While Ole Miss has consistently been a Top-20 program over the past five years, that wasn’t always the case. For the five seasons prior to Lane Kiffin’s arrival, and now Pete Golding’s inheritance, they were mediocre at best. So what caused the dramatic shift? Put simply, an accidental mistake by Elijah Moore largely saved the trajectory of the Ole Miss football program.
While he was widely criticized for the decision at the time, and rightfully so, since then, he has essentially been thanked by the Rebel faithful for his mistake.
So what was the mistake, and how did it change the course of an entire football program?
2019 Egg Bowl
Throwback
Coming in, both Ole Miss and Mississippi State were ending disappointing seasons. The Rebels entered at 4-7, with no chance of a bowl game. The Bulldogs were 5-6, needing a win for a bowl appearance. And because of the two bad seasons they were going through, and the trajectory the programs were on, it was widely believed that the losing coach would be out of a job. Would that be Ole Miss’ Matt Luke, or would the Bulldogs’ Joe Moorhead be seeking employment elsewhere?
A Physical Contest
The game itself played out similarly to the tenures of both coaches. Physical, hard-nosed football that leaned heavily on the run game and just enough defense. In this particular contest, Mississippi State rushed for 210 yards and largely dictated the pace of play. Kylin Hill was a large part of this, rushing for 132 yards. For Ole Miss, between the duo of Matt Corral and John Rhys Plumlee, they threw for 245 yards. The Rebels also added 139 yards rushing, led by Jerrion Ealy.
But despite the numbers suggesting that Ole Miss should’ve had a lead late, turnovers played a large role. Three costly Rebel turnovers, including two in the second half, were the main reason they found themselves trailing 21-14 as they took over with just over two minutes left in regulation.
And that’s when chaos broke out.
The Final Two Minutes
Two incomplete passes, a penalty, and a Corral sack had the Rebels facing a 4th and 24 on their second series of downs. Corral then completed a 57-yard pass to Braylon Sanders. Following a roughing the passer penalty, Ole Miss found itself inside the MSU 15-yard line. After picking up only six yards on the first three plays of the series, the Rebels once again found themselves facing a fourth down, this time only needing four yards.
Adding to the chaos, Mississippi State jumped offside, giving Ole Miss an automatic first down, with the ball at the four-yard line. On the ensuing first down, the Rebels picked up a five-yard penalty. However, a pass interference penalty against the Bulldogs on the very next play moved the ball to the two-yard line, Corral ran for no gain on first down and had to use the Rebels’ final timeout. Then, an incompletion on second down brought up third down with only eight seconds to play.
Elijah Moore’s Massive Mistake
On third down, Corral found Moore in the end zone, making the score 21-20, and it looked like the game was headed to overtime. Instead, following the score, Moore lifted his leg. mimicking a dog urinating during his infamous celebration. As expected, he picked up a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for the antics.
This resulted in Rebel kicker Luke Logan facing a 35-yard extra point, instead of the typical 2o yarder. In true Egg Bowl fashion, Logan sent the kick wide right, giving the Bulldogs the victory.
Three days later, Ole Miss fired Luke. Without the Egg Bowl loss, there’s a good chance Luke would have kept his job, at least for another season. Instead, the Rebels were seeking a new head coach.
The Lane Kiffin Tenure
Six days after the firing of Luke, Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter announced the hiring of Lane Kiffin. For Rebel fans, it was a breath of fresh air. It was also a bit of a risk, given his somewhat shaky past. Looking back, that’s exactly what his entire tenure ended up being.
In his six seasons in Oxford, he led the Rebels to a 55-19 record, with four 10-win seasons, including three straight from 2023-2025. He also led Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff this season, despite leaving for LSU before the playoffs began.
And yes, as expected with Kiffin, his departure from Oxford was a mess. But despite that, there’s no question he left the program in an infinitely better spot than when he arrived. For that, even if disappointed by his decision to leave, most Ole Miss fans are happy.
Can Ole Miss Keep the Momentum Alive?
This is where the debate starts. For many, the Ole Miss program essentially started and ended with Kiffin. They assume the Rebels are destined to go back to mediocrity with him gone. But under Golding, Ole Miss advanced to the semifinals of the Playoff and came one defensive stop away from an appearance in the championship game. Now, through this recruiting cycle and transfer period, the Rebels have retained a ton of talent and brought in a lot of new talent. According to 247Sports, they brought in the second-rated transfer portal class. So talent won’t be the question; coaching will.
With the resources of The Grove Collective, there’s an argument to be made that Ole Miss was always going to be successful in the NIL era of college sports. But with where the program was headed prior to the Kiffin hiring, there’s a good chance the Rebel faithful would have been less inclined to invest in the program.
For that, obviously, Kiffin deserves a ton of credit. However, without Moore’s infamous celebration, Kiffin probably never makes it to Oxford, because with a win in the 2019 Egg Bowl, likely holds onto Luke.
While it may have been unintentional, it’s safe to say that Moore accidentally saved the Ole Miss football program.
Main Photo: Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger, Barbara Gauntt, Mississippi Clarion Ledger via Imagn Content Services, LLC
