Mississippi

Texas Defense Credited for ‘Putting Out Fires’ vs. Mississippi State

Published

1 year ago

September 29, 2024

Texas Defense Credited for ‘Putting Out Fires’ vs. Mississippi State

Throughout its first four games of the season, Texas football has been nothing short of productive on both sides of the ball. The defense had allowed just two touchdowns from its opponents, while the offense was averaging over 500 total yards per game.

But that same team was unable to bring its usual efficiency and dominance against Mississippi State on Saturday. A messy first half left fans and spectators to do a double take as the Longhorns nearly rolled into halftime with a mere one-point lead, extended with less than a minute left in the second quarter due to a 49-yard touchdown pass caught by sophomore wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr.

A fumble in the first and third quarters highlighted an offense plagued by self-inflicted wounds, including eight offensive penalties for a loss of 65 yards. The Longhorns were only able to convert on 41.7 percent of third downs, and a failed 4th-and-3 attempt after taking a successful field goal off the board in the third quarter left Texas stuck with an eight-point lead.

Texas was still able to pull off a 35-13 win over the Bulldogs, finding offensive rhythm in the second half of the game as quarterback Arch Manning completed all but one of 12 pass attempts.

Although the Longhorns gave up two field goals in the first half and a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, head coach Steve Sarkisian praised one of the crucial elements that went into their first SEC victory during his post game press conference.

“[I give] a lot of credit to our defense to put out those fires when some of those miscues occurred on the offensive side of the ball,” Sarkisian said. “They were on the field a ton in the first half of this game. They had 21 minutes that they were on the field, and then we were able to kind of even it out a little in the second half. But a credit to those guys to keep us kind of just hanging in there like a total team at halftime.”

The Texas secondary recorded six sacks, the most in a game this season, and 72 total tackles. Despite giving up a total of 150 rushing yards and 144 passing yards, Mississippi State was unable to turn those into scoring opportunities until its first touchdown came in the fourth quarter due to a communication error.

The Bulldogs were held to just 28 offensive yards in the third quarter and 95 in the fourth, and Texas was able to even out the time of possession to be in its favor.

“I think right now we’re playing a really good team defense, and I think the run defense is complimenting the pass defense, and vice versa,” Sarkisian said. “This is a challenging offense that we played today because of the big splits that they put you in. And we kind of went in saying, we’re going to make these people earn it.”

Senior defensive back Jahdae Barron said the team understands that when the scale of production is uneven, the other side of the ball knows to pick up the work load.

“Sometimes the defense may slack, the offense may slack. That’s what the team’s for, you’re there to pick up your brothers when things are not going their way, so they can get on board,” Barron said. “So at the end of the day, I think it was a good win for us. We finished out the right way.”

Texas will enter a bye week before traveling to Dallas for the program’s annual Red River Rivalry game against Oklahoma on Oct. 12, giving it ample time to clean up mistakes and come back ready for another SEC win.

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Mississippi

East Mississippi running back Gavin Griffin selected to 2025 NJCAA All-America First Team – Meridian Star

Published

1 hour ago

December 23, 2025

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East Mississippi running back Gavin Griffin selected to 2025 NJCAA All-America First Team

Published 12:08 pm Tuesday, December 23, 2025

East Mississippi Community College running back Gavin Griffin has added to his list of 2025 season accomplishments by being named to this year’s NJCAA Division I Football All-America First Team. The National Junior College Athletic Association announced the organization’s first-team, second-team and honorable-mention football selections on Dec. 20.

As an NJCAA All-Region 23 honoree as well as being the MACCC North Division’s Offensive Player of the Year recipient this season, Griffin’s most recent honor gives East Mississippi’s football program a total of 36 NJCAA All-America selections during the past 18 seasons under the guidance of NJCAA Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame head coach Buddy Stephens. Dating back to the 2008 season, the EMCC Lions have had at least one NJCAA All-American in football during 13 of the past 18 years.

In becoming EMCC’s 15th first-team NJCAA All-American dating back to 2008, Griffin helped lead the Lions to a 7-3 overall record and 5-1 MACCC North Division mark while earning the program’s 12th division crown and 15th conference playoff appearance during the Stephens coaching era.

A Troy University signee, Griffin was twice selected as the NJCAA and MACCC Offensive Player of the Week this season while topping the NJCAA Division I statistical leaders with 22 rushing touchdowns and ranking second nationally with 1,168 rushing yards. With six 100-yard rushing outings on the year, Griffin’s top performances on the ground included a career-high 220 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 22 attempts during EMCC’s 49-27 home win over Pearl River. He also had 189 rushing yards and three scores in 23 carries during the Lions’ 34-28 road victory at Northwest Mississippi.

With at least one rushing touchdown in all 10 games this past season, Griffin had seven contests with multiple scoring runs, including an additional four-touchdown effort in EMCC’s 50-39 home win over Holmes. During the Stephens coaching era at EMCC, Griffin’s 134 total points scored and 22 touchdown runs this season rank second behind Tyrell Price’s NJCAA-leading 24 rushing touchdowns and 150 points scored during the Lions’ 2017 national championship season.

On EMCC’s single-season statistical leaders list during the Stephens era, Griffin’s 1,168 rushing yards in 10 games played rank third behind 2025 EMCC Sports Hall of Fame inductee Rod Moore (1,303 in 2011) and Lakenderic Thomas (1,334 in 2013), who both had the advantage of playing two additional games during EMCC’s respective national championship seasons. Griffin’s 207 rushing attempts this season are the most by an EMCC player during the Stephens era, breaking the mark of 200 carries previously held by second-team NJCAA All-American Deon McIntosh during the Lions’ 2018 national championship season.

For his two EMCC seasons, Griffin’s 1,722 career rushing yards rank third behind Thomas (1,724) and Moore (2,211), while his 30 career rushing touchdowns tie Price for the most during the Stephens era. Along with the 66 points that Griffin scored (8 rush TDs and 3 TD catches) as an EMCC freshman in 2024, the 2023 MHSAA Class 1A Mr. Football out of Velma Jackson High School became just the second EMCC player of the Stephens era to reach 200 career points scored.

EMCC’s 35 NJCAA All-America players under Stephens’ leadership are divided among 18 offensive performers, 15 defensive honorees and two special teams players. Leading the way positionally for EMCC dating back to 2008, the Lions have had 10 All-America quarterback selections, including NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year recipients Ty Keyes (2023) and Bo Wallace (2011) as well as two-time All-America signal-caller Randall Mackey (2008 & 2009). On the defensive side of the football during the Stephens coaching era, the Lions have featured eight All-America defensive linemen, headlined by 12-year NFL veteran Denico Autry (2011) of the Houston Texans and recently retired 11-year NFL standout Za’Darius Smith (2012).

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Mississippi

Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for Dec. 22, 2025

Published

13 hours ago

December 23, 2025

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Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for Dec. 22, 2025

The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 22, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from Dec. 22 drawing

20-21-22-24-25

Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from Dec. 22 drawing

Midday: 1-8-7, FB: 3

Evening: 9-1-4, FB: 1

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from Dec. 22 drawing

Midday: 0-6-1-7, FB: 3

Evening: 1-2-4-0, FB: 1

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Dec. 22 drawing

Midday: 13

Evening: 11

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Story continues below gallery.

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Winnings of $599 or less can be claimed at any authorized Mississippi Lottery retailer.

Prizes between $600 and $99,999, may be claimed at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters or by mail. Mississippi Lottery Winner Claim form, proper identification (ID) and the original ticket must be provided for all claims of $600 or more. If mailing, send required documentation to:

Mississippi Lottery Corporation

P.O. Box 321462

Flowood, MS

39232

If your prize is $100,000 or more, the claim must be made in person at the Mississippi Lottery headquarters. Please bring identification, such as a government-issued photo ID and a Social Security card to verify your identity. Winners of large prizes may also have the option of setting up electronic funds transfer (EFT) for direct deposits into a bank account.

Mississippi Lottery Headquarters

1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100

Flowood, MS

39232

Mississippi Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date. For detailed instructions and necessary forms, please visit the Mississippi Lottery claim page.

When are the Mississippi Lottery drawings held?

Cash 3: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
Cash 4: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).
Match 5: Daily at 9:30 p.m. CT.
Cash Pop: Daily at 2:30 p.m. (Midday) and 9:30 p.m. (Evening).

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Mississippi editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Mississippi

No snow in a Mississippi Christmas – Meridian Star

Published

1 day ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

No snow in a Mississippi Christmas

Published 11:11 am Monday, December 22, 2025

From the looks of the weather forecast, it appears I am going to be disappointed again this year: no White Christmas, no one-horse open sleigh ride, and no chestnuts roasting on an open fire.

Our songs and traditions this time of year sure paint a pretty picture! Unfortunately, almost every Christmas season I’ve ever experienced in Mississippi has found me wearing shorts on Christmas Day. I think the forecast calls for a high of 74 degrees on Christmas Eve, 73 on Christmas Day, and 75 the day after.

Even though the weather disappoints me, I love my Christmas traditions. As silly as it sounds for a grown man, I love Christmas socks and wear them throughout the year. I grew up with a mom who made fresh eggnog. I haven’t had any homemade in years, but I purchase some every season.

In true Clark Griswold fashion, no Christmas would be complete without proper outdoor Christmas illumination. To make it even funnier, you can’t see my lights unless you come up our very rural driveway. Yes, the lights are just for me.

Speaking of Clark and company, my sweet indulgent wife always watches Christmas Vacation at least once each season with me. And then there are my other favorite Christmas shows and movies: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Charlie Brown’s Christmas, the Grinch, and Home Alone. (Also, I vote that Die Hard is a Christmas movie.)

And because my wife indulges me, I’ve been known to indulge her by sleeping through, er, I mean watching a Hallmark Christmas movie or two. She’s just blessed like that. What a guy I am!

But moving on from praising myself, when my oldest son got married, his wife brought us a new Christmas tradition: the Christmas Pickle ornament. You hide it on the tree, and whoever finds it gets to open the first present. I’m not sure that one has much of a future. Nevertheless, I unabashedly love Christmas.

Here’s my Christmas rule: “If you quit believing in Santa Claus, you get clothes for Christmas.” Not this guy. I’m all in it for the toys. (You may be familiar with the adage that the only difference between a man and a boy is the price of his toys—I resemble that remark.)

And in case you are wondering what to get me, my sizes are .45, 9mm, .233, .22, .380, and 12 gauge. Smile! It’s all in good fun.

In the immortal words of Clark Griswold, “Where do you think you’re going? Nobody’s leaving. Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We’re all in this together.”

And we are. May your blessings be great, and your opportunities and abilities to bless others be even greater.

Merry Christmas!

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors!”

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