Ole Miss Coach, Players Apologize For Egg Bowl Antics

High emotions during Thursday night’s Egg Bowl got the better of a couple of Ole Miss players, leading to apologies and regrets from D.K. Metcalf and Breeland Speaks on Sunday.
Many Rebel fans expressed their disappointment and even disgust with some of the on-field antics, including the moment when Metcalf hiked up his leg and appeared to “mark his territory” in dog-like fashion after a touchdown.
Ole Miss Head Coach Matt Luke released a statement in response to the outcry.
“While I could not be prouder of the effort by our team in Thursday’s Egg Bowl victory, I was also disappointed in how some of our players let their emotions get the best of them,” Luke said. “Those actions are not representative of who they are as men and not indicative of the type of behavior we instill in our student-athletes. This will serve as a teaching moment for these men, and we look forward to seeing them grow from this experience.”
Metcalf issued a straightforward apology for his celebration of his third-quarter TD: “I’m sorry for my actions in the Egg Bowl. I let my emotions get the best of me in the game, and what I did is not a reflection of my coaches or the university.”
As the competition intensified, Speaks got ejected after a personal foul penalty and waved jubilantly to the MSU crowd as he walked off the field. He’d also been seen smiling and waving to the camera in an earlier play.
“Thursday night was certainly a chippy game,” Speaks said in his statement, “and in the fourth quarter, I let my emotions get the best of me. I regret those actions, and I look forward to learning from this experience.”
The Rebels finished the season at 6-6 and will not be participating in postseason play after a self-imposed bowl ban. They now await a ruling on alleged recruiting violations from the NCAA’s infractions committee.

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By Adam Brown is Sports Editor of HottyToddy.com.