Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Sportsbook Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

The state of Mississippi, also known as the “Magnolia State,” lies along the Gulf Coast of the United States between Louisiana and Alabama. Home to around three million people, this great state is best known for the Mississippi Pot Roast, the cities of Jackson and Biloxi, and Windsor Ruins, which is located near Port Gibson. Mississippi is also home to around 300 towns smaller than Jackson and Biloxi, many of them possessing vibrant downtown areas. From Oxford’s historic downtown square to downtown Tupelo and the Elvis Presley Birthplace & Museum, there are several excellent examples of great Mississippi towns possessing some of the most thriving downtown areas.

Oxford

Located around 85 miles southeast of the city of Memphis, Tennessee, the town of Oxford is best known for being home to the University of Mississippi and Rowan Oak, the former residence of William Faulkner. Yet, this “Ole Miss” town has a vibrant, happening downtown area as well.

Between all the eateries and restaurants in and around “the Square,” including Boure Restaurant, Rooster’s Blues House, and the Oxford Burger Co., there is always something great around every corner that will tantalize the taste buds. There are also several festivals and events held in downtown Oxford every year. The Double Decker Arts Festival takes place in April, and Oxford Endurance Weekend happens every August.

Vicksburg

The pastoral, brick-lined town of Vicksburg, located 45 miles west of Jackson, is home to a thriving historical and cultural downtown area. In addition to several historic sites, including Vicksburg National Military Park and the Riverfront Murals along the banks of the Mississippi River, downtown Vicksburg hosts museums, such as the USS Cairo Museum, the Old Depot Museum, and the Civil War Museum.

A variety of exhilarating festivals are also held in downtown Vicksburg every year, including ‘Burg Days of Summer’ and ‘Destination Downtown,’ showcasing the importance of thriving downtowns within the states of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

Natchez

Known as the oldest settlement along the banks of the Mississippi, the picturesque town of Natchez displays a flash of history that began in 1716 as Fort Rosalie. Now, with a population of around 15,000 people, Natchez is home to a great historic downtown area.

From Longwood, the largest octagonal house in America as of 1860, to Stanton Hall, to the Rosalie Mansion, owned by the Mississippi Daughters of the American Revolution, Natchez is filled with a love for the past. Plus, for those who have a slightly more modern taste, Natchez holds a variety of annual festivals downtown, including the Mudbug Music Festival in May and the Natchez Balloon Festival in October.

Bay St Louis

From Bay St. Louis Beach and the L&N Historic Train Depot, which was built in 1928, to the Folk Art Museum and its collection of over 50 pieces by Alice Moseley, the town of Bay St. Louis is well worth visiting. Having just under 10,000 residents, Bay St. Louis possesses a vibrant downtown area, including several specialty shops, like California Drawstrings, as well as a variety of great eateries and restaurants, like the Ugly Pirate Cafe, which features Mediterranean fare along with several other cultures.

Downtown Bay St Louis also hosts awesome events and festivals annually, including the OLG Crab Festival, which is held by Our Lady of the Gulf every July.

Corinth

Situated in the northeastern corner of the state is the town of Corinth. Several events and festivals are held annually in Corinth that assist with downtown growth, including Music at the Yard, which takes place in May, and the Slugburger Festival, which occurs every July. The Slugburger Festival showcases a culinary delight known as the slugburger every year, which is a prominent staple in the South, and especially the state of Mississippi.

Downtown Corinth is also home to several museums and historic sites, like the Crossroads Museum, the Shiloh National Military Park Corinth Interpretive Center, and the Corinth Coke Museum, which showcases everything from Coca-Cola signs and lights to Coca-Cola refrigerators.

Laurel

250 miles south of the town of Corinth, the quaint town of Laurel is an avid historian’s delight. Possessing a taste of artistic integrity, Laurel is home to several historical sites, including the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art and the Jones County Visitor Center, which houses its own museum that caters to the history of Jones County. This town of less than 20,000 residents has a plethora of historical homes that are available to tour in and around downtown Laurel as well. The Green Barn and White Oak were both built around the beginning of the 1900s, and they are both conveniently located on North Fifth Avenue in downtown Laurel.

Port Gibson

Several miles east of the Mississippi River and around 30 miles south of Vicksburg, the quaint town of Port Gibson has historical as well as natural aspects, including Windsor Ruins, which survived the Civil War, burned down in 1890, and then was designated in 1985 as a Mississippi Landmark, and the Grand Gulf Military Park. Yet, this town of barely 1,000 permanent residents is also home to over 40 other historic sites, including the A.K. Shaifer House, where the first shots of the Civil War in Port Gibson were fired in 1863, and the Bernheimer Complex, which is quite close to several other historical attributes of Port Gibson, like the Mississippi National Bank, which was first established in 1803.

Cleveland

Between Clarksdale and Greenville, the town of Cleveland is most famously home to the Grammy Museum Mississippi, which showcases Grammy performances, relays the history of the Grammy Awards, and even displays sections on famous Red Carpet performers. There are also several other historic aspects to downtown Cleveland as well. The Martin & Sue King Railroad Museum and the Mississippi Delta Chinese Heritage Museum are both located in downtown Cleveland, along with plenty of mom-and-pop shops and local restaurants, like Magnolia Mockingbirds, a children’s clothing store to the south of downtown, and No Way Jose, a Mexican restaurant to the north of downtown. There are also several annual festivals that take place downtown, like their version of Octoberfest, with tasty food, excellent drinks, and some great music.

Tupelo

Quite close to the eastern border of Mississippi, the pastoral town of Tupelo, most well-known for being the birthplace of Elvis Presley, hosts other exhilarating historical and natural facets, like the Tupelo National Battlefield and Tombigbee Lake State Park. Yet, this normal-sized town of about 30,000 people is also home to a variety of festivals and events that bring visitors back every year. Along with the Tupelo Elvis Festival, which occurs annually in June, Tupelo holds several auto shows and classic car showcases year-round, as well as a wide variety of music festivals. There are also several great dining and shopping choices in downtown Tupelo, including Dodge’s Southern Style and Goodness Gracious.

The “Magnolia State,” also known as Mississippi, is inundated with great towns possessing vibrant downtown areas. From picturesque towns like Natchez, home of the Rosalie Mansion, which is home to the Daughters of the American Revolution, to the pastoral town of Laurel and great examples of premier architecture like the Green Barn, the historical and natural aspects of Mississippi cannot be passed by.

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State football rebuild wasn’t always going to be seamless. 

Expectations for coach Jeff Lebby’s first season were modest. Bumps were to be expected. Perhaps there’d be a game MSU let slip away, a bowl-less first season or an obvious in-game coaching blunder. 

Remember, this isn’t just Lebby’s first time as the Bulldogs’ coach. It’s the 40-year-old’s first head coaching job at any level. 

But Saturday’s 41-17 loss to Toledo (3-0) at Davis Wade Stadium isn’t an ordinary loss for Mississippi State (1-2). It’s an epic one. It’s MSU’s worst home nonconference loss by scoring margin since it was beaten 42-14 by West Virginia in 2006. West Virginia was ranked No. 4 in the country at the time. Toledo is Toledo. 

Recovering from the loss will start with letting what happened Saturday turn from the edge of a slippery slope to a rallying point. 

“We’re going to fight like heck to fix every single bit of it,” Lebby said after the game. “That’s my job. That’s what we’re supposed to do. I think our guys will be ready to get back in the building and go to work. Everybody is incredibly frustrated right now. I’m incredibly disappointed that we played and coached the way we did tonight in front of our home crowd with our students showing up the way they did. 

“But we do. We got to get it fixed. Regardless, we’re going to kick off at 11 a.m. next Saturday morning right here at home.”

Why Jeff Lebby left Blake Shapen and other starters in the game

There weren’t many positives to draw from the loss. Asked directly about it, Lebby said he took notice of MSU’s effort particularly on extra point and field goal attempts. 

“When I look at a football team that’s in the situation we were just in, the thing I always want to watch is what’s happening on PAT/field goals,” he said. “On the defensive side of the ball, are we rushing? Are we trying like heck to go block a dang kick at the end of the game? Are we doing the things that we need to do from an effort standpoint that has to show up just to give us a chance? Those things were happening.”

Lebby never pulled the starters, including quarterback Blake Shapen, when the game was already well decided in the fourth quarter.

Both of Mississippi State’s touchdowns came in the second half after it had fallen behind by 32 points. 

“The thought was we were going to fight our butt off until the last second,” Lebby said. “I think that’s incredibly important as we’re sitting here three games into the tenure. Our guys understand regardless of the score, we can’t play to a scoreboard. We have to find a way to go play and go execute for as long as it takes.”

MORE: Unpacking Mississippi State football, Jeff Lebby’s biggest problems after Toledo loss

The talent is the talent at this point, so only so much can be improved midseason. The offensive line won’t magically go from the dominated to the dominant, nor will the defense that’s forced only five punts and one sack in the past two games. 

Being competitive Saturday (11 a.m., ESPN) at Davis Wade Stadium against the vulnerable Florida Gators (1-2) will be just as much a testament to MSU’s buy-in as much as its talent. 

“There’s a lot of lessons to be learned in these last couple of weeks,” Shapen said. “Just being able to move forward, and obviously we’re starting SEC play, so we got to scratch everything that’s happened before.”

Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.