MSU dominates Tennessee-Martin

STARKVILLE — With a sense of relief, Mississippi State football coach Dan Mullen used three words to sum up his team’s performance on Homecoming Saturday night.

“It’s a win,” Mullen said.

Mullen calls first half vs. UTM ’embarrassing’

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football coach Dan Mullen wasn’t about to let the scoreboard cloud his anger toward his team’s play in the first half Saturday against the University of Tennessee-Martin.

McNair shines in return to Magnolia State

STARKVILLE — Football fans in the state of Mississippi may have forgotten about Jason McNair’s ability to run the football.

McNair re-introduced himself as a member of the Tennessee-Martin backfield on Saturday, rushing for a game-high 122 yards on 27 carries in the University of Tennessee-Martin’s 55-17 loss to Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium.

MSU baseball will have more power in lineup in 2012

STARKVILLE — In arguably the most remembered at-bat of the 2011 season, the Mississippi State coaches considered having their cleanup hitter bunt.

Starkville High defeats Neshoba Central to win Region 2-5A title

PHILADELPHIA — Three words from their starting quarterback defines the feeling of the Starkville High football program.

Zeidaks ruled ineligible by NCAA

STARKVILLE — The NCAA has ruled Mississippi State forward Kristers Zeidaks ineligible for the 2011-12 men’s basketball season.

The NCAA Eligibility Center confirmed Zeidaks, who is from Latvia, will be suspended for this season and 11 games next season for his participation in a league that included professional players and for playing against professional players in his home country.

Starkville will try to win region for first time in decade

STARKVILLE — Win and you’re the champion.

It’s a simple formula for the Starkville High School football team as its prepares for its game at 7 tonight against Neshoba Central that will decide the Class 5A, Region 2 title.

Simpson transforms UTM into winning program

A graveyard job.

That’s how Jason Simpson’s friends and colleagues in college football described the job of head coach at the University of Tennessee at Martin.

Banks in mold of MSU greats

STARKVILLE — There’s a moment minutes before kickoff every Saturday when Mississippi State cornerback Johnthan Banks does something in drills his position coach has never seen.

MSU honors Bell on one-year anniversary of his death

STARKVILLE — Today marks one-year anniversary former Mississippi State football player Nick Bell died after a fight with cancer.

MSU is using Homecoming this weekend to honor his memory. The MSU Student Association hosted a 3.6-mile run Tuesday evening to raise money for the Nick Bell Mentoring Memorial Foundation.

Tight ends play key role for MSU

STARKVILLE — Malcolm Johnson thinks highly of Marcus Green.

Johnson, a redshirt freshman tight end on the Mississippi State football team, has so many good things to say about Green, his senior teammate at the position, it’s easy to think he could be his coach.

Cox earns another SEC honor

STARKVILLE — For the third straight week, Mississippi State junior Fletcher Cox was named Southeastern Conference defensive lineman of the week.

In the past four weeks, the only time Cox, a defensive tackle, hasn’t received the honor was after MSU was on a bye week.

MSU beats Kentucky for first SEC win

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Apparently the cure for offensive futility is having a bye week to prepare for the University of Kentucky’s defense.

This set of steps is the only way to explain Mississippi State’s 398 total yards and its 28-16 road win against Kentucky on Saturday night.

Two-quarterback system works for MSU vs. Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mississippi State football coach Dan Mullen said for weeks it was possible his quarterbacks would constantly rotate.

The third-year coach was a man of his word Saturday as Tyler Russell and Chris Relf had impressive performances in a 28-16 victory against the University of Kentucky.

MSU has success in red zone

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Mississippi State football team reversed its numbers Saturday in what coach Dan Mullen calls the most important part of the field.

MSU’s ability to go 4-for-5 (four touchdowns) inside the University of Kentucky’s 20-yard-line Saturday proved to be the difference in a 28-16 victory, its first in the Southeastern Conference this season.

Must win for MSU in Lexington

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State football team knows a win at 6 p.m. today (Fox Sports South) against the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., is the highest priority if it wants to make back-to-back postseason appearances.

Mullen remains quiet about quarterback situation

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football coach Dan Mullen still isn’t providing many details about his quarterbacks two weeks after making a change at the position.

MSU expects big things from freshman Hood

STARKVILLE — The future is now for Rodney Hood.

With 12 days remaining until his college basketball debut, the anticipation continues to grow for the player many believe could be the first lottery pick in NBA draft since Rick Stansbury took over the Mississippi State men’s basketball program.

MSU’s Cox doing homework in SEC

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State junior defensive tackle Fletcher Cox couldn’t win Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors for a third consecutive week.

Bye weeks will do that.

Mullen: Turnovers will be key against Kentucky

STARKVILLE — The statistics tell Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen his team will struggle at 6 p.m. Saturday (Fox Sports South) against the University of Kentucky unless it can generate turnovers.

The Wildcats are 104th in the country (11th in the Southeastern Conference) in turnover margin. The 19 giveaways have been critical in losses to Louisville, Florida, LSU, and South Carolina.