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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

So you say, “Dr. S, your prediction of a Cardinals-Angels World Series isn’t looking so hot, especially since the Giants are up 2-0.” Wake up and smell the conspiracy, people. FOX has ordered the Cards to make this a 7-game series so Rupert can make some money. It’s “The X-Files” all over again. Meanwhile, turn off those Mulder and Scully reruns and check out this college football ….

The best state college football game on Saturday figures to be Jackson State vs. Alabama State at 6:30 p.m. in Mobile, Ala. These teams hate each other, thanks to Alabama State coach L.C. Cole. Cole despises the Tigers because of perceived slights by a former coach and the fact that JSU hired Robert Hughes rather than Cole. (Bad move, JSU.) JSU hates Cole because Alabama State has beaten the Tigers the past two seasons. Alabama State lost too many players after last season and JSU needs this game to stay on top of the SWAC East title hunt. … JSU 49, Alabama State 43.

Another hatefest is brewing between Southern Miss and South Florida. After the teams played in 2000, the Golden Iggles and their coach Jeff Bower accused the Bulls of being cheapshot artists. Later Bower said that USF didn’t deserve to be in Conference USA. When these teams play again in 2003, USF will be a member of CUSA and the game will really get nasty. Bower and the Jaundiced Buzzards are upset; this could be the ugliest livestock incident involving a Mississippi team Jackie Sherrill got his shears on Wild Willie back in 1992. … Nasty Bunch 45, Sacrificial Bulls 3.

Mississippi State takes a break from losing SEC games to ruin homecoming by playing Troy State at 1:30 p.m. The Trojan Men made Jackie Sherrill’s life miserable by beating the Bulldogs last season. Maybe the favored team in Saturday’s game will be overconfident and the underdogs can pull an upset again. Troy State figures to be looking ahead to Marshall, right?. … Underdogs 35, Trojan Men 30.

Speaking of overconfidence, who could blame the Elis if their minds are elsewhere when Ar-Kansas State visits Ole Miss at 1 p.m. After all the Elis beat sixth-ranked Florida last weekend and Ar-Kansas State is a perennial whipping boy for Ole Miss and everybody else in the SEC. Ole Miss is a 29-point favorite, for you degenerates who keep up with that sort of thing. Don’t waste your money. … Ole Miss 35, ASU 17.

Elsewhere in the SWAC, Mississippi Valley State will punk Southern University when they play in Baton Rouge, La., at 6:30 p.m., and Alcorn State will score until the Braves get tired at Prairie View at 2 p.m. out on the plains of Texas. Meanwhile, Belhaven hosts Campbellsville at Newell Field at 1:30 p.m., Delta State visits Ar-Kansas Tech at 2 p.m., Mary Hardin-Baylor drops by Clinton to play Mississippi College at 2 p.m., and Millsaps hopes to hold Centre at 6 p.m. at Alumni Field.

If you can’t be an athlete, be an athletic supporter.

Previous Comments

Nasty Bunch, Nasty Bunch, Naaaaasty Bunch. Go Eagles

MFP Solutions Lab logo

The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.