The Mississippi State Bulldogs took down the Ole Miss Rebels 24-22 in the thrilling 116 edition of the Egg Bowl. This rivalry is one of the most heated rivalries in all college sports. It is a rivalry that spans generations and fuels fandom around the state of Mississippi from elementary school playgrounds to big company water coolers.
The two schools represent the two halves of the state. The rugged agricultural side of Mississippi State and the business company side of Ole Miss. The Egg Bowl has been played since 1901 and has been played every year since 1944 and is the most anticipated sporting event every year in the Magnolia State. The 2022 edition of the Egg Bowl didn’t disappoint.
Big Storylines in the Battle for the Golden Egg
It has been a while since the Egg Bowl was accompanied by big storylines outside the heated rivalry. However, with rumors surrounding Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin potentially leaving for Auburn, the Rebels came into the game with some major distractions.
Lane Kiffin had been under the microscope for weeks after Auburn fired head coach Bryan Harsin. Despite other names being in the mix, Kiffin was the front-runner, and it felt all but inevitable that he would leave Ole Miss. This left a shadow hanging over the heads of the Ole Miss football team and fan base. Heading into the Egg Bowl, it was the feeling among the Rebel fan base that this could very easily be Kiffin’s last game at Ole Miss.
In addition to the coaching issues, the 2022 season has not gone according to plan for either team. For Mississippi State, Mike Leach’s third year as head coach was supposed to be a breakout year for the Bulldogs. The season got off to a decent start. The Bulldogs lost to LSU early, but six games into the season, they found themselves sitting at 5-1. But it was all downhill from there.
Mississippi State lost to a subpar Kentucky team that they should have beaten. That loss was followed by a 30-6 beat down from Alabama and a narrow win to an Auburn team with a first-time interim head coach. The Bulldogs then lost to Georgia, and after an easy game against ETSU, Mississippi State was left coming into the rivalry game at 7-4.
Ole Miss had very high expectations for this season. Throughout the season, the Rebels were often in the top 10 in the country. However, an easy schedule may have set unrealistic expectations on this Ole Miss team. Midway through the season, the Rebels were 7-0, which sounds good until you realize that their toughest test in that stretch was an overrated Kentucky team. That led to a downward spiral that saw Ole Miss lose four of their next five games. With Ole Miss coming into the game 8-3, both the Rebels and the Bulldogs were looking to salvage their season.
Rushing and Defense Make All the Difference
Ole Miss and Mississippi State have been complete opposites this season when it comes to rushing. Rebels running back Quinshon Judkins has been one of the best rushers in the country, leading an explosive Rebel offense, while Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach’s air raid offense has all but abandoned the run game.
However, the script flipped on Thanksgiving Day, and the Ole Miss offense came to a grinding halt. The Rebels had 331 total yards of offense—a season low. The Rebels brightest star this season, running back Quinshon Judkins, only rushed for 91 yards, and the Rebels as a team had no rushing touchdowns. This was all due to Mississippi State’s excellent defense. The Bulldogs had three different players with ten total tackles and sacked Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart twice. The Mississippi State defense also had 13 different players who recorded at least half a tackle for a loss.
On the other side of the rivalry, Mississippi State found themselves in a hole going into the half down 16-14. Now, many Bulldog fans have grown frustrated with head coach Mike Leach’s stubbornness when it comes to the run game. Leach has a reputation as a pass-heavy offensive-minded coach. His signature air rid offense has seen him take subpar quarterbacks and turn them into record-breakers. But that hasn’t exactly been the case this season—especially in the Egg Bowl. Will Rogers struggled throughout the game. So, coming out of half-time, the Bulldogs made some changes.
In the first half, Mississippi State ran the ball twice. However, in the second half, the Bulldogs pounded the Ole Miss defense as they ran the ball 35 times. Running back Jo’quavious Marks had himself a night with 76 rushing yards and 1 touchdown, while Dillon Johnson also played well, netting 73 rushing yards. Neither back lost yardage throughout the entire night.
When it came down to it, Mississippi State was simply better everywhere on the field but quarterback. Tulu Griffin had a huge play where he broke up a potential scoop and score. Jet Johnson made a heads-up play when he picked up a loose ball that would be declared a fumble recovery for Mississippi State. Big plays, solid defense and a commitment to the run game allowed Mississippi State to take the upset win against a superior Ole Miss team.
Now, both teams will sit back and wait to see what Bowl game they will travel two. As it stands, Ole Miss is projected to head to the ReliaQuest Bowl to take on Illinois. Meanwhile, the Egg Bowl champs Mississippi State are projected to appear in the Music City Bowl against Purdue. However, everything is speculation.
