Ole Miss and Mississippi State’s rivalry is known as one of the most vigorous and gritty in the world of college football.
The rivalry, most commonly known as “The Egg Bowl,” actually got its name in 1978. Before, the rivalry was called “The Battle for the Golden Egg” because the winner earned a trophy that had a brass football that looked like an egg.
But in 1978, The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson gave the game its “Egg Bowl” name because neither team was eligible for a bowl game.
“The Egg Bowl” has usually been played around the week of Thanksgiving, with the game being played on that day 23 times, in 1998-2003, 2013 and 2017-2021.
Just 76 miles separate these two schools that absolutely despise each other go head to head. And every year the winner of the game claims bragging rights for the state of Mississippi.
1901 marked the first meeting between the two teams. At the time, Mississippi State’s players were known as the Mississippi A&M Aggies and Ole Miss players as the Red and Blue. The Aggies won 17-0 in the inaugural game of what soon became a heated rivalry. Ole Miss was able to bounce back the next year and win 21-0.
In 1926, Ole Miss snapped a Mississippi State 13-game win streak against them and won in Starkville 7-6. That game produced the trophy for the winner that would be kept on the school’s property until the teams met again.
In 1964, Ole Miss had amassed a 17-year win streak against Mississippi State until the Bulldogs won the game 20-17.
Let’s fast forward to 1983. In a game known to fans as “The Immaculate Deflection,” wind played a big part in the game. With 24 seconds left to play and down by a point, Mississippi State attempted a 26-yard field goal. It looked as if Ole Miss was destined for defeat. The ball was kicked right down the middle and looked to be good until a 40 mile per hour gust of wind knocked the ball down just short of the field goal post. The ball went straight up and then right back down to secure the victory for Ole Miss, 24-23.
In 2003, the game celebrated its 100th meeting between the two schools. The Rebels were dominant at the time, led by quarterback Eli Manning. Ole Miss defeated Mississippi State 31-0 and grabbed their first shutout victory in the rivalry game since 1971.
2014 marks a special game in particular for Ole Miss. Mississippi State was ranked No. 4 with a chance to make the SEC Championship game with a win and an Alabama loss. Ole Miss was No. 19 with a big win over Alabama earlier in the season that practically had Oxford unraveled.
Ole Miss defeated the Bulldogs 31-17 and dashed any hopes for Mississippi State to reach not just the SEC Championship game but also the College Football Playoffs.
In 2019, both teams needed to win to secure bowl eligibility. With nine seconds left in the game and Ole Miss trailing 21-14, quarterback Matt Corral threw a pass to receiver Elijah Moore for the touchdown. With the game looking like it was heading to overtime, Moore’s touchdown celebration — he pretended to be a dog urinating in the end zone — drew a 15-yard penalty that was applied to the extra-point attempt.
Kicker Luke Logan’s extra-point attempt from 35 yards away missed wide right, the Rebels ended the season with a losing record and head coach Matt Luke, already on the hot seat, was fired the next day.
But who knows? If Moore hadn’t celebrated that way and the Rebels had won the game, would Ole Miss have landed Lane Kiffin as its head coach? There’s always going to be room for speculation on what transpired that night.
The Rebels’ 31-21 Egg Bowl win in Starkville last year helped secure a berth in the Sugar Bowl.
