Mississippi

Texas football: 5 things for Longhorn fans to know about the Mississippi State Bulldogs

Published

2 years ago

September 23, 2024

Texas football: 5 things for Longhorn fans to know about the Mississippi State Bulldogs

Nearly 109 years ago, the Texas football team played Rice in its first Southwest Conference game. And 28 years ago, Texas met Missouri for its first Big 12 battle.

On Saturday, No. 2 Texas (4-0) will play its first conference contest in the Southeastern Conference. That debut will come against Mississippi State in an SEC Network-televised game that will kick off at 3:15 p.m. at Royal-Memorial Stadium.

Here are five things to know about Mississippi State (1-3, 0-1):

No. 2 Texas beats up ULM but still feels it is an ‘unfinished product’

1. Mississippi State will break in a new quarterback

Mississippi State has announced that starting quarterback Blake Shapen’s season is over after he suffered a shoulder injury in Saturday’s 45-28 loss to Florida. Shapen, who spent four years at Baylor before transferring to Mississippi State last offseason, had thrown for nearly 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns against just one interception in 2024.

True freshman Michael Van Buren Jr., a former four-star recruit out of Baltimore, relieved Shapen on Saturday. Junior Jake Weir and redshirt freshman Chris Parson are the other two quarterbacks on the roster. Weir has yet to appear in a game while Parson has attempted 28 passes in his career.

2. Newcomers leading the Mississippi State offense

There were 89 slots available on the SEC’s preseason honors team, but Mississippi State filled none of them. So who’s the Bulldogs’ top talent? Through four games, Johnnie Daniels leads the team with 158 rushing yards. With 22 receptions, 287 receiving yards and three touchdown catches, Kevin Coleman Jr. has emerged as the top receiving target.

Daniels and Coleman are both new to the Bulldogs. Coleman was a starter at Louisville last season and played at Jackson State in 2022. Daniels transferred in from Copiah-Lincoln Community College.

GOLDEN: Why Texas football is SEC ready after epic nonconference showing

3. Some Mississippi State coaches have a rivalry with Texas

Texas and Mississippi State haven’t played each other since the 1999 Cotton Bowl, but a few Bulldogs coaches know a thing or two about the Longhorns.

New MSU head coach Jeff Lebby worked the last two years as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator, and he was an assistant at Baylor from 2012 to 2016. Jon Cooper, who coaches the Bulldogs’ tight ends, was the Big 12 offensive lineman of the year while playing at Oklahoma in 2008. And defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler was Texas’ co-defensive coordinator in 2020.

4. Mississippi State hasn’t won big in the SEC

Unlike Texas, Mississippi State is hardly an SEC newcomer. The school was among the 13 charter members that founded the league in 1932. Still, despite being in the conference for more than 90 years, Mississippi State has won only one SEC championship — back in 1941. That team went 4-0-1 in conference play.

After a 1-7 SEC record last year, Mississippi State was picked to finish 15th among 16 teams in the conference’s preseason poll.

5. Why is Mississippi State nicknamed the Bulldogs?

Over the years, Mississippi State has answered to other nicknames, such as the Aggies and Maroons. According to the university, the Bulldog nickname was officially adopted in 1961, but that moniker had been interchangeable with the school’s other nicknames since 1905.

There are two Bulldogs in the SEC. And just like Georgia, Mississippi State has a live mascot. Mississippi State’s bulldog goes by “Dak” although its formal name is Bully XXII. And yes, Dak is named after Dak Prescott, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback and former Mississippi State star.

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Mississippi

Mississippi Lottery Mississippi Match 5, Cash 3 results for June 6, 2026

Published

6 hours ago

June 6, 2026

Press Room

The Mississippi Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at June 6, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mississippi Match 5 numbers from June 6 drawing

04-14-18-22-24

Check Mississippi Match 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 6 drawing

Midday: 8-7-5, FB: 9

Evening: 3-2-2, FB: 3

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 6 drawing

Midday: 9-7-6-0, FB: 9

Evening: 0-7-1-7, FB: 3

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from June 6 drawing

Midday: 11

Evening: 13

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

How Mississippi State baseball star Ace Reese got his name

Published

16 hours ago

June 6, 2026

Press Room

How Mississippi State baseball star Ace Reese got his name

Mississippi State baseball’s Ace Reese crushes opponent’s ace pitchers, but that’s not exactly why he got that first name.

Reese is the Bulldogs’ star third baseman and a top prospect for the 2026 MLB Draft.

He’s in his second season at MSU, which is facing Georgia in the Athens Super Regional starting on June 6 (10 a.m. CT, ESPN). The winner will go to the College World Series, where MSU hasn’t been since the 2021 national championship.

Here’s what to know about Reese, including the story of his first name.

Ace Reese name

Reese’s parents named him Ace because they thought he’d be a star pitcher. They were correct that Reese would be a star baseball player, but just at a different position.

“I didn’t know, right?” Aaron Reese told The Clarion Ledger last season. “We prayed about it a lot and you have confidence and faith and know that you’re going to get going in the right direction. At that moment, that was the direction we were being led.”

Ace Reese stats

Reese is batting .328 with 22 home runs, 72 RBIs and 69 runs. He leads the team in home runs, RBIs and runs.

Reese joined Mississippi State legends Rafael Palmeiro and Will Clark this season as the only players in program history with consecutive 20-home run seasons.

Reese is a two-time All-SEC first-team selection and the 2025 SEC Newcomer of the Year.

In his two Mississippi State seasons, Reese is batting .337 with 43 home runs, 136 RBIs and 125 runs. His .707 career slugging percentage at MSU is on pace to be the third-highest in program history behind only Clark and Palmeiro.

Ace Reese MLB draft projections

Reese is ranked as the No. 21 prospect by the MLB for the 2026 draft. Mississippi State hasn’t had a batter drafted in the first round since Justin Foscue in 2020.

Reese spent last summer playing for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team with players like Roch Cholowsky, UCLA’s star who’s projected to be the No. 1 pick.

Ace Reese transferred to Mississippi State

Reese played at Houston as a freshman in 2024 before transferring to Mississippi State.

Ace Reese hometown

Reese is from Canton, Texas, which is southeast of Dallas, and went to Canton High School.

Mississippi State vs Georgia super regional schedule

Game 1: Saturday, June 6 (10 a.m. CT, ESPN)
Game 2: Sunday, June 7 (11 a.m. CT, ESPN)
Game 3: Monday, June 8 (TBD), if necessary

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

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Mississippi

Mississippi lawmakers, educators target achievement gap as older students lag behind

Published

1 day ago

June 6, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi lawmakers, educators target achievement gap as older students lag behind

JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi fourth graders have led the nation in gains in reading and math scores, but eighth graders and high schoolers sit near the bottom in certain categories. Lawmakers and educators have drawn up plans to prevent setbacks but need help from parents.

Since 2013, students completing fourth grade have taken Mississippi from 49th and 50th in reading and math scores to ninth and 16th.

“What we see is that students do really well in those earlier grades and then in those pre-teen years, we see some of those grades dip,” State Sen. Nicole Boyd said.

High school scores lag

The biggest drop is with the ACT.

According to ACT.org, in 2024, Mississippi ranked 49th in average scores out of all states and Washington D.C.

Students earned an average of 17.7. Only 17% of test takers met the math and science benchmark and 27% met the reading benchmark.

In total, only 1% of graduates in 2024 statewide took this test.

Eighth graders are also performing below the national average according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, sitting at 41st in reading and 35th in math scores nationally.

“One way that we can change that is provide students opportunities to learn and read things that they’re interested in and not make it punitive,” said Tiffany Cline, director of library services with Jackson Public Schools.

New screening requirements

This upcoming school year, children have more options.

Boyd, who sits on the Education Committee, helped pass a law requiring elementary and middle school students to undergo three math and reading check-ups each year.

The screenings from Senate Bill 2294 place students who fall behind on an individual plan to learn at their own pace with a coach.

“By doing these screeners and really finding out where children are, that will empower parents with more information,” Boyd said. “To really help and assess their kid when they need to have a little bit more support.”

“If we address those issues then, when they get into our upper grades, they are not learning to read; they are reading to learn,” Cline said. “So, now they’re able to comprehend and understand what they’re reading better.”

Summer learning

Summertime can allow children to slip in remembering what they learned last year. Some local students shared how they stay on track for fall.

“We have to read a book for 30 minutes and work on a summer packet for 30 minutes,” Major Marshall said.

“Studying my math problems and making sure I get a good education, get my reading skills up and stuff,” Baleigh Wollfolk said.

“Especially if I practice over the summer, it will be a lot easier to get the work done and understand it more,” Kailee Partee said.

The new tools from state lawmakers will also be available for students taking computer science and personal financial classes in the school years to come in 2027 through 2029.

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