No. 12 Ole Miss set to take on State in Starkville with much on the line for both teams
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss (9-2) will travel to Starkville for the annual Egg Bowl game against Mississippi State (5-6) in hopes of earning the Rebels’ second 10-win regular season in the last three years.
State has had its struggles throughout the year, which included the firing of first-year head coach Zach Arnett after the Bulldogs were blown out against A&M. But they will still be at home against their biggest rival with nothing to lose and a chance to become bowl-eligible. This game, as in the case of any rivalry contest, has a chance to be a lot more uncomfortable than it should be, Rebel fans, as most of you already know.
On the offensive side of the ball for State, quarterback Will Rogers has led the way despite suffering a shoulder injury that prevented him from playing for over a month. In his return last week against Southern Mississippi, Rogers threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns, while it was the Bulldogs’ rushing attack that succeeded the most.
Running backs Jeffrey Pittman, Seth Davis, and Jo’Quavious Marks carried the work load, all finishing with at least 10 carries. Marks has been the primary rusher throughout the season but was also returning from injury against Southern Miss. State rushed for 238 yards and was able to score 41 points, something the Rebs will need to prevent on Thursday.
In the receiving game, Lideatrick Griffin, Zavion Thomas, and Justin Robinson lead the Bulldogs, all averaging over 12 yards per catch.
Ole Miss defenders Daijahn Anthony, Zamari Walton, Chris Graves Jr., and Deantre Prince will see a lot of man-to-man coverage on these receivers and will need to prevent explosive plays from occurring.
In terms of points per game, State is averaging 23, the second worst in the SEC. If Golding and the defense can force the Bulldogs to throw the ball, I have more than enough trust in the Rebel secondary to make stops.
Defensively, State linebackers Jett Johnson and Nathaniel Watson have been efficient in preventing the run, each tallying over 115 total tackles and ranking No. 1 and 2 in the SEC in tackles. Besides the impressive linebacker play, the Bulldogs defense as a whole leads the SEC in tackling and will make yards to gain tough on Quinshon Judkins and Ulysses Bentley IV, two outstanding running backs.
In the secondary, State has done a poor job of causing turnovers and is second-to-last in the SEC for interceptions. Jaxson Dart has thrown an interception in every road game of the season thus far, and those cowbells could cause some disruption to the offense.
Ole Miss has defeated three other SEC teams that get more sacks than State does, but with an injured offensive line, let’s hope the Rebels protect Dart and keep him upright.
If State could take away the Rebels’ run game — a very tall task — and bring pressure to Dart when Ole Miss looks to pass, this could be a low-scoring game. On the other hand, if the Rebs’ offensive line can provide Dart with time in the pocket, I believe Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins, Dayton Wade, and Caden Prieskorn all have the potential to take over and notch a huge receiving game.
It will be a difficult environment for the road Rebs in Starkville, but if Kiffin and the offense can get ahead early and take the crowd out of the game, winning will become a lot easier for Ole Miss. Fans, be ready to cheer at 6:30 p.m. this Thursday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN for those not making the trip.
