What was at stake?
The Bulldogs came into the 89th Egg Bowl with a 4-7 overall record while the Rebels were 5-6, needing one win for bowl eligibility. The Bulldogs were attempting to snap a two-game losing streak and the Rebels were trying for their fourth win in five tries under head coach Hugh Freeze.
Run Fitz Run!
Mississippi State sophomore quarterback Nick Fitzgerald ran through, around and by Rebel defenders all day on Saturday, amassing 258 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries. Fitzgerald only completed eight passes on the day for 109 yards, but three of the completions were for touchdowns to Fred Ross, Malik Dear and Donald Gray.
Defensive woes continue
Mississippi State put together an impressive day on the ground, rushing for 457 yards against the much maligned Rebel defense and totaled 566 yards overall with 23 first downs. The Rebels had their success as well offensively, totaling 528 yards with freshman quarterback Shea Patterson throwing for 320 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 73 yards. Bulldog sophomore running back Aeris Williams rushed for 191 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries while Rebel senior running back Akeem Judd rushed for 107 yards on 19 carries.
The team that punts first loses
For a while in the first half it appeared that neither team could stop the other with Mississippi State nursing a 27-20 halftime lead. The Bulldogs deferred to the second half but gained only three yards on three plays and punted to Ole Miss with 14:16 left in the third quarter. The Rebels took possession at their own 40-yard line and marched down to the Bulldog 17-yard line in nine plays setting up a fourth down situation with one yard to go. Judd took the handoff and was stuffed for a one-yard loss and the Bulldogs took over, promptly marching down the field in nine plays and scoring a touchdown when Fitzgerald found Ross with a 38-yard strike, pushing their lead to 34-20. The Rebels never recovered and were shut out in the second half.
Scoring machine
The Bulldogs scored eight touchdowns Saturday, one defensive, on 12 offensive possessions and held the football for 28:37, punting only three times and fumbling it away once. MSU was 8-of-13 on third down and 1-of-1 on fourth down while averaging 8.84 yards per play, 9.7 per rushing attempt. In comparison the Rebels averaged 6.1 yards per play and were just 5-of-15 on third down and 1-of-4 on fourth down.
When it was over
When the Rebels opted to go for it on fourth down early in the third quarter on the Mississippi State 17-yard line and failed to convert setting up a nine-play 83-yard touchdown drive by the Bulldogs, it was essentially over. The Rebels threatened a couple of more times in the contest but could not find the goal line and could not stop the Bulldogs from scoring three more times.
Insult to injury
While driving in for a possible score with just over two minutes left in the contest, Patterson’s pass to the flat near the Mississippi State 26-yard line was bobbled by Judd and intercepted by Bulldog senior cornerback Cedric Jiles and returned 74 yards for a touchdown, pushing the final score to 55-20.
Noteworthy quotes
On the mindset going into the 89th Egg Bowl Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen said, “I figured we could win since they have a new quarterback, but they give you some issues. They were going to move and twist and I think the fact that we were able to establish the run early got them out of what they were trying to do defensively. We had to keep kind of mixing up the looks and formation to run the ball out of to keep them on their toes. This game is awesome. This is the eighth time I have played in this game. I’m not going to say it is the biggest and I am not going to say it is little. Every time you win it it is awesome and every time you lose it it is awful because it sticks with you. What an unbelievable feeling to come in and get that win and bring that trophy back to Starkville.”
On the impact of the failed fourth and one attempt in the third quarter Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze said, “I thought the energy in the whole place went down for sure. I thought there was good energy there in the second half in the stadium and one the side line, but there was no question that was a crucial play. I have been in five of these and I hate the feeling that I have in the two losses that we have had. We have a lot of work to do to get back to where we want to be, starting in the offseason and in spring ball for sure, but tonight was a disappointing night.”
Commenting on the season Mississippi State sophomore quarterback Nick Fitzgerald said, “Throughout the season, there were a lot of highs and lows. To end on something so high, a big-time Egg Bowl win, it’s phenomenal to see where we started and where we ended up.”
On the game as a whole Ole Miss junior defensive end Marquis Haynes said, “I am disappointed. We wanted to keep the egg here; that was our main focus. We were just trying to figure it out at the half, but they came out harder. It is hard to keep your head up and focus on the positive, but it is hard when you lose the Egg Bowl, because it means so much to this program.”
Wommack retires
The 2016 Egg Bowl was Ole Miss defensive coordinator Dave Wommack’s last after 38 years in the coaching profession. He was set to retire after the Rebels ended their season and the Bulldogs cut his plans one game short. Wommack had been defensive coordinator for the Rebels since 2012 when Hugh Freeze took over as head coach. “I’m grateful to God for more than 38 rewarding years as a college football coach. I worked alongside remarkable men to shape their lives of my players for the better. I’ll carry with me the relationships and lessons this game has given me as I look forward to enjoying this next chapter with my family.” In 2014 Wommack helped the Rebels finish No. 1 in the country in scoring defense and allowed the fewest touchdowns in the country with 24.
What’s next?
Mississippi State appears to have an opportunity to go bowling with a high APR (Academic Progress Rate) score after not enough teams qualified with six wins for the 40 bowl games. The invites will be sent out on Sunday after this weekend’s conference championship games. Ole Miss looks to heal from a devastatingly injury-plagued season while looking to hire a new defensive coordinator.
