Jackson Free Press

The city of Cleveland had endured 52 years of sport agony. Sports defeats so gut-punching that they were given names, so most sports fans could recognize the moment of disappointment.

Red Right 88 was the play call that ended the Cleveland Browns' 1980-'81 season with an interception from the Oakland Raiders. The Drive was the Denver Broncos' 98-yard march to a win over the Browns in the 1986 AFC Championship Game.

The Fumble was the costly turnover from Browns running back Earnest Byner as the Broncos won the 1987 AFC Championship Game. But it wasn’t just football that broke Cleveland hearts.

Baseball moments include The Catch by Willie Mays in game one of the 1954 World Series between the New York Giants and the Cleveland Indians and Off Nagy’s Glove, a blown save from Indians closer Charles Nagy that gave the Atlanta Braves their only World Series win of the 1990s.

Basketball in Cleveland saw The Shot by Michael Jordan, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 1989 Eastern Conference Playoffs. The Shot ushered in the era of Jordan, as he victimized the Cavaliers including the 1993 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Cleveland sports also suffered through The Move that saw the Browns move the Baltimore, Md. by owner Art Modell. The former Browns would become the Ravens and win two Super Bowls as the last Browns' title came in 1964 in the NFL Championship before the invention of the Super Bowl.

Of course there was also The Decision, when native son LeBron James left Cleveland for the Miami Heat. James won two titles with the Heat, as the Cavaliers became the worst franchise in the NBA after he left.

There were other moments in Cleveland history that didn’t earn names but left a mark—events like the 1994 MLB strike that ended one of the best Indians seasons in team history.

Even the NBA Finals last season saw the Cavaliers lose stars Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving before and during the finals. The Golden State Warriors ended up winning the NBA Championship.

Cleveland fans had to think that this finals would be just another moment of "almost," as the Cavaliers fell behind the Warriors 3-1 in the series. The Cavaliers got back in the series with Draymond Green being suspended in game five and a bit of a Warriors meltdown at the end of game six, as reigning MVP Steph Curry was ejected for the first time in his career.

Wins in game five and six allowed Cleveland to tie the series and force a game seven. Everything seemed in place for another sports moment that would rip the hearts out of Cleveland fans.

With the game tied 89-89 in the fourth quarter, every Cavaliers fan had to be thinking, "How would the sports gods gut-punch Cleveland?" But this time things were different, as what looked to be sure layup from Andre Iguodala turned into a game-changing block …

In sports sometimes, it not how you start but how you finish. For the University of Mississippi it was an ugly start but a beautiful finish in the Rebels 35-13 win to open the 2014 season.

It was an ugly first half for Mississippi quarterback Bo Wallace against Boise State. Wallace struggled in the opening two quarters as he threw three interceptions.

The first half wasn't much better for Boise State quarterback Grant Hendrick. The Broncos quarterback also threw three interceptions in the opening half and four interceptions for the game.

Wallace wasn't the only Rebel who struggled on the big stage. UM had several offensive penalties, with most coming in the form of false starts. Linebacker Serderius Bryant didn't have a good night either after he was ejected for targeting midway through the first quarter.

The stars of the first half for the Rebels were the defense and punter Will Gleeson. All night long the UM defense was able to bring relentless pressure on Hendrick each time he dropped backed, tackled soundly and covered pretty well all game long.

After three straight punts by both teams, the interception fest began on the second possession for the Rebels. Wallace threw his first pick on the very first play of the drive. It looked like Boise State would take that turnover in for a touchdown but Hendrick managed to turn things aroung by throwing his first pick on the ensuing drive, with Senquez Golson making the interception in the end zone.

The Rebels would then go on a nine-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Wallace throwing a 36-yard touchdown to a wide-open Cody Core. Boise State's busted coverage on the scoring play gave the Rebels a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

Hendrick would throw an interception on BSU's next drive and Wallace would return the favor on the Rebels' next drive. The Broncos would end up kicking a field goal after the Wallace pick to cut the Rebels lead to 7-3 in the second quarter.

Both teams would spend the rest of the half either punting or throwing interceptions. Mississippi would head into the locker room with a 7-3 lead at halftime.

The third quarter wasn't very good for either team offensively as the Rebels and Broncos struggled to get anything going. Boise State managed a field goal late in the third quarter to cut the UM lead to 7-6 heading into the fourth.

With the game on the line, Wallace finally came alive in the final 15 minutes. Wallace found LaQuon Treadwell for a 14-yard touchdown as the Rebels marched 75 yards down the field in 10 plays.

The Treadwell touchdown would give UM a 14-6 lead. Hendrick threw his fourth and final interception on the next Broncos possession.

Wallace would only need two plays to make the Broncos pay, as he found Quincy Adeboyejo for the 36-yard strike to give the Rebels a 21-6 lead and break the game …

Here is a nice trivia question you can ask your friends next week: Do you know who was the first 2016 NFL Draft player to sign with his team?

If you said Moritz Boehringer, then you would be right. The rest of you might be saying, "Who’s Moritz Boehringer?"

Funny thing you should ask that, because depending on his success, he could have started a trend.

Boehringer is the first player in NFL history to be drafted directly from Europe. The Minnesota Vikings drafted him with the 180th pick in the sixth round.

The 22-year-old, 6-foot-4-inch wide receiver was the 2015 German League Rookie of the Year, who became interested in American football after watching highlights of Vikings superstar running back Adrian Peterson.

But Boehringer isn’t the only player from the Germany to find his way to a NFL training camp this summer. Griffin Neal played Division III football at Concordia College who graduated in 2015 and headed to Hildesheim, Germany.

Neal went to Germany after an invitation from an American coach and ended up playing for the Invaders, a second-tier team in the German Football League. He also worked with a quarterback coach that helped get him an invite to Tulane’s Pro Day.

That invite to a pro day was helped by rain that forced the Tulane players to workout at the New Orleans Saints' indoor practice facility. All the Saints decision makers were there instead of just one scout. Neal impressed the New Orleans big wigs enough to get another workout. He aced that workout and earned a contract for camp later this summer.

If the sport of football is going to keep growing, that growth has to come outside of the country. Every major North American team sport has already gone global.

Soccer, can be traced back 2000 years ago but England took the sport around the world, is the world’s biggest sport. Basketball and baseball are well-known around the world. Hockey is limited by weather in most of the world, but it is still more global than American football.

The German Football League started in 1999 and is still trying to grow in terms of talent and fans. Boehringer and others explained during the draft that most German players aren’t ready to play in the NFL, much less the Arena Football League.

Germany isn’t the only place where American football is trying to take hold. There's the Amercian Football League of China, and why not try to get American football in the country with the world’s largest population?

The sport is also making inroads in Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Australia, England and other places. The International Federation of American Football says there are 80 countries with some level of organized football.

Currently the most talented players are in Germany. That would make sense if you remember the old NFL Europe that folded in 2007, which had several teams in Germany to expose fans to American football. …

Unless you live without Internet, by now, you probably know that the first NFL Preseason game between the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers was cancelled due to poor field conditions. While it does hurt the NFL to have its first game of the year cancelled, it isn’t the end of the world.

This is not the first preseason game to be cancelled, but it is the first Hall of Fame game to be called off.

In 1995, a preseason game between the Houston Texans and the San Diego Chargers was cancelled due to turf problems with the Astrodome. This is the first game in NFL history to be cancelled due to field conditions.

The Colts and Packers weren’t even the second preseason game to be cancelled. That honor goes to the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens in 2001. This game was also cancelled due to field conditions because the same field was used for both baseball and football.

The Hall of Fame game is played on essentially a high school and Division II football field. Ideally, that is not the type of field you want to play a professional football game.

It didn’t help that the field was used for events all during the Hall of Fame weekend. When using an overworked field, it’s just a matter of time before problems start happening.

If the field couldn’t be safe for play during the one weekend the NFL needs it, maybe the game should have been moved to Cleveland, Ohio, which is an hour away from Canton, Ohio, where the Hall of Fame game is played each year.

The field is adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is named Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium after New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson. In 2014, Benson donated $11 million to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with $10 million going to a new field.

Speaking of the Saints, Drew Brees is having one of the roughest camps of his career. The future Hall of Fame quarterback has thrown seven interceptions during team drills through the first nine days of camp.

Last year, the Saints and Brees were deep into training camp before he threw his first pick. Hopefully, he is getting all his interceptions out of the way now, so he throws just a few during the season.

The only reason this story about Brees throwing picks in practice is a story because it is a future Hall of Famer throwing interceptions. The Saints have a young receiving unit, so all the interceptions are not Brees’ fault.

This story doesn’t mean much unless he keeps throwing interceptions during preseason games. It will really gain legs if he begins throwing picks in bunches during the regular season.

Speaking of the Saints receivers, youth won out over experience when New Orleans cut wide receiver Hakeem Nicks on Aug. 8. The former New York Giants receiver hoped that New Orleans …

Tony Romo takes back the role of starting quarterback job the Dallas Cowboys tonight, Aug. 19, at 7 p.m. against the Miami Dolphins. This will be the first game action in the preseason for Romo, who is recovering from an injury-plagued 2015 campaign.

It seems like a good bet that Romo will only play two to three series in this game. It would be shocking to see him play past the first quarter. However, when Romo’s night is done, there is still plenty of reasons to stay around and watch this game on the NFL Network.

Former Mississippi State University star Dak Prescott is one reason to watch until his night is done. Last week against the Los Angeles Rams, Prescott had perhaps one of the best NFL debuts in Cowboys history.

Sure, it was a preseason game, and the Rams didn’t play every starter or even have a game plan. But Prescott started the game in front of nearly 90,000 fans, and Los Angeles wasn’t playing the game with a defense full of guys who are going to be out on the street next week.

In that preseason game, the Rams played both starters and backups who will play a big part of the team’s success or failure this season. Prescott had a great night even for the preseason, and he could lock up the backup job in the next three games.

Prescott was as sharp as any quarterback in the league. Even in the preseason, quarterbacks still have to read the defense and make throws. It wasn’t like Prescott was throwing against air.

He completed 10 out of 12 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns, and his only two incompletions were drops. He threw some nice passes that included a couple of back-shoulder throws and some pinpoint passes into tight windows.

Now it will be interesting to see how Prescott follows his big game from last week. He will have even more pressure on him to show the same level of play, but he will have to work with mostly backups this time.

Can he get in good plays for the Cowboys working with the second- and third-string offense? Can he overcome the inevitable false starts or holding penalties that tend to happen with backup linemen in a game?

These are things to watch, along with how he controls the huddle and how he manages the offense in down and distance situations. He will be throwing to receivers who might be the Cowboys’ third or fourth wide receivers if they make the team instead of Dez Bryant and the starters.

How does he handle it when players make mistakes and run the wrong routes? There is a difference between starting a preseason game and coming in after the starters have left the game.

Prescott has a chance to show that last week wasn’t some fluke or great luck. He has a chance to …

It was a great first weekend of college football, with memorable games from Thursday to Monday. Hopefully the rest of the season will be a great, as the first week has had surprising turnouts.

One interesting thing from this past weekend is that all three FBS teams from this state were involved in games that featured comebacks. Two of those teams, University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University, were on the wrong end of comebacks, and the University of Southern Mississippi stormed back from what looked like a loss to a win.

MSU looked in total control of the University of South Alabama on Saturday in the first half. The Bulldogs were up 17-0 at halftime and looked like they were going to cruise to their first win of the post-Dak Prescott era.

Then the wheels came off in the second half, as the Jaguars outscored the Bulldogs 21-3 in the second half. MSU had a chance to win the game but missed a field goal attempt that bounced off the upright in the game’s final seconds.

It was the first win over a SEC team in USA history. Before then, the team was 0-4 in tits history against the conference, with two losses against MSU in 2012 and 2014. Both teams missed two field goals, but everyone will remember the field goal MSU missed for a long time.

In the second half, the Bulldogs defense struggled to get off the field as the Jaguars had touchdown drives of 75 yards, 99 yards and 71 yards. The MSU offense stalled most of the second half, as the team could only muster 143 passing yards on the day.

Saturday night was a different story between USM and the University of Kentucky. It was the Wildcats that stormed out to a big lead of 35-10 as the game neared halftime.

USM used a late drive to cut the Wildcats’ lead to 35-17 with 22 seconds left before halftime. The Golden Eagles outscored UK in the second half 27-0 and scored 34 unanswered points, winning the game.

The win was on a night when quarterback Nick Mullens was just so-so in the pocket, as he threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns but had three interceptions. It was on the ground where USM tore away at Kentucky’s will to compete.

Southern Miss had 262 rushing yards, and the Wildcats had just 96 yards. Both Ito Smith and George Payne went more than 100 yards rushing that night.

The USM defense struggled in the first half but became the “Nasty Bunch” in second half. The Southern Miss defense forced three turnovers in the second half, including a fumble that ended any hopes for a Kentucky rally.

Southern Miss offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson got ran out of Lexington last year as the Wildcats offensive coordinator. He saw his new team put up 520 total yards against his old team, as Kentucky amassed 409 total yards.

Mississippi State University completely dominated the University of Mississippi in the 2016 Egg Bowl. The Bulldogs’ players ran around and over the Rebels in a 55-20 road win.

MSU quarterback Nick Fitzgerald set a school record for most rushing yards in a game at any position with 258 rushing yards. The quarterback also broke Dak Prescott’s school record for most rushing yards in a season by a quarterback with 1,243 yards.

The Bulldogs jumped out to a 27-10 lead in the first half before the Rebels mounted a comeback. UM cut MSU’s lead to only seven points at the break, but the second half belonged to the Bulldogs, who outscored their main rival 28-0 over the final 30 minutes.

It was a disappointing end to the season for the Rebels. Entering the game, the team could have reached six wins to reach bowl eligibility but instead looked completely outmatched on offense and defense most of the afternoon.

MSU racked up 566 total yards with 457 of those yards coming on the ground. The Bulldogs only threw for 106 yards in the game.

The Rebels had 528 total yards but couldn’t keep pace with MSU on the scoreboard. All the rushing attempts wore out the UM defense and kept the Bulldogs’ defense fresh for the second half to finish off the Rebels.

MSU’s victory gave head coach Dan Mullen five wins in the eight Egg Bowls that he has coached. That is something he can hit the recruiting trail with to sell athletes on coming to play for the Bulldogs.

The Egg Bowl win not only denied the Rebels a bowl game, but it also set the Bulldogs up for a bowl. MSU got plenty of help on the final weekend of the regular season.

There are 80 slots for bowl teams with the first priority going to those with 6-6 records. That means the University of Southern Mississippi will get first shot at a bowl before other teams.

Next is the United States Military Academy and the University of Hawaii. Army currently has a 6-5 record but two wins over FCS teams—only one counts toward bowl eligibility—with a final game against the United State Naval Academy on Dec. 10.

If the Army Black Knights best the Navy Midshipmen, they are bowl eligible with seven wins, but in reality, with its current record, Army is already going bowling because there won’t be enough 6-6 teams. No matter how the Army-Navy game turns out, both teams are going to make a bowl game.

Hawaii is 6-7 and will play in the Hawaii Bowl because the Rainbow Warriors get to play 13 games. This is because it is hard to get teams to travel to Hawaii so they get an extra game.

Either way, Hawaii is bowl eligible, but that still leaves two teams that can get six wins this weekend, which are the University of South …

NFL teams try to balance between winning right now and winning in the future. It is hard to maintain, and the few teams are able to do it year in and year out.

One of those teams is the New England Patriots. The Super Bowl champions have been able to win titles and stockpile draft picks for nearly two decades in the Belichick-Brady era.

While New England is waiting to see if quarterback Tom Brady will ever slow down, the Patriots already have a quarterback that could help build the program’s future.

New England made Jimmy Garoppolo its first pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. Garoppolo was the 62nd overall pick out of Eastern Illinois University.

As Brady continues to bathe in the fountain of youth, the Patriots have to decide what to do about Garoppolo. It seems the answer will be to trade him to a team that makes the best deal.

One of the teams that should at least pick up the phone is the New Orleans Saints. It’s likely that the 2017-2018 season will be the final season that quarterback Drew Brees plays for New Orleans.

It would be a great idea for New Orleans to inquire about Garoppolo. If the Saints can swing the trade, he will have the chance to study under two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks.

The asking price is the question, as is what Garoppolo’s actually value is.

There isn’t a lot of NFL tape on the quarterback since he has spent most of his time in the league sitting behind Brady. In three NFL seasons, Garoppolo has played in 17 games with just two starts. He has thrown 94 passes with 63 completions with five touchdowns and zero interceptions.

He started two of the four games during which Brady was suspended at the beginning of this season. He played well in both games before an injury forced rookie Jacoby Brissett to take over at quarterback.

The small sample size of Garoppolo’s NFL experience makes it hard to judge what he is worth. New England has traded away quarterbacks who didn’t go on to have success elsewhere.

The Patriots traded Drew Bledsoe to the Buffalo Bills after the emergence of Brady. Bledsoe was at the end of his career and never did lead Buffalo to a Super Bowl.

Then, there was Matt Cassel, who took over for New England after a knee injury took Brady out for a season. The Patriots traded Cassell to the Kansas City Chiefs. He never turned into a star after leaving New England, and the Chiefs moved on from him.

Finally, there is Ryan Mallett, who the Patriots traded to the Houston Texans. Houston eventually released him, but he is currently playing for the Baltimore Ravens in a backup role.

Ultimately, it’s up to New Orleans to decide if Garoppolo is worth the sacrifice. Would the Saints best be served …

The regular season is over for the SEC women’s basketball teams. This week the conference will hold its tournament in Greenville, SC., from March 1 to March 5.

Winning the tournament means getting the SEC’s automatic bid into the NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball Tournament. That automatic bid will be important for a team that is currently outside the projections to make the tournament.

In the latest ESPN Bracketology for the women’s tournament, eight SEC teams could end up in the field. Those eight need to make sure a surprise team doesn’t steal the automatic bid and possibly knock them out of the tournament.

Those teams are Mississippi State University, Texas A&M University, Auburn University, the University of Kentucky, the University of South Carolina, the University of Tennessee and the University of Missouri, which also happen to be the top eight teams in the conference standings.

None of the teams playing on the opening day of the tournament are from our state, so let’s skip to day two when 10th-seed University of Mississippi faces seventh-seed Louisiana State University.

The Rebels might make the tournament if they can reach the championship game, but at 17-12 overall and 6-10 in conference, they more than likely need to win the whole thing. UM is 10th in the conference and behind the University of Georgia, the eighth seed, and ninth-seed Auburn.

The latest Bracketology says Auburn is in the tournament, but the team faces Georgia, which is also 7-9 in SEC play. The Tigers are 17-13 overall and the Bulldogs of Georgia are 15-14. An opening-game lose for Auburn could knock the team out of the tournament and open the door for another one.

The Rebels enter the tournament after a 62-49 win over Texas A&M at the end of the regular season. UM is 4-6 in its last 10 games, which won’t look good to the committee. The team struggled in conference play after going 12-2 in the nonconference slate.

If the Rebels happen to get past LSU, they will have Mississippi State waiting for them in the quarterfinals on March 3. In two games against the Bulldogs, UM has lost by 11 points in the first meeting and 22 points in the second meeting.

But there is hope for the team.

MSU enters the tournament as the second seed but has lost two straight games heading into the postseason. That is not how you want to end the regular season and go into the conference tournament.

Teams want to be peaking at this time of year. Instead the MSU Bulldogs went from playing for the conference title to losing two straight games, ending up as the second seed.

MSU was considered one of the top four seeds overall in the NCAA tournament, but the two straight losses has dropped them to a two-seed in the latest Bracketology. The two …

One of the feel-good stories of the 2010 NFL offseason has come to an ugly end seven years later. The San Francisco 49ers signed undrafted free agent Tramaine Brock out of tiny Belhaven University in Jackson, Miss.

On April 6, 2017, Brock was arrested in Santa Clara, Calif., for suspicion of felony domestic violence against his girlfriend. He made bail the next day, and shortly afterwards, San Francisco released him.

Brock’s arrest happens to be the first major off-the-field incident for the new regime of General Manager John Lynch and Head Coach Kyle Shanahan. It is the third new coach in San Francisco in the last three years. They wasted no time in releasing the player.

Before Brock, no player in the history of Belhaven football had played in the NFL, and his road wasn’t the typical path.

He played at Long Beach High School in Gulfport, Miss., and then at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. He signed with the University of Minnesota after two years at MGCCC but left Minnesota after being suspended for academic ineligibility. He went from Big Ten-conference school Minnesota to tiny NAIA Belhaven.

Brock played his senior year with the Blazers but went undrafted in the 2010. He ended up signing with the 49ers and landed on the practice squad after training camp. In his rookie NFL season, Brock appeared in three games and made just three tackles.

The former Belhaven star played in 11 games in the following year and recorded his first career interception. He would play in all 16 games in the 2012 season and forced his first career fumble that season. The 49ers also reached Super Bowl XLVII that year but ended up losing to the Baltimore Ravens.

Brock had his best season as a professional thus far in 2013, with five interceptions, 13 defended passes and a touchdown. He played in all 16 games and started in seven during the season, which is also the first time that he started in the NFL.

Injuries derailed the Gulfport native’s 2014 season as he played in just three games with only two starts. Brock bounced back in 2015 with 15 starts in 15 games played with three interceptions.

Brock started all 16 games for the first time in his career last season as he set a career high in tackles with 49 total stops. He made one interception and forced this second career fumble.

The 49ers have a recent history of players, such as Ray McDonald and Aldon Smith, with off-the-field issues. The release of Brock was a message to the rest of the team on how things will now be done in San Francisco, even if Shanahan says it wasn’t message. When the team was winning earlier this decade, it overlooked bad behavior by some players.

Recently, San Francisco hasn’t been winning games, and that means the hammer comes down faster. Brock wasn’t a star for the …

College football hasn't been bad to Mississippi for the most part this season. There is hope everywhere, unless you're a USM fan, and you can check out last week's games in the JFP print edition or [follow this link][1]. The big winner last week was Mississippi State. The Bulldogs took care of everything in front of them to setup a showdown this week against Alabama.

After watching bowl games all Saturday, there is no reason to stop during the next week. Except for Christmas Day—that is for NFL games—there are bowl games every day from Dec. 19 to Dec. 24.

There are eight bowl games with three in the afternoon and five during the primetime hours of 7 to 10 p.m.

Outside of fans of the teams playing, most people don’t truly care about these games. They’re a great way to waste three-and-a-half to four hours. Nothing says “happy holidays” like an insane amount of video reviews and teams you probably didn’t watch all season.

Just in case you are on the fence about watching these bowl games, here are some reasons to tune in to every game. These facts have been gleaned from bowl previews around the web.

Looking for a reason to call in sick or leave early from work on Monday, Dec. 19? How about being home to watch the Miami Beach Bowl on ESPN at 1:30 p.m.

This game features Central Michigan University out of the MAC and the University of Tulsa out of the AAC—two “Group of Five” teams entering the postseason on opposite trends.

The UT Golden Hurricane enters the matchup on a two-game winning streak but the CMU Chippewas enter having lost four of the last five games played. Why should you watch?

Central Michigan beat Oklahoma State University on a controversial Hail Mary with a lateral in one of the craziest games of the year. If this game is close at the end, it could provide a memorable finish for the Chippewas.

Tulsa is playing for a 10-win season, and wide receiver Josh Atkinson needs just 73 receiving yards to make the Golden Hurricane the first team with two 1,000-yard running backs, two 1,000-yard receivers and a 3,000-yards passing quarterback. Who doesn’t like seeing history made?

The Boca Raton Bowl shouldn’t need much to get you to tune in to ESPN at 6 p.m. on Dec. 20. This game features 10-3 Western Kentucky University from C-USA and the 8-4 University of Memphis out of the AAC.

There will be plenty of offense on display as both teams average 40 points per game. Both have also returned interceptions and kick returns for touchdowns this season. Pour some spiked eggnog and enjoy the fireworks.

There are former conference foes battling in the Poinsettia Bowl at 8 p.m., Dec. 21, on ESPN, as Brigham Young University, formerly of the Mountain West Conference, takes on the University of Wyoming still in the MWC.

The score should be close late in the game since both teams have played seven games that were decided by eight-points or less. The Cougars lost four games by a combined eight points.

Wyoming is in its first bowl game in five years, and a win would put the program at 7-7 for bowl games. The Cowboys knocked off Boise State University in an exciting game.

The Famous …

Time for my weekly thoughts on the previous NFL week. My thoughts on the New Orleans Saints game against the Kansas City Chiefs will be posted tomorrow.

Mississippi State University (41-16-1) was one of the four SEC teams to earn one of the eight national seeds when the NCAA announced the field of 64 teams. This is the first time the team has been a national seed.

The Bulldogs are the No. 6 seed with fellow SEC teams, No. 1 seed the University of Florida (47-13), No. 4 seed Texas A&M University (41-16) and No. 8 seed Louisiana State University (42-18).

The four national seeds from the SEC are a record for the NCAA Baseball Tournament. But that’s not the only record the conference made when the field was announced.

A record seven SEC teams will host a regional. Along with the four national seeds, these SEC teams will host a regional: the University of Mississippi (43-17), Vanderbilt University (43-17) and University of South Carolina (42-15).

In the Starkville Regional with MSU is No. 2 seed California State University, Fullerton (35-21), No. 3 seed Louisiana Tech University (40-18) and No. 4 seed Southeast Missouri State University (39-19).

The Bulldogs will open regional play against Southeast Missouri State University at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, June 3, and the game will be on ESPN3. Cal State Fullerton and Louisiana Tech will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the second game.

The losing teams will meet at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, in an elimination game. The winners will face off at 6:30 p.m., and the winner of that game plays for the regional title on Sunday, June 5. All regionals are double elimination.

In the Oxford Regional, No. 2 seed Tulane University (39-19), No. 3 seed Boston College (31-20) and No. 4 seed University of Utah (25-27) will join the Rebels.

UM opens regional play at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 3, against Utah on ESPN3. The first game of the day is Tulane against Boston College.

While the Rebels and Bulldogs will host a regional, Conference USA Baseball Tournament winner, the University of Southern Mississippi, will not host a regional. The Golden Eagles instead were placed in the Tallahassee Regional.

Florida State University (37-20) is the No. 1 seed, USM (40-18) is the No. 2 seed, University of South Alabama (40-20) is the No. 3 seed, and Alabama State University (38-15) is the No. 4 seed.

USM will open regional play at 11 a.m. against South Alabama on Friday, May 3. FSU and Alabama State will play in the second game at 5 p.m., and both games will be on ESPN3.

If Mississippi State wins its regional, the team will play the winner of the Lafayette Regional. That regional has No. 1 seed University of Louisiana at Lafayette (41-19), No. 2 seed University of Arizona (38-20), No. 3 seed Sam Houston State University (41-20), and No. 4 seed Princeton University (24-19).

If the Rebels win the Oxford Regional, they will face the winner of the Coral Gables Regional. That regional features University …

The 2016 edition of the Egg Bowl may end up feeling like a Big-12 or Pac-12 game, in that defense might be optional when the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University meet on Saturday, Nov. 26.

Heading into this game, the Rebels are ranked 101st in total defense, and the Bulldogs are slightly worse, at 105th in the nation. MSU gives up 455.2 yards per game, and UM allows 451.7 to opposing offenses.

Those aren’t defensive numbers normally associated with SEC defenses. Poor defense is one reason that the Bulldogs aren’t going to a bowl game and a reason that the Rebels need to win this game to go to a bowl game.

Each team will try to attack the other’s weakness on defense.

MSU will try to use its 33rd-ranked rushing attack against the Rebels 112th-ranked rush defense. The Bulldogs gain 212.8 yards per game on the ground, and UM is giving up 227.2 rushing yards.

UM will brings its passing attack, ranked 12th in the nation, against the 119th-ranked pass defense of the Bulldogs. The Rebels average 314.5 yards in the air, and MSU gives up 279.7 yards to completed passes.

Both defenses will try to take away what the opposing offense does best. That means the Bulldogs want the Rebels to run on offense, and UM wants MSU to pass on offense.

The Rebels allow 224.5 yards per game passing for 60th in the nation. MSU is 74th in the nation in passing, averaging 225.5 yards per game.

UM enters the game with the 104th-ranked rushing attack, which amasses 144.1 yards per game. The Bulldogs bring the 72nd-ranked rush defense, which allows 175.5 yards per game.

Again, neither defense is very good, but they will try to force the opposing offense into what they stink the least at on defense. Either way, both offenses should have big days against these porous defenses.

Stopping each team begins and ends with the quarterback.

The Rebels must force MSU quarterback Nick Fitzgerald to be a passer and not let him break off the long runs that he produces nearly every game. UM must not let the Bulldogs turn their quarterback Shea Patterson into a runner.

Fitzgerald is prone to miss targets in the passing game, but he is great at reading the defense during the rushing attack. Patterson brings Johnny Manziel to mind, as he scrambles to keep plays alive when the rush bears down on him. He also has a strong arm and can read defenses pretty well in limited action.

Barring injuries, this will be the quarterback matchup for the Egg Bowl for two more years since Fitzgerald is a sophomore, and Patterson is a freshman. If Patterson turns out as good as recruiting sites believe he will, he will be gone for the NFL after his junior season.

While the Rebels want …

College football players only have a few chances left to impress NFL scouts before the NFL Combine or Pro Days at college campuses around the nation. Two of those opportunities take place this week with two all-star games.

Jackson State defensive end and linebacker Javancy Jones will try to grab the spotlight this week in the 92nd annual East-West Shrine Game. He ended up being a late addition to the roster after he got word late last week that he was headed to Tampa, Fla., for the game.

Jones and the other players will get coaching from top NFL assistants whose teams didn’t reach the playoffs. This serves two purposes: to give assistants the chance to develop into head coaches and to give the players a chance to learn from top NFL coaches.

During his time at Jackson State, the Macon, Miss., native became one of the greatest Tigers in the long and proud history of the program. He also dealt his mother being sick and played for three different head coaches.

In his final season, Jones racked up 82 tackles, 19.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass break up. Those numbers could have been better, but Jones missed most of the Grambling State game and next game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff due to a knee injury.

After the season ended, the JSU great was named All-SWAC at defensive end and linebacker. He was a finalist for the second year in a row for the Conerly Award and won the popular vote over the eventual winner, Evan Ingram (2,862 votes), as Jones earned more than 3,000 votes.

He earned SWAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2013 and was named All-SWAC three years while at JSU, with the exception of the 2014 season. He was named Preseason All-SWAC in his final three years with the Tigers.

In his illustrious career at JSU, the star defensive player was named to seven All-American teams: STATS, BOXTOROW and the American Football Coaches Association.

An impressive showing this week at the East-West game could help Jones end up with an invite to the NFL Combine, which is from Feb. 28 to March 6. Even if he doesn’t end up at the combine, scouts could flock to his Pro Day before the draft.

This week could help Jones end up getting drafted or at least become an undrafted free agent. The former Tiger’s draft stock could skyrocket with a great week at practice and in the game.

Jones isn’t the only player from a Mississippi university looking to improve his draft stock. Joining Jones at the East-West game is Mississippi State linebacker Richie Brown, University of Mississippi wide receiver Quincy Adeboyejo and cornerback Tony Bridges, and University of Southern Mississippi quarterback Nick Mullens and offensive center Cameron Tom.

The other All-Star Game is the NFLPA …

Before the focus on the NFL shifts from the regular season to the offseason, we should discuss a few things that happened before Super Bowl LI and going forward to the NFL Combine.

If you missed it, Saturday night, Feb. 4, which was the night before the Super Bowl, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was named Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year at the NFL Honors ceremony. On Friday, Feb. 3, he was named Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year. His coach, Jason Garrett, won AP NFL Coach of the Year.

Dallas thought Prescott would end up sitting out this year and learning behind veterans Tony Romo and Kellen Moore. Instead, Moore broke a bone in his leg in practice to move to second string, and early in the preseason, Romo injured his back making Prescott the starter. All the rookie from Mississippi State did was lead the Cowboys to the best record in the NFC and playoffs.

Prescott is the first Dallas player to win the award since Emmitt Smith in 1990. Smith went on to become the NFL’s all-time leading rusher and helped the Cowboys win three Super Bowls.

Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott finished second in the voting. Prescott thanked the 31 teams that passed on him and wished he could cut the award in half to share with Elliott.

Prescott now has to follow up his amazing rookie season with more of the same in 2017. He won’t be under the radar, and everyone will look to see if he has a sophomore slump.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan won Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year and NFL MVP but continued the trend of NFL MVPs losing the Super Bowl. Ryan’s offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan won AP Assistant Coach of the Year.

San Diego Chargers linebacker Joey Bosa won AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and Green Bay Packer wide receiver Jordy Nelson was named AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year after recovering from a knee injury. Oakland Raiders linebacker Khalil Mack was named AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

The NFL honored its past on Super Bowl weekend. During the NFL Honors, the 2017 NFL Hall of Fame Class was announced. Long-time New Orleans Saints kicker Morten Andersen was voted into the hall.

Andersen was one of the Saints’ biggest offensive weapons in the 1980s and 1990s and is the leading scorer in NFL, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons history. He is just the second player to make the hall strictly as a kicker. The first is Jan Stenerud.

In Andersen’s 25 seasons in the NFL, he played in 325 games, which is also a NFL record, while playing for five teams and racked up 2,544 points. He is one of the first kickers to make 40- and 50-yard field goals look easy.

Joining Andersen in the hall is St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner, Miami Dolphins defensive end …

There has been plenty of news before the NFL Draft’s kickoff tomorrow night, Thursday, April 27, that could send players down the draft board. Some is understandable, and some could be considered ridiculous.

Let’s start with the ridiculous and work our way to more serious elements. One thing to remember: the run-up to the draft is one long job interview.

Last week in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, writer Bob McGinn reported the scores of several players who took the Wonderlic intelligence test at the NFL Combine. ESPN’s Darren Rovell pointed out two players who scored an 11 out of 50 on the test and Rovell was roasted on social media. Since then, Rovell took the official test and wrote about taking it and how it changed him.

The leaking of Wonderlic scores has gone on since the NFL began using the test in the 1970s. If you don’t know, the test is 50 questions taken in 12 minutes with just a pencil and scrap paper. The employers use the test to assess the intelligence of prospective employees.

If you follow the NFL Combine, everyone does the same testing. All the players bench-press 225 pounds, run the 40-yard dash, and so forth. Not all the tests really apply to every position, but to get an apples-to-apples comparison, every player does the same tests.

The Wonderlic doesn’t mean a ton for most positions. If any position makes sense, it is the quarterback position, where you have to process a good deal of information and do it quickly.

What other players score on the test really isn’t entirely game-changing but is important. Players have known for years that the NFL gives the test at the combine. Agents have been preparing players for the test for years, as well.

If everything is a test at the combine, the way a player approaches the Wonderlic is a test. Remember, this is a giant job interview. If a player scores low on the test, teams might do more research on the player to find out why.

NFL teams will want to know why a player bombed a test that he knew he had to take. Did the player care enough to even prepare for the test? Is the player bad at taking tests? If the player didn’t care to prepare for the test, teams will wonder if that player will prepare for a NFL career. The test is part of an evolution process and not really about how smart the players are.

No one should be made fun for what he scored on the test. It is simply a way for teams to see whether players are going to put in the work that is needed to be in the NFL.

It also never fails that a player or two will fail the drug test at the NFL Combine. This year, it was University of Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster and University …

The twists and strange turns of the 2015 Jackson State football season continued today as the Clarion-Ledgers announced it was going to halt beat coverage of the team. This decision was made after JSU stopped making players and assistant coaches available to the media on Tuesdays and Wednesdays before practice.

Since Harold Jackson was fired on October 6, the Clarion-Ledger says that JSU has violated its own media police by only making interim head coach Derrick McCall available to the media. The only time since Jackson was fired that players and assistant coaches were allowed to speak to the media was after the Tigers 28-22 loss to Alabama A&M this past Saturday.

JSU stated that mid-term exams as the reason players weren't made available and this week announced it was a coaches decision not to let them speak to the media. Due to only one person's view point, coach McCall, the C-L decided not to have a beat reporter cover Jackson State until the matter is resolved.

While it is unusual for local media to not cover a team, it is not unheard of even in this age of mass media. Last August, the Miami Herald stopped covering Florida International football after their beat reporter was denied credentials to the beat reporter.

The Clarion-Ledger says their beat reporter spot for JSU will remain vacant until the matter with the university is resolved. Reporter Antonio Morales will move to different sports coverage including other SWAC schools.

As the Olympics round the turn into the final week; this mega two week spectacle finally moves to track and field. The United States finally moved to the top of the leaderboard in overall medals as well.

U.S. swimmers, American’s first gold in Judo for a man or woman, women’s eight team rowing and one all-around individual in gymnastics helped the jump China. The USA now has 37 overall medals to China’s 34 overall medals.

More importantly the U.S. has tied China for the most gold medals with each country having 18 gold medals apiece. The USA has nine silver and 11 bronze to China’s 11 silver and five bronze. Rounding out the top ten in total medals are:

Japan in third with 19 medals (2 gold, 6 silver and 11 bronze), Germany (4 gold, 8 silver, 5 bronze) and Russia (3 gold, 6 silver, 8 bronze) are tied for fourth, France is in sixth with 16 medals (6 gold, 4 silver, 6 bronze), host nation Great Britain is seventh with 15 medals (5 gold, 6 silver, 4 bronze), South Korea is eighth with 14 medals (7 gold, 2 silver, 5 bronze) and the top ten is round out with Italy (4 gold, 5 silver, 2 bronze) and Australia (1 gold, 7 silver, 3 bronze) tied for ninth with 11 medals.

Before thinking about track and field, let’s look back at these Olympics so far. We have seen women breaking through with Gabby Douglas becoming the first African-American woman to win the gymnastics all-around individual title and Kayla Harrison win the first gold medal in judo for an American, man or woman.

Of the 37 medals the United States has won, 19 of those medals have been won in women’s events. In the same year Title IX turns 40 women are a major part of the United States athletic success at these games.

These games truly show the effects of Title IX have had an impact and are still having an impact. U.S. women in these games have been strong in nearly event.

Track and field events haven't even taken place and American women have been leading the way. It seems nearly every record broken, U.S. earning its first medal, or medal repeat has been from an American woman. Thank you Title IX.

Michael Phelps says this is his final Olympics and if it is he has acquitted himself for his slow start. Since his fourth place in the 400m IM, Phelps has gone on to win two gold medals and two silver medals.

Phelps has become the most decorated Olympic athlete ever with his 20 total medals to pass Russian gymnast Larissa Latynina who once ruled with 18 medals. There are two events left in Phelps Olympic career if he doesn’t decide to return in 2016 game in Brazil.

Ryan Lochte was supposed to supplant Phelps has king of the pool but it doesn’t feel like he has done so. Lochte leads Phelps and …