Good morning! The countdown for Bulldog basketball’s Junction Jam is on! Less than 10 days remain until the Maroon and White faithful will have the opportunity to meet the teams and fill The Junction.

What else did we throw into today’s Bulldog Brew?

🏀 Bulldogs set to takeover Tupelo
🏈 Cox selected as State’s SEC Legend
🐶 And much, much more!

🎙️ DEAR OL’ STATE

Dear Ol’ State: Visiting With Victoria Vivians. She's back. One of the greatest Mississippi State women's basketball players in history, Victoria Vivians, recently rejoined the Bulldogs as a member of head coach Sam Purcell's staff. On the latest edition of Dear Ol' State, Joel Coleman and Logan Lowery visit with Vivians to learn about her new role and what it's like being back home.

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Taking Over Tupelo. Bulldog basketball is taking over Tupelo! Catch both the men’s and women’s basketball teams in action for an epic doubleheader on Dec. 14 at Cadence Bank Arena. The men will take on McNeese State while the women will face off against Belmont.

🎟️ Get tickets now!

🔼 State Legend. Former Bulldog defensive lineman Fletcher Cox was named the 2024 Mississippi State SEC Legend. After being named First Team All-SEC and First Team All-American in 2011, Cox was selected with the 12th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft where he spent 12 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. As a pro, the former State star was a six-time Pro Bowl selection, an All-Pro in 2018, a Super Bowl champion and was selected to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team.

🎥 Watch as AD Zac Selmon and HC Jeff Lebby delivered the news to Fletcher Cox

🔼 Highest In History. Mississippi State soccer continues to make history in 2024, earning its highest rankings ever across multiple national polls. The Bulldogs are now ranked No. 4 by both United Soccer Coaches and TopDrawerSoccer and have reached No. 3 in the NCAA's RPI rankings. These accolades come on the heels of a historic week for the Bulldogs, which also saw two players earn Southeastern Conference Player of the Week honors for their performances in a 1-0 victory over then-top-ranked Arkansas.

📚️ Perry named to TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week

🔼 Getting The Mind Right. Mississippi State Athletics is celebrating Mental Health Week all week long to help raise awareness. One of the ways MSU helps its student-athletes with their mental well-being is with the counseling and sports psychology program - one of the best in the country. Read about how the program has impacted a variety of State student-athletes during their time in Starkville.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), celebrating the contributions of workers with disabilities and promoting inclusive workplace policies. NDEAM highlights the value individuals with disabilities bring to the workplace. The Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services (MDRS) aims to provide timely and effective services to help Mississippians with disabilities gain and retain employment and live independently, relying on partnerships with businesses.

“October is known as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, but at MDRS every month is Disability Employment Awareness Month. It’s what we do! We love sharing the great success stories of our clients and how partnering businesses are increasing company morale, reducing turnover and discovering untapped potential with each hired individual,” states Billy Taylor, Executive Director for MDRS.

MDRS is dedicated to supporting businesses by customizing recruitment and offering various services. Our goals include promoting workplace diversity by recruiting individuals with disabilities, providing resources and access to qualified candidates, and helping them succeed in their careers. For more information, call 1.800.443.1000 or visit www.mdrs.ms.gov.

🤔 BULLDOG TRIVIA

Milestones Met. Today’s trivia question…which former Bulldog football player competed in his 100th career NFL game over the weekend as a team captain?

Think you got it? Scroll to the bottom of the Bulldog Brew to see if you know your stuff!

🤝 SHARE THE BREW

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📆 THE WEEK AHEAD

Wednesday, October 9
No scheduled events

Thursday, October 10
🎾 Women’s Tennis @ ITA Southern Regionals in Auburn, AL
⚽️ Soccer vs. Georgia @ 5:30 p.m. in Athens, GA | SECN+

Friday, October 11
🏐 Volleyball vs. Florida @ 6 p.m. in Gainesville, FL | SECN+

🐶 Click here to see the full Mississippi State Athletics Calendar

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Logan Cooke!

Sunday marked Cooke’s 100th career game with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Since net punting average began being tracked in 1976, Cooke's career 43.4-yard net punting average is the highest in NFL history (min. 250 punts).

🐶 Have a great Wednesday, y'all!