Tag: Mississippi State

No. 6 Texas A&M baseball team doubles up Mississippi State to take Game 1 of SEC series

After losing their first SEC series of the season last weekend in Florida, the Aggies have gotten their second off to a good start thus far.

After losing its first conference series of the season last weekend in Gainesville, the Texas A&M baseball team has gotten its second of the year off to a good start.

The No. 6 Aggies (20-2, 2-2 SEC) scored 5 runs in the fifth inning on Thursday night at Blue Bell Park to double up Mississippi State (16-7, 2-2) by a final score of 6-3. Texas A&M rallied on Wednesday with 5 runs in the eighth frame to defeat Prairie View A&M.

Gavin Grahovac had himself a career day, smashing two home runs to left field, propelling the Aggies to victory. The freshman third baseman led off the game with a solo shot in the bottom of the first inning to give Texas A&M an early advantage. Then with the game tied 2-2 in the fifth, he crushed a grand slam to reclaim the lead for good.

Junior Braden Montgomery returned to right field on Thursday night after starting on the bump Wednesday. He was the other Aggie with multiple hits, going 2-for-4.

Left-handed pitcher Ryan Prager (5-0) continued to dominate and earned the win. The redshirt sophomore tossed 6.1 innings and allowed 4 hits, 2 unearned runs and 1 walk with 8 strikeouts on 91 pitches. Senior LHP Evan Aschenbeck picked up his third save by pitching the final 1.1 frames.

On what will be an extremely busy Friday for Texas A&M Athletics with both basketball teams competing in March Madness against Nebraska, the baseball team hosts the Bulldogs at 6 p.m. for Game 2 at Olsen Field.

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WATCH: Jaden Akins on-court interview after Michigan State basketball’s win over Mississippi State

WATCH: Jaden Akins on-court interview after Michigan State basketball’s win over Mississippi State

Well, after a long season of trepidation, anxiety, anger, and frustration, Michigan State basketball is moving right along in the NCAA Tournament after handily dispatching Mississippi State in the first round of play.

One of the heroes of that win was Jaden Akins. The Spartan shooting guard was flying all over the court, showing off his athleticism and hitting big shots, while playing some amazing defense as well.

After the game, Akins was given the honor of the on-court interview, which you can watch below:

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Willie Gay has already changed his New Orleans Saints jersey number

Willie Gay has already changed his New Orleans Saints jersey number. He’s going back to the same number he wore in college at Mississippi State:

It only took a week for Willie Gay to go through two different jersey numbers. The New Orleans Saints initially listed their newest linebacker in the same No. 50 he wore with the Kansas City Chiefs — but he’s now slotted into No. 6, which is the jersey number he used in college at Mississippi State. It ties in well with Gay reuniting with so many familiar faces from his college days, like teammates Johnathan Abram and J.T. Gray, as well as his old defensive coordinator Todd Grantham (the current defensive line coach for New Orleans).

The number only became available when the Saints released safety Marcus Maye at the start of the new league year last Wednesday, the same day Gay’s signing was announced. Before the NFL relaxed its rules for jersey numbers in 2021, just seven players had used No. 6 in Saints history, all specialists (most notably punters Thomas Morstead from 2009-2020 and Tommy Barnhardt from 1987-1999).

Now, it’s in high demand. But Gay isn’t the only Saints free agent pickup to have chosen his new jersey number. Backup quarterback Nathan Peterman is using No. 10, which is new for him; he wore No. 14 with the Chicago Bears  last year but opted for a different number in New Orleans. But veteran wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. is using the same No. 11 jersey he wore for the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys. No word yet on which number defensive end Chase Young is going to wear, though.

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Jo’Quavious Marks brings soft hands, blocking, and veteran leadership to USC running back room

The well-rounded nature of Woody Marks could be his most impressive feature as a USC running back.

There are three things you can count on in life: death, taxes and Lincoln Riley bringing in a a tough, veteran running back who can break tackles, catch the ball out of the backfield, and pass block at USC. Jo’Quavious Marks is the latest in this line of succession for the Trojans.

Lincoln Riley’s annual tradition of using the transfer portal to acquire experienced running backs continues for the third year in a row. Following veteran Oregon running back Travis Dye and Stanford’s Austin Jones in 2022, Riley welcomed MarShawn Lloyd from South Carolina as the Trojans’ RB1 last year. This season, the Trojans have brought in Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks, a 5-foot-10, 210-pound running back from Mississippi State.

Marks is from Atlanta. He played for Mississippi State the past four seasons, starting eight games as a true freshman. He made history last year when he surpassed Fred Ross on the Bulldogs’ all-time receptions list with 214. This remarkable achievement places him eighth among the SEC’s all-time reception leaders, just 48 catches shy of the record set by Vanderbilt’s Jordan Matthews in 2010.

USC’s running back room took a huge hit in the offseason with Jones leaving for the NFL draft, plus Darwin Barlow and Raleek Brown transferring out.

Marks is an explosive runner who is powerful in the hole and can get upfield quickly. He is a solid pass blocker, something whose value can’t be emphasized enough with a number of new faces and position switches along the offensive line in 2024.

USC’s recruitment efforts in high school have been focused heavily on the state of Texas, especially for running backs. All of USC’s scholarship running backs recruited by Riley are from Texas, including Quinten Joyner and A’Marion Peterson, both of whom joined the team in 2023, as well as Bryan Jackson, who signed in 2024.

Competition will be fierce in the spring, but Marks’ hands out of the backfield and his blocking skills are proven commodities for Riley.  The new running back coach, Anthony Jones Jr., will get his first look at the running backs when spring camp opens up on Tuesday, March 19, and the pads start popping.

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‘Sundays are hard’: Trisha Ford explains 1-run loss vs. No. 21 Mississippi St. to snap 8-game win streak

“That’s what I talked to the team about,” she said. “Sundays are hard, Sundays we have to figure out how to come out here and grind it out.”

The Texas A&M softball team had its eight-game winning streak snapped on Sunday afternoon with a narrow loss against Mississippi State.

The No. 21 Bulldogs (21-6, 3-3 SEC) avoided the sweep with a 6-5 victory, giving the No. 17 Aggies (25-3, 5-1) their first conference loss of the season. Texas A&M coach Trisha Ford spoke to the media postgame.

“I thought we just didn’t do a great job of executing our gameplan,” Ford explained. “We had a couple of opportunities there. The zone was pretty tight for both teams and we didn’t do a good job of executing and kind of using that to our advantage. That’s just how it goes, they had more fight in us. That’s what I talked to the team about.

‘Sundays are hard, Sundays we have to figure out how to come out here and grind it out.'”

The Aggies had the tying run at third base in the top of the seventh inning but were unable to get the runner home.

“We were in the right part of the lineup for us to do some damage,” Ford recalled. “We just ran out of time.”

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Willie Gay Jr. eager to compete for snaps in Saints LB corps

Willie Gay Jr. looks forward to making plays with Demario Davis and Pete Werner, but he’ll push one of them off the field if need be:

What’s the vision for Willie Gay Jr.? The New Orleans Saints acted quickly to sign the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker when free agency opened up, and it’s obvious they needed another player in the group after losing Zack Baun to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Many of Gay’s strengths overlap with Pete Werner as a highly athletic linebacker who can run with tight ends and running backs in coverage, but with the quick processing ability to read the field and flow to the ball on running downs. Something he does better than others is tracking a mobile quarterback and limiting big plays with their legs, which has been a major weakness for Dennis Allen’s defense.

And how does Gay see himself fitting into a defense that plays more nickel and dime personnel than plays with its base 4-3? He considered the challenge when introducing himself to local media this week.

“They have two great linebackers right now. Pete going into year four, Pete has been playing amazing, I’ve been watching him since we both were young bucks,” Gay said, noting that he came into the NFL just a year after Werner made the jump. “And of course Demario, he’s a Mississippi guy, from Brandon, Mississippi. I’ve been watching Demario since eighth grade. So just to be able to be on the field with those guys, whenever, definitely I know I’ve got to earn my stripes whatever position that may be, however many reps it may be, I’m excited for it.”

He’s open to anything, characterizing this experience as “a clean slate for me.” But Gay knows he’ll have to work for snaps. And with both him and Werner entering a prove-it year as pending free agents for 2025, he’ll have to fight hard through training camp to carve out a role not just this season, but beyond.

“I mean of course we’ll be competing for snaps, it happened to me last year, my fourth year of my contract,” Gay replied when asked about the training camp battle brewing. “Not to take food off anybody else’s plate but you definitely want to just get in, get to the point where you’re playing — me personally, more than I was last year.”

Gay totaled 698 defensive snaps in 19 games last  year (including the playoffs) for Kansas City, which averages out to 36.7 snaps per game. Compare that to the Saints linebackers:

  • Demario Davis: 1,074 snaps in 17 games (63.2)
  • Pete Werner: 919 snaps in 16 games  (57.4)
  • Zack Baun: 303 snaps in 17 games (17.8)
  • Nephi Sewell: 59 snaps in 7 games (8.4)

He won’t fill the same role as Baun on the strong side, often working as a designated pass rusher; Gay is at his best making plays in space either at the middle spot or on the weak side, where Werner and Davis trade off from one down to the next. So he’ll be looking to displace one of them to earn more reps. Maybe that means scaling back Davis as he ages, or going with a more confident coverage player and rotating Gay in for Werner on passing downs.

But if Gay had it his way, the Saints would just run their base personnel more often so all three of them could share the field: “I actually want to get out there, show what I can do, any way that’s possible. Us three on the field, we had a good room with the Chiefs, but me, Demario, and Pete, I feel like we can make something happen. I’m excited, that’s for sure.”

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Mississippi State eliminates No. 1 seed Tennessee from SEC Tournament

Mississippi State eliminates No. 1 seed Tennessee from the SEC Tournament.

No. 9 seed Mississippi State (21-12) defeated No. 1 seed Tennessee (24-8), 73-56, Friday in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Bulldogs led, 38-19, at halftime, a season-low for first-half points this season.

Friday’s win is Mississippi State’s second against the Vols this season. The Bulldogs defeated Tennessee, 77-72, on Jan. 10 in Starkville, Mississippi.

Mississippi State led by as many as 23 points. Tennessee trailed, 60-48, after Zakai Zeigler converted a three-point attempt with five minutes remaining in the game.

Zeigler scored 20 points to lead Tennessee. Dalton Knecht scored 14 points and converted 4-of-17 field goal attempts.

Jahmai Mashack scored 10 points for the Vols, while Jonas Aidoo totaled five points and 10 rebounds.

Cameron Matthews recorded 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals for the Bulldogs.

Unpacking Future Packers: No. 64, Mississippi State LB Nathaniel Watson

Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is Mississippi State linebacker Nathaniel Watson.

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 NFL draft.

Since taking over as general manager in 2018, Brian Gutekunst has made 61 selections in the NFL Draft. Out of those 61 picks, three of them played at Mississippi State. Those three picks are tied with Georgia for most picks by school during the Gutekunst era.

If Green Bay’s general manager is going to dip his toes back in the Mississippi State talent pool a player that he could target is Nathaniel Watson. The Bulldog linebacker checks in at No. 64 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.

Watson became a full-time starter for the Bulldogs in 2021 and responded with 83 tackles, six tackles for loss and five sacks. The following season, Watson recorded 113 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, six sacks and one interception.

This past season Watson was named the AP SEC Defensive Player of the Year after he recorded an SEC-leading 137 tackles to go along with 13 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and one interception. 

“The Mississippi State defense was shaky at times, but it would’ve plummeted if not for Watson,” Stefan Krajisnik, the Mississippi State reporter for the Clarion Ledger, said. “In terms of value, you’d be hard-pressed to find a player who meant as much to a defense as Watson. Throughout his career he showed the ability to collect tackles, but especially in 2023, he proved he can blow up plays and change drives.”

Watson was all over the field for the Bulldogs this past season. He closed out his career with a bang. During the final two games, Watson recorded 42 tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack. He has a high batting average as a tackler. According to Pro Football Focus, Watson was charged with just six missed tackles all season, with three of those coming in one game. He has strong hands to get the ball carrier to the ground. 

“The numbers don’t lie,” Krajisnik said. “Watson’s greatest strength is his tackling. To get 137 tackles, you don’t miss many. He often found himself in the right spot at the right time, and more often than not, he made a play.”

Watson is at his best working north to south. He attacks downhill and he’s extremely disruptive within the tackle box. He trusts his eyes and explodes downhill to beat blockers to the spot to disrupt plays in the lane. The three-year starter was a disruptive force. He recorded 25 tackles for loss and 95 stops over the past two seasons. 

“Watson does a good job of anticipating the run and anticipating which lane a running back is going to try to attack,” Krajisnik said. “His IQ is often on display because he seems to have a knack for where a play is headed. You saw that a ton against the run.”

Over the past two seasons, Watson recorded 16 sacks to go along with 64 pressures. He times things up perfectly as a blitzer and closes with burst. 

Watson shows decent instincts in coverage. He has smooth footwork in his backpedal and is quick to close on routes. 

“Coverage is an area where you’d still like to see some improvement from Watson,” Krajisnik said. “He’s not the fastest of linebackers. However, the two interceptions across his last two seasons suggest he can make some plays.”

Watson finished his career at Mississippi State with 576 snaps on special teams to his name. Even if he doesn’t crack the starting lineup as a rookie he could quickly develop into a core special teams player. 

Fit with the Packers

Gutekunst is on record as saying they’d like to have veteran linebacker De’Vondre Campbell. Even if the Packers opt to keep Campbell, rather than cut him, they’ll need to add a linebacker or two to help round out the linebacker room with Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie. 

Watson is a well-put-together linebacker that could make an impact on early downs, while also potentially developing into a star on special teams. 

“I would draft Watson because all his potential is made evident by his numbers,” Krajisnik said. “When you’re the best player on an SEC defense – so much so that you earn defensive player of the year honors – teams make you a focus every week. Still, he was able to put up crazy numbers. There are going to be a lot of teams that regret letting him fall.”

With his size, toughness against the run and special teams experience, Watson would be a solid pick on Day 3 of the draft. The Packers need to add to their linebacker room and Watson has the potential to develop into a leader in the middle of a defense. 

How to watch, key players for No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

Here is how you can watch Oklahoma this weekend in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

The Oklahoma Sooners are back in action after another undefeated weekend. The Sooners went 5-0 and increased their record-setting winning streak to 62.

They have a tough five-game stretch in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. They open with a top 25 matchup against Mississippi State and also take on Wisconsin in their five-game weekend set.

They also passed a milestone this week, going a full calendar year without a loss. But can they keep that going and push the winning streak to 67?

Let’s take a look at how you can watch them this weekend.

More: Softball’s top 25 after week 2

Patty Gasso feels Sooners are handling the early season lessons well

Patty Gasso feels like her team is handling the early season lessons so far.

The Oklahoma Sooners softball team is still rolling after winning five more games this past weekend in Lake Charles. Still, they haven’t put out their best performance yet.

That could be a scary sign for the rest of the softball world because they are still dominant even though they haven’t hit their full stride just yet. Now, they head into another five-game weekend. One of those games is against a ranked opponent, so it won’t be easy.

Patty Gasso talked about the different lessons her team has learned so far and how they’ve responded heading into the weekend. “Today was our first day back,” Gasso said. “They handled it well. They got pushed, and they responded. So, I’m excited about that. It creates momentum too. We need to have a good day tomorrow as well to prepare us for what we’re walking into. Mississippi State is very good.”

The Sooners will start their weekend slate at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic against [autotag]Mississippi State[/autotag]. The Bulldogs have been one of the surprises of the early part of the season with top 25 wins over Louisiana, Clemson, and Utah.

While the bats haven’t fully woken up to this point, the pitching has been pretty dominant. The Sooners have allowed seven runs in nine games. Six of those happened in two games.

When the bats eventually get going like we’ve seen, Oklahoma will be in a great place to chase that illustrious four-peat.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on X @JaronSpor.