Mississippi State Football: Bulldogs look for Egg Bowl revenge

Mississippi State Football looks to avenge last season’s Egg Bowl loss to hated rival Ole Miss on Thanksgiving night in this heated rivalry.

The stakes aren’t as high as some of the other rivalry weekend games, but there’s not a rivalry in the country right now more heated than the battle for the Golden Egg in Mississippi.

Ole Miss comes in at 5-6, with no hope of bowl eligibility regardless of the outcome of this game as they serve the second year of their bowl ban. The blame for the probation in Oxford is placed solely at the feet of those in Starkville, as Mississippi State was involved with the beginning of the NCAA investigation to start with.

A new coaching staff on the Bulldogs sideline has simmered the tensions a bit, but these teams remain far from cordial.

For the Rebels, just like last year, this is their bowl game. Currently riding a four game losing streak, Matt Luke can summon some goodwill to finish the season by knocking off the Bulldogs for the second year in a row.

Mississippi State feels like last year’s Egg Bowl has an asterisk. Nick Fitzgerald suffered a gruesome ankle injury on the second drive that knocked him from the game. The senior QB is healthy and raring to go in hopes of capturing his final Golden Egg.

At 7-4, the Bulldogs are battling for bowl positioning. Their hopes of a New Year’s Six bowl are gone, but this could be the difference in a berth in a bowl like the Citrus or a berth in a bowl like the Liberty.

The Bulldogs are prepared for the Rebels’ best shot. Can Mississippi State avenge last season’s loss, or will Ole Miss win their second straight in this rivalry series?

Here’s how you can watch the Thanksgiving night game between the Bulldogs and Rebels:

Date: Thursday, November 22
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Oxford, MS
Venue: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN | FuboTV

Keys to Victory

Mississippi State would prefer this game didn’t turn into a track-meet against the high-powered Ole Miss offense. Rebels QB Jordan Ta’amu is second in the nation in passing yards, and with big play receivers like A.J. Brown and DaMarkus Lodge on the outside, they’re more than capable of hitting home runs. Can Mississippi State get pressure on Ta’amu and force quicker throws? The Bulldogs front seven is as good as any in the country. Led by Jeffery Simmons and Montez Sweat, Mississippi State ranks in the Top 20 in the nation in sacks. Ole Miss gives up over 2.5 sacks-per-game, so if State can get to the quarterback, they can ground the potent Rebels offense.

Can Ole Miss’ defense finally rise up and feign competency? The Rebels have been gouged all season long, giving up 489 yards of offense per game. The real concern for this game is Ole Miss’ inability to stop the run, which is the bread-and-butter of the Bulldogs’ offensive attack. It will be imperative that Ole Miss stop the ground game led by Fitzgerald and Aeris Williams, forcing Fitzgerald to be more of a passer. If they let Fitzgerald and company stay on scheduled downs, it could be a long night for Luke and the fans in Oxford.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of oddsshark.com

Point Spread: Mississippi State -11
Over/Under: 59

Prediction

As good as Ole Miss’ offense has been this season, they’ve really struggled to put up points against the best defenses in the SEC. In games against the upper echelon of defenses – Alabama, LSU, and Auburn — the Rebels managed just 13 points-per-game in three losses, and never scored more than 16 in any of the contests. The Bulldogs boast a defense on par, if not even better, than those three teams, and they should be able to make life tough on Ta’amu and company.

The Rebels will also have their hands full stopping the Mississippi State ground game, which will allow the Bulldogs to chew up clock and keep the ball away from that offense. A late Ole Miss touchdown makes this more respectable, but Mississippi State rolls in the Egg Bowl.

Final Score: Mississippi State 31, Ole Miss 17