Mississippi State Football: 3 reasons the Bulldogs will beat Ole Miss in 2021 Egg Bowl

2. Mississippi State’s defense is sneaky good

The Bulldogs have one of the best run defenses in all of the SEC, allowing less than 100 rushing yards per game.

Cornerback Emmanuel Forbes has the fourth-most interceptions in the conference with four. State will need Forbes to have one of his best games of the season and try to pick off Heisman contender Matt Corral, something that’s only happened three times all year.

Corral leads one of the best offenses not in just the SEC, but the entire country. The Rebels accumulate more than 500 total yards of offense per game.

As many know by now Corral can beat you with his arm or his legs, recording 10 rushing touchdowns this season all while picking up more than 500 yards on the ground.

Mississippi State has to take away the running threat from Corral and force him to rely on his arm. If the Bulldogs can find a way to get to him early and sack him — something that’s happened 21 times this year — it may allow State to control the momentum of the game.