The Ole Miss Rebels refuse to get out of their own way. With a chance to almost certainly wrap up a spot in the College Football Playoff, they lost a tight game on the road at Florida. The loss just about eliminated them from playoff contention. Yes, technically there’s still a pulse, due to chaos everywhere else over the weekend. But that pulse is faint and nearly nonexistent. Now, they turn their attention to Mississippi State and 2024 Egg Bowl week.
The biggest question this week is which Ole Miss team shows up. It’s easy to think that they wouldn’t have a problem getting fired up for this one. After all, it is their bitter rival. However, with the way last week went, and the fact that the goal of their season seems to have fallen by the wayside, it’s tough to know for sure how they respond.
Egg Bowl Series History
In the series’ history, the game has been played 90 times. Overall, Ole Miss leads the series 56-30, with four ties. In the last 10 meetings, the Rebels hold the edge 5-4, with a 2014 win being vacated. But arguably the best part about the rivalry is that it never matters how either team has played throughout the rest of the season. It seems as if it’s always going to be close.
And then of course there are the fireworks that are almost inevitable. As with just about all rivalry games, these two teams hate each other. But it runs deeper than just the teams and players. The fans despise each other. We’re going to get pushing and shoving. We’re going to get plenty of trash talk, on and off the field.
So what if their team is having a down year? As long as they can find a way to win the Golden Egg, it eases the pain. And needless to say, this is precisely the mindset Mississippi State has coming into this one. Sitting at 2-9, the season has been objectively awful. But if they can pull off the upset on Friday, a lot of that is forgotten.
How Does Mississippi State Pull Off the Upset?
In simple terms, it’s going to take a lot. On the offensive side, the line has to hold up. Against an aggressive Ole Miss pass rush, they have to give Michael Van Buren Jr time in the pocket. In only seven games since taking over for Blake Shapen. he’s shown the ability to put up numbers. And while he has the ability to get out if pressured, scrambling isn’t what he wants to do. If his offensive line can give him time, there will be a chance for him to have success against the Rebel secondary.
But the offensive line play also extends to run blocking. During the year, the Bulldogs have averaged close to 150 yards per game on the ground. Now they play an Ole Miss defense that only gives up 86 rushing yards per game. If the Bulldogs want to pull off the upset, they’re going to have to rush for at least 125+ yards.
Then there’s the defense. With no other way around it, they’re not good. The Mississippi State defense is giving up 213 yards rushing, and 248 yards passing per game. All of that has led to them giving up 35 points per game. Those numbers are good enough for last in the SEC.
In other words, they’re going to have to play their best game of the season if they plan on pulling off the huge upset. But they’re also likely going to need the Rebels to have an off week. The good news for Mississippi State? With how things have shifted, a down week from Ole Miss is always possible.
Keys to Success For Ole Miss
Step one for the Rebels is to simply play with intensity. If they push last week’s disappointment behind them, Ole Miss will likely win this game easily. In terms of on the field, it starts on defense. The Rebel front seven, led by Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen, had to put pressure on Van Buren. If they can keep him off balance, the entire Bulldog offense will be disrupted. This would likely lead to forced throws, and potentially a few turnovers, making the offense’s job easier.
As for the Rebel offense, execution is key. Through the air, last week saw too many dropped passes and a few bad decisions from Jaxson Dart. This week, they shouldn’t see the same pressure from the Mississippi State defense. Given time, we know Dart has the ability to shred defenses. Even with Tre Harris possibly out after re-aggravating a groin injury, the Ole Miss wideouts should be able to find openings.
The rushing attack is a whole different conversation. Last week, out of 35 carries as a team, true running backs only saw four of them. That’s nothing more than coaching malpractice. If they can find a way to get the rushing game going, there’s plenty of success to be had against a bad Bulldog defense.
2024 Egg Bowl: Bottom Line and Prediction
All in all, the 2024 Egg Bowl should come down to whether Ole Miss decides they want to be there. If they’re still distraught over the Florida loss, this game will be closer than it should be and could result in an upset. But if they lock in and keep the focus that a rivalry game deserves, the Rebels should win this one going away.
In the end, given the fact that there’s still a slight outside shot at a playoff berth, expect Lane Kiffin and his staff to have their guys ready to go. After a bit of a slow start, expect Ole Miss to get going in the second half fully, and ultimately cruise to an easy win in this intense rivalry.
