Ole Miss Defeats Mississippi State in Egg Bowl

For the first time in 12 years, Ole Miss left Starkville with a victory. Not just any win, but a statement Egg Bowl win, 38-27 over No. 21 Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium.

In a game in which the Rebels looked cool, calm and collected early following a 21-point first quarter, the Bulldogs didn’t go away quietly. After a 28-3 halftime score, Mississippi State (8-4, 4-4 SEC) responded with 10 unanswered points. But, thanks to a responsive effort from the Landshark D and Rebel offense, No. 18 Ole Miss never lost momentum, surging to its second-straight Egg Bowl win and first in Starkville since the 2003 season.

To add to the historic night, the Ole Miss offense, which broke the single-season total offense record with 6,177 yards, scored its most points in Starkville since the 1971 season in a 48-0 shutout.

Junior quarterback Chad Kelly, who broke the school record for passing yards in a season and moved into the top five in SEC history in total yards, finished the night 21-of-30 for 236 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 74 yards on the ground on 11 attempts with one score. Jaylen Walton led the squad with 93 yards on the ground off 16 attempts.

Damore’ea Stringfellow had a career night, hauling in a career-high 84 yards and two scores to lead the receiving corps, while Walton added 34 yards off five catches. As a unit the Rebels posted 479 yards with a balanced effort of 243 on the ground and 236 through the air.

Ole Miss’ defense had a big night forcing two Bulldog turnovers. The Rebels tallied a season-high seven sacks and posted a total of nine tackles for loss.

The visiting Rebels created defensive havoc and got on the board quick after DeMarquis Gates forced a Dak Prescott fumble recovered by Chief Brown. Just one minute after, Kelly raced in 27 yards on the ground to cap a four-play drive and give Ole Miss a 7-0 lead.

On the ensuing drive, the Landshark D again made its presence felt, sacking Prescott twice and pushing the Bulldogs back seven yards. The Rebels responded, putting together a four-plus minute drive, punching it in off a Kelly to Stringfellow pass, increasing the early advantage to 14-0.

Just two minutes later, Tony Bridges found the end zone for the first time in his career, taking back a Prescott pass 45 yards for a pick six, pushing the advantage to 21-0.

Ole Miss’ 21 points in the opening quarter were tied for the most given up by Mississippi State in a quarter this season, and the Rebels went on to score the most first half points in the series since the 2008 meeting.

Following a 22-yard field goal from Westin Graves to cut the lead to 21-3, Kelly found Stringfellow again for the second time on the night, making the score 28-3 at the 10:45 mark of the second quarter. After a missed Rebel field goal attempt, the two teams headed to the locker room in a 28-3 contest, Ole Miss’ biggest halftime lead in the series since 2008.

Prescott was responsible for three second-half touchdowns, rushing in for one early in the third quarter, before posting two through the air late in the game. Gary Wunderlich went on to nail a 48-yard field goal late in the third, before sophomore Jordan Wilkins found the end zone on a 38-yard scamper.

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Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports