Egg Bowl Previews and Predictions: Mississippi State at No. 14 Ole Miss

OXFORD, Miss. — The No. 14 Ole Miss Rebels are looking to finish off the regular season on a high in the 121st edition of the Egg Bowl. The annual rivalry game is set to take place this afternoon with a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff.

Ole Miss needs a strong closing to the season to maintain the Rebels’ outside chance at making the college football playoff. Former Ole Miss assistant Jeff Lebby’s first season in charge of the Mississippi State program has been one to forget. The Bulldogs are 2-9 on the year and currently winless in SEC play, so they’ll be looking to try and gain some positive momentum at the end of the season.

The odds favor the Rebels in this one, but rivalry games can often be unpredictable. The two coaches, who were close friends when Coach Lebby was Ole Miss’ offensive coordinator, are set to face off in a game that is one of college football’s most established rivalries. This should be another exciting chapter in the Egg Bowl’s storied past.

In last week’s game against Florida, Ole Miss’ injury report showed only a handful of players unavailable early in the week. Despite this, Ole Miss looked to be affected by the injury bug especially in the run game. For the contest against Mississippi State, eleven Ole Miss Rebels have been listed on the latest edition of the injury report. Safety Yam Banks and running backs Rashad Amos and Henry Parrish Jr. are ruled out. Wide Receiver Tre Harris III, who made his return to the lineup last week, is listed as questionable after exiting the contest early against Florida with a groin injury.  Also marked as questionable for this game is transfer running back Logan Diggs who has yet to be able to play as he rehabs from a torn ACL he suffered while with LSU last season.

Game Details 

• Kickoff: Friday, November 29th, 2:45 PM CT
• TV: ABC
• Radio: OleMissSports.com
  • Memphis: WHBQ-AM 560
  • Oxford: WOXF-FM 105.1
  • Jackson: WFMN-FM 97.3
• Betting Odds:  Ole Miss -24.5; O/U61.5  (as of Friday morning)

So what happens in this year’s Egg Bowl?

The Rebel Walk has put together a group of panelists who are weekly sharing their predictions for the upcoming game. Our panel brings a variety of perspectives that showcase many different points of view.

The Leaderboard

Kam Wicker (The Rebel Walk): 22 Points 

TJ Oxley (The Rebel Walk): 21 Points 

Grayson Weir (BroBible): 19 Points 

Adam Brown (The Rebel Walk): 14 Points 

Zach Moreth (The Rebel Walk): 9 Points 

Caleb Salers (Supertalk Mississippi): 5 Points 

Scoring Metric and Panel Predictions

Scoring: Each panel member can earn a total of six points per week.

• One point will be awarded for correctly picking the winning team outright.
• Two points will be awarded if the predicted score is within 7.5 points total. There is a caveat to this. For example, if a panel member says that a team wins the game 21-0 and that team loses 0-21, the total score is technically within 7.5 points. However, points will only be awarded if the score is close to the prediction (i.e. – a score of 24-3 has a total of 27 and is within 7.5 points of 21).
• Lastly, a panel member will be awarded three points if his prediction is correct.

With that being said let’s get to the predictions as Ole Miss hits the road to Gainesville.

Grayson Weir, Bro Bible

Score: Ole Miss 45 — Mississippi State 10

Prediction: Jaxson Dart 4+ total TDs

No, I have not predicted a loss all year. Let me briefly explain why. I said before the season that Ole Miss’ only loss would be to LSU in Baton Rouge, but I changed my mind and fully expected a statement win over the Tigers after the gut check against Kentucky. The Georgia win always felt right but I — like everyone — never saw Florida coming. Ouch.

Although the Playoff is /probably/ dead at this point, there is still a pulse and Lane will have a much easier time getting his guys ready to play Mississippi State because of the (very small) glimmer of hope. The Bulldogs are absolutely terrible, so there will be no issue keeping the Egg in Oxford.

With that being said, Michael Van Buren Jr. will do just enough with his feet to keep his team in the game during the first half. Expect a huge day from Suntarine Perkins and Pooh Paul while the defensive line forces Van Buren out of the pocket.

Ole Miss eventually pulls away behind a four+ touchdown day from Jaxson Dart against an awful secondary. It would also be very funny if Ulysses Bentley finally gets a carry and breaks a big touchdown run.

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Kam Wicker, The Rebel Walk

Score: Ole Miss 27 — Mississippi State 14

Prediction: JJ Pegues tallies 2+ TDs

Just like always, this game is fueled by two schools that just don’t like one another. I expect nothing less than a dogfight on Black Friday in the Vaught, likely a defensive battle to begin with. However, Jaxson Dart and the Rebel offense could be poised for a bounce-back performance and put together some scoring drives in the second half. With slim chances of CFP hopes still alive for Ole Miss, despite the upset a week ago, the Rebels respond to hoist the Golden Egg.

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Zach Moreth, The Rebel Walk

Score: Ole Miss 52 — Mississippi State 17

Prediction: Jaxson Dart throws for 300+ passing yards and 3+ TDs

Ole Miss has a chance to end its season on a high note against a suspect 2-9 Mississippi State team. Despite the heated rivalry of the Egg Bowl, I see the Rebels winning big in this game considering the sheer volume of talent on this roster. I believe the offense will have their way with the State defense and play one of their best games of the season, putting the score out of reach in a hurry.

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Adam Brown, The Rebel Walk

Score: Ole Miss 38 — Mississippi State 21

Prediction: Jaxson Dart throws for 300 yards and scores five touchdowns

The Ole Miss quarterback looks to have a huge Senior Day inside the Vaught. The Rebels receiving corps will likely be down Tre Harris as he is listed as ‘doubtful’ in the Thursday night Availability Report. Nevertheless, the unit will share the wealth, and I look for Jordan Watkins to have a huge day with three touchdowns. Cayden Lee won’t be left out and will have a touchdown, himself.

Mississippi State will make it a game early, but I see the Rebels depth and talent too much for the Bulldogs and Ole Miss will pull away in the third quarter.

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TJ Oxley, The Rebel Walk

Score: Ole Miss 30 — Mississippi State 17

Prediction: Mississippi State <330 total yards on offense

Rivalry weeks always bring out some interesting stories. Most of the panel is trusting the spread but things don’t always follow that, especially in a rivalry setting. While the expectation is for Ole Miss to come out and execute, I do believe this game will be played with a lot of passion. Expect this game to be a defensive setup before Ole Miss starts to pull away in the second half.

The State offense has struggled to put up points in the last few games (minus the UMASS game), and I expect that trend to continue. While Ole Miss has had its fair share of criticisms on offense, the defense has been one of the best units in the country. With this being such an emotional game, I expect that Ole Miss front seven to come out with some pop, in that I expect the Rebels to stuff the run and really focus on forcing Mississippi State to air it out. Look out for a big game from Walten Nolen and JJ Pegues.

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Caleb Salers, Supertalk Mississippi

Score: Ole Miss 42 — Mississippi State 14

Prediction: Ole Miss offense totals 5+ receiving TDs

The Rebels use a glimmer of hope that they can make a College Football Playoff debut as fuel to oust a bitter in-state foe. In a contest of utmost significance for Ole Miss fans, Lane Kiffin and company will not disappoint. Shining brightly will be Mississippi natives JJ Pegues and Suntarine Perkins on the defensive end. The pair will ensure young (and promising) Bulldog quarterback Michael van Buren’s day on the gridiron is far from desirable.

Offensively, Jaxson Dart and his band of wideouts will correct mistakes made this past weekend, accounting for five of Ole Miss’ six touchdowns. And the Golden Egg will remain where it belongs.