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Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today/ Report for America

Alabama head coach Nick Saban could have named the score at Ole Miss two years ago. He settled for 62-7.

As Mississippi football weekends go, this one captures 2020 in a nutshell:

• Most high school games were moved from Friday night to Thursday night because of Hurricane Delta, the 25^th named storm in this horribly active hurricane season. And many were played in slop, despite the change.

• Southern Miss’ homecoming football game with Florida Atlantic Saturday has been postponed because COVID-19 has so affected FAU, the south Florida school didn’t know if it could field a team. Get this: FAU and Southern Miss have both changed their schedule six times this season, and we are in the second week of October.

• Kickoff for Saturday’s Alabama-Ole Miss game at Oxford has been switched to 6:30 p.m. from 5 p.m. because playing conditions, iffy because of Hurricane Delta, should be better by then.

Rick Cleveland

Today, let’s concentrate on that Alabama-Ole Miss game, the one that brings the nation’s second-ranked (and best, in my opinion) college football team to Oxford. I had to laugh earlier in the week when Alabama coach Nick Saban, he of the six national championships, was talking about the predicted weather for Saturday and the uncertainty that the game would even be played.

Said Saban, “We’re going to make our best effort to play on Saturday…Nobody listens to anything I say anyway…”

I beg to differ. His players certainly do. For the most part, Saban’s teams have played textbook football over the years. You can take nearly any Alabama game tape over the last few years and use it as an instructional video on how to block and how to tackle. And, yes, it helps when you have the best athletes, but that’s because of Saban, too.

If you watch those tapes chronologically over the last few years, you will see a sea change in the way Alabama plays offensive football. No longer do they line up all the time in an I-formation, hand the ball to the tailback and smash the mouths of the opposition.

No, they spread the field, sometimes split five receivers wide and they throw the ball all over the place. Yes, and occasionally, they still do hand the ball to one of three or four future NFL tailbacks and smash the mouths of the opposition.

And you know whom Saban turned to when he decided to make that change to a more wide open offense? Lane Kiffin, that’s who.

It was 2014. Doug Nussmeier had left Alabama to go to Michigan. Saban hired Kiffin to replace him and said this of Kiffin: “He is an outstanding and creative offensive coach who has great experience both at the college and NFL level. … I have always been impressed with what I saw in the games he called.”

Ole Miss athletics

Lane Kiffin, amid the celebration of his first Ole Miss victory at Kentucky.

Kiffin changed the way Alabama played offense, spreading the field more, throwing the ball slightly more, going at a faster tempo. After Kiffin’s offense averaged nearly 600 yards per game in his first four games at Bama, Saban said this: “I’ve been begging the offensive coordinators to open it up ever since I’ve been here…”

He didn’t have to beg Kiffin.

Theirs is a most interesting relationship. In three seasons at Alabama, Kiffin was part of teams that lost only two SEC games, both to Ole Miss and Hugh Freeze. No doubt, Freeze and his high-tempo, spread-the-field offense had much to do with Saban hiring Kiffin to change his offense. And, for the most part, Saban praised Kiffin for his work at Alabama. But there were also times when the boss wasn’t so pleased.

One was late in a game against Western Kentucky in early September of 2016. Bama was cruising but Kiffin called something Saban clearly didn’t like. Saban ripped off his headset and tore into Kiffin while TV cameras stayed on the two of them. Asked about the “argument” post-game, Saban said, “There are no arguments. Those are called ass-chewings.”

There were more. Famously, Kiffin missed the bus a couple times after games. Saban waits for no one. And more famously, the two parted ways in 2016 when Kiffin had taken the FAU job but planned to stay on and help coach the Crimson Tide through the playoffs. Essentially, Saban said, “No need for that.”

Clearly, however, there is a mutual respect between the two. Earlier this week at his weekly press conference, Saban said this of Kiffin: “Lane has done an outstanding job (at Ole Miss). They are playing hard, making a lot of explosive plays. They present a lot of problems… We have a tremendous lot of respect for Lane and the job he did here.”

For his part, Kiffin often has credited Saban’s influence for making him a better coach.

As for Saturday’s matchup, Saban is dead-on when he talks about the explosiveness of Kiffin’s Ole Miss offense. The Rebels have plenty of offensive playmakers, who actually rival Alabama’s for speed and skill. Ole Miss can move the ball and score on virtually anybody.

Where Ole Miss doesn’t match up, nearly as well, is on defense and also in the offensive line.

No matter what time they play, or how many people listen to Saban, or how wet the field is, Alabama has more and better athletes, especially across the lines. In a very different 2020 season, that much has remained constant.

The post On most weird weekend of most weird 2020, Saban-Kiffin matchup takes center stage appeared first on Mississippi Today.

The Mississippi State Fair opened this week and runs until Oct. 18.

As other states including North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland cancelled their state fairs this year due to COVID-19 concerns, Mississippi’s opened on Wednesday.

The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce advises people who do not feel well or have underlying medical conditions stay home. Fair rides will be sanitized after each ride and hand sanitizer will be available on the fairgrounds, the department said.

“By coming to the Fair, you acknowledge and agree that you assume these inherent risks associated with attendance,” Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson said in a statement.

The state is no longer under a statewide mask mandate, though fair workers and vendors are required to wear masks. As for fairgoers, “Wearing a mask is a matter of personal preference,” Gipson said.

“We strongly encourage fairgoers to bring a mask in case they are not able to socially distance. We will have masks at the gate for fairgoers that may need one.”

Here are images from the 161st Mississippi State Fair:

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Mississippi Today is pleased to announce three new members of the Mississippi Today team: Vickie King, photojournalist; Brittany Brown, the inaugural recipient of the Mississippi Today Emerging Reporters Fellowship; and Alyssa Bass, product engagement coordinator.

Photojournalist Vickie King

King, a veteran photojournalist, joins Mississippi Today after working for more than two decades as a senior photographer at The Clarion Ledger. Most recently, King served as a staff officer producing visual content at the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

A Pulitzer-nominee with more than 30 years of news photography experience, King has shot everything from natural disasters to sporting events to a papal visit. She will work alongside the editorial team to anchor and grow the newsroom’s visual storytelling through photo essays and video.

“Mississippi is a grand state, rich in culture and history,” King said. “Mississippi Today provides me an opportunity to take her people with me as I document their lives and stories through my lens.”

Emerging Reporters Fellow Brittany Brown

Brown is the first recipient of Mississippi Today’s Emerging Reporter Fellowship, which aims to promote diversity in journalism by helping to create a pipeline of young investigative reporters of color who want to stay and work in Mississippi. During her eight-month fellowship, Brown will report on criminal justice issues.

A Quitman native who is currently completing her master’s degree in Southern Studies at the University of Mississippi, Brown previously interned for The Baltimore Sun’s breaking news desk and completed an investigative reporting fellowship with Carnegie-Knight News21, where she produced an award-winning documentary about hate crimes in the U.S.

Brown also reported on the ground in Puerto Rico during the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

“At the core of my work is a commitment to justice and equity while centering and uplifting the voices of those who are often unheard,” Brown said. “In my home state of Mississippi, we have a rich tradition of storytelling and need for stories to be told. Mississippi Today provides me the opportunity to do just that.”

King and Brown, working in the newsroom, will help fill critical journalistic needs in Mississippi.

“Good visuals are necessary to effectively telling Mississippi stories, and Vickie brings with her a trove of experience and a profound ability to relate to Mississippians,” said Adam Ganucheau, Mississippi Today’s editor in chief. “She’s going to immediately make our journalism more relatable and compelling, and I can’t wait for everyone to see her work.”

“And the justice system remains one of the most important but chronically undercovered issues in the state,” Ganucheau continued. “Brittany’s interests and academic expertise align perfectly with our mission of holding leaders accountable — and no leaders need accountability more than the ones who oversee our justice system that has often and needlessly harmed too many Mississippians.”

Product Engagement Coordinator Alyssa Bass

Bass joins Mississippi Today as the newest member of the audience team and will work to grow and engage with our audience through social media, newsletters and other platforms. She will also work to enhance and market our brand. She is a recent graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in Black studies and served as executive editor of The Student Printz, the student newspaper on campus.

She interned with Mississippi Today’s marketing and engagement team in 2019 and most recently served as an Emma Bowen Fellow for PBS FRONTLINE.

“As someone who started their journalism career as a reporter, I understand the value of telling meaningful stories,” Bass said. “However, I know that the value of those stories gets diminished if the communities who need them the most don’t have access to them. Helping Mississippians get engaged in the news that impacts their everyday lives is an honor, and I am proud to be a part of a team that values community feedback and partnership.”

“I am beyond thrilled to have Alyssa join our new dedicated audience team. Her background as a reporter and editor with a keen interest in connecting people with news that matters to them and their communities makes her a perfect fit in this role,” said Mississippi Today’s Audience Development Director Lauchlin Fields. “I look forward to working with Alyssa as we deepen engagement with our readers and build a more diverse and informed audience.”

The post Mississippi Today adds three new staffers in editorial and audience development appeared first on Mississippi Today.

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Eric J. Shelton/Mississippi Today, Report For America

Gov. Tate Reeves (right) and Executive Director of MEMA Col. Gregory S. Michel at a press conference at the State of Mississippi Woolfolk Building in Jackson, Miss., Tuesday, March 31, 2020.

Hurricane Delta on Thursday appeared on track for landfall in Louisiana, but Gov. Tate Reeves and emergency officials warned Mississippi will feel its effects, both wind and rain, starting late Friday afternoon.

Reeves and others warned that its track could shift and Mississippians should remain “weather aware” through the weekend.

Southwestern and western Mississippi along the Mississippi River could see winds up to 65 mph, rainfall of 4-6 inches and spinoff tornadoes. The rest of the state could see rainfall of 1-2 inches and gusty winds before the storm exits Mississippi through the Corinth area in the early hours of Sunday, if it keeps its current track toward a landfall around Lake Charles, Louisiana.

“This thing is about 27 or 28 hours from making landfall,” Reeves said. “And it’s just not that far from the Louisiana-Texas line to the Mississippi-Alabama line in terms of where these things can shift.”

Hurricane Delta weakened after a brief landfall on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, but reorganized and strengthened on Thursday into a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. Forecasters expected it to continue to strengthen through Thursday night and could reach Category 3 or higher before U.S. landfall.

Hurricanes are rated on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale from 1-5, with Category 3 and higher considered major hurricanes. The scale is:

• Category 1: wind 74-95 mph
• Category 2: wind 96-110 mph
• Category 3: wind 111-129 mph
• Category 4: wind 130-156 mph
• Category 5: wind 157 mph or higher

Reeves declared a state of emergency for Mississippi on Wednesday, and the White House approved the declaration, freeing federal funds if needed. Reeves said Mississippi is also prepared to help Louisiana if needed.

Mississippi Emergency Management Director Greg Michel said 161,000 sandbags had been delivered for use in southwest Mississippi and 11 shelters were on standby to open if needed, with three planning to open Friday. MEMA and the National Guard were staging people and supplies in case they’re needed.

Reeves on Wednesday repeated a term he uses often that Mississippi will “prepare for the worst, pray for the best and expect somewhere in between.”

The post Hurricane Delta winds, rain expected to impact Mississippi appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith speaks to supporters during a campaign event hosted by the Madison County Republican Women, the Rankin County Republican Women and the Hinds County Republican Women on Wednesday evening at The Range in Gluckstadt.

Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who less than a week ago said she “wouldn’t mind” debating Democratic challenger Mike Espy, said on Wednesday evening a debate is “the last thing I’m worried about.”

Espy has accepted two debate invitations and has publicly chided Hyde-Smith for not doing the same.

“There is just such stark differences,” Hyde-Smith told WJTV on Wednesday. “So why would such stark differences, so much emphasis being put on a debate — if it was, if we were so close and people really wanted to hear, Mike Espy would be the most liberal candidate we’ve ever had in Mississippi. I’m a proven conservative, so, you know, I don’t think a lot of minds would be changed.”

NEW from me tonight at 10 on @WJTV . Sen. @Cindyhydesmith won’t commit to debating @MikeEspyMS at this time.

Take a listen. pic.twitter.com/Ot6NldJoHw

— Gerald Harris (@GeraldHarrisTV) October 8, 2020

In two separate statements within the past week, Hyde-Smith suggested she might be willing to debate Espy.

“I don’t know if the schedule will allow that. I don’t mind debating him at all,” Hyde-Smith told WJTV on Oct. 2. “We’ve already done that (in 2018). But you know, I’m more concerned right now on the issues in front of us than I am a debate. But I wouldn’t mind doing it at all, if the schedule allows that.”

Mississippi politicos have surmised that Hyde-Smith — prone to gaffes on the public campaign trail — believes she has a substantial lead in the race, can ride President Donald Trump’s coattails with voters, and is otherwise laying low and trying not to give Espy’s campaign any platform.

She is one of just nine U.S. senators running for re-election this year who has not agreed to a debate. Most of the eight other incumbent U.S. senators who have not agreed to debate face little-known, little-financed, or third party challengers.

READ MORE: Most U.S. senators running in 2020 have agreed to debate. Cindy Hyde-Smith has not.

In 2018, Hyde-Smith and Espy debated when they were vying in a special election to replace longtime Sen. Thad Cochran, who resigned for health reasons. Hyde-Smith was appointed by then-Gov. Phil Bryant to replace Cochran in the interim before the special election. She is now vying for a full six-year term, and Espy, who captured more than 46% of the vote in 2018, is challenging her again.

Hyde-Smith, in a video interview with Gray DC posted on Oct. 5, was asked to share her thoughts about the upcoming vice presidential debate between Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris.

“Well, you know, it’s always good to get their opinions on things, to be able to watch them,” Hyde-Smith said of the vice presidential debate. “They’re under pressure at that time, but how they respond. You’ve got two smart individuals there, and I think it will be very positive.”

The post ‘The last thing I’m worried about’: Sen. Hyde-Smith walks back willingness to debate Espy appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith during a shootout competition against U.S. Congressman Michael Guest and Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Kenny Griffis. The shooting competition was part of a speaking event hosted by the Madison County Republican Women, the Rankin County Republican Women and the Hinds County Republican Women, Wednesday evening at The Range in Gluckstadt.

GLUCKSTADT — In a rare public campaign appearance on Wednesday, incumbent U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith fired guns at a shooting range and fired up her base with some red meat on law and order, President Donald Trump and a pending U.S. Supreme Court confirmation.

“You’re not hearing anybody talk about the borders anymore,” Hyde-Smith told a crowd of about 150 at a Madison, Hinds and Rankin County Republican Women event held at The Range by Jimmy Primos in Gluckstadt. “We have got to win this election. You talk about an open border, lawlessness, civil unrest, we can see an America that we do not recognize. I just encourage you to stay engaged, continue to ask your friends. We are 27 days out. It has been such an honor to represent you, it truly has and I have a great staff in D.C., I’m seeing so many of them out there.

“We need a conservative fighter in this seat,” Hyde-Smith said. “We need somebody that can stand up for unborn children, somebody that can stand up for the Second Amendment to protect our gun rights. We need somebody that understands Mississippi rural health care and everything that entails.”

Hyde-Smith, in a race for a seat that most prognosticators consider safely Republican in one of the reddest states in the country, has done little public campaigning and has declined invitations to debate her Democratic opponent, former U.S. Rep. Mike Espy.

In comments to WJTV this week, Hyde-Smith said: “We have 27 days left. The last thing I’m worried about is a debate. With such stark differences, why would so much emphasis be put on a debate? … I don’t think a lot of minds would be changed.”

Hyde-Smith defeated Espy in a 2018 special election to fill out the term of longtime Sen. Thad Cochran, after Gov. Phil Bryant appointed Hyde-Smith to the seat temporarily. Hyde-Smith is former state agriculture commissioner, and a former longtime state senator, serving as a Democrat for much of her time in the Legislature before switching parties in 2010.

Hyde-Smith on Wednesday focused mostly on the pending Senate confirmation of Trump Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett in her comments to the crowd and media at Wednesday’s event.

“Let me tell you about Amy Coney Barrett — she is amazing. I met with her last week,” Hyde Smith said. “… It will be such a pleasure to get back and be able to go through the hearings starting Oct. 12.

“She is going to have a tough, tough time,” Hyde-Smith said. “That family is going to have a tough, tough time. They’re telling us it is going to be worse than Kavanaugh (confirmation hearings). I don’t see how it could possibly be worse than Kavanaugh. But she is a strong woman. I wish she was with us tonight to see all the strong women I’m looking at right now.”

Vickie D. King/Mississippi Today

Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith speaks to supporters during a speaking event hosted by the Madison County Republican Women, the Rankin County Republican Women and the Hinds County Republican Women, Wednesday evening at The Range in Gluckstadt.

Of Trump, Hyde-Smith said: “He’s been unfairly attacked every day since he took office. He is going to lead us back to prosperity.”

Hyde-Smith was well received by the crowd at The Range on Wednesday.

“I think she’s done a fabulous job,” said Laurie McCarthy, president of the Hinds County Republican Women. “She’s done a lot of good stuff.”

Kathy Henry, with the Rankin County Republican Women, said: “Cindy Hyde-Smith is one of the hardest working women I’ve ever known. My daughter works for her in D.C. in healthcare. With the pandemic, she was immediately on the phone to our hospitals, making sure they had what they needed, from respirators to funds.”

Hyde-Smith and fellow Republicans U.S. Rep. Michael Guest and incumbent state Supreme Court Justice Kenny Griffis also got a shoutout from rocker and activist Ted Nugent in a prerecorded message played for the crowd.

“Ted Nugent reporting for duty …” the Motor City Madman said. “We know there is a party that stands for God, family, country, freedom, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and nowadays — more than ever — law and order. And there is a party that hates all that stuff, and they’re making it quite obvious … Big salute to Gov. Tate Reeves, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, Congressman Michael Guest (and Kenny) Griffis.”

The post Cindy Hyde-Smith fires guns, focuses on Supreme Court nomination at campaign event appeared first on Mississippi Today.

Thanks so much for showing interest in becoming part of our Mississippi Today Community Ambassador network!

First, let’s start by giving you a little background information. In journalism, a source is someone we talk to for a story. Sometimes we quote them, sometimes we don’t. It can be an elected official who issues a statement for us to consider adding to a story or a community member who has coffee with us to tell us more about what’s going on locally.

READ MORE: Mississippi is diverse. Our stories should be too.

Many times, sources give us story ideas. They also help us form the way we think about stories. Good sources are vital to good journalism. But, as journalists, we don’t just want to use people for whatever ideas they can give us. We truly want to listen. If you feel like the news doesn’t represent you and have suggestions for how we can do better, we want to know what we’re missing. We want to hear from you so the decisions about which stories we pursue are equitable and community focused — not just based on what a small group of journalists thinks is important.

This is where we could really use your help. We’re looking for a diverse group of people — racially, geographically, politically, socioeconomically — across the state to help us form a network of people who will help guide our journalism, and also be able to share their insight for particular stories we are working on.

Here’s how that can work:

You would fill out a survey telling us a little bit more about yourself and the best ways to get in touch with you. A few weeks after that, the facilitator of this program would reach out to you about how we’ll be moving forward. While we would love to be in touch with as many of you as possible, we want each ambassador to form meaningful relationships with reporters, so we are aiming for quality connections over quantity. Because of that, we’ll have to cap the number of participants at a certain point.

If we’re able to move forward with you, you will be paired with one of our reporters. The reporter will reach out to you to set up a time to talk. We don’t have a set agenda for this conversation — our main goal is to get to know you and your community. Our hope is that this conversation will be the first of many that are ongoing, trusting and in service of community-powered journalism.

Still interested? Enroll in the Mississippi Today Community Ambassador Network program below.

Have questions? Reach out to kelsey@mississippitoday.org

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