Mississippi State Football: 5 reasons Bulldogs will win 2018 Egg Bowl vs. Ole Miss
By Zach Bigalke
3. Mississippi State has great ball protection
One of the keys to winning any game, much less a rivalry game, is maintaining possession of the football. If you cough it up to your opponent, the probability of victory decreases significantly. It is a fundamental truth of the game, and one that Mississippi State understands intimately.
In Joe Moorhead’s first season, he has guided one of the best teams in the country at protecting the football and avoiding giveaways. Mississippi State ranks in the middle of the pack in interceptions thrown, with Fitzgerald giving away seven interceptions and Keytaon Thompson tossing another in his limited action this year.
Where they have really excelled is in their luck with fumbles. Currently, the Bulldogs rank first in the entire FBS in fumbles lost. They are tied with Big Ten West champion Northwestern, having coughed up only two fumbles all season long.
That trend should continue against Ole Miss, which ranks 82nd in the country in generating turnovers. The Rebels will lose the turnover battle at home, or at the very least will earn nothing more than a wash on the day.