State falls to 2-2 after close losses
Mississippi State for the second straight week was unable to pull off a fourth-period comeback as they fell to LSU in their SEC opener, 28-25.
The Bulldogs (2-2, 0-1) outgained LSU (3-1, 1-0) in total yardage as MSU, led by quarterback Will Rogers, totaled 486 yards of offense. Rogers threw for three touchdowns and 371 yards in defeat.
This week the Bulldogs play their first conference road game as they travel to College Station to face No. 15 Texas A&M (3-1, 0-1). No. 12 Ole Miss (3-0, 0-0) did not play last week as the Rebels prepared for No. 1 Alabama (4-0, 1-0) in a game that will have a 2:30 p.m. kickoff. Alabama took care of Southern Mississippi this past Saturday night, 63-20. The Golden Eagles (1-3) will now travel to Rice (1-3) on Saturday night in both team's conference opener.
SEC
The SEC had four other conference games played last week. No. 8 Arkansas (4-0, 1-0) stunned Texas A&M, 20-10, while No. 2 Georgia (4-0, 1-0), Kentucky (4-0, 2-0), and No. 10 Florida (3-1, 1-1) were also big winners. No. 22 Auburn escaped Georgia State, 34-24, with a last-minute victory. Missouri (2-2, 0-1) lost in overtime at Boston College. This week’s SEC action will feature Georgia hosting Arkansas, Kentucky entertaining Florida and Auburn (3-1, 0-0) traveling to LSU.
SWAC
Jackson State downed Delta State, 24-17. Shedeur Sanders threw for three scores and JSU kept DSU out of the end zone in the final minute on Saturday. The Tigers (3-1, 1-0) now will have an open date before traveling to Alabama A&M. Delta State (2-2, 0-1) will host West Florida this Saturday night. Alcorn overcame a 19-point deficit against Arkansas-Pine Bluff to win, 39-38, as the Braves notched their first SWAC win. The Braves (2-2) will have an open date this week before hosting Grambling on Oct. 9. Mississippi Valley (0-3) fell in their first SWAC action to Southern University and this week will host North Carolina Central.
JUCO
Hinds (3-1, 1-0) trailed Gulf Coast, 31-3, early in the second period but rallied in the final 14 seconds of the game to stun the Bulldogs, 42-37, to highlight last week’s junior college action. Other winners last week were Coahoma, Co-Lin, East Central, East Mississippi, Jones and Northwest. This week’s schedules feature two big-time collisions as Hinds heads to Jones and East Mississippi goes to Northwest.
In some very sad news, Meridian native Levi Madison of Gulf Coast Community College lost his life in a single-vehicle accident early Friday morning after the Bulldogs returned to Perkinston.
High School
The only two high schools in Clarke County, Enterprise and Quitman, met for the first time since 1997 this past Friday at L.J. Davis Field in Enterprise before an overflow crowd. The Bulldogs of Enterprise won the game, 42-19, to claim their first victory over the Panthers in 50 years.
Former Meridian head football coach and present Lamar School coach Mac Barnes will be hanging up the whistle after 45 years on the sidelines. Barnes has won state championships at both schools.
Dale McKee is a Waynesboro resident who has been writing sports in Mississippi since 1973. Listen to Dale’s Brouhaha Sports Show with Marshall Wood on Tuesday and Friday at 6 p.m. on WABO FM 105.5 in the Waynesboro area. To listen to the broadcast on your computer or smartphone anywhere in the world go to Google Chrome, go to wabo105.com and click listen live.