The Mississippi State football team (3-2, 1-1) was off this past week and will head to Knoxville for an 11 a.m. kickoff Saturday. Many Bulldogs fans feel that Garrett Shrader is the future and needs to play now.
This game may go a long way toward determining the quarterback position moving forward. The biggest problem for MSU has been the suspension issue. They need everyone back in the fold from here on out.
— Dale McKee
THE SEC ON TV
Mississippi State’s 11 a.m. battle at Tennessee on Saturday will be televised on the SEC Network, while the game between the visiting Rebels of Ole Miss and Missouri will be aired on ESPN2 at 6 p.m.
The featured CBS game, which falls in the 2:30 p.m. time slot, has Texas A&M hosting Alabama. The day kicks off with an 11 a.m. ESPN game with Georgia hosting South Carolina.
The rest of the SEC television schedule has UNLV at Vanderbilt at 3 p.m. on the SEC Network, Kentucky hosting Arkansas in a 6:30 p.m. SEC Network game and Florida visiting LSU for a 7 p.m. contest on ESPN for a strong closing act to a day of SEC football.
— Austin Bishop
USM FACES KEY CUSA GAME
The University of Southern Mississippi (3-2, 1-0) will host North Texas (2-3, 1-0) this Saturday night in their Homecoming at M.M. Roberts Stadium. The Eagles must take care of business to have a chance to make the conference championship game. This week and next week at La. Tech are key games.
— Dale McKee
MSU WOMEN RANKED 8TH
Renowned sports columnist Michelle Smith released her preseason ‘Power 10’ for women’s basketball on the NJCAA website last week, with Mississippi State coming in as No. 8 despite losing a large portion of its offense The extra year granted senior guard Jordan Danberry, the addition of some key transfers, the return of Chloe Bibby from injury, and an outstanding recruiting class once again have the Bulldogs in the national mix.
Oregon, predictably, holds the top spot followed by defending National Champion Baylor, and Stanford. Texas A&M comes in at o. 4, which is a big of surprise. The Aggies do return 97 present of their scoring from last season, including junior guard Chennedy Carter.
Maryland is No. 5, followed by Oregon State, UConn, MSU, South Carolina, and UCLA. The AP Preseason Top 25 will be released later this month,
The MSU women will host defending NCAA Division II Champion Lubbock Christian in an exhibition game at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 4, before opening the season at home against USM on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m.
— Austin Bishop
ECCC HOSTS NO. 1 GULF COAST
The No. 19 ranked East Central Community College Warriors will host the No. 1 ranked Gulf Coast Bulldogs in an MACJC South Division football contest Thursday in Decatur. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at Bailey Stadium. It will be “Black Out Bailey” as all Warrior fans are encouraged to wear black to the game.
The ECCC Warriors are 4-2 overall on the season and 3-0 in MACJC South Division play. East Central entered the NJCAA Top 20 this week for the first time since September 2018 after upsetting No. 15 Co-Lin 28-13 last Thursday. Gulf Coast is 6-0 overall and 3-0 in division play.
All East Central home and away football games can be heard on WKOZ “Cruisin” 98.3 radio or at www.eccc.edu/eccc-media. Live stream video of all home games as well as links to the live stream of road opponents can be found at www.eccc.edu/eccc-media.
— School Reports
EMCC HOME STREAK SNAPPED
In a battle of top-10 MACJC gridiron powers, the third-ranked Lions of East Mississippi Community College could not overcome a 20-point halftime deficit while seeing their seven-year, 36-game home winning streak at Sullivan-Windham Field snapped with last Thursday’s 56-36 setback to No. 7 Northwest Mississippi Community College.
After trailing, 42-22, at the half, the reigning national and state champions rallied to cut the deficit to six points by the end of the third quarter. The visiting Rangers responded with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to cement EMCC’s first home setback since dropping a 47-46 decision to Copiah-Lincoln during the 2012 MACJC state semifinals.
— School Reports
LITTLE WARRIOR HOOPS CAMP SET
The East Central Community College women’s basketball program is hosting a Little Warrior Basketball Camp for ages 7-11 on Saturday, Oct. 19. The camp will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Brackeen-Wood Gym on the Decatur campus. Cost is $65 per camper. All campers will receive a T-shirt. Concessions will be available.
The ECCC coaching staff and players will be teaching effective basketball fundamentals in a safe and fun environment. Register online at www.eccc.edu/little-warrior-basketball-camp. Make checks payable to ECCC Women’s Basketball and send to Head Coach LaTaryl Williams, P.O. Box 129, Decatur, MS, 39327. For more information, contact Williams at ldwilliams@eccc.edu.
— School Reports
THREE-WAY TIE
Things are crazy in the MACJC North Division with three full weeks left in the regular season. Thanks to Northwest Mississippi’s solid 56-36 win over East Mississippi and Holmes’ 27-21 loss to Itawamba, three teams are tied at the top of the standings with 2-1 marks.
It stays just as tight one step down as Northeast, Itawamba and Mississippi Delta are all 2-2. Coahoma is last at 0-3.
This week’s games have Holmes hosting East Mississippi, Northwest entertaining Coahoma, Mississippi Delta visiting Itawamba, Southwest visiting Pearly River, Co-Lin traveling to Hinds, East Central hosting Gulf Coast and Northeast visiting Jones.
— Austin Bishop
