Ole Miss wide receiver Dayton Wade looking forward to this year’s Egg Bowl: ‘It ain’t just another game’
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss will travel to Starkville Thursday in hopes of returning the Egg Bowl trophy to Oxford after losing it in devastating fashion last season. Wide receiver Dayton Wade, who transferred from Western Kentucky in 2022, says that as soon as last year’s game started, he was thrown off guard as to how competitive it turned out to be.
“Last year, I can admit, I didn’t really know how deep the rivalry was,” It kind of caught me off guard the first few plays, but once I realized what it meant, it made me switch into another gear. Definitely still got a taste in my mouth from last year, so I’m looking forward to this one.”
Dayton Wade on the Egg Bowl
Dayton quickly adjusted and finished last season’s game with eight receptions for 88 yards and a touchdown, which ended up being his best performance of last year.
This season, Wade has had a breakout year. In 11 games played, he’s notched 50 receptions for 755 yards and four touchdowns.
Catch of the Year: Dayton Wade@__vierr | @KirkHerbstreit pic.twitter.com/QymeoXw5Dg
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 12, 2023
The Georgia native was asked how he is helping Ole Miss’ new players this year get ready for the rivalry game.
“Everybody that ain’t from Mississippi, because I’m from Atlanta, I’m like ‘It’s football, I’m just going to play.’ I’m trying to win either way, but I get out there (and) I’m like ‘I ain’t even from out here,’” Wade said smiling.
“But it’s cool though. I definitely (have) been spreading the word like ‘you think it’s just a game, it ain’t just another game.’”
Dayton Wade on the Egg Bowl
In 2023, Wade has more than doubled his total receiving yards with two games remaining on the season and has had three games with 100 receiving yards or more.
Most recently, against ULM, Wade collected 108 yards on seven receptions, including a 58-yard touchdown catch, the longest of his career at Ole Miss.
Dayton broke down the incredible play.
“I had press coverage, so I was like ‘Mmm, let me see what release I want to take. Do I want to go inside or outside? Then I saw the safety’s alignment, I was like ‘Okay, I feel better if I take an inside release’…I see I have him on my back hip, and I’m just (going to) lean stick him (and) create some separation,” Wade explained. “As I’m breaking, (I) catch the ball, I look, and I’m like, ‘Ah, the safety, he’s deep over there. It ain’t nothing but grass.’ I kind of just saw like a tunnel vision and I was like, ‘I’m just gonna hit the gas’. Just started running I didn’t have to stretch out, but I stretched out because, what was it, Georgia Tech game where I had the double-move and (the refs) marked me down at the one.’ They were like, ‘You should have stretched out!’ but they were like ‘don’t stretch out.’ I’m like, ‘Nah I need (a touchdown)’ and had to go get that one.”
As the night of the Egg Bowl gets closer, it is important to realize that despite the Bulldogs owning a 5-6 record, they will be playing for a chance to gain eligibility for a bowl game while coming off of a 21-point win against Southern Mississippi.
Wade was asked what he has seen from State’s defense on film review thus far.
“It’s kind of similar to last week,” he added. “We’re just going to come in and do what we do. Hopefully they do what they do to make it interesting.”
State will be motivated, and the Rebs will need to play a focused, hard-fought game to get themselves the win. After all, this is not your typical rivalry game, according to Wade.
“You think it’s just a game, but it’s not just another game. There’s meaning behind it. It’s a rivalry….backyard boys. You’ve got to hear about this all year,” Wade said.
The Egg Bowl will be streamed on ESPN this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Hotty Toddy!
(Feature image credit: Ole Miss Football)
