Saban casts shadow over SEC Media Days

ATLANTA -- There is no escaping Nick Saban's influence on the Southeastern Conference. His coaching tree was represented on each of the four days of the SEC's media gathering.

Malzahn confident about Auburn's chances in 2018

ATLANTA -- Gus Malzahn knows success. In three years as offensive coordinator for the Auburn football team, Malzahn was part of a national championship. In five years as the Tigers' head coach, he has led the program to a national championship game and is 1-1 in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game.

Saban faces plenty of questions about QBs

ATLANTA -- Nick Saban saw this coming. After an offseason of debate by nearly everyone outside his program, Alabama's football coach knew people were going to ask Wednesday if he had decided between Jalen Hurts or Tua Tagovailoa as Alabama's starting quarterback.

Lemonis hires Foxhall to complete MSU staff

Chris Lemonis' first coaching staff as Mississippi State's baseball coach is complete. Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball.com reported and a source confirmed to The Dispatch that MSU has hired North Carolina State pitching coach Scott Foxhall to the same position on Lemonis' staff. He will join Jake Gautreau as the other assistant coach and Kyle Cheesebrough as the volunteer assistant and coordinator of camps.

Fitzgerald tweaks throwing mechanics

ATLANTA -- In two seasons as the Mississippi State football team's starting quarterback, Nick Fitzgerald has never had a season completion percentage greater than 56 percent.

Carter ready to put footwork to use during MSU career

STARKVILLE -- Jessika Carter didn't want to be predictable.

Ta'amu makes most of starting opportunity at Ole Miss

ATLANTA -- It's one thing to be the hot newcomer, the one with all eyes on him thus a right to the attention based on the timing. It's another to command a group from the beginning to end with no outside boost to help one keep that command.

Mullen embraces challenges of dream job at Florida

ATLANTA -- Over nine seasons with a 69-46 record at Mississippi State, Dan Mullen's suitors were frequent and consistent. He received calls from other programs with bigger stadiums, bigger athletic budgets, bigger aspirations. As Mullen remembers it, this became something his wife Megan grew accustomed to.

Notebook: Block rules see expansion for upcoming college season

ATLANTA -- The spread option run systems that have taken over college football in the last decade have come to love the cut block, as the play doesn't demand much time and the cut block can accomplish that.

MSU Athletics making decisions with every dollar in mind

STARKVILLE -- As a member of the Southeastern Conference, Mississippi State is in an elite class, but it doesn't act like it. In a study of 2016-17 college athletics finances, USA Today recently revealed MSU is one of 31 schools with an athletic department that has more than $100 million in revenue. It the first time in school history MSU has reached that benchmark.

MSU expected to face different projections at SEC Media Days

STARKVILLE -- This should be the year the Mississippi State football team's mountain to climb looks like a bunny hill. Recently, Southeastern Conference Media Days has brought with it an annual tradition of MSU being projected to finish near the bottom of the SEC Western Division, only to see the Bulldogs outperform those predictions. With eight returning starters on offense and seven more on defense, those projections likely will change for MSU in 2018.

Cohen believes in MSU basketball programs

STARKVILLE -- In John Cohen's days as Mississippi State's baseball coach, he used to enjoy running in the concourses of Humphrey Coliseum.

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