississippi Valley State University’s head football coach, Vincent Dancy, resigned last week to take a position on Deion Sanders' Colorado staff. Dancy is a Noxubee native that played at JSU.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams won the Heisman Trophy given to the Outstanding College Football Player. Williams won over TCU signal caller Matt Duggan, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and former Jones College and present Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett. Stetson was awarded the Burlsworth trophy given to the most outstanding college football player who began his career as a walk-on.
The Athletic reported that the NCAA transfer portal for football that opened on December 5 has 1,000 players seeking new college homes.
