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The decision Jeff Lebby regrets most from Mississippi State’s blown 17-point lead vs Texas

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The decision Jeff Lebby regrets most from Mississippi State’s blown 17-point lead vs Texas


STARKVILLE — Two days after Mississippi State football’s blown 17-point lead against Texas, coach Jeff Lebby has one decision he’d like to redo.

The Bulldogs had a third-and-6 at the Texas 42-yard line with 50 seconds remaining and the game tied. Lebby, MSU’s second-year coach, wishes he would’ve called one of his two timeouts before the third down after quarterback Blake Shapen rushed up the middle for a 4-yard gain.

The Bulldogs (4-4, 0-4 SEC) lost 45-38 in overtime to the Longhorns (6-2, 3-1) on Oct. 25 after leading by 17 points in the fourth quarter.

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“It was incredibly conservative not wanting to give the football back to them,” Lebby said at his Oct. 27 news conference. “It’s not who I am, and that’s the one I’m going to hang on to and learn from more than anything. I probably should’ve taken a timeout, bring them over and talk about it.”

The third-down play ended in a loss of 8 yards after Shapen fumbled. Mississippi State was forced to punt, before ultimately losing.

It resulted in MSU’s fourth straight loss and 16th consecutive SEC loss before its Week 10 game at Arkansas (2-6, 0-4) on Nov. 1 (3 p.m., SEC Network). 

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“I loved our third-down call,” Lebby said. “You go back and you watch the tape, it’s frustrating. Blake’s going to throw a check down in the flat to Davon (Booth) and the tip of the ball hits his thigh pad and the ball comes out. He’s going to complete a ball from me to you, and we were going to gain 20-25 yards, call a timeout and go kick a field goal. That’s this game. Those moments are crushing, but I want that back in a big way.”

How Jeff Lebby assessed his timeout strategies

Despite the regret from the Texas game, Lebby said he thinks he’s overall done a good job with decision-making regarding timeouts.

It’s a fair question for the first-time head coach who was an offensive coordinator for five seasons before being hired by MSU. The Texas loss was the second straight game where Mississippi State failed to take the lead while possessing the ball in opponent territory with under two minutes to play.

“I think where people see things a little differently is guys who have been coordinators and calling plays, you’ve always had to deal with the situations because you have the ball and you’re in control,” Lebby said.

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“Whether you’re calling a timeout, trying to gain 6-8 yards from a field-position standpoint going back now two weeks ago, whatever it is, you’ve been in control of the football. You’ve had to deal with the situation.

“So from a situational standpoint, I think we’ve been really clean. I hate that I didn’t take the timeout after second down because it was way too conservative.”

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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Texas’ Justice Carlton has turned baking passion into full-fledged business

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Texas’ Justice Carlton has turned baking passion into full-fledged business


FORT WORTH, TX — When she’s not on the court, Texas forward Justice Carlton is baking cookies. 

If you’re wondering if they’re good, just ask her teammates. 

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“They’re the best thing I’ve ever tasted,” senior Sarah Graves said. 

What started as baking for her teammates and managers for fun has grown into a full-fledged business: J’s Rollin In Dough.

After hours of practice on the basketball court and in the weight room, Carlton spends six hours a day baking cookies to fulfill her orders – or sometimes, simply for fun. 

“Anytime that I get out of practice around 5 I’m so happy because I just go home and bake,” Carlton said. 

Carlton’s love for baking dates back to her childhood. 

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“My mom worked over the summers, so when we were out of school it was so boring,” she said. “But the Easy-Bake Oven and the cake pop machine saved my life.”

Over winter break, she and her mom began discussing the possibility of creating a business of her own. They decided she could use her NIL money to form a limited liability company and obtain her food handlers license, so she did just that. 

In just three months of business, she’s received more than 100 orders and has gained nearly 1,200 followers on Instagram. She takes orders through a form linked in her Instagram bio. 

“It’s funny to see athletes do other things they are passionate about because they put the same focus and intensity into it,” Graves said. “And I can tell she has that for baking.”

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Last month, Carlton baked a batch of cookies for the “College Gameday” staff in hopes of gaining some media attention. The following month, the SEC Network staff ordered a batch at the SEC tournament and tried the cookies on live TV. 

“I used basketball as my platform, which (associate director of communications Jeremy Rosenthal) really helped me do,” she said. “I’ve just kind of been getting my name out there, so that’s been something that’s really fun.” 

The flavors offered are chocolate chip, cookie monster, cookies n’ cream, red velvet, brown butter salted caramel snickerdoodle and her newest flavor, sugar cookie. She also takes requests.

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“She made a banana pudding cookie recently,” freshman Aaliyah Crump said. “I think that one was my favorite.”

While many of her orders come from her teammates, she recently received an order from the Longhorns football team for a team party and for a neuroscience class celebration.

In the future, Carlton hopes to move her business outside of the kitchen and onto the streets. 

“I’ve put all my sales money aside and I want to start a food truck,” she said. “I think I would do something like a Crumbl Cookies on wheels.”

For now, Carlton has turned the oven off while she and the Longhorns prepare to face Kentucky in the Sweet 16 on March 28.

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Ansley Gavlak is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.





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Body found in Colombia during search for missing North Texas flight attendant, mayor says

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Body found in Colombia during search for missing North Texas flight attendant, mayor says


Authorities in Colombia say a body has been found during the search for 32‑year‑old Eric Fernando Gutierrez Molina, an American Airlines flight attendant based out of DFW who disappeared last weekend after landing in Medellín with his crew. The city’s mayor posted on X Friday that there is a “very high probability” the body is Gutierrez. The flight attendant had been missing for several days, prompting an extensive search effort in the area. Officials have not yet confirmed the identity of the body.



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How to Watch No. 1 Texas Longhorns Hosting No. 15 Texas A&M in Lone Star Showdown

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How to Watch No. 1 Texas Longhorns Hosting No. 15 Texas A&M in Lone Star Showdown


The Texas Longhorns haven’t slowed down throughout the 2026 season as they now hold a 29-1 record and continue to push the longest winning streak in program history farther along, as the Longhorns’ winning streak now stands at 27 games.

The Longhorns have strung together consistency and dominance over the last weeks of the season, as recently the Longhorns have become the unanimous top team in the country, earning the top spot, ranking as the No. 1 team in the nation.

And now No. 1 Texas will get back to the gauntlet that is SEC play with a conference series against one of its bitter rivals in the dirt edition of the Lone Star Showdown against the No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies. The Longhorns get ready to host, welcoming in the Aggies to Red and Charline McCombs Field with the first game of the series set for Friday, March 27, at 6 p.m. CT.

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How to Watch Texas vs. Texas A&M

Texas Longhorns utility Katie Stewart celebrates after hitting a home run in the fourth inning of a Women’s College World Series. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Who: No. 1 Texas Longhorns and No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies

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What: Lone Star Showdown

When: March 27-29

Where: Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin, TX

TV/Streaming: Friday on SEC Network+, Saturday on ESPN2 and Sunday on ESPN

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Radio: Longhorn Radio Network 

Meet the Opponent

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Texas A&M Aggies head coach Trisha Ford and Florida Gators head coach Tim Walton shake hands before game. | Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

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The Aggies head into the Lone Star Showdown series with a 23-9 overall record and have found success through their two conference series of the season, with a 5-1 record in the SEC. Away from home, the Aggies have split four of their away games with a 2-2 record on the road.

With the flip of the calendar from non-conference to conference play, the Aggies find a rhythm on the field, taking their conference opener against the then No. 17-ranked LSU Tigers on the road 2-1 and followed that up with a sweep at home against the Kentucky Wildcats, outscoring the Wildcats 26-9 over the three-game series.

The Longhorns batting order will battle against an Aggies pitching staff that heads into the weekend series with a 3.10 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. As a whole, the Aggies pitching staff has recorded 193 strikeouts while holding their opponents to a .225 batting average.

The leader of the Aggies pitching staff is sophomore Sydney Lessentine, as her 72 innings pitched is the most by any other Aggies pitcher. In her 19 appearances this season, Lessentine tallies a 2.43 ERA and .82 WHIP along with 60 strikeouts and holds opponents to a .196 batting average.

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