AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis
Ole Miss notched its first 10-win season since 2015 after beating Mississippi State 31-21 in the Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving Day at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi.
Mississippi State totaled more yards (420) than its opponent (388), which was largely a result of having to play from behind for most of the night. Ole Miss went 11-of-18 on third down and used its running game (154 yards) to great effect.
With a 10-2 record, the ninth-ranked Rebels likely sealed a New Year’s Six bowl berth by getting the better of their in-state rivals for the second year in a row.
Notable Performers
Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss: 26-of-34, 234 yards, one touchdown, one interception; 12 carries, 45 yards, one touchdown
Jerrion Ealy, RB, Ole Miss: 16 carries, 60 yards; five receptions, 43 yards, one touchdown
Dontario Drummond, WR, Ole Miss: 14 receptions, 138 yards
Will Rogers, QB, Mississippi State: 38-of-58, 336 yards, one touchdown
Lideatrick Griffin, WR: Mississippi State: five receptions, 77 yards
Makai Polk, WR, Mississippi State: 10 receptions, 98 yards
Corral Closes out Regular Season on High Note
This will be Matt Corral’s final Egg Bowl after he announced he’s moving on following the 2021 season.
The rainy conditions in Starkville made it tough sledding for both offenses, and long throws were basically out of the question for the most part. Corral nevertheless found a way to make a big impact both as a passer and a runner.
His mobility was particularly valuable on a night when head coach Lane Kiffin couldn’t get his aerial attack firing. Corral’s four-yard touchdown run at the 11:17 mark of the fourth quarter was a backbreaker.
In the box score, Corral was credited with a touchdown pass. Jerrion Ealy did the hard work, though, to put the finishing touches on the Rebels’ win:
On defense, Sam Williams’ two sacks don’t accurately portray how much he affected the game. Mississippi State didn’t have much of an answer for the Rebels defensive lineman.
One of Williams’ two sacks came in the third quarter as the Bulldogs were attempting to convert a fourth down:
The Egg Bowl is typically where anarchy reigns supreme. The 2021 installment was pretty tame by comparison because of how much Ole Miss controlled the second half on both sides of the ball.
Bulldogs Rue Missed Opportunities
With less than one minute remaining in the first half, Mississippi State had a 1st-and-goal at the Ole Miss 5-yard line while trailing 10-6. It looked like the Bulldogs would head into the locker room at halftime with the lead.
Instead, Jo’quavious Marks dropped a pair of passes on first and second down before Lideatrick Griffin failed to haul in a pass from Will Rogers in the end zone.
Rather than a fourth try at a touchdown, Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach brought on kicker Nolan McCord, who proceeded to miss his second field goal of the half.
Despite those setbacks, the Bulldogs were only down four points with 30 minutes to play. But the drops and McCord’s miss seemed to take the air out of the team.
Jett Johnson’s interception provided a jolt for Mississippi State in the fourth quarter, and Leach’s squad capitalized as Rogers hit Jaden Walley for an 11-yard touchdown pass.
But the Bulldogs were still down 11 points, 24-13, with 7:20 on the clock. Their positive momentum was short-lived with Ealy’s touchdown quieting the crowd once again.
What’s Next?
With neither Ole Miss nor Mississippi State in the SEC title game, the schools await postseason bowl bids.
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