Mississippi
Three losses southwest Mississippi could ill afford. See who they were
Mississippi’s southwestern corner can ill afford three major losses almost at once as it did with the recent passages of Ralph “Catfish” Smith, Dr. Hank Lewis and Bowdre McDowell.
This trio of unique individuals represented aspects of life that most Mississippians covet: sports, medicine and the U.S. military.
Each is deserving of comment on the contributions they made in their exceptional lives and careers.
Ralph “Catfish” Smith, a Brookhaven native and longtime resident of the McComb area, died Aug. 23. There are few athletes in the state who compiled a prep, college and professional record like Smith’s.
He earned 15 letters in four sports at Brookhaven High, then moved on to Ole Miss where from 1959-1962 he was a two-way football star at offensive and defensive end in the school’s “Glory Years” under legendary coach Johnny Vaught. He was All-SEC twice and a second team All-American choice.
Catfish, who was given the nickname by sportswriter Jimmie “Mississippi Red” McDowell, played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons. He operated a famous Mississippi-Louisiana line restaurant at Osyka, Skinney’s, for years after his retirement.
In Cleveland, Ralph forged a lifelong friendship with Browns star Jim Brown, considered among the best players in NFL history. They regularly saw each other after their careers ended. Jim came to Fernwood, south of McComb, to play golf with Smith, who returned the favor by visiting Brown in Cleveland. Smith leaves his wife, Louette Brewer Smith, and six children.
Dr. Henry “Hank” Lewis, 85, who died Sept. 1 in Amite County, rose from a home without electricity or running water to become one of the region’s most beloved physicians, delivering more than 1,200 babies in a 50-year medical career.
It sounds trite to say that most everybody in Amite County and adjoining counties knew Hank Lewis, but he was, indeed, that well known. He was medical director of the large regional hospital in McComb and also monitored and cared daily for dozens of patients in area nursing homes.
Few loved Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit, where he began his education, more than Dr. Lewis. I recall discussing with him a project to build a monument and museum at the college for his fellow Amite Countian and Southwest grad, the storyteller Jerry Clower. “Jerry deserves it. Let’s get that done,” I quoted Hank. It remains a sound idea.
Dr. Lewis was on duty in the emergency room of the McComb hospital the night of Oct. 20, 1977 when the airplane carrying the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd crashed near Gillsburg in Amite County. Crash survivors returning years later to the memorial site always asked about and praised Hank Lewis.
This was a physician who for most of his career provided that most basic of medical care: the sacred house call. He leaves his wife, Betty, and six children.
My Uncle Bowdre McComb, 99, the brother of my late mother, Jonnie M. Gordon, died Aug. 27. Most families have someone who’s the “glue” holding them together. Bowdre, nearing his 100th birthday, was ours.
He served with U.S. Navy amphibious forces in World War II, helping to break Japanese codes.
Many decades later, Bowdre, a lifelong salesman, became a volunteer at the WWII Museum in New Orleans. Thanks to McComb’s Christopher Hart for his sterling “Taps” at the gravesite. Bowdre leaves a sister, a brother and many nieces and nephews.
Bowdre’s grandfather had an Ole Miss professor by that name. The grandfather asked his son, Russ McDowell, to name the next male born “Bowdre.” Thus, Bowdre got his name from Ole Miss —- and his degree from Mississippi State.
— Mac Gordon is a native of McComb. He is a retired newspaperman. He can be reached at macmarygordon@gmail.com.
Mississippi
Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo ‘disrespected’ by Mississippi State football’s defensive game plan
Cam Skattebo slammed Mississippi State on the football field on Saturday night and also took another jab afterward in his postgame press conference.
The Arizona State running back, following a 30-23 Sun Devils win at Mountain America Stadium, took exception to MSU only utilizing three defenders on the line of scrimmage. The results were damning.
Arizona State (2-0) rushed for 346 yards. It was the most allowed by Mississippi State (1-1) in a game since Arkansas in 2016. Skattebo’s 262 rushing yards on 33 carries were the second-most in ASU history.
“They couldn’t stop us in that three-down front,” Skattebo said when asked what made ASU’s run game successful. “Honestly, we all felt disrespected with them in a three-down front. You can’t come in here and put five guys in the box and expect to stop six. I don’t know. We took that a little disrespectful, and we rushed for what over 300 yards? Something around there. It is what it is.”
Skattebo, a 5-foot-11, 215-pound junior, also led Arizona State with 35 receiving yards on three catches.
“I knew these dudes were big and heavy,” he said. “We knew going into the game they weren’t as physical as most other teams but they’re heavy. So when they hit you, it hurts, no matter how hard they’re coming — 300 pounds at 10 miles per hour or 16 miles per hour hurts the same. I just kept my feet moving.”
Mississippi State trailed 30-3 in the third quarter but scored 20 unanswered points to cut the score to 30-23 with 5:27 to play. The Bulldogs never touched the ball again, with the Sun Devils running out the clock on 12 plays.
Skattebo had a game-sealing 39-yard rush that allowed ASU to kneel down.
“Until the end, we had our ups and downs there, but that was fun,” he said. “You can ask these guys up front, bullying dudes, grown men that are 300 pounds, that’s fun to us. That’s fun to the front-five, the front-seven and the running back. The quarterback probably hates it. He probably likes watching, but he didn’t complain one time the whole game.”
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
Mississippi
Why Mississippi State football loss to Arizona State revealed a strong Jeff Lebby culture
It was 11:10 p.m. Saturday in Starkville when Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt barreled into the end zone for his second touchdown of the game.
At that point, it would’ve been fair for Mississippi State football fans to call it a night. The Bulldogs (1-1) trailed 27-3 at ASU in the final minute of the second quarter. They were dominated in just about every statistical category. New coach Jeff Lebby looked like he was headed toward his first loss, and an embarrassing one.
And even if you gave the second half a chance, eyes just a crack open, that wasn’t encouraging either. Arizona State (2-0) took the opening drive of the third quarter for a field goal while eating 8 minutes, 27 seconds of game time. That just about decided the game before Mississippi State touched the ball in the second half.
Wrong.
Instead, MSU scored touchdowns on three of its next four drives and cut the score to 30-23 with 5:27 to play. The defense, which was torched for 346 rushing yards, needed one more stop to let the offense try to tie it. It would’ve been the largest comeback in program history.
Mississippi State’s path to a bowl game seems murkier than it was a week ago. But in the long-term, there’s still encouragement after the 30-23 loss.
“Our guys battled in an incredible way in the second half, and we’re going to hold on to that,” Lebby said in his postgame radio interview. “We’re going to find ways to get back in the building, get back to work and be able to walk into Davis Wade (Stadium) with a ton of confidence and ready to go win a football game.”
The encouragement from Mississippi State’s comeback effort
Lebby said after beating Eastern Kentucky 56-7 in Week 1 that there is an abundance of teachable moments in wins, just like losses.
There is plenty to point to after losing to Arizona State.
Mississippi State came out incredibly flat. The Sun Devils scored on their first five possessions. The MSU offense had one field goal, two punts, a fumble returned for a touchdown and a turnover-on-downs in the first half. MSU had -13 rushing yards in the first half.
There were concerns entering the game about the travel distance, late kickoff and high temperature. But let’s be real, Mississippi State was playing so poorly at the start that it was hard to judge if those were factors.
“I got to do a better job getting these guys ready to go play out of the gate,” Lebby said. “I thought our energy, our effort and our emotion was really good, but then we did not play clean there in the first quarter, so that part was frustrating.”
The Bulldogs outscored the Sun Devils 20-0 in the final quarter and a half. It was a surprise. Arizona State was rolling. Mississippi State was not.
MORE: Introducing Sam Sklar, the Clarion Ledger’s new Mississippi State beat reporter
For Lebby, a first-time head coach at any level, let it be a learning moment for him. It was his first time getting pinned in a corner. The Bulldogs adjusted correctly in the second half like good coaches do.
The rushing offense and defense both need to improve. Badly. Quarterback Blake Shapen has been impressive in his first two Mississippi State games and the wide receiver room is deep and talented as ever, but they can’t be the only answer.
That’s just for this season.
Mississippi State has its first tally in the loss column. But it isn’t a strike against Lebby leading the future of the program.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
Sam Leavitt leads ASU to convincing victory in 1st career start
Leavitt and the Sun Devils cruised past visiting Wyoming 48-7 on Saturday night at Mountain America Stadium.
The Arizona State football team elevated its play on the field in its 48-7 win over Wyoming in Week 1.
It is elevating its uniform game for Week 2 against Mississippi State.
ASU football is wearing a gold alternate jersey against the Bulldogs at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Saturday night.
The jersey includes maroon “Arizona State” lettering and maroon numbering, along with a noticeable Big 12 logo.
The Sun Devil football team unveiled the uniform last month, with Athletic Director Graham Rossini posting that “you’ll see this on the field early this season.”
On Thursday, ASU football announced that it would be wearing the uniform against Mississippi State with a video that said “Modern shine, with a classic design.”
On Friday, it posted another look at the uniform.
More: Arizona State vs Mississippi State live score updates, analysis for college football game
ASU vs Mississippi State schedule, TV: How to watch college football game
Promising look: Arizona State football’s 2024 win prediction doubles after Week 1 victory over Wyoming
Social media reacted favorably overall to ASU football’s uniform vs Mississippi State:
Do you like the look for ASU football?
ASU vs. Mississippi State picks: Who wins Week 2 college football game?
Looking promising: Arizona State football makes huge leap in college football ranking, Big 12 power rankings
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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