Mississippi
Arizona State vs Mississippi State picks, odds: Who wins Week 2 college football game?
Arizona State forces 3 turnovers in win over Wyoming to start 2024
All offseason, coach Kenny Dillingham preached getting turnovers. Forty seconds into the season’s first game, the defense produced its first one.
The Arizona State Sun Devils host the Mississippi State Bulldogs in a Week 2 non-conference college football game on Saturday, Sept. 7 at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.
Which team will win the game?
Check out these picks and predictions for the game, which is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. MST and can be seen on ESPN (stream with this free trial from FUBO).
Arizona State is coming off a 48-7 win against Wyoming. Mississippi State beat Eastern Kentucky in its season opener, 56-7.
ASU football is a 6.5-point favorite over Mississippi State in the game, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
The Sun Devils are -250 on the moneyline. The Bulldogs are +200.
The over/under for the game is set at 56.5 points.
This is the first meeting between the two college football programs.
Dimers.com: Arizona State 30, Mississippi State 24
It writes: “According to our analysis, Arizona State is more likely to beat Mississippi State in CFB action at Mountain America Stadium on Saturday.”
Sports Chat Place: Bet ASU football to cover vs Mississippi State
It writes: “I’m going with Arizona State. This should be a fun matchup though, and you could make a case either way. The Sun Devils posted 499 total yards (241 rushing), 7.0 yards per play, 27 first downs and no turnovers in their blowout win Saturday. Defensively they were great as well with 118 yards allowed (78 passing), eight first downs, three turnovers and a 3-of-13 rate on third downs.”
Arizona State football predictions: Game-by-game picks for Sun Devils in 2024 season
Picks and Parlays: Arizona State 35, Mississippi State 21
Cameron Ross writes: “Both teams come in a week two undefeated as each will look to continue to roll. Arizona State will have the edge however as they are on their home field and have a top tier defense. Look for the Sun Devils to keep it rolling as they pick up a win and cover at home against the SEC opponent.”
Clarion Ledger: Arizona State 27, Mississippi State 26
Sam Sklar writes: “This game kicks off at 9:30 p.m. CT against an Arizona State team that should be improved under second-year coach Kenny Dillingham. The Sun Devils offense averaged just 17.7 points per game in part due to injuries at quarterback and offensive line. Redshirt freshman transfer Sam Leavitt is ASU’s new quarterback.”
ASU football schedule: Dates, times, TV channels for Sun Devils’ 2024 season
ESPN: Sun Devils have a 56.5% chance to defeat Bulldogs in Week 2
The site’s matchup predictor gives Mississippi State a 43.5% chance to beat Arizona State at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Saturday.
STREAM THE GAME: Watch ASU football vs Mississippi State live with FUBO (free trial)
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
Mississippi
Mississippi Miss Hospitality announces record scholarships for 2026 competition
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) – The Mississippi Miss Hospitality Program announced Saturday that contestants competing for the title in 2026 will be eligible for the organization’s largest scholarship offerings in its 77-year history.
Contestants will be eligible for more than $105,000 in scholarships and prizes, including $32,500 in direct cash scholarships.
The winner of the competition will receive a $10,000 cash scholarship, tuition scholarships, travel opportunities and a total prize package valued at $27,000. The first alternate will receive a cash scholarship of $6,000, the second will receive $3,500, the third will receive $2,500 and the fourth will receive $2,000.
During Saturday’s announcement, the Advisory Board of the Mississippi Miss Hospitality Program also revealed that the winning cash scholarship will be named for Bonnie Warren.
Warren has spent decades supporting tourism, hospitality and economic development efforts across Mississippi. She also helped move the Miss Hospitality Program from Starkville to Hattiesburg in 1998 and has remained one of its strongest advocates.
The theme for this year’s Miss Hospitality will celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
The competition will take place July 17-18 in Hattiesburg. Tickets will go on sale in two weeks.
The Miss Hospitality Program was founded in 1949.
Want more WDAM 7 news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
Copyright 2026 WDAM. All rights reserved.
Mississippi
What ‘unthinkable’ season, first WCWS trip meant to Mississippi State softball
OKLAHOMA CITY — Taryne Mowatt-McKinney called Mississippi State softball’s first Women’s College World Series appearance back in the fall.
Coach Samantha Ricketts said the Bulldogs’ pitching coach walked into her office in October to deliver her bold prediction.
“She said, ‘If our pitching continues to progress the way it is, we’re going to the World Series,’” Ricketts said. “We may have looked at her like she may have been a little crazy.”
But Mowatt-McKinney wasn’t crazy, and the Bulldogs delivered, making it to the WCWS for the first time in program history.
That experience was short-lived as the Bulldogs (43-21) lost 4-0 to No. 2 seed Texas (48-12) in an elimination game at Devon Park on May 29, ending their season.
The Bulldogs went 0-2 in the WCWS and did not score a run.
“Could not be more proud of this group for what they’ve done for Mississippi State softball and for each other, the way they’ve represented this team, this program, our community,” Ricketts said. “… They believed that Mississippi State could be here on this stage when nobody else did.”
Ricketts noted the team never wavered in its belief even when things got difficult. Mississippi State went 9-15 in SEC play, finishing 10th in the conference. The Bulldogs only won two of their SEC series and fell out of hosting contention for regionals in late April.
As a road team, MSU made it out of the Eugene Regional to super regionals. The Bulldogs upset No. 3 seed Oklahoma on its home field to be the only unseeded team at this year’s WCWS.
“Really we talked all year long that our roster was built for May,” Ricketts said. “With how difficult our SEC schedule was, the lessons we learned along the way, we knew that postseason it’s 0-0 for anyone. If we could continue to trust in the work that we had done, we could really do something special here.”
The trip to the WCWS was especially meaningful for seniors Nadia Barbary, Morgan Bernardini and Kiarra Sells. All three began their careers in Starkville. They took the program from not even making the NCAA Tournament their freshman year to the WCWS in their final season.
“It meant the world to us,” Sells said. “Even getting here was such a big deal to all of us. Honestly, we’re grateful to have been on this stage, to have worked our butts off to be here, to be a Mississippi State Bulldog. It was such a blessing.”
The team’s accomplishments also resonated with players who started their careers at other schools. Pitcher Peja Goold, a transfer from Chattanooga, reflected positively on what she’d gained from this final year.
Goold finished with a 2.50 ERA, 182 strikeouts and eight shutouts. She was picked in the second round of the AUSL draft by the Oklahoma Sparks.
“I’m just so grateful that Mississippi State gave me the chance to be here and the opportunity to play on this stage,” she said. “… I chose Mississippi State, look where it brought me. That’s such a blessing and I’m so thankful that God placed me here and led me to them.”
During the team’s two WCWS games, not much went in the Bulldogs favor. They were shut out both times and run-ruled by Texas Tech in their first game. Still, the Bulldogs are walking out of Oklahoma City full of gratitude and pride for what they achieved in 2026.
“We did the unthinkable, making history throughout our whole season,” Bernardini said. “Yes, this sucks right now, but it’s like what a better way to end it at the end?”
Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at treid@usatodayco.com and follow her on X @tiareid65.
Mississippi
High school graduation photos in, near Jackson MS. Find your student
High school choir sings gospel medley during graduation in Jackson MS
See video from Murrah Singers, Landon Price performance during Murrah High School graduation in Jackson, Mississippi.
High school graduation season has come to a close in Jackson, with Jackson Public Schools having finished their graduation ceremonies on May 27.
Madison County Schools held ceremonies May 15 and 16. Hinds County School District held its on May 19, and the Rankin County School District held ceremonies May 8 through May 18.
Following up on prom season, The Clarion Ledger photographed more than 25 ceremonies across the greater Jackson area, capturing both smiles and tears of joy, struts and dances across the stage, two new cars and many, many caps thrown in the air. Pyrotechnics, sunsets and excited family members brightened ceremonies and high school chorales lifted spirits.
Take a look at our gallery of highlights from every commencement, or peruse each ceremony, gathered below.
Hinds County
Callaway
Callaway High School held graduation at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson on May 27.
Forest Hill High School
Forest Hill High School held graduation at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson on May 27.
Jim Hill High School
Jim HIll High School held graduation at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson on May 26.
Lanier High School
Lanier High School held graduation at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson on May 27.
Murrah High School
Murrah High School held graduation at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson on May 26.
Provine High School
Provine High School held graduation at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson on May 26.
Raymond High School
Raymond High School held graduation at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson on May 19.
Terry High School
Terry High School held graduation at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson on May 19.
Madison County
Canton High School
Canton High School held graduation on its campus in Canton on May 23.
Germantown High School
Germantown High School held graduation at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson on May 16.
Madison Central High School
Madison Central High School held graduation at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson on May 16.
Ridgeland High School
Ridgeland High School held graduation at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson on May 16.
Velma Jackson High School
Velma Jackson High School held graduation on its campus in Camden on May 15.
Rankin County
Brandon High School
Brandon High School held graduation at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson on May 11.
Florence High School
Florence High School held graduation at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson on May 8.
Northwest Rankin High School
Northwest Rankin High School held graduation at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson on May 12.
Pelahatchie High School
Pelahatchie High School held graduation at the Clyde Muse Center in Pearl on May 15.
Pisgah High School
Pisgah High School held graduation at the Clyde Muse Center in Pearl on May 12.
Puckett High School
Puckett High School held graduation at the Clyde Muse Center in Pearl on May 11.
Richland High School
Richland High School held graduation at the Clyde Muse Center in Pearl on May 18.
Private Schools
Central Hinds Academy
Central Hinds Academy held graduation at Cain-Cochran Hall in Raymond on May 4.
Hartfield Academy
Hartfield Academy held graduation at Pinelake Church Reservoir Campus in Brandon on May 8.
Hillcrest Christian School
Hillcrest Christian School held graduation on its campus in Jackson on May 8.
Jackson Academy
Jackson Academy held graduation on its campus in Jackson on May 14.
Jackson Prep
Jackson Prep held graduation at First Baptist Jackson in Jackson on May 19.
Madison-Ridgeland Academy
Madison-Ridgeland Academy held graduation at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Madison on May 15.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School held graduation on its campus in Ridgeland on May 22.
Saint Joseph Catholic School
Saint Joseph Catholic School held graduation at Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson on May 20.
-
Los Angeles, Ca20 minutes agoMotorcyclist killed by hit-and-run truck driver in Sun Valley
-
Detroit, MI40 minutes agoClear skies give Metro Detroit perfect Blue Moon viewing weather
-
Dallas, TX50 minutes agoH-E-B files construction permit for Dallas location, next step towards 2028 open
-
San Francisco, CA50 minutes ago18-year-old dies in crash on I-80 near SoMa district
-
Miami, FL1 hour agoLive Updates from Florida Gators vs. Miami Hurricanes in Gainesville Regional
-
Boston, MA1 hour agoPolice Blotter: Cambridge meth chemist sentenced to prison; Boston firefighters make high-flying save
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoColorado outdoor spirit, music comes to downtown Denver
-
Seattle, WA1 hour agoMild weekend weather in Seattle before 80s return