Egg Bowl Win/Senior Tribute
It rained, it was wet, but it was worth it. Dan Mullen is 3-0 vs. Ole Miss, State has won 3 in a row for the first time in 70 years, the win gives Ole Miss their worst season ever (2-10), and MSU goes to a bowl!
It is a huge relief to get that win, and it was nice to completely dominate the game winning 31-3. The offense was very conservative in the second half or the score would’ve been worse. Either way, it was a statement game in the state of Mississippi that MSU is way ahead of Ole Miss.
Vick Ballard had 144 yards in the game, and that gives him 1,009 for the season. That is a significant number as only Anthony Dixon and Jerious Norwood have done that at MSU in the last 12 seasons. He is one of only four tailbacks in the SEC to reach that mark in 2011.
The MSU defense did a great job tackling in this game despite the slippery conditions. Ole Miss only gained 202 total yards, 65 of which occurred after Mullen received his Gatorade bath. State moved back up to 5th in the SEC in scoring defense (19.9).
The icing on the cake is that MSU gets to go to a bowl game. Likely destinations are the Liberty or Music City Bowl. If Georgia upsets LSU in the SEC Championship Game the SEC could get 3 teams into the BCS and MSU would move up to the Gator or Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Whichever bowl it ends up being, it will mark the first time in 11 years that MSU has been to consecutive bowls (’99 Peach & ’00 Independence), and that’s a step in the right direction.
Congratulations to all the seniors for a great career at Mississippi State. They were able to fend off the 3-win seasons that plagued MSU from 2001-2006. A victory in the bowl game would even up their overall record at State to 25-25 (33-30 for those who red-shirted in 2007).
Outgoing Seniors: (starters)
#2 – Robert Elliot (RB), 134 carries for 540 yards, 2 TDs
#4 – Charles Mitchell (DB), 280 tackles (7.5 for loss), 4 INTs (1 TD), 11 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles
#7 – Wade Bonner (DB), 113 tackles (2.5 for loss), 2 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles
#9 – Brandon Maye (LB), 37 tackles (3 for loss); 248 tackles (17 for loss) and 5.5 sacks in his college career
#14 – Chris Relf (QB), 255 of 441 (57.8%), 3,168 yards, 27 TDs, 16 INTs, 385 carries for 1,511 yards, 9 TDs, 13-8 as the starter
#26 – Damein Anderson (DB), 44 tackles (two for loss), 1 INT, 9 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
#28 – Vick Ballard (RB), 365 carries for 1,977 yards, 27 TDs, 28 receptions for 284 yards, 2 TDs
#32 – Marcus Green (TE), 42 receptions for 580 yards, 4 TDs
#33 – Jamie Jones (LB), 24 tackles (2 for loss)
#40 – Derek DePasquale (K), 84 for 84 PATs (100%), 31 of 41 FGs (75.6%), 5 tackles
#41 – Marvin Bure (DB), 26 tackles, 1 forced fumble
#49 – Johnathan Philips (ST)
#55 – Quentin Saulsberry (OL), started 49 games (every single game)
#58 – Brandon Wilson (LB), 114 tackles (two for loss), 0.5 sack, 1 pass defended, 1 forced fumble
#62 – Addison Lawrence (OL), started 37 games
#77 – James Carmon (OL, DL), started 10 games, 8 tackles, 1 pass defended
#88 – Kendrick Cook (TE), 2 receptions for 25 yards
#99 – Sean Furguson (DL), 99 tackles (16 for loss), 3 sacks, 1 pass defended