Mississippi

Why Mississippi State football is examining these 5 drives to help struggling defense

Published

2 months ago

October 31, 2024

Why Mississippi State football is examining these 5 drives to help struggling defense

STARKVILLE — The first five offensive and defensive drives from another loss have been a teaching point for Mississippi State football.

Defensively, Mississippi State, which allowed its most points of the season last week in a 58-25 home loss to Arkansas, conceded three touchdowns and a field goal on the first five possessions.

On offense, MSU (1-7, 0-5 SEC) lost a fumble, scored a touchdown, missed a field goal and had two turnovers on downs to trail 24-7 early in the second quarter.

The numbers don’t hide how poorly the defense has played all season, but first-year coach Jeff Lebby has made it clear that the defense isn’t all to blame for a seven-game losing streak. His offense can do a better job, too, helping set up the defense for success with a nonconference game against UMass (2-6) at Davis Wade Stadium on Saturday (3:15 p.m., SEC Network).

“We weren’t able to create any momentum,” Lebby said. “It’s both sides of the ball not finding a way to get momentum, create it and then keep it. As a group and as a team, looking at those five drives and seeing how we can change the game at that point is something that we’ve done a ton of and we’ve got to learn from.”

Mississippi State hasn’t been capturing momentum

Mississippi State tight end Justin Ball and defensive lineman Sulaiman Kpaka said the Bulldogs can feel momentum when it swings during games.

The problem is, momentum has been swinging away from the Bulldogs early and often.

Mississippi State has only scored 14 points on opening drives this season. It has scored two touchdowns, punted without a first down four times, turned the ball over on downs once and lost the fumble against Arkansas. And in first quarters, MSU is averaging just 3.4 points in seven games against FBS opponents, tied for 102nd in the country and tied for second to last in the SEC.

Meanwhile, the defense has enabled five opening-drive touchdowns, and its 9.3 points allowed per first quarter against FBS teams is last in the SEC and tied for 124th nationally.

“Those first five drives we talked about when we go out and handle our business every one of those drives, it puts the defense in a much better position,” Ball said Tuesday. “It helps with momentum as well. It gets them a little more motivated to go out there and get some stops and get the ball back to us so we can keep doing our thing.”

It’s forced Mississippi State to play from behind virtually all season. In the seven games against FBS opponents, MSU has only led twice for a combined 11 minutes, 49 seconds. None of those leads have gone past the first quarter, and MSU has only been ahead for 2.8% of game time against the FBS.

“I want us to be able to go create momentum early in the game and then keep momentum,” Lebby said. “We have to find ways to do that.”

Is the Mississippi State offense feeling more pressure to score?

While the Mississippi State offense hasn’t started games well, it’s still found ways to score plenty of points, even with freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr.

In SEC play, MSU is averaging 24.2 points per game, 4.2 more than it did against Arizona State and Toledo in September. Three of the five conference games have been against teams currently ranked inside the US LBM Coaches Poll top 11, and the 31 points at Georgia are the most the Bulldogs have scored at an AP top five team since 1936.

So, yes, MSU is scoring. It just isn’t soon enough.

“I wouldn’t say it’s pressure, but at the same time I would say it’s pressure,” wide receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. said. “It is what it is. We got to do that. Our goal is to score a lot of points a game, and right now we haven’t been doing that. It’s pressure, but at the same time, it’s not pressure. We just got to go out there and do our job.”

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

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Mississippi

1 dead after 2-vehicle collision on Mississippi 42 in Lamar County

Published

3 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

1 dead after 2-vehicle collision on Mississippi 42 in Lamar County

From Mississippi Highway Patrol Public Affairs Office

LAMAR COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) – A woman died from injuries suffered in a two-vehicle collision Friday afternoon on a stretch of Mississippi 42 in Lamar County.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol said a 2004 Toyota Sienna driven by 32-year-old Alaina R. McLeod, of Bassfield, was traveling east on Mississippi 42 when it collided with a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado driven by 36-year-old Harold Guilbeau, of Sumrall.

The accident took place about 2:30 p.m. Friday, MHP said.

MHP said McLeod was declared at the scene.

The crash remains under investigation by MHP.

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Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Takes Care of Mississippi Valley State in Oxford

Published

11 hours ago

December 21, 2024

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Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Takes Care of Mississippi Valley State in Oxford

No. 25 Ole Miss Rebels women’s basketball won its third straight game on Saturday as it took down an in-state foe in the Mississippi Valley State Devilettes by a final score of 78-44.

Ole Miss (8-3) was led in scoring by guard Sira Thienou with 18 points, and she was one of five players who hit double digits on Saturday. Madison Scott (13), Star Jacobs (13), Kennedy Todd-Williams (12) and Kharyssa Richardson (12) were the others to hit that pinnacle.

As a team, the Rebels shot 43.9 percent from the field and 25 percent from three compared to percentages of 34 and 28.6 from MVSU. Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin spoke with the media after the game about the difficulties of preparing a team for some of these non-conference games around the Christmas season.

“These games are very hard because it’s not like one of those games where it’s a conference game or something where the players are very educated on their opponent,” McPhee-McCuin said. “You just ask them to be mature and work things through. I thought in the third and fourth quarter, we were able to establish that and pull away by me shortening the bench a little bit.”

Ole Miss only led by 12 points at halftime, and since expectations have changed around the program, impressive wins matter. The Rebels then proceeded to outscore MVSU 42-20 to secure a convincing result, and McPhee-McCuin was impressed with some of her veteran leadership in the locker room at halftime.

“I thought that Maddie (Scott) and Kennedy (Todd-Williams) leadership today was incredible in the locker room,” McPhee-McCuin said. “I didn’t have to say a word. They did a lot of the talking. Because the NET still matters and how it looks still matters for us.

“We’re no longer trying to get into the tournament. If we’re not in the tournament, I’ll be shocked. For us, it’s not about getting into the tournament. It’s about seeding. We have to fight that because we’re not the ‘sexy’ team. Everything we get, we’re going to have to earn. They knew that, and they were talking to the team about that, and that’s why we were able to create some separation.”

The Rebels are off until they play host to Alcorn State on Dec. 30. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. CT at the SJB Pavilion.

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Mississippi State basketball vs Memphis score today: Live updates, game highlights, how to watch

Published

19 hours ago

December 21, 2024

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Mississippi State basketball vs Memphis score today: Live updates, game highlights, how to watch

MEMPHIS — Mississippi State basketball has a big opportunity to strengthen its NCAA Tournament resume today.

The Bulldogs (10-1) are playing Memphis (9-2) and coach Penny Hardaway at FedExForum on Saturday (11:30 a.m., CBS). Both teams are ranked in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs are at No. 25 and the Tigers are ranked No. 22.

Memphis has played four teams that are currently ranked. Guard PJ Haggerty averages 22.4 points per game, the seventh best in the country.

Follow along here for live score updates.

Watch Mississippi State vs Memphis live on Paramount+ (subscribe here)

Mississippi State vs Memphis score updates

This section will be updated when the game begins.

What time does Mississippi State vs Memphis play today?

What channel is Mississippi State vs Memphis on today?

TV channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ (subscribe here)
Radio: Mississippi State radio network 96.1 FM

Mississippi State vs Memphis will be broadcast on CBS with streaming available on Paramount+.

Mississippi State vs Memphis live stream options

Mississippi State basketball vs. Memphis will be broadcast on CBS. Steaming is available via Paramount+.

Mississippi State vs Memphis predictions

Memphis 80, Mississippi State 77: This is arguably the toughest opponent Mississippi State has faced this season. Memphis has played a tough schedule consisting of Missouri, UConn, Michigan State, Auburn, Clemson and Virginia, plus North Carolina and Alabama in exhibitions. The Tigers have three great guards in Haggerty, Tyrese Hunter and Colby Rogers, who all shoot over 38% from 3. MSU has struggled to guard 3-pointers and falls in a close game.

Mississippi State vs Memphis betting odds

Game lines and odds from BetMGM as of Saturday:

Spread: Memphis -1.5
Over/under: 151.5
Moneyline: Memphis (-110), Mississippi State (-110)

Mississippi State vs Memphis injury updates

Mississippi State guard Kanye Clary remains out indefinitely with a lower leg injury. Starting forward Cameron Matthews has also been playing through a foot injury.

Mississippi State basketball schedule 2024-25

Record: 10-1

Next five games on the Mississippi State schedule:

Dec. 21: at Memphis
Dec. 30: vs. Bethune-Cookman
Jan. 4: vs. South Carolina
Jan. 7: at Vanderbilt
Jan. 14: at Auburn

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Memphis basketball schedule 2024-25

Record: 9-2

Next five games on the Tigers’ schedule:

Dec. 21: vs. Mississippi State
Dec. 28: vs. Ole Miss
Jan. 2: at Florida Atlantic
Jan. 5: vs. North Texas
Jan. 11: vs. East Carolina

Mississippi State basketball news

Michael Nwoko tied his career high with 18 points against Central Michigan.
Jans did not have an updated on injured guard Kanye Clary on Thursday. Clary hasn’t played since Nov. 29.

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

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