Jackson Free Press

Things can change quickly in the NFL. One year a team may be raising the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season and the next, the team may be sitting at home waiting for another one to raise the trophy.

The Denver Broncos, who were last year’s Super Bowl champions, are sitting at home, and another team will win a title this year. Runner-up the Carolina Panthers missed the playoffs, too.

Denver finished last season 12-4, and Carolina went 15-1. Both teams won the AFC and NFC titles. This year the Broncos went 9-7, and the Panthers went 6-10 in disappointing seasons.

A multitude of reasons for teams falling off after making the playoffs, including free agents leaving, player retirements, coaching changes and, of course, injuries, exist.

The exact opposite can happen for teams that make the playoffs after missing out the year before, with reasons such as key free-agent signings, injury-free seasons, smart draft choices and a great coaching hire.

The Broncos struggled in the first season after Peyton Manning retired. While the defense was its dominant self, the offense struggled without a strong quarterback.

Injuries and free agent losses were big reasons for the Panthers’ slide, but so was quarterback Cam Newton’s play. He wasn’t nearly as good this season as last. Denver also struggled at quarterback due to the lack of a halfway decent running game.

Of the 12 teams that reached the playoffs last season, only six reached the postseason again this year. Four of those were in the AFC: the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans.

Things are drastically different in the NFC. Just the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers returned to the postseason.

In the AFC, the Cincinnati Bengals went 12-4 last season but went 6-9-1 this season. Nearly every team in the AFC playoff field bettered its record from 2015, except the Houston Texans, who finished 9-7 both years.

Top seeded New England went from 12-4 last year to 14-2 this year, and that was without quarterback Tom Brady for four games. Second seed Kansas City went 11-5 in 2015 and finished 12-4 this year.

Third-seeded Pittsburgh improved one game from 10-6 in 2015 to 11-5 this season. The Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders went from out of the playoffs to in the playoffs.

Miami was 6-10 last year but improved to 10-6 this year, and in 2015, Oakland was 7-9 but went 12-4 in another dramatic turnaround in 2016. These two teams give hope to every AFC team that finished with a losing record.

Things were vastly different in the NFC, where four teams from last season failed to make the playoffs. The two repeat teams, Green Bay and Seattle, basically held serve from 2015 to 2016. The Packers went 10-6 both seasons, and the Seahawks went from 10-6 to 10-5-1.

Besides the Panthers, last year’s second seed in the …

Now that we are firmly into the New Year, it is time to take a look at the women’s college basketball teams in our state. Most but not all teams have started conference play.

Since women’s basketball in Mississippi has six Division I teams, that is where this update will begin. The Division II and other levels of college basketball will follow.

The Mississippi State University women’s basketball team is having a historic season. The Bulldogs have climbed all the way up to No. 4 in the nation in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls.

MSU is a perfect 15-0 overall and 1-0 in the Southeastern Conference this season and has met little resistance of opponents along the way such as when it overcame Iowa State University in an overtime victory. Mississippi State is the only SEC team left undefeated at this point in the season and is one of three undefeated teams left in the nation.

The Bulldogs started SEC play on Jan. 1 against Louisiana State University with a 74-48 win at home. MSU has finished the out of conference slate and plays conference games for the rest of the year. Next up for the Bulldogs is a road contest against the University of Arkansas.

The University of Mississippi sits at 12-2 after finishing its out-of-conference slate and 1-0 in SEC play. Both of UM’s losses happened during away games, which are the only ones this team has played.

The Rebels fell 64-57 to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and to former-No. 16 West Virginia University 66-61. UM has an 83-67 victory over former-No. 25 University of Oregon at home.

UM opened conference play against the University of Arkansas with a 73-64 win at home.

Road trips to the University of Alabama on Jan. 5 and MSU on Jan. 16 await the Rebels.

The University of Southern Mississippi has a solid 8-5 overall record and a 0-1 Conference USA record. USM has fallen to Tulane University, MSU, the University of California, Berkeley, and Northern Kentucky University. The Golden Eagles played California and Northern Kentucky games at a neutral location.

Southern Miss stumbled at the end of the out-of-conference slate when it lost three of its last four games. The Golden Eagles started C-USA play on Dec. 30 with a 72-61 loss on the road against Louisiana Tech University.

USM is on a two-game losing streak, as the team has lost four of its last five games. The Golden Eagles will try to break their losing streak on the road against the University Texas, San Antonio on Jan. 5.

Jackson State University began the season with a three-game winning streak before going on a three-game losing streak. The Tigers have won four of their last five games, which earned them a 7-4 overall record and 1-0 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play.

JSU played its final out-of-conference game against Fisk …

If you haven’t kept up with college basketball, you are excused.

College-football regular season and bowl games, the end of the NFL regular season and the holidays might have kept you from keeping up with teams around the state. Heck, even the NBA and NHL might have caught your attention a few times.

In case you are behind, here is breakdown of how each men’s college-basketball team is doing since we have hit the New Year. We will begin with Division I teams.

The University of Mississippi has one of the best records of any Division I team in our state. The Rebels are currently 9-5 overall and 0-2 in the SEC.

UM dropped its first game of the season to one-loss Creighton University. That is not a bad loss by any measure.

The Rebels have also lost games to 10-3 Middle Tennessee State and 10-1 Virginia Tech. The team hasn’t had any bad losses, but it also hasn’t had any standout wins just yet. However, the Rebels still have plenty of time to build a NCAA Tournament resume.

In the SEC opener, Kentucky beat UM 99-76. The Rebels dropped another SEC on Jan. 3 70-63 against the University of Florida. The team has just one more out-of-conference game left on Jan. 28 against Baylor University.

Mississippi State University currently sits at 9-4 and 0-1 in the SEC after finishing a nonconference game on Dec. 29 against the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a 77-54 win.

MSU’s first loss of the season came against a 9-3 University of Central Florida team. The other two losses came at the hands of 6-5 Lehigh University and East Tennessee State University.

This is a young team, and it still has time to improve for a shot at a NCAA bid. It is in shape for the NIT, however. Just making the postseason should be the main goal for the Bulldogs.

MSU is done with out-of-conference games. The Bulldogs start in SEC play on Jan. 3 against began with a 68-58 loss to the University of Alabama.

The University of Southern Mississippi is still rebuilding after a NCAA investigation and player departures and transfers. USM currently has a 3-10 record over all and 0-1 in C-USA and is on a nine-game losing streak.

It is going to be a long year for Golden Eagle fans as the program continues working back toward respectability.

Southern Miss began Conference USA play on Jan. 1 against Louisiana Tech University in a 79-55 loss.

USM hits the court again on Jan. 5 against the University of Texas-San Antonio. The Golden Eagles have finished their nonconference schedule.

Jackson State University currently has a 5-9 overall record and 1-0 SWAC record. The Tigers went through a six-game losing streak after starting the season with a win. The Tigers broke that losing streak when they went on a two-game winning streak that included …

There is just one college-football game left to play this season. Clemson University and the University of Alabama will play on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. on ESPN in the national championship game.

As the 2016-2017 season comes to an end, it seems a good time to look back at how the conferences performed during the bowl season. Just to compare conferences on an equal footing, let’s first a look at the “Power Five” conferences and then the “Group of Five” conferences.

The clear winner of the Power Five is the Atlantic Coast Conference. Currently, the ACC has 8-3 bowl record, with Clemson still to play in this year’s title game.

Speaking of Clemson, the Tigers made a statement by shutting out Ohio State University 31-0 in a semifinal game. Florida State University beating the University of Michigan 33-32 in the Orange Bowl in the ACC’s other “New Year’s Six” game.

The ACC crushed nearly every other Power Five conference, going 3-1 against the Big Ten, 3-1 against the Southeastern Conference, and 1-0 against the Big 12. Only the Pac 12 will finish with a winning record against the ACC, as Stanford University won 25-23 over the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Finishing with a 4-2 bowl record means the Big 12 is the only other Power Five conference to finish with a winning record. The Big 12 finished 2-1 against the SEC, 1-0 against the Mountain West Conference and Pac 12, but 0-1 against the ACC. The University of Oklahoma did bring the conference a win in its New Year’s Six game. Strangely, the Big 12 didn’t play the Big Ten this bowl season.

It was an up-and-down season for the SEC, and it showed in the bowl games as the conference went 6-6. The SEC got 12 out of 14 teams into bowl games, with Mississippi State University reaching the postseason with a 5-7 record.

Both the East and West in the SEC went 3-3 in bowl games. The conference finished 2-0 against the Big Ten, and 1-0 against the Mid-American Conference and the Pac 12. The flipside is that SEC also went 1-3 against the ACC, 0-1 against the American Athletic Conference and 1-2 against the Big 12. The University of Alabama, MSU, Louisiana State University, the University of Florida, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Georgia brought home wins for the conference.

If Alabama loses to Clemson, the SEC will finish with a losing record in bowl games.

Just like the SEC, the Pac 12 has a .500 record in bowls at 3-3. This wasn’t a stellar postseason for the conference, but the University of Southern California did win the Rose Bowl to give the Pac-12 a victory in a New Year’s Six game.

The Pac-12 will finish with a 1-0 record against the ACC, 2-1 against the Big Ten, and 0-1 against the Big-12 and the SEC. It can still …

State superintendent Dr. Carey Wright released her annual report today, which includes how and where school districts spend their state, federal and local dollars. Data included in that report show that school districts use state funds to operate at least half of their budgets on average, while local and federal funding make up the rest of a district's budget.

In total, 67 percent of all funds (federal, state and local) go toward instructional costs, while a little over 10 percent of that funding goes toward general and school administrative costs. School districts also spend a large chunk of their money on support costs for maintenance and building costs, tech support and transportation, the report shows.

The average expenditure per pupil in the 2015-2016 school year was $9,704, Wright's report shows. The average teacher salary was $44,416.

“The report provides evidence that the education reforms and legislative initiatives that have been implemented throughout our state are working,” said Wright said in a press release. “Mississippi students are benefiting from the state’s investment in public education.”

The report also highlights several grants Mississippi received, including a $6.6 million grant for MDE to improve their data system with a focus on evaluation and early learning.

Read the full JFP interview with Carey Wright and see http://www.mdek12.org/MBE/R2017.

Last year, the organizers of the boisterous and well-attended annual Mississippi Picnic in Central canceled it in the wake of House Bill 1523's passage.

"Any law such as HB 1523 that discriminates against even a single member of our community cannot be tolerated, and therefore we have decided to stand up for all Mississippians by canceling the 2016 picnic in the park," organizers wrote in a statement last year.

Now, the picnic that started in 1980 seems to be gone forever. The New York Mississippi Society, which runs the picnic, posted this today on its website: "The 36 years of the Mississippi Picnics has been wonderful and a positive thing for all those involved but with the competition of funding sources and the rising costs and complexity of putting this event together, The New York Society regrets to announce that there are no plans for any future picnics."

Read more about HB 1523 and its effects here.

The Mississippi Blues Marathon takes place this Saturday, January 9, 2017, throughout Greater Jackson. As a result, some streets will be closed and some intersections make take time to get across.

Once again the New Orleans Saints have finished with a 7-9 record and are out of the playoffs.

The team has missed the postseason four of the last five seasons and hasn’t been able to recapture the magic of the Super Bowl season in 2009. It hasn’t been able to finish with a winning record since 2013.

As soon as the season ended, New Orleans Head Coach Sean Payton spoke with General Manager Mickey Loomis after the team’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Loomis and Payton will continue to meet this week following the end of the season.

Rumors began to swirl that the Saints would be open to trading Payton to another team if the right offer came its way. This is the second offseason that rumors of the Saints looking to shop Payton have started.

After the end of last season, New Orleans and Payton came to an agreement on a five-year contract extension worth $9 million per year. The Saints also worked a deal with quarterback Drew Brees that has him signed for next season.

Even after a disappointing year, there is hope in New Orleans. The defense suffered injury after injury and still rallied to become better as the season progressed.

Rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and rookie wide receiver Michael Thomas ended up playing well in their first seasons. The offense is still one of the best in the NFL, and Brees, who turns 38 this month, is still one of the quarterbacks in the league.

New Orleans has plenty of offensive weapons but needs to get cap room and use draft picks to continue to work on the defense. Over the Cap says that the Saints have more than $30 million to spend in cap space this offense.

The team has to make a big decision: Will it continue to chase a title with Payton and Brees, or will it begin to rebuild?

If the team can carve out more cap space and use that money judiciously, the defense can be improved quickly. A pass rusher should be the No. 1 offseason need the team should address.

The NFL is a passing league, and getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks is part of winning games. Teams that can’t get pressure normally struggle during the season.

New Orleans finished 27th in sacks this season with 30, but to be fair, the Oakland Raiders finished last in the league in sacks with 25 and still made the playoffs. Most of the teams in the postseason finished from near the top to the middle of the league in sacks.

Brees could play until he is 40 or beyond, and if he will work with the team on salary, it could help the Saints make one or two more championship runs. But will the future Hall of Fame quarterback cut the team a hometown discount? Who knows at this point.

The …

It seems fitting that the final game of Mississippi State University’s 2016 football season came down to a special-teams play. One of the biggest question marks for this squad since the opening game was special teams.

MSU lost the first game of the season against the University of South Alabama due to a missed 28-yard field goal. There were other special-teams blunders along the way for the Bulldogs, so it made sense for the final play of the season to come down to a kick.

Late in the St. Petersburg Bowl on Monday, Dec. 26, the MSU Bulldogs, clinging to a 17-16 lead, watched Miami University from Ohio drive to their 20-yard line.

On third down and 20 yards, with 14 seconds left, the Miami RedHawks decided to try for a potential game-winning 37-yard field goal. It felt like the Bulldogs would end their season with the opposing team making a massive kick.

Instead, MSU defensive lineman Nelson Adams stuck his big paw into the air and blocked the field-goal attempt to seal the victory for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs ran out the final five seconds to finish off the game.

Adams’ block was the second in the game for the Bulldogs. MSU also blocked a Miami extra point after starting the game with a Christmas hangover.

Miami jumped out to a 3-0 lead on its first drive of the game and added to that lead with RedHawks quarterback Gus Ragland’s six-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. The RedHawks were up 9-0 after the initial blocked extra point, as the Bulldogs struggled to get going.

With 22 seconds left before halftime, MSU finally broke through with a touchdown on a two-yard run from quarterback Nick Fitzgerald to cut Miami’s lead to only two points at the break.

The RedHawks added to that lead with a third-quarter touchdown to go up 16-7 on the Bulldogs, but Mississippi State answered right back on its next drive to stay in the game as Fitzgerald made a 44-yard touchdown run. That touchdown cut the Miami lead to two points yet again late in the third quarter.

On the ensuing RedHawks drive, MSU corner Jamoral Graham picked off Ragland at the beginning of the fourth quarter, setting up Flowood, Miss.-native kicker Westin Graves to cap off a seven-play drive with a 36-yard field goal, taking the lead 17-16.

Graves’ field goal ended up being all the Bulldogs needed on offense to win the game. MSU’s defense played a solid game and kept the team in the running until the offense could get going.

The Bulldogs’ defense forced two turnovers, with senior linebacker Richie Brown forcing and recovering a fumble in the second quarter and Graham’s interception. The fumble helped to keep MSU alive, and the interception helped to win the game.

Fitzgerald struggled in passing, going 13 for 26 on throws for 136 …

If you aren’t suffering from college-football bowl fatigue, you can still watch plenty of games. The quality of football might be questionable at times, but drink it all in because when it is gone, it will be gone until next fall.

Since so many games are coming up, here is a brief schedule from Monday, Dec. 26, to Wednesday, Dec. 28.

The first game to feast on is the St. Petersburg Bowl, which kicks off at 10 a.m. on ESPN. Check out my recent preview of the game between Mississippi State University and Miami University in Ohio.

After the St. Petersburg Bowl, check out the Quick Lane Bowl at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN. This game is the first to feature teams from Power Five conferences.

Boston College and the University of Maryland enter the game with identical 6-6 records. The Eagles and Terrapins were once conference foes in the ACC, but Maryland is now a member of the Big Ten.

The final game on Dec. 26 is the Independence Bowl at 4 p.m. on ESPN2 between North Carolina State University and Vanderbilt University. This is an ACC against SEC matchup with two more 6-6 teams.

In fact, no team that plays on Dec. 26 enters the game with a winning record, and Mississippi State has a losing record. Both the Wolfpack and Commodores beat in-state rivals, which made them become bowl eligible.

College football on Dec. 27 begins with the Heart of Dallas Bowl between the United States Military Academy and the University of North Texas at 11 a.m. on ESPN. No one will say this is the sexiest bowl matchup of the season.

The Army is playing in a bowl game for the first time since 2010 and just the second time since 1997. That should lead to a highly motivated Black Knights squad.

North Texas beat the Army earlier this season at 35-18 but enters this game with a 5-7 record. The Army comes into this bowl game with a 7-5 record, which makes it the first team with a winning record to play this week.

Continue watching bowl games with the Military Bowl at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN. The game features Wake Forest University battling Temple University and may focus more on off-the-field issues than action on the field.

Wake Forest just fired Tommy Elrod, who was the color analyst on the team’s radio broadcast. Elrod was giving the Demon Deacons’ game play to opposing teams, and he was a former player and coach at the university.

Temple, on the other hand, just lost head coach Matt Rhule, who is taking over the dumpster fire that is Baylor University football. The Owls shocked the Navy to win the AAC Championship Game, but with their coach bolting, are they mentally going to be in this game?

Two normally cold-weather teams clash in the Holiday Bowl from San Diego at 6 p.m. on ESPN. Washington State …

It’s the day after Christmas. All the gifts have been opened, and family is being family. What better time to find an empty room and watch football? Lucky for us all, the St. Petersburg Bowl kicks off at 10 a.m., Monday, Dec. 26, on ESPN.

This bowl game features two teams that got into the bowl picture late in very different ways. Both teams should be more than happy to be going to a bowl game, which should lead to highly motivated opponents.

Mississippi State University entered the 2016 season needing to replace the greatest player in program history, quarterback Dak Prescott, who now plays for the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL. MSU struggled with close losses against the University of South Alabama, Louisiana State University, Brigham Young University and the University of Kentucky, all by 13 points.

Thanks to a high APR score and a blowout win over the University of Mississippi in the Egg Bowl, the Bulldogs are playing a bowl game with a 5-7 record. It is a chance for a young team to get extra practice and build for the 2017 season.

Ohio’s Miami University, on the other hand, made NCAA history on its way to a bowl game. The RedHawks started the season 0-6, and any hope of a bowl game seemed like a distant wish.

Then, sophomore quarterback Gus Ragland returned from an offseason ACL tear and put the team on his back, carrying the RedHawks over the next six games. Miami won six straight games to finish the season 6-6 and earn bowl eligibility.

No team in the history of college football has started the season 0-6 and finished at 6-6. It was one of the most remarkable turnarounds this season and sent the RedHawks to a bowl for the first time since 2010.

MSU is making its school-record seventh consecutive bowl game. That record looked in danger before the Egg Bowl win, so there is some momentum for both teams.

The Bulldogs feature a stout rushing attack that averages 233 yards per game and is 24th in nation. Miami features the 33rd ranked rush defense, which only allows 140 yards per game.

This game will feature strength against strength, as the RedHawks’ rush defense tries to corral MSU’s rushing. Miami will focus on stopping Bulldogs quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, who rushed for 1,243 yards with 14 touchdowns, and running back Aeris Williams, who rushed for 656 yards and four touchdowns.

The RedHawks have one of the weakest rushing attacks in college football, averaging just 134 yards for 109th in the nation. MSU features a middle-of-the-road run defense that is 69th in the country and gives up 178 yards per game.

Stopping Miami for the Bulldogs begins and ends with Ragland, who has passed for 1,274 yards with 15 touchdowns and zero interceptions in six games. He is the man who makes the RedHawks’ …

Dallas Cowboys rookie quarterback Dak Prescott continues to impress people with his play. The former Mississippi State University star picked up another accolade on Monday, Dec. 20, when he was selected to play in the 2017 Pro Bowl.

Prescott replaced the injured Tony Romo and has led Dallas to an NFC-best 12-2 record. The Cowboys are tied with the New England Patriots for best record in the NFL.

Prescott has thrown for 3,418 yards while completing 292 passes out of 431 attempts with 20 touchdowns and four interceptions. He has rushed for 238 yards on 52 carries with six touchdowns and four lost fumbles.

While breaking records and playing the most scrutinized position for one of the most scrutinized teams, Prescott has completed 67.7 percent of his passes with a quarterback rating of 103.2 during his 14 starts.

Prescott has only lost to the New York Giants twice during his short time as the Cowboys starter. He struggled against the Giants in a 10-7 loss, which is when he had his first two-interception game of his career.

His rookie struggles led to talking heads debating whether Romo should start. The former Bulldog shut down talk of anyone replacing him when he threw for 279 yards on 32 of 36 passing with one rushing touchdown.

Prescott hit a rookie wall in early December but is now bursting through it in late December. Prescott’s and fellow rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott’s plays are a major reason for the Dallas turnaround, as the team went 4-12 last season.

Former MSU teammate Fletcher Cox will join Prescott on the NFC Pro Bowl roster. The Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle has been a solid star and budding superstar since he was drafted with the 12th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

This season Cox has totaled 37 total tackles, 23 solo tackles, 6.5 sacks, two passes defended and one forced fumble. He has started 14 games and is two away from starting 16 for the fourth straight season at the defensive line.

During his five-year career, Cox has amassed 249 total tackles, 182 solo tackles, 28.5 sacks, nine passes defended and six forced fumbles. The former MSU star is working on what could end up being a Hall of Fame career.

Three other former Bulldogs were named as alternates to the Pro Bowl. If an injury keeps a player out of the game or if players selected for the game end up in the Super Bowl, they don’t play in the game, Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay and Seattle Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright could end up on the NFC team, and Oakland Raiders offensive guard Gabe Jackson could end up on the AFC team

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is one of the biggest Pro Bowl snubs this year. Despite leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns, Brees isn’t on the roster or listed as an alternate. …

In the past, the NFL Combine has been held behind closed doors, with the best college football players trying to impress scouts without the public seeing any of the action. That changed in 2004 when the NFL began to broadcast the event on its own NFL Network.

College-football fans were finally able to see their favorite players go through drills, and NFL fans were able to see who their favorite teams might draft. However, the event still wasn’t open for the public to see up close and personal.

Last year, 1,500 fans got a chance to see the combine live at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It was the first time the league let fans into the combine to watch the events live.

While NFL ratings were down a bit this year, the league has been trying more and more to make offseason events matter. The NFL is working on becoming a year-round league with fans being able to get closer than ever to action.

When the NFL Combine takes place from March 3-5, 2017, the league will select a lucky group of 6,000 fans will get to see it all from Lucas Oil Stadium. The league will hand out those tickets for free, but they are non-transferable.

They won’t be just in the stadium watching from the stands for every event, either. Fans will be able to stand nearby as they watch the 225-pound bench press and cheer on players trying to complete as many reps as possible.

Fans will also be able to run a 40-yard dash, vertical, broad jump and other combine events from the convention center called “Combine Corner.” The league will allow fans to run an obstacle course, show of their form tacking against tackling dummies, and face “The Gauntlet,” where they can catch passes from a JUGS machine, which is a machine that shoots football for players to practice catching.

Before fans can take part in the physical events, they will have to sign a waiver that releases the league from any liability in case of injury. There are also events for those who want to visit the Combine but don’t want to take part in the physical events.

Fans will be able to interact with players at the convention center as members of the media conduct interviews, and the players will sign autographs. There will also be press conferences from head coaches that fans will be able to attend.

Visitors will have opportunities to take photos with players, NFL legends, the Vince Lombardi Trophy, the actual bench where players will do the 225-pound bench press. They can also pretend that their favorite NFL team just drafted them and get pictures wearing a jersey from that team.

Lastly, fans can enjoy virtual reality attractions, see all 50 Super Bowl rings, shop for NFL gear, win prizes and more activities. To register for a chance to win a free tickets, fans can download the NFL Fan …

It wasn’t pretty at times, and it seemed insanely long, but the University of Southern Mississippi has back-to-back winning football seasons. The Golden Eagles went winless in 2012, hitting rock bottom after winning 12 games the year before.

USM lost 23 consecutive games before finally getting a 62-27 win over the University of Alabama at Birmingham to end the 2013 season. There was more progress in the 2014 season with three wins.

Finally, a breakthrough happened for USM in the 2015 season. The Golden Eagles had nine wins and went to a bowl game, but lost the final two games of the season.

In the offseason, Southern Miss lost head coach Todd Monken to the NFL. Monken left Hattiesburg to become the offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. USM hired former assistant coach and then-head coach of Alcorn State University Jay Hopson.

There were high hopes entering this season, even with a new head coach, because of all the talent returning from the previous season.

Early on, it looked like USM would live up to those expectations with a 4-1 start to the season, including a win over the University of Kentucky out of the SEC. The University of Troy was the lone loss for the Golden Eagles in the first five games.

Southern Miss lost five of the next six games, suffering shocking defeats to the University of Texas at San Antonio, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the University of North Texas. All three of those teams finished with losing records after UTSA lost the New Mexico Bowl to the University of New Mexico.

The Golden Eagles needed to defeat Louisiana Tech University just to reach a bowl game, scoring a 39-24 win over the Bulldogs to play in the New Orleans Bowl.

In the bowl game, Southern Miss wide receiver Allenzae Staggers put on a show, making 11 catches for 230 yards and a touchdown to set a New Mexico Bowl record and school record for most receiving yards in a bowl game. USM quarterback Nick Mullens went 25 for 40 in passing, with 346 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and one lost fumble. Running back Ito Smith rushed for 138 yards on 26 carries with two touchdowns and one catch for six yards and a touchdown.

The trio of stars helped the Golden Eagles to a 28-21 win over the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, but USM’s defense did its part with six sacks, three quarterback hurries, nine tackles for a loss and one interception. However, ULL scored two touchdowns off of Mullens’ turnovers as a result of short fields.

Most of the night, Ragin’ Cajuns quarterback Anthony Jennings was under siege from the Golden Eagle defense. USM found ways to bottle up ULL’s star running back, Elijah McGuire, for parts of the game, even as he rushed for 99 yards on just 17 carries.

The New …

If you are not busy this Saturday with holiday shopping or events, it will be a great day to watch the first bowl games of the season. And don’t worry—all of them are worthy background noise if you are partying or decorating.

The day begins with the Celebration Bowl at 11 a.m. between SWAC champion Grambling State University and MEAC champion North Carolina Central University on ABC. At 1 p.m., switch to ESPN for the New Mexico Bowl between the University of New Mexico and the University of Texas, San Antonio.

If the New Mexico Bowl can’t keep your attention, flip back to ABC at 2:30 p.m. for the Las Vegas Bowl, which features the University of Houston against San Diego State University. Two games are at 4:30 p.m. with the Camellia Bowl between Appalachian State University and the University of Toledo on ESPN and the Cure Bowl between the University of Central Florida and Arkansas State University on the CBS Sports Network.

But you will want to be in front of the TV for the bowl nightcap between the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Louisiana-Lafayette in the New Orleans Bowl at 9 p.m. on ESPN. With both teams being fairly close to the city, this should have one of the best atmospheres of the early bowls.

Louisiana-Lafayette is in its fifth New Orleans Bowl (the only bowl the program has ever been played in team history) and is 4-0 in this game. The Ragin’ Cajuns have won those four games with a combined 27 points, so expect this game to be close.

Southern Miss is making its fifth appearance in this bowl but first since a 42-32 loss to Middle Tennessee State University there in 2009, the Golden Eagles haven’t had their heads in the bowl game. USM is 3-1 in the New Orleans Bowl and has won by an average of 12 points in its three victories.

Both these teams enter this game with 6-6 records and were up and down throughout the season. The winner will be the team that feels it has the most motivation, but a winning season should propel that team in the recruiting and for the next season.

Louisiana-Lafayette began the season at 2-1 before five of its next seven games but rallied to win its last two, which made the team become bowl eligible. USM started 4-1 on the season but lost five of its next six games before defeating Louisiana Tech University and becoming bowl eligible.

Don’t look for defense to be on display in this game. USM is giving up an average of 30.3 points per game for a 81st national ranking, and ULL allows 25.1 points per game for 59th.

Both teams’ offenses should provide plenty of fireworks. The Ragin’ Cajuns score 25.8 points per game for No. 92 in the country, and the Golden Eagles put up 33.8 …

The following was released, verbatim, from the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning:

The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning has issued a call for nominations for members of the Jackson State University Campus Search Advisory Committee. Representatives from all stakeholder groups, including students, alumni, faculty, staff and the community are needed on the committee.

The deadline for recommendations for members of the Campus Search Advisory Committee is Tuesday, January 17, 2017. Nominations may be submitted via an online form at http://www.mississippi.edu/ieo/jsu/constituency.asp or by mailing a letter of recommendation to ATTN: JSU Campus Search Advisory Committee, Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, 3825 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, MS 39211. Both self-nominations and nominations of fellow members of the JSU campus community are encouraged.

Members of the Campus Search Advisory Committee will be asked to attend in-person meetings, participate in conference calls, and review materials through a secure website.

According to Board of Trustees Policy 201.0509 D, members must provide assurances that “they have not formed any opinion as to the identity of the particular person that should be selected as the IEO, that they have no personal, professional or other relationship with any person that they understand may be a candidate that would impair their objectivity in fairly considering all candidates, that they will endeavor to remain open to considering all persons that apply in a fair and unbiased manner, and that they will not agree with any person to advocate or campaign for the selection of any particular candidate.”

For more information and to track progress on the presidential search, visit the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning’s Web site at www.mississippi.edu and through Twitter @MSPublicUniv and @JSU_Search.

Last week, a Jackson Free Press blog post listed all the players who made all-conference in various leagues that have Mississippi teams. That list didn’t include the SWAC teams from Mississippi, or Belhaven University, as the Blazers are still transitioning to Division III and not eligible to win the conference title or make the playoffs at DIII.

The SWAC released its first and second team all-conference players, and Grambling State University and Southern University dominated the selections. GSU had 14 players and SU had 10 players make either first- or second-team All-SWAC.

It is not surprising that the Tigers and Jaguars are so well featured since both teams were two of the best in the SWAC this season. Grambling State won the SWAC title game and will represent the conference in the Celebration Bowl.

Even with all the Grambling and Southern players on both the first and second team, Alcorn State University and Jackson State University landed players on both teams with ASU’s six and JSU’s three.

The Braves had two offensive linemen make second-team All-SWAC. Senior Detonio Dade earned his fourth all-conference honors, and junior Timothy Gardner helped make the ASU offensive line one of the best in the nation in pass protection and rushing.

Alcorn State had four players make either first or second team on defense with two on each team. The Braves were represented on each level with two linebackers, one defensive lineman and one defensive back.

Senior linebackers Darien Anderson on the first-team and Michael Hurns on the second-team were honored. Anderson earned his second All-SWAC honors after being second team last season, and he ranks fourth in the FCS in sacks. Hurns finished the season with 62 tackles and three sacks, and he was elected as the Student Government Association’s senior class president.

Senior defensive back Eric Foster, who racked up 41 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble while being ranked in the top 10 in the conference in passes defended, earned first-team honors. Junior defensive end Michael Brooks landed the second team after posting 29 tackles on the season.

Jackson State had three players make all-conference teams with all three on defense. JSU had just one first-team player and two second-team players.

Senior Javancy Jones earned first-team honors at defensive end and second-team honors at linebacker. Jones was the Tigers’ pick for the 2016 Conerly Trophy and was a finalist for the award, as he finished third in the conference in tackles with 82, second in tackles for a loss with 19.5 and 12 in sacks with four.

Senior defensive backs Justin Jemison and Zavian Bingham earned second-team honors. Jemison finished with 46 tackles for fourth on the team, two interceptions and five passes defended. Bingham notched 41 tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, one punt block and one pick returned for a touchdown.

Mississippi Valley State University didn’t land a player on either the first …

When the New Orleans Saints needed quarterback Drew Brees the most to make a playoff run, the future Hall of Fame quarterback let them down. He has thrown six interceptions and zero touchdowns in his last two games.

The Saints are still mathematically alive for the playoff, but it seems highly unlikely that they get to the postseason. New Orleans will need all kinds of help, Brees must play better, but it seems more likely that the team will miss the playoffs for the third straight season.

On Dec. 4 at home against the Detroit Lions, Brees failed to throw for a touchdown in the 28-13 loss. He threw three interceptions and posted a 63.3 quarterback rating.

It was the first time in 60 home games that Brees failed to throw a touchdown pass. It was a surprising loss of power for one of the top offenses in the NFL, as Brees threw for 326 yards but could lead his team into the end zone just once during the game. That was a one-yard touchdown, which fullback John Kuhn ran.

Brees might have played his worst game as a Saint the next week, Dec. 11, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For the second game in a row, Brees threw three interceptions and zero touchdowns.

It was the first time since the 2009 season in weeks three and four that Brees didn’t throw a touchdown in back-to-back games, but this is the first time in his career that he has thrown three interceptions in back-to-back games.

Brees posted a 48.5 passer rating and had his lowest output for passing yards this season by throwing for just 257 yards. He did pass 4,000 yards for the 11th straight season, which extends his NFL record for the most straight 4,000-passing-yard seasons.

Since getting back to .500 at 4-4, the Saints have lost four of their last five games. The one bright spot was a 49-21 blowout win over the lowly Los Angeles Rams.

Those same Rams just fired head coach Jeff Fisher on a week that they play Thursday Night Football, which means it wasn’t that much of a bright spot for the Saints overall.

In the four losses, Brees has thrown five touchdowns and nine interceptions. This season. he has thrown 14 touchdowns and three interceptions in wins and 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in losses.

Brees has a 56.2 passer rating in the two games played in December. When the weather gets colder, that is when NFL quarterbacks are supposed to be at their best, but that hasn’t been the case this season with Brees.

It would be wrong to say he was at fault for every interception thrown during the last two games, but he did throw some bad passes that ended up being picked off. Brees will be the first player to take the blame for mistakes the Saints offense made, …

The City Council's agenda for their regular meeting tonight, Dec. 13, at 6 p.m. in City Hall includes a possible settlement with the former executive assistant to Mayor Tony Yarber, Kimberly Bracey, alleging the mayor of sexual harassment, sexual discrimination and a hostile workplace.

Bracey alleged in a lawsuit filed on Aug. 25 of this year that she began to work with the mayor i 2014, and while she worked for him, the complaint states, he and she began a sexual relationship which she ended when she and her husband reconciled in 2014.

Bracey alleges that Yarber then forced her to continue their sexual relationship "by making it clear that she could be terminated if she did not have sex with him." Yarber, she alleges, also asked her "to encourage another female to give Defendant Yarber oral sex in exchange for guaranteed employment." She also heard him say inappropriate sexual remarks about other women, the complaint states.

The mayor released a statement concerning the lawsuit soon afterward.

"The City of Jackson has been made aware of a vicious and scandalous lawsuit filed by a former disgruntled employee, Kimberly Y. Vaunterice Bracey," the mayor's statement said. "Although the City has not been served with a copy of the complaint and summons, Mayor Tony T. Yarber and the City of Jackson stand ready to vigorously defend against each and every frivolous allegation made by Kimberly Y. Vaunterice Bracey."

The item on the council's agenda seems to indicate that the lawsuit will not go to trial. The details of that settlement would usually be included in the council's agenda packet, but the packet, filled with information that the public is supposed to be able to read before the council meets, has not been uploaded to the city's website yet.

Dak Prescott is 0-2 against the New York Giants but 11-01 against the rest of the NFL teams that he has faced. The Dallas Cowboys score an average of 28.5 points per game but have scored just 26 points against New York in two games.

Prescott might have played his worst game as a professional against the Giants on Dec. 11. He went 17 for 35 on passing, gaining 165 yards with one touchdown, but had the first two-interception game of his career.

The former Mississippi State University star also fumbled once, but the Cowboys were able to maintain possession. Prescott has gone three straight games without passing for 200 yards.

As a whole, the Dallas offense converted just one third down for the second game in a row. The Cowboys went one for nine on third down against the Minnesota Vikings and one for 15 on third down against the Giants.

Dallas has lost two games against the Giants by a total of four points. If the Cowboys go on a winning streak like they did after their last loss to New York, it would end in a Lombardi Trophy.

Prescott and the rest of the team must put this lost behind them quickly. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions lie ahead, and both teams are on five-game winning streaks.

With Prescott at quarterback, Dallas is going to have to live with rookie moments or games like those against the Giants. The returns have been too good to panic since Prescott has 20 touchdowns and only four interceptions in 13 NFL games.

The 11-game winning streak has given the Cowboys a cushion if Prescott continues to struggle. In the loss to the Giants, Prescott wasn’t the only one at fault, either.

Receivers dropped passes, and the offensive line struggled at times in pass protection. The Giants sacked Prescott three times and pressured him eight times during the game.

One bright spot has been the play of the Dallas defense. That unit harassed New York quarterback Eli Manning all game long and forced him into mistakes. The Cowboys’ defense finished strong against the Giants’ running game.

Dallas was undone by a 61-yard touchdown catch and run late in the third quarter from Odell Beckham Jr., which ended up giving the Giants the win. Take away that one big play, and the Cowboys win the game.

The Cowboys have another luxury other teams don’t possess in quarterback Tony Romo. If, say, Prescott hit a rookie wall, Dallas could make a change to a Pro Bowl quarterback and hope Prescott regains his magic if Romo gets hurt.

There is a real possibility that other teams are starting to get a better handle on Prescott. At this point, there are 13 game tapes on the rookie, and it is becoming easier to know what …