JFP Blogs (http://blogs.jacksonfreepress.com/category/sportsblog/page/3/)
There are some interesting storylines in play this college-football season for teams in our state. Can Alcorn State University win four straight SWAC East titles? Is Mississippi State University about to take a leap forward in the SEC? What will happen with the University of Mississippi and the NCAA’s investigation? As the season moves forward, we will learn the answers to those questions. Continue Reading
Personally, I’d rather not have politics invade sporting events. The reason for this feeling is that, for me, sports provide an escape from the problems of the real world. I enjoy having the two to three hours of pure athletic contests to shut out an outside world that is far from perfect. Sure, it stinks when I root for every team from our state to win and a few happen to lose, but those losses rarely affect what goes on in the real world. That doesn’t mean that real life stays separated from sporting contests. Continue Reading
Somehow, someway a much maligned New Orleans Saints defense played its best game of the season despite several injuries. Rookie cornerback Marshon Lattimore (concussion) and cornerback Sterling Moore (chest injury) both missed the 34-13 win over the Carolina Panthers. The Saints secondary was already missing cornerback Delvin Breaux to a broken leg. That same New Orleans secondary still managed to make three interceptions against Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. Those were the first forced turnovers from the defense all season. Continue Reading
After getting smacked around in the first two games of the season, the New Orleans Saints decided it was time to smack someone else around. That someone else just happened to be division rival the Carolina Panthers. Early on it looked like the game was going to repeat the same formula as the first two. The Panthers, who were behind their running game, quickly worked down the field on the New Orleans defense. The Saints defense made its first of many big plays on the day, as Carolina faced a third-and-four from the New Orleans eight-yard line. Continue Reading
Job security is limited to just a few head coaches in college football. University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban is one of those coaches who won’t have to worry about getting the pink slip. His winning ways mean that he would have to commit a major crime to lose his job. Mississippi State University head coach Dan Mullen has reached a good deal of job security for his results with the Bulldogs, as well. He has won 64 games, taken MSU to seven straight bowl games and earned a No. Continue Reading
For the second week in a row, the New Orleans Saints defense found itself overmatched. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots took control of the game and left little in doubt by halftime. Brady had one of the best passing games for a 40-year-old in NFL history, as he outdueled his counterpart, Saints quarterback Drew Brees. The future Hall of Fame quarterback finished the day with 447 yards passing on 30 of 39 attempts with three touchdowns. Brees, a future Hall of Famer himself, dealt with nearly constant pressure, and receivers dropping passes plagued him. Continue Reading
This weekend’s meeting of the SEC Bulldogs will be interesting in several ways. Both Mississippi State University and the University of Georgia are looking to make a statement in the conference on Saturday, Sept. 23. Georgia happens to be the preseason favorite to win the SEC East. This team’s biggest achievement this season was going to the University of Notre Dame with a backup quarterback on Sept. Continue Reading
Slow starts have been a major problem for the New Orleans Saints over the last three seasons. The team hasn’t won a season opener since 2013. It shouldn’t be shocking to learn that the Saints also have not made the playoffs since that campaign. New Orleans started 0-2 in 2014, and 0-3 in 2015 and 2016. All three years, the team has finished with a 7-9 record. Continue Reading
Week two of the college-football season was another set of ups and down for our state. The University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, Delta State University and Holmes Community College all are 2-0, and Hinds Community College is 1-0 after completing a game for the first time this season. The Eagles had to cancel their first game due to a power outage. The University of Southern Mississippi and Millsaps College bounced back from week-one losses to be at 1-1, and Alcorn State University lost its second game, also putting the Braves at 1-1. Other teams have not fared so well thus far. Continue Reading