THE Battle for the Golden Egg Game Preview
The end of the season is upon us. Rivalry week. The Battle for the Golden Egg.
Both Mississippi State and Ole Miss are ranked, and both are 8-3. The Rebels still have a chance to win the SEC West if Auburn can pull off an upset in the Iron Bowl, and the Bulldogs still have a shot at 2nd in the West and a Sugar Bowl bid. The last two years have really elevated the Egg Bowl in the national perspective from what we saw in the previous decade.
Statistical comparison
MSU rushing offense: 140 YPG (101st) vs. OM rushing defense: 131 YPG (31st)
MSU passing offense: 316 YPG (16th) vs. OM passing defense: 255 YPG (100th)
OM rushing offense: 175 YPG (63rd) vs. MSU rushing defense: 165 YPG (62nd)
OM passing offense: 343 YPG (11th) vs. MSU passing defense: 215 YPG (52nd)
LOTS OF PASSING?
Who would have ever thought there would be an Egg Bowl featuring the 11th and 16th best passing attacks in the country? Forever the state of Mississippi has been about running the football. High schools run and run and run because it’s just what you do. It’s just incredible to see the change in style of play and the success it’s brought to both teams this year.
Over the last three weeks Ole Miss and MSU have been involved in wild offensive slug-fests with Arkansas. The Rebs lost 53-52 and State won 51-50. Could we be in for a similar contest where the offenses dominate?
MOST TALENT IN ANY EGG BOWL
I can’t imagine there has ever been an Egg Bowl with this much talent on the field. Consider the junior class of players that could declare early for the NFL draft (and get drafted fairly high):
- Laquan Treadwell (WR)
- D’Runnya Wilson (WR)
- Fred Ross (WR)
- Leremy Tunsil (LT)
- Robert Nkemdiche (DT)
- Chris Jones (DT)
- Tony Conner (S)
- Evan Engram (TE)
That’s just the junior class of players that will probably declare for the NFL draft this year. It doesn’t include really talented underclassmen from both teams or seniors like Dak Prescott.
SENIOR DAY EMOTION
The home team has won 14 of the last 16 Egg Bowls. That means they win on senior day.
MSU has only a handful of seniors in 2015, but one of them is Dak Prescott – the greatest player in program history. One of the main reason Dak came back for another year in Starkville was to beat Ole Miss and go out on top. Not only do the Bulldogs want to get the Golden Egg back, but their best player and leader really wants to take it back.
Chance at 10 wins, potential New Year’s Six bowl, the Golden Egg, going out on top – it’s all on the table for this one.
Hail State. GTHOM.