Articles by Matthew Stevens
MSU starts slowly, can’t rally vs. TCU
STARKVILLE — When Rick Ray became Mississippi State men’s basketball coach last year, he wanted fans to leave Humphrey Coliseum knowing the Bulldogs played harder, tougher, and smarter than their opponent.
Ready calls out teammates after loss to TCU
STARKVILLE — Three games into his career, freshman point guard IJ Ready is fed up with the play of the Mississippi State men’s basketball team.
Mays intends to return to EMCC play compete for starting QB job
SCOOBA — Todd Mays took one look at the East Mississippi Community College football team’s offense and realized he wanted to be part of the system.
MSU preparing for invitation to Liberty Bowl
STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State football team is preparing for an invitation to the 2013 AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
Multiple sources close to the program confirmed to The Dispatch that MSU (6-6) anticipates returning to the bowl game at 3 p.m., Dec. 31 in Memphis, Tenn., for the first time since 2007.
Sources: Bulldogs bound for Liberty Bowl
Sources close to the Mississippi State football program confirm to The Dispatch they are preparing for a invitation to the 2013 Liberty Bowl. The Bulldogs will play the winner of the CUSA championship game between Rice and Marshall.
Ray eager to see how MSU fares against TCU
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State men’s basketball coach Rick Ray sees his team’s game at 6 tonight (ESPNU) against TCU in the Big 12/SEC Challenge as a chance at redemption against a quality opponent.
EMCC’s Reed commits to Alabama
SCOOBA — Jerran Reed’s decision Wednesday came down to which program has been more successful the past few years.
Whitley will miss MSU’s bowl game
STARKVILLE — The college football career for Mississippi State safety Nickoe Whitley ended with a forced fumble that helped clinch a victory against Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg.
Sword, Johnson deliver for MSU men
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State men’s basketball coach Rick Ray hopes he can maintain the team’s recruiting pipeline from Montgomery Carver High School.
Cunningham hits big shots in OT for Bulldogs
STARKVILLE — After a seemingly long journey, Tyson Cunningham has found his role with the Mississippi State men’s basketball program.
The senior walk-on guard showed Sunday he might be the Bulldogs’ most consistent outside shooter by draining two 3-pointers in a 65-64 overtime victory against Loyola-Chicago.
Mullen impressed with MSU’s freshmen in Egg Bowl
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football coach Dan Mullen finally got to gloat about his recruiting class after beating Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg.
Ray wants Bulldogs’ defense to improve
STARKVILLE — Rick Ray has diagnosed the problem: The Mississippi State men’s basketball team isn’t defending teams enough to please its second-year coach this season.
Football players give Starkville a lift
STARKVILLE — Now that football season is over at Starkville High School, boys basketball coach Greg Carter knows his team will get some frontcourt depth.
Whitley’s forced fumble caps stellar night by MSU defense
STARKVILLE — At the end of his postgame media conference, Mississippi State football coach Dan Mullen asked reporters who forced the final fumble that ended the 2013 Battle for the Golden Egg.
MSU pre-selling tickets for bowl games
STARKVILLE –Mississippi State Director of Athletics Scott Stricklin confirmed after the football team’s 17-10 overtime victory against Ole Miss on Thursday night the school has begun pre-selling process for three bowl destinations.
‘Divine Intervention’: Prescott leads MSU past Ole Miss in OT
STARKVILLE — Welcome to Dak Prescott’s Thanksgiving night miracle.
MSU won’t have Ready back anytime soon
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State men’s basketball coach Rick Ray said freshman point guard IJ ready isn’t close to returning from his hamstring injury.
Williams will be ready to go vs. Ole Miss if needed
STARKVILLE — Damian Williams knows what it is like to be a part of a quarterback shuffle — at a much smaller level.
As a ninth-grader at Archbishop Rummel High School near New Orleans, Williams was forced to take over as starting quarterback after an injury and led his team to the 2009 state championship game.
Ray hopes to help team find balance after loss
STARKVILLE — Rick Ray needed something to help his team regain its balance.
The second-year Mississippi State men’s basketball head coach found the teaching tool he needed Saturday in an 87-68 loss to Utah State in Logan, Utah. The loss gave Ray tangible examples he could show his players to convince them their effort on defense to start the season wasn’t acceptable.
